1: Birthday Surprise

EDEN

I felt eyes on me as soon as I entered the pack house. The hairs on the back of my neck stand due to how uneasy I was. The whispers in the larger room got louder the further I walked in.

They didn’t hide that they were gossiping about me. Laughing behind their hands, or even to my face and turning to whisper to their friends.

My fingernails dig into my palm. The pain doesn’t distract me from the unease I could feel trickling down my spine.

You’d think I’ll get used to this from how long it has been happening.

This is the norm. But I was feeling in the back of my mind that there was something else.

I shouldn’t let them get to my head. My birthday is in a few minutes and I would rather not ruin it by paying attention to their bullying.

And the faster I leave this place, the better it would be for me.

Being an omega was already bad enough. They were usually weak. But I was even weaker than most. I have never met my wolf and I’m turning eighteen in a few minutes.

I’m hoping I’ll finally get to meet her tonight. Then I’ll be able to tell if Ryker is my mate. I feel in my heart that he is, and he said it doesn’t matter. I’m the person he wants to be with and nothing can change that.

Ryker has been my boyfriend since I was fifteen and he was sixteen. He is the alpha’s son and soon to be alpha. He is waiting for his twentieth birthday before his father will step down and he will become alpha. Then make me his luna.

Most of the people in the pack aren’t happy with that. I’m just a weak omega and they feel I’m not worthy of being their luna.

Also, the conditions of my birth weren’t the nicest.

I was the daughter of an alpha. But I didn’t have any alpha genes in me for I was the daughter of the human maid he’d cheated on his actual mate with. I was half human and thus, having more human characteristics.

My lack of healing abilities makes it harder for me to survive in a school with werewolves who have made me their personal punching bag.

Ryker always stands for me. He didn’t care that I didn’t have a wolf, or that I was just a weak omega. The bastard daughter of an alpha. He likes me for me, and he has been my best friend since I was brought to their pack.

My father couldn’t handle the shame of him cheating on his mate. So my father brought me to him. He decided I couldn’t stay in his pack and his home with his real kids. His mate hated my guts.

He sent me to the Crescent moon pack. Which is Ryker’s pack. Our fathers have been best friends since childhood and he was more than willing to clean up his friend’s mess.

Forcing a small startled sound to leave my mouth as someone out their foot in my way. Almost making me trip.

The people standing around there all laughed. Someone even going as far as screaming.

“You belong to the ground, you filthy slut.”

A shiver rolls through me at the sight of Willow. Ryker’s sister, standing in front of me.

Unlike her brother, Willow hates my guts. But I guess she is standing up for her best friend. My half sister, Nelly.

I’m met with her usual sneer. She always looks at me that way, I’ve forgotten how she actually looks without that hateful expression.

“Don't you have any shame, Eden?” She spits out, looking down at me from her nose like I couldn’t be worth the dirty under her shoes. “You keep showing up here like a shameless fool begging for scraps of attention from my brother. He. Doesn’t. Like. You.”

I flinched and moved back when she raised her hand like she was going to slap me.

She lets out a mirthless chuckle before spitting right by my foot. Her spittle misses my legs by just an inch.

“You’re pathetic. You should—“

“I’m just here to see Ryker. I won’t bother you.” Before she could say more hurtful things. I stopped her.

It is now only ten minutes to my birthday and I’m not going to let her ruin it.

Ryker and I agreed to meet just before the clock ticks, so we can see if I’ll finally get my wolf and be able to tell he is my mate.

Luckily, my father didn’t force me to come home tonight. It is also Nelly’s birthday. How ironic, right?

She is a year older than me, so she is turning nineteen and me eighteen.

Willow smiles at me and it hits me like a gut punch. The sky opening up, or my father telling me he loved me, were more likely to happen than her being nice towards me. Something is definitely up and my stomach churned with nerves. I already felt like I was going to throw up.

Willow shrugged both of her shoulders, twisting her lips right after.

“Oh, well. I tried to stop you. He is in his room.” She snickered after she said that.

Once she moved out of the way, relief ran through me. It was weird of her to let me go easily. I’m not about to play with my luck.

I ran up the stairs, heading for Ryker’s room.

I know this place like the back of my mind since I used to stay here. Though, that was before the alpha and luna decided they didn’t want me staying inside the house with their precious kids.

They forced me to stay in the servant’s quarters.

That was suggested by my father’s wife. But I had no way to prove it.

That had been the reason Ryker and I met. When he finally noticed me. So I didn't mind.

The tension in my shoulders alleviated when Ryker’s door came into view. Finally, I made it.