**CASSIE’S POV**
I was sweating profusely and feeling my muscles burn at the gym. A strong atmosphere was produced by the sound of weights clanking and music booming in the background. With each rep, I pushed myself harder, wanting to meet my fitness goals.
As I looked about, I noticed that others were working just as hard as I was, all for the same reason: to get stronger, fitter, and healthier. Despite the physical hardship, I felt a sense of success and pride in myself for going to the gym and making the effort.
The gym where my best friend and I were exercising was large and well-equipped. It had a variety of workout equipment, including treadmills and elliptical, as well as weight machines and free weights.
Mirrors were used to line the walls, giving the space a bright and open atmosphere. The air was nice and fresh, with fans circulating the air and keeping us cool as we sweated. The music was upbeat and motivational, which contributed to the energized environment.
Other people were working out around us, but it wasn't too busy, and we still had plenty of room to maneuver. My best friend and I were encouraging each other through difficult sets and cheered each other on when we accomplished our goals. Overall, the gym was a terrific place for us to work out together, with all of the necessary equipment and encouragement.
I KICKED the sandbag ahead of me. My straight brown hair is pulled back into a ponytail, and I'm dressed in my typical workout attire. I'm frustrated because my birthday is the day after tomorrow, and I'm quite scared.
I am a werewolf, a creature capable of transforming into a wolf.
I am a member of a pack, which is a big number of werewolves on a single territory led by an alpha. Back to the source of my annoyance. Our 19th birthday is always a big deal for us. This is the beginning of our becoming more sensitive, as well as our opportunity to locate our spouse. And everyone is going insane trying to discover their soul mate or fated partner. An opportunity that everyone wishes to have.
But I'm having the opposite reaction. I'm terrified and nervous. I am terrified of rejection because there are so many what-ifs. I'm afraid of falling in love with someone I don't want to spend my life with. Someone tapped my shoulder, and I jumped in fright. Kaiden laughs so hard that everyone else in the gym turns to stare at us.
“Jerk!” I spit it out.
"You look very solemn, men. If only you could see your face!" he exclaimed in the midst of his laughter.
Kaiden has been my best buddy since we were little. His father is our current alpha--the pack's leader, as I mentioned--and Kaiden is the first in line to take over. Even at our younger ages, he is pretty well built. His physique is extremely impressive. Kaiden has a great face, and he is talented and brilliant. Our goddess, Luna, can be so cruel at times.
"Are you still concerned about finding your soul mate?" "You're still young, and you shouldn't make a big deal about it," he tried to console me.
We both sat on a bench outside the gym, drinking protein shakes.
"Can't help it," I said, and he sighed.
"Seriously, if you marry a werewolf with a bad attitude, I will kick his a$$ for you. And if you are mated to a human, we can make him our supper next month," he offered, disgusting me.
“Ew! What in the world is that?" I spit in an attempt to avoid this type of talk.
The reality about that mate thing is that I don't want to be mated to anyone else since I've only ever loved someone else since the moment I laid eyes on him.
We were both kids at the time, and I recall him offering his hands as I stumbled on the ground. Yes, I am in love with my best friend, childhood pal, adversary, and savior. To me, he is everything.
"I have to go; there is still a pack meeting, and I must attend." Do you want me to accompany you home?" He offered, and I politely rejected it.
"No, I can manage."
He's left me here, and all I can do is watch him ride his bicycle. Clayland is a small rural town where we live. With a population of only 20,000 people, about half of whom are werewolves.
This town grew more human-friendly. There are schools, establishments, and other human-made structures here.
The Mystic Forest is the only thing they can't touch. Our pack's domain. Speaking of which, I need to return home. It is becoming dark, and despite the fact that I am more than capable of caring for myself, I am still being babysat by my family because I am the only girl in the house. I likewise left town and went directly to the wilderness. I shift into a werewolf to move faster and more efficiently in the dark and in this type of environment.
My wolf form is covered in brown fur and has greyish eyes. I'm not sure why, but I'm quite popular among werewolves my age. Particularly those boys who attempted to pursue me.
"You are late," my father, who was reading the newspaper in the living room, said.
My mother died three years ago, leaving me in charge of my father and three obnoxious big brothers.
"It'll only take five minutes, Dad. Where are the others?" I inquired. I intend to take a bath before cooking our lunch.
With a contemporary house, we essentially live in the heart of the forest. Some of our comrades went on to work as engineers, architects, and other professionals. As a result, this pack region functions similarly to a simple human community. We also have running water and power.
"You brothers are in charge of scouting and guarding the territory. There is a rumor that renegades numbers are increasing at an alarming rate across our regions."
Rogue are werewolves that have lost their logic and capacity to think clearly. They are werewolf monsters with ferocious bloodlust. They annihilate everything in their way. Werewolves went rogue after swallowing any form of human blood and devouring their victims. Some of the rogues are mateless, having lost their other half.
"Stop worrying about those assholes-- they can protect their own lives now," my father remarked, still unmoved in his seat.
"They are your sons, you know," I remarked wryly. He barely responds. You could argue we're getting close to the point where I can be so casual with my father.
"Your birthday is approaching. What is your plan? I'm planning a modest gathering with your brothers. Perhaps you can discover your mate--" I stop him from going any further.
I despise the thought of people being overjoyed for me to discover my soulmate. I'm not pleased, and I'm terrified. I don't want to love anyone else. I don't believe those stories.
That when a werewolf meets his or her fated pair, they will simply sense that special cord that connects them. I can smell the beautiful pheromone scents. But I'm terrified. I'm terrified about mating with a stranger.
"Dad, I do not wish to be mated just yet."
My father's face softens. Perhaps he sensed my anxiety.
"No one can prevent it from happening. Everything will be OK after you've found your soulmate. Believe in the process."
I certainly hope so.
**Cassie’s POV**I had been looking forward to my birthday for weeks, planning every little detail of the party in my head. But when the night before the big day finally arrived, I couldn't seem to fall asleep. My mind was racing with excitement, and no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't seem to drift off.The next morning, I woke up feeling groggy and tired. As I stumbled downstairs, my brothers were waiting for me, grinning from ear to ear."Look who finally decided to join us," my older brother Tom said, laughing.I rubbed my bleary eyes and tried to muster up a smile, but my brothers could tell that I was tired."Did you stay up all night reading your birthday cards?" my younger brother Ben asked, giggling.I felt a flush of embarrassment creeps up my neck. I hadn't been able to sleep, and now my brothers were teasing me about it. As the day went on, their teasing only got worse. They would make jokes about my tired eyes or my slow movements, and I started to feel self-consc
**Cassie’s POV**I NEVER thought that starting from that night, my life will be ended so beautifully. Kaiden and I have a short make-out session before coming back to the party. I am hesitant to announce the news about finding my mate, which is Kaiden. But I have no other choice when Kaiden himself dropped the news that shocked everyone.“Congratulations!”They all greeted us. Everyone is happy, I am happy too. I thought that being mated is bad. But Goddess Luna is kind enough to let me be mated to someone I love the most.“We never see this coming, but it is great that you are the next Luna of this pack,” our alpha said in the middle of his laughter.After the gathering, we came into the living room and our parents talk about our future. Kaiden and I are still young, but age does not matter when it comes to mating. We can be married as early as we can. But both families decide that the marriage will happen 2 years from now.I nervously sat across from my parents, waiting for the righ
**Cassie’s Pov**I woke up in the middle of the night, my heart racing and sweat dripping down my forehead. I had just had a nightmare about Kaiden, my mate, and it had left me feeling terrified and anxious. I tried to calm myself down, taking deep breaths and reminding myself that it was just a dream. But the more I tried to relax, the more my mind raced with fear and worry. I got out of bed and started pacing back and forth inside my room, trying to shake off the feeling of unease. I couldn't shake the image of Kaiden from my mind, and it felt like he was still haunting me, even in my dreams.I tried to distract myself, picking up a book and trying to read, but my mind kept drifting back to the nightmare. I felt trapped and alone like there was no escape from the fear that was gripping me. As the night wore on, I started to feel more and more exhausted. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't seem to shake off the feeling of fear and anxiety that had taken hold of me. Eventually,
**Cassie’s POV**Kaiden offered to carry the groceries for me as we approached the checkout line. As we placed the bags into the car, I felt relieved and appreciative for his assistance. We talked and joked on the way home, enjoying each other's company. It was such a tiny thing, but having Kaiden by my side transformed the routine process of grocery shopping into an exciting experience.I was grateful for Kaiden's willingness to accompany me to the shop when we returned home and unpacked the groceries. It was a simple gesture of love and support, but it demonstrated how much he cared about me.Then he suggested that we go to the nearby park later. I, like him, never bother to change my clothes. So, after giving him a cool drink, we went straight to the park. This will be our first official date, and I'm not sure what to anticipate or what he expects of me.This will be my first outing with my love interest. I mean, I believe in having a label, and he has yet to provide me with one. W
**Cassie’s POV**I am currently in our kitchen. I'm making cookies for a light breakfast. I must also prepare because this is the day we have been looking forward to. Today is the Moonlight Festival. Though I am aware that this day will be different from others. I received a message from our current alpha, informing me that they will send the dress I need to wear tonight in order to introduce me to the soon-to-be Luna. I'm concerned about it. I am impervious to certain criticism since many people, both human and nonhuman, despise me for reasons I do not understand. The majority of them are female.I mean, I understand why people despise me. That could be because I'm so close to Kaiden. I can understand their rage at times. I'm not going to pretend to be innocent here. I used to wish I could grip the neck of one of the girls he used to date. Because I was envious of them. But, returning to my work, someone gets to hug me behind my back, and I smell the familiar aroma that I adore. It'
**Cassie’s POV**We arrived at the exact location of the explosion. We watched wounded warriors fighting for their lives. We discovered silver bullet shards, which could explain why there are so many injured packmates here."Rescue everyone and secure the perimeter," said Kaiden to the second patrol. This is becoming more difficult than we anticipated.When I scent the air, I detect blood, metal, and the feeling of a certain rogue pack's bloodlust. I issue a warning to everyone and protect the perimeter. We cannot relax our guard, especially now, when everyone is terrified.The adversaries are astute, and I have the audacity to claim that someone directs them. Rogue is largely motivated by rage and a desire to kill, consume the flesh, and sniff blood. They are not as intelligent as everyone believes. So it was simple for us to track them down and stop them from assaulting us.Few people, though, can tame them and deploy them as a personal army. Especially those who are familiar with d
**Cassie’s POV**AFTER a few months everyone has seen to be moved on. The safety of our territory became more stable because of the adjustment that happens to mitigate the possible thing happening again. One is to strengthen our pack warriors' ability to fight. I am proud to say that my dad became the new instructor. He is already retired but he needs to teach the young pack warrior. We cannot let have scarcity in terms of defense mechanisms. Another one is to have powerful backers from another pack territory. The more we have connections to each other, the more stability we can have. My mate became busy. I know the pressure on his side. He is soon to be the alpha of the pack, he will be the leader that the member will hold on to. There is a commitment already for him to be placed.We are now in the middle of the forest, there is a place there where flowers grow in spring. The cold days disappeared, and the flower blooms beautifully. I remember when we were younger, we usually hang
**Cassie’s POV** A year passed, and like wine, our relationship became the sweetest. Kaiden is a consistent gentleman, and as a boy, I watched him become a man.In terms of physique, I also watched him go through an evolution of appearance. Kaiden gained more muscle, but it suited him. It does not look weird or awkward for his body structure. He still looks like a fine man. He also grows a light mustache, just enough to make him more mature-looking.We are also living together. Yes, my brother and especially my dad already agreed with it, but they said that until I was married, I and Kaiden should live in a house nearby my dad's house.My brother is still the same. They are still not serious in terms of finding their mate. They are still playing like teenagers. I hope they can find their mate and learn their lesson now. Right now, I am cooking in the kitchen of my family. My brothers are still sleeping. I know that it was 3 in the morning when they came home. How dare they smell al