CHAPTER 2

**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-conscious and embarrassed.

But as the day wore on, something inside of me shifted. I realized that my brothers were just teasing me because they loved me. They weren't trying to hurt me or make me feel bad; they were just trying to make me laugh. With this realization, I started to relax and enjoy the party. I laughed at their jokes and even started teasing them back. And as the night wore on, I knew that my birthday had been a success.

“WOW, I thought that it is impossible for a werewolf to be a zombie.” I heard my older brother, Tom, throwing a joke about my face.

Okay, I almost have no sleep, and even though we are nocturnal, werewolves need to have enough sleep.

“Jerk,” I growled. I complained because it was too early for them to destroy my precious morning.

“Stop teasing our princess, it is her birthday now,” Ben teased with his quirky smile.

“Shut up! Do you want me to cook my disgusting pumpkin fish soup for our breakfast?” I threatened them, enough for them to stay silent for a while I guess.

I saw my other mutated brother, seating on the dining table AGAIN, eating his apple.

“Get down from that table, Marcus,” I said to him. I am so done with these three idiots. I can feel my hair turning white for so many problems they give me.

“Why so hot-headed little sis? It is your birthday!”

“I know it is my birthday, I have my copy of my birth certificate,” I sarcastically spitted. “I will be in the kitchen, and don’t you dare try to disturb me in there,” I warned them before heading to my workplace to prepare our breakfast.

As soon as I told them I would be in the kitchen to do the cooking, they just stared at me. In my mind, I could imagine three little puppies, wagging their tail, and patiently waiting for their food. Sometimes, they could be cute, especially when they were starving, but most of the time, they were annoying.

After preparing their meal and putting all the food that I cook, they just wiped all and started to run outside. They did not even bother to put their plates on the sink!

My brothers were very popular with their looks and physiques. Several girls were flocking to get them. However, even if they were not related to me, I wouldn’t fall for their charms! They have very complicated personalities.

I clean all those things that I can clean here inside the kitchen. I want to put aside all my thoughts on this day.  Then, my pocket vibrated because of my phone. I opened it and I saw Kaiden’s message. He greeted me with a happy birthday with a heart emoji.

My heart fluttered and I could feel my face burning red. If he could just stop putting me in a friend zone, but then, he was Kaiden Clark, a future Alpha. He wouldn’t dare choose me as his mate, so I should stop dreaming to become his woman.

I was scared to confess my feeling towards him, and it is even harder to know that I might be mated to somebody else. I replied with thanks, and he said that he will come to tonight's party. It would just be a small celebration to be held in our backyard.

I am silently wishing to Luna, our goddess that she could spare me tonight for being mated. The only hope that I could get was the fact that not everyone met their mate. So the majority is so crazy finding their fated pair.

TONIGHT is the night.

I could see through my windows that our backyard has been flooded by our neighbors. Even the Alpha and our Luna attended our supposed to be small gathering. I am a bit nervous because it is nerve-wracking for me to wear something that I am not used to wearing.

Dress.

On my 19th birthday, I decided to wear a beautiful white dress that my Daddy had bought just for the occasion. It was a simple yet elegant dress, made of flowing white fabric that swayed gently as I walked. The dress had a fitted bodice that hugged my curves in all the right places and a flowing skirt that fell just above my knees. The fabric was soft and lightweight, making me feel like I was walking on air.

The neckline was a modest V-shape but still showed off my collarbones and a hint of cleavage. The sleeves were short and puffy, adding a touch of romance and whimsy to the dress. The entire dress was adorned with delicate lace detailing, which gave it a vintage feel. The lace trailed down the bodice and the skirt in a beautiful, intricate pattern that caught the eye and drew attention to the dress.

I paired the dress with some simple nude heels and some dainty gold jewelry, which complemented the dress perfectly. As I looked at myself in the mirror, I felt confident and beautiful, ready to take on the day and celebrate another year of life.

Overall, the white dress was the perfect choice for my 19th birthday. It was elegant, feminine, and just the right amount of dressy without being too over the top. I felt like a princess in it, and it made my birthday feel even more special even if I dreaded celebrating it because of the mating process.

“Hey, sis, they are all waiting for you, stop having your monologue here,” Tom bashed.

“Fine,” I told him.

With a thumping heart, heavy breath, and sweaty nose, I came down the stairs and go straight to our backyard. My brother could be the best jerk anyone can meet, but they are still the best when it comes to giving an effort. They decorated the backyard so that it looks so fancy with the lights hanging like a vine, and tables with linen table cloth. Everything looks fabulous and on the theme.

“Happy birthday to you, Cassie, you look wonderful as always.” The Alpha of our pack, Kaiden's father, greeted me.

I slightly bowed my head. “Thank you for the greeting alpha, I wish you enjoy this night”

“Oh, it is a feast!”

Many other pack members greeted me. But my eyes remain searching for him. Kaiden, where is he? As I saw him standing near the big oak tree, I felt a rush of excitement. All I want is to spend my night with him, chatting, drinking alcohol, and laughing. I am so excited to run to him and ask him if we could talk somewhere, just the two of us. But my smile automatically faded away when I saw that he is talking to somebody else. Kaiden is talking to the most beautiful girl our school talks always about. Sheena. She looks so pretty.

They both look together, and I realized that I am out of the picture. My heart clenches and I can feel my eyes getting wet from upcoming tears. I tried to hold it until I can run back to my room. My birthday celebration became awful.  I laughed while crying. I am so pathetic to think that someone just like me can be with him.

Then, I was slowly drowning in sleep when I smelled a very intoxicating fragrance. I could smell the familiar lemon and mint flavor. It relaxes my heart, it brings peace to my stormy mind. Maybe it is not too bad to find my mate. Finally, maybe I can get over my feelings for Kaiden.

I slowly walk my way and trail the scent, it is coming from the nearby forest. I ran away and saw the back of my mate. He looks like he is catching his breath. I gradually walked in his direction, and shock is an understatement of how I learned that my mate, is no other than him.

“Kaiden?” I asked, and then I noticed that his eyes were glowing blue.

He suddenly pulls me into a warm, breathier, and passionate kiss. It intoxicates me in a very good way. He is whispering and growling words.

“Mate, mine...” he mumbled incoherently.

If this is just a dream, I never wanted to wake up again. This is too good that I want it to happen. I closed my eyes, but then, when I opened them, I saw him again! I had always heard about the concept of soul mates, but I never believed that I would find mine.

Our eyes met, and I felt an instant connection, like a spark of electricity. We started talking, and as we spoke, I realized that we had so much in common. We shared the same interests, the same values, and the same sense of humor. We laughed and joked, and I felt like I had known him forever. Well, yes, I have known him forever. He was Kaiden Clark, my best friend.

"I know this may sound crazy," he said, "but you are my mate, Cassie.”

My heart skipped a beat as I looked back at him, feeling the same connection and electricity that I had felt the first time we met. "I think you're right," I said, feeling tears well up in my eyes.