**Cynthia Dion: **
A Few Days Later:
"Cynthia!" Mara's high-pitched voice echoed through the hallway as she called my name, searching for me. I had been hiding in a bathroom stall since I arrived at school that day.
Hearing her voice gave me enough courage to leave the stall and cautiously peer my head out to call to her.
"Pssst! Mara!" I whispered, snapping my fingers and scanning the area to ensure that the group of rich and powerful brats wasn't nearby.
Mara and I had many things in common, but the main one was that we were both outsiders, targeted by these privileged brats almost every day. We were subjected to bullying as soon as we set foot in these hallways.
She finally spotted me in the bathroom, and with her eyes wide, she hurried into the restroom with me.
"Why are you hiding in here?" she asked, then sighed to herself, "Did they bother you again?" Her slim, slender arms wrapped around me in a comforting hug.
"It's alright. I'm used to it, but today is different," I replied, pulling back and giving her a reassuring smile.
"Ohh! Is it about Alpha Atticus? I saw him searching all over for you," she teased, elbowing me playfully while mentioning Atticus. Atticus was the alpha of a powerful pack called the Eclipse Warriors. His parents had passed away when he was just a child, so his older sister took on the role of his mother and helped him cope with the loss and understand the duties of being an alpha.
I was just a rogue, but I had big dreams when I developed a crush on him. One might think I would have given up after what I witnessed that day, but almost a week had passed, and I realized he was apologetic. Although he didn't say it directly, I overheard him telling someone that it was Rosalie who messaged me. I knew he had been involved with her, but he didn't owe me any loyalty.
Today was the mating call ceremony, held for the two alphas who would find their mates among the newly turned 18-year-olds.
That would be me.
Mara and I entered the hall and positioned ourselves among the backliners, who were mostly rogues and Omegas. We were met with disgust and abhorrence.
The elite she-wolves stood right next to the podium. They usually consisted of alpha's sisters, royal beta and royal gamma daughters. They received the utmost respect and were treated gently.
I could only gaze at them for a few minutes before tears formed in my eyes. I wasn't interested in fancy things or overwhelmed by luxuries. All I wanted was a loving glance and a few kind words to ease my aching heart.
The two alphas of our school approached the podium and faced us. Since our school served as a gathering place for all the packs, the alphas, betas, and omegas from each pack assembled here.
The two alphas, Alpha Enzo and Alpha Atticus, were best friends.
Alpha Atticus was the one I had been staring at the entire time. I had a massive crush on him, and I always prayed that somehow the Moon Goddess would choose us as mates.
"Alpha Enzo from The HellCrest Pack! Step forward and survey the area for your mate," Principal Augustus shifted the attention to Enzo first, who scanned around, briefly glancing at the freshly turned 18-year-olds in search of his mate.
As we stood there, I began to feel uneasy. A surge of excitement and nervousness coursed through my muscles until I heard my wolf's voice.
‘Mate!’
I swear, I even gasped loudly and instinctively covered my mouth. Alpha Enzo was at the top of my hate list, and the sentiment was mutual. He couldn't stand the sight of me.
His blue eyes locked onto my face, a frown creasing his forehead before a smirk played on his lips. His blond, curly hair was styled perfectly that day, seemingly for a specific reason.
The slight disappointment on Rosalie's face indicated to me that she was stunned by not feeling a mate bond with him.
Well, as for me, my hopes had been dashed.
"Before we announce any names, let’s ask Alpha Atticus to find his mate as well," the principal’s assistant, Lady Hila Hughes, interrupted the proceedings and essentially reminded everyone that the Alpha of the largest pack had yet to find his mate.
He didn’t even look around; he stared directly at my face from a distance. I wondered why he would do that until I heard my insolent wolf speaking out within me.
‘Mine!’
I gulped and tightly grasped Mara’s hand to prevent my body from collapsing.
The terror I felt upon discovering I was mated to two alphas was beyond anything I had experienced before. It was like watching myself drown in shark-infested waters.
The two alphas kept their gazes fixed on my face until Lady Hila Hughes clapped her hands excitedly, capturing everyone's attention at once.
"So, may I ask the respected alphas to announce the names of their beautiful Luna?" She blinked deliberately, looking at their faces as the two exchanged a glance, and then Alpha Enzo decided to speak first.
"I didn’t find my mate," he lied, surprising me. I had been expecting an immediate rejection, but he didn't utter my name at all.
"Oh! Perhaps your mate hasn't turned 18 yet. We will conduct the ceremony again next month." Lady Hila offered him a sympathetic smile before shifting her gaze to Alpha Atticus.
My heart was now pounding in my chest. I was genuinely anxious that he might reject me. The fact that the Moon Goddess had granted my wish and made him my mate was a mystery in itself. Call me naive, but even after observing him with Rosalie, I never ceased dreaming about being mated to him. He was the only one who could rescue me from this cruel world.
I didn’t know what I had done so right for her to bestow him upon me, especially when many others were eager to be mated to him.
The intensity of his stare fixed on my face made me wish for him to accept me then and there. However, he did something exceedingly unexpected as well.
"I didn't find my mate either," he lied with a composed expression. With that single sentence and his disregard, he completely erased my presence.
"It was me," I whispered as others began to gather their belongings to leave. Nobody heard me, and I had no intention of revealing it to anyone.
"What?" Mara asked, nuzzling my arm.
"I am --- their mate," I whispered, maintaining unbroken eye contact with them.
"What?" she gasped in shock, "You mean both of them are mated to you?" I could sense that she probably thought I had lost my mind, but I wasn't lying.
However, their decision to hide the truth had left me deeply concerned. What were their intentions with this mate bond?