Chapter 103

***18 Years Later***
'It's my 18th birthday," I shouted as loud as I could. I just got out of my bed and started dancing like some crazy teenager. I was so excited, after all, I was going to meet my mate! And then, I will be able to shift!
I went into the kitchen and saw mom and dad cooking something together.
'Good Morning, Mom, Dad." I greeted them and saw them cooking my favorite breakfast.
Mom smiled at me, and dad kissed my forehead.
'Good Morning, Princess. Happy Birthday.", They both said in unison, and mom kissed my cheek. My father, Eric Atkinson, is the Alpha of the Blue Moon Alpha. Still, he never minded breakfast for me. 'Here are your pancakes."
'Thank you, dad."
After a while, we all settled down at the dining table.
'Are you excited for tonight?", Mom asked. I looked down at my plate to hide my cheeks, which would have turned red by now. I slowly nodded yes.
'That's great, but don't be sad if you don't mind your mate today. Okay? Because we don't need to find our mate on our 18th birthday!" Dad said, to which Mom glared at him and hit him lightly.
I knew what he meant.
Dad didn't find his mate until he chose mom, a vampire, as his chosen mate.
Well, do you think I am their daughter? No, that's wrong.
They adopted me when I was little.
No one has any idea where I landed in this forest.
All I had was a pendant in my neck of my name.
But nevermind. All I knew was that I have the best parents in the world.
'Oouuchh, it hurts, Jane.", Dad whined.
'Better. Don't hurt my daughter by your stupid suggestion."
'Excuse me? She is my daughter as well.
'All I know is that Jenny is going to meet her mate tonight. And you already know who could be her mate?", Mom said and left, leaving me dumbfounded.
What did she mean by that?
Dad already had met my mate?
But how would he have an idea about my mate when I haven't figured it out yet?
‘Maybe he would be Alpha of some pack or son of Any Alpha?', I wondered.
***
When the night came, I was dressed in my blue Cinderella dress, which was looking perfect on my blonde hair. I didn't apply makeup except for lip balm because my lips were already in baby pink shade.
‘Will I find my mate today?',
I was pulled from my thought when there was a knock on my door.
'Come in."
The door opened, and Dad came in.
'Wow. You look pretty Princess.", He said. I gave him a small smile. He scratched the back of his head and gave me a shy smile. 'And I am sorry about what I said this morning about your mate."
I smiled at him. 'It's alright, dad"
'Now, come on, I am here to escort you to the party.", He said.
I nodded and took his hand. He led me downstairs, towards the garden where the party was being held. The entire time my mind was on my mate about which I caught mom and dad discussing in the afternoon.
***
‘Are you sure he is her fate? I mean, this can be just a mere coincidence that our daughter was turning 18 on the same date when the prophecy was made 18 years before," Dad reasoned out.
'Why are you taking so much stress? He is her mate and will never harm her."
'I know, but I had lost her once as my sister. I don't want to lose her again."
***
When we arrived at the party, the garden was transformed into a pretty outdoor party. Fairy lights everywhere. There were couches instead of plain chairs for everyone to sit on. There was a makeshift stage and a long buffet table with a dessert bar.
I was greeted by my mother, dad's pack members, mom's coven members, my friends, and the guests that consist of Alpha and other high-ranking wolves from different packs and coven leaders.
‘I know...I know...werewolves and vampires are enemies, but I have seen them behaving friendly on my birthday. Though I am a werewolf, I am adored by all the vampires, so my sweet and kind gesture.'
I walked around thanking each and everyone for celebrating with us. I slid off the people when everything was just overwhelming. My friends joined me.
'So, have you found your mate?", Alina asked.
I sighed and shook my head. They frowned and patted my shoulder.
'Don't worry. He'll come around. In time.", Jasper said.
***
After a while, everyone gathered for the cake cutting. I was about to kill that cake with my knife. That's when I smelt the smell of soil after the first rain.
‘MATE! MATE'S HERE! FIND MATE!',
I heard a female voice inside my head. ‘Who are you?'. I asked the voice.
‘I'm Grace, your Lycan.'
My Lycan? Why do I have Lycan rather than a wolf?
‘Please, find our mate. I need our mate. Mate needs us.', She whined.
'Princess?" Dad asked when he saw me lost.
'Mate", I muttered and left the knife and the cake at that spot and started walking in the direction of that scent. Soon, I started running toward the pack's border. My feet hurt because of the damned heels, but I didn't care.
Finally, I found him leaning against the tree. I couldn't see his face as he was standing in the dark, but something was telling in my mind that he was looking at me. I smiled widely and ran toward him with a little more speed. But unfortunately, I tripped.
'Momma", I cried loudly, thinking that I was going to kiss the ground very soon. But that never happened. I felt held by my waist by my mate. I knew that he was my savior without looking at me because of the spark. 'I'm sorry. I am too clu…", I froze when I saw his face.
I knew him somewhere…
I stayed in his arms, gawking like an idiot. Until he snapped at me by chuckling in amusement, which made me blush for my stupidity. I softly pushed him and stood without his support.
‘Crap! I was staring like a lunatic to my handsome mate, whom I just met.'
'Are you okay?", He asked, and I tried to hide my embarrassment by hiding my face with my hair.
I shook my head a little and smiled. 'I am fine. I am sorry for being so clumsy." I admitted.
'It's okay. But you shouldn't have run in heels because If not now, then we would have met after a few minutes, Mate.", He spoke with a warm smile.
Trying to hide my reddened face, I nodded my head.
'I am Zayden Staunton."
'I am Jennifer. Everyone calls me Jenny. Nice to meet you", I shoved my hand for him to shake but was shocked when instead he kissed it.
OH. MY. GOD.
'Nice to meet you too, Sweetheart!"
'Jenny, are you all right?", Mom asked in a worried tone. 'I heard you called me."
'And you were scared.", There came my possessive, Dad.
'Oh, and they are my parents, Eric and Jane Atkinson.", I quickly introduced them to him, who froze after seeing him.
'Yeah. Yeah! I am fine now. I was about to fall. That's why I called you, mom, and that's why I was scared dad.", I explained, protecting my mate from extra possessive parents.
'Hello Eric and Jane!!!", Zayden greeted them in a knowing tone.
'After a long time, huh!!", Mom said and smiled at him. While Dad hugged him. I raised a brow in question when I saw this.
‘They know him.
But how?'
'How do you know him, Mom, Dad?", I interject quickly.
'Well, he is the son of the former Alpha of this pack. And after his father's death, he didn't want to rule the pack. That's why he left from here, years back.", Mom explained, as I nodded my head. 'Now, let's go back! Our guests are waiting for the cake cutting celebration."
I nodded my head again. 'You're coming, right?", I asked, looking at my mate hopefully. It looked like he was reluctant to answer me, but then he nodded.
***
'I felt like that everyone already knew you, and most of them looked really afraid, seeing you at the party.", I said what I felt while sitting near our pack lake.
'Well, that's because I look just like my father, and he was kind of a violent man.", He replied and held my hand.
'I believe you're not like him because I don't…"
'....like violence.", He completed my sentence by interrupting me in between. 'But don't worry. I am a saint. You can have my background check. Also, you couldn't have sensed by now that I don't have a wolf, and I don't even know how to fight."
'Oh, in that case. I will protect you from evil people.", I said, and noticed him staring at me intently.
'I'm lucky to have a mate like you, Sweetheart.", He said seriously, and I felt something deeper come from the simple words he said.
I didn't know what it was, but it felt like I already knew him.
***
Zayden's POV
.
‘I have been waiting for Grace's 18 birthday since the moment she took birth.'
I saw her grow from a baby girl to a teenager. I could have met with her in the early days of her life, but I didn't do that because it wouldn't have been healthy for her brain. So, I kept waiting for her until she was 18 years old.
I was way more excited to see her on her 18th birthday. But didn't want to go to her and tell her that I was her mate, Zayden. But then, I was afraid that if other people in packs or someone else recognized me, tell the whole truth to her. That's why I planned to stay near the pack border, away from everyone, knowing she would surely come to me when her wolf would be awakened, and the same happened.
I remembered that she ran away from me because of fear in her previous life. When I was waiting for her. But now, she was running toward me, to meet me, to see me.
So, it made me clear at the beginning that our destiny wouldn't be the same as before.
‘This time, I won't lose her.
This time, we will end up together forever.'
.
#THE END
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