D-DAY!

Zara's pov,

My 18th birthday. The night of my first transformation. But it hasn't happened. I stood under the full moon, feeling the call of the wild, but my body had refused to shift. At this point, I didn't know what else to think or how to feel. This wasn't the plan at all, and I haven't heard of such happening to anyone. I quickly put on my clothes and headed inside. I felt disappointed, and I know that I should be worried, but I'm not, and I do not want any other person to know about this.

I passed by the triplets' room on my way to mine; everywhere was so quiet, and I remembered them saying they were going out by that time for a drink with their friend. I went to my tiny room and locked the door. I tried to fall asleep, but I kept tossing and turning. I couldn't get my wolf. I do not know if I smell good or not, how will I explain to someone that I wasn't able to transform? How is that even possible? So that means I won't be able to know my mate. No, this is bad. What exactly am I going to do?

Finally, it was dawn, and I got on the bed so quickly. I was so tired of doing anything. I passed as far away from the triplets' room to avoid badging into any of them. I couldn't bear to look them in the eye. I know they must have found out who their mate is, or they were going to find out at the party. How could fate be so cruel?. I wondered if my mate would accept me like this. How will I handle the whole situation at the party today?. I felt so sad as I thought about it. I quickly pushed those thoughts away.

“Maybe he will reject me immediately if he gets to finds out about me,” I said to myself. My heart threatened to cleave into two or maybe three when I thought about that.

At around half past six in the morning, Linda, the party planner, showed up to help.

“Where are the birthday boys?” She asked excitedly. I just smiled at her. I know that she cares so much about everyone. She was holding three identical gift bags and one pick bag. She noticed my gaze and raised the pink bag in my direction.

“This is for you, Zara,” she said, smiling as she placed it directly on my hands.

“But…how?,” I tried asking her before she caught me short. “Don't worry about that because I overheard your discussion with the triplets, that was why I had to get you something,” she responded immediately. I felt so happy and embraced her in a tight hug. Apart from Carly, she is the second person to gift me on my birthday.

“The triplets are still asleep,” I said, smiling. “They don't usually wake up until noon on weekends.”

“Oh! It's fine.” She said as she made her way to the kitchen. I was about to go to my room to drop my gift bag when I heard noise coming from the triplets' room; I couldn't help but run outside to look for a place to hide or stay far from the house for now.

I was away from the pack house for a few hours. I needed to go back to avoid trouble. Ungetting there, I saw that the triplets' car was gone. Hopefully, they had all gone out. I sneaked back into the house to drop my gift bag in my room. I badged in Linda, who told me that the triplets were looking for me and they weren't happy. I was surprised why the triplets were looking for me. I hope that I'm safe and that I haven't done anything wrong. I dropped my bag and went straight to the kitchen to finalize everything.

The time passed by so quickly. Before I knew it was four o’clock. The party was to start at seven in the evening, and I needed enough time to get ready. I was walking up the stairs when Luna Emily spotted me.

“And where exactly are you going to?” she asked me with a disgusting look on her face. Before I could answer, she threw a serving uniform at my face and asked me to change into it immediately. I tried to explain to her that I can't because it's also my birthday, which she knows, but with the look on her face, I know that I don't stand a chance at all. I put on the uniform and headed back downstairs.

As the clock ticked closer to party time, I knew the pack house would soon be buzzing with guests. Luckily, the sprawling living room was huge, with plenty of space for everyone to mingle. The DJ was setting up, and the decorations were all in place, looking so beautiful all over the room.

I couldn't help but wonder if I'd get to see the triplets dancing with their mates. They always seemed to draw a crowd, and I had no doubt they'd be the life of the party. I let out a wistful sigh, pushing aside thoughts of the triplets for now. I had a lot to do before the party started.

Just then, the doorbell started ringing, and pack members began arriving. I greeted them warmly, taking their coats and welcoming them to the party. As I was hanging up a jacket, I noticed three girls walking in together, looking stunning in their mini dresses. They were holding hands, and their eyes sparkled with excitement as they made their way towards me.

I felt a flutter of curiosity. Who were these girls, and why were they heading straight for me? I smiled, ready to greet them, but my mind was racing with questions.

“Hey…uh…Zara,” said one of them, tossing her flaming brown hair back. I wondered how she even knew my name, and I didn't know hers.

“Hey!” another one said. She had straight red hair and soft skin.

“Hi!” the last one said with a smile. She wore glasses and had shoulder-length blonde hair.

I forced a smile, feeling a bit awkward. "Hey, welcome! Help yourselves, feel free to grab a drink or snack." I trailed off, unsure of what else to say.

One of the girls, with piercing blue eyes, leaned in, her voice taking on a slightly sharp tone. "Have you seen the triplets today?" she asked, her eyes blinking repeatedly as she stared at me.

I shook my head, trying to sound as innocent as possible. "No, I haven't." I turned to leave, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the girls' intense gaze.

As I walked away, I couldn't help but sneak a glance back at them. They were stunningly beautiful, and I couldn't help but wonder if they were the triplets' mates. A pang of curiosity, mixed with a hint of envy, fluttered in my chest. Who were these girls, and what was their connection to the rascals?

***

I hid out in the kitchen, trying to avoid the chaos of the party, until Luna burst in and caught me doing nothing. She was furious, her eyes flashing with annoyance. "What are you doing just standing there?" she demanded.

She thrust a tray of champagne glasses into my hands. "Take these out to the guests. The Alpha is about to make a toast to his sons before he hands over the leadership." I took a deep breath and headed out into the crowded room.

As I passed out the glasses, everyone's faces lit up with excitement. I spotted Carly by the door and waved, but before I could make my way over to her, I felt Luna's eyes on me, watching my every move. I quickly made my way back to her side and handed her a glass. She gave me a cold, calculating smile.

Just then, the Alpha took a glass from me and nodded in appreciation. I turned to make my way back to the kitchen, but my heart skipped a beat as I saw the three triplets standing in front of me. They looked breathtaking, their eyes gleaming with mischief. I felt my hands tremble as I offered them each a glass of champagne. Jaxen took the whole tray away from me and handed it over to one of the servers. He grabbed my hands, causing tingling to shoot through my arm. I quickly removed my hands because his mate would be watching us now, and she won't be happy. He held onto me again, and Jaxon and Jaxin were standing by my sides. The Alpha lifted his glass to make a toast, and I felt this dizziness in me. Suddenly, I felt so weak. “Are you feeling ok?” Jaxen bent over to ask me, but I couldn't answer him. I removed my hands from his, and then I started walking away from the party, but what I didn't know was that he was following me.

As I was about to fall, he caught me, his hands wrapping around my waist. He lifted me off my feet, and before I knew it, we were alone, hidden from the party. He carried me to his room, and I felt a flutter in my chest. This was the first time I'd ever been in his private space.

He laid me gently on his bed, and I couldn't help but notice how good he smelled, how charming he looked. As he turned to leave, I felt a sudden surge of boldness. I reached out, pulled him back, and pressed my lips to his.

At first, he didn't respond, and I felt a wave of embarrassment wash over me. But just as I was about to pull back, his hands cradled my head, and he kissed me back so deeply. I felt a rush of excitement in me, and my body responded instinctively.

It was my first kiss, and I had no idea what I was doing. But he seemed to know exactly how to make me feel alive. His tongue danced with mine, and I loved every second of it.

But as we finally broke apart, reality hit me like a ton of bricks. I had just kissed him, and he was already taken. His mate was probably looking for him right now.

"I'm...so...sorry," I stammered, avoiding his gaze.

He smiled calmly. "No problem, mate."

The word "mate" cut through me like a knife. How could he call me that when he already had a mate?

"You can leave now," I said harshly, trying to hide the hurt and anger boiling inside me.

He looked concerned. "Are you okay?"

But I didn't care. "GET OUT NOW!!!" I screamed, not caring that I was in his room or that he was the Alpha.

He turned and left, closing the door behind him. I was left alone, my heart racing, my mind reeling. What had I just done?