Kimi's POV
On the eve of my eighteenth birthday, I couldn't bring myself to get out of bed. The thought of facing Kolton again was paralyzing. I texted my friends that I was sick, deciding to stay home.
It had been a week since the party. A week since Kolton's lips had claimed mine in that dark bathroom. A week since I'd watched him kiss Zofia with the same passion afterward.
Days of pure torture.
Every day I’d forced myself to go to university, he acted like nothing had happened. Worse than nothing. He looked right through me in the hallways. Laughed loudly with his friends when I passed by. Made out with different girls against lockers like he was putting on a show.
But sometimes, I caught him staring. Those dark eyes would find me across the cafeteria or in class. The intensity in his gaze made my skin burn with memory. Then he'd look away like I disgusted him.
My friends saw my pain. “He’s not worth it,” Bennett had told me. “Guys like Kolton never change.”
They were right. I knew they were right. But my traitorous heart refused to listen.
That evening, I sat in my room staring at the calendar. Tomorrow, I would turn eighteen.
In the werewolf world, eighteen meant everything. Your wolf reached full maturity. You could recognize your fated mate.
The thought terrified me.
What if I never found him? What if my mate was someone cruel or indifferent?
What if he rejected me like everyone else did?
"Honey?" Mom's voice came from downstairs. "Can you come down here for a minute?"
I checked the clock. Close to midnight.
Confused, I made my way downstairs. The living room was completely dark.
"Mom?"
Suddenly, the lights blazed on.
"SURPRISE!"
I screamed and stumbled backward. Mom, Olive, Rylie, and Bennett stood around our coffee table, which was covered with a birthday cake and presents.
"Happy birthday, sweetheart!" Mom rushed forward to hug me.
Tears sprang to my eyes. "You guys..."
"We couldn't let you turn eighteen without a proper celebration," Olive grinned.
The cake was chocolate with pink frosting. Eighteen candles flickered in the dim light.
"Make a wish," Rylie urged.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
*I wish for my mate to love me for who I really am.*
I blew out the candles in one breath. Everyone cheered.
"Speech! Speech!" Bennett chanted playfully.
"I don't know what to say," I whispered, overwhelmed by their love. "Thank you. All of you."
Mom wiped tears from her eyes. "My baby is all grown up."
"Don't cry," I laughed, even as my own tears fell. "You'll make me cry harder."
We spent the rest of the party eating cake and opening presents. Olive got me a beautiful journal. Rylie gave me expensive perfume that made me feel sophisticated.
Bennett's gift was a delicate silver bracelet with a wolf charm.
"For luck," he said softly.
Mom's present was last. She handed me a small velvet box with trembling fingers.
Inside was a stunning necklace. A silver pendant shaped like a crescent moon hung from a delicate chain.
"It was your grandmother's," Mom explained. "She wore it the day she met your grandfather. Her fated mate."
My breath caught. "Mom, I can't accept this. It's too precious."
"Yes, you can." She fastened the clasp around my neck. "Your mate will love you and fight for you, just like your grandfather did for your grandmother."
Her words hit me like a physical blow. *Love me and fight for me.*
"What if he doesn't?" I whispered.
"He will," Mom said firmly. "Any man blessed enough to be your mate will see how special you are."
Olive squeezed my hand. "She's right. You're amazing, Kimi."
"The best friend anyone could ask for," Rylie added.
"And the kindest person I know," Bennett finished.
Their words wrapped around my heart like a warm blanket. For the first time in a week, I felt genuinely happy.
After they left, Mom and I cleaned up together.
"I'm proud of you," she said suddenly.
"For what?"
"For being so strong. I know this past week has been difficult."
She didn't specify what she meant, but mothers always knew.
"I'm trying," I admitted.
"That's all any of us can do." She kissed my forehead. "Get some sleep, birthday girl."
Upstairs, I changed into pajamas and crawled into bed. The moon pendant rested against my throat, warm and comforting.
I thought about my grandmother's love story. About fated mates who fought for each other.
Maybe there really was someone out there meant just for me.
Someone who would see past my glasses and baggy clothes to the girl underneath.
Someone who would never make me feel invisible.
I closed my eyes and made another silent vow.
When I found my mate, I would be completely loyal to him. I would never doubt our bond or let anyone come between us.
And I would pray every day for Mom's happiness. She deserved to find love again after losing Dad so young.
Sleep came easier than it had in days.
But the following evening brought a new kind of anxiety. Tomorrow, I would have to face university again.
Face Kolton again.
"Maybe I should transfer schools," I muttered, staring at my reflection.
But running away wouldn't solve anything. I was eighteen now. An adult.
It was time to stop hiding.
The next morning arrived gray and drizzly. Perfect weather to match my mood.
I dressed carefully in my usual armor of baggy jeans and an oversized sweater. My glasses felt heavier than normal.
The hallways buzzed with typical Monday energy. Students laughed and gossiped by their lockers.
I kept my head down and made my way to my own locker. Just get through the day, I told myself.
My combination lock clicked open. I reached for my biology textbook.
That's when I smelled it.
Rich. Masculine. Intoxicating.
The scent wrapped around me like silk, making my knees weak and my heart race.
My wolf stirred for the first time in weeks. She lifted her head alertly, nostrils flaring.
A low growl echoed through the hallway.
I turned slowly, already knowing what I would find.
Kolton stood ten feet away, frozen in place. His dark eyes blazed red-hot as they locked on mine.
His chest rose and fell rapidly. His hands clenched into fists at his sides.
The scent grew stronger, pulling at something deep in my soul.
My wolf didn't just stir.
She howled.
Two word exploded through my mind with the force of lightning.
"My mate!"