Chapter 1 - Pinky swear?

Elizabeth’s POV

“Really, Kona?” I growled tiredly at my wolf.

We were involved in yet another tedious argument about Alexander Wolfgang, our fated mate.

Kona insisted that Alex be our mate. The issue was that he had already rejected us six times, not just once or twice.

“Yes, really!" Kona gave a joyful little chirp and waved her tail. "Kevin will help this time!" She exuded excitement.

I rolled my eyes and let out a halting sigh.

Kona refused to let go of our destined mate, and I was finding it more and more difficult to persuade him to accept me. Every time her plan failed, she used her time-bending ability to make me return to my seventeenth birthday so that I could try again.

I have already spent the last six days trapped in the same time frame, attempting to figure out how to make this naive, arrogant, and cocky wolf accept me.

Alex was gorgeous. He was captain of the baseball and football teams, graduated at the top of his class, and would soon become the Alpha of the Silver Moonvally Pack.

On the other hand, I felt like a nobody because no one knew my rank.

I took another dejected breath and ran my hand through my long, thick, curly black hair.

I had permanent purple rings under my silver eyes, and it was obvious to all that I was tired.

It wasn't that I was not good-looking or that I had done something wrong. I was a strong, muscular she-wolf with all the right attributes. Some even went so far as to call me beautiful, yet my name held no unique significance, leading others to view me as unimportant.

My mind wandered to my early years. My grandmother's death brought me to the packhouse, where I ultimately became the current Alpha's problem.

Among the most renowned and powerful leaders in history was Alpha Jackson Wolfgang. He commanded one of the biggest and strongest packs, with an estimated 3500 members. He was not only a fair alpha but also a landowner of towns. I should not be complaining.

The fundamental issue was that I was not particularly shy or discreet, and he did not know how to handle me.

He thought about having a lovely family adopt me, but in the end he decided against it. I was a big magnet for trouble, so he took it upon himself to raise me and keep me out of trouble—or at least try to.

She-wolves like me were difficult to manage, and Alpha Jackson faced numerous challenges in managing me. He held me accountable for my mistakes.

Not only was it ineffective, but it further solidified my status as an outsider, thereby infuriating the packhouse members and intensifying their hatred and disdain for me.

Most of the time, Alpha Jackson's hands remained entangled in his hair, and I assumed I was the cause of the silver strands in his hair.

He was extremely enraged when I made a mistake the last time and decided to starve me in order to force me to learn my lesson. It didn't help that someone had smuggled food into my room.

I was feisty, outspoken, and strong-willed—exactly the opposite of what they had anticipated.

Because I was not the shy girl who would bow to the Alpha, which went against everything I stood for, I felt a little bit like an outsider.

Alpha Jackson could not just throw me out of the pack because I was too young. But before he got a chance, I vowed to leave the pack and go my own way.

Okay, so the majority of the fault lies with me. It is not something I can control. Who would have thought that at five years old, I could defy an Alpha command? That was more than any of the wolves could do.

I was the target of Alpha Jackson's repeated attempts to use his Alpha commands, but they were never successful.

But he never mentioned it, and I never asked him why his commands did not work on me. I suspected that Alpha Jackson knew the reason.

I sighed with exhaustion.

Before Kona began shifting me back and forth on my seventeenth birthday, I believed that I was unbreakable. Kona's time-bending power constantly saps my energy, leaving me exhausted all the time.

Adding to the problem was the chronic, unresolved chest pain I was experiencing, along with the permanent dark circles under my eyes from lack of sleep.

All of this resulted from enduring the same horrible heartbreak repeatedly, which gave me the resolve to accept his rejection and move on.

I would rather not have a so-called fated mate than have someone who would not want or love me.

Was there really any point in giving it another go? Was that not enough to endure through six trials?

Has my lifetime not been filled with enough punishment?

I wish Alex could feel the pain that runs through my chest every time he chants, "I, Alexander Pierce Wolfgang, future Alpha of the Silver Moonvally, reject you, Elizabeth Wintermoon, as my fated mate and future Luna."

The first time he spat those words at me, I should have accepted them. To my dismay, Kona consistently outsmarted me when I attempted to accept his rejection; she would simply shut my mouth and walk away.

I have shed tears at six different places in the last week.

People teased me at school, at the packhouse, and throughout the town. I was gradually losing my mind due to all the rumors and whispers.

I did not want my worst enemies to go through this. It was unbearably painful!

Or maybe not.

From now on, Alexander will be my adversary; perhaps it's time for him to face his own consequences!

"Now, who is this, Kevin?" I inquired, feeling a wave of annoyance wash over me. Without a doubt, my wolf has lost her marbles; the only thing left to determine is their color, so I can send a search party to find them and return them to their rightful owner. Perhaps she would then acknowledge that the Moon Goddess had mismatched the two of us, and Alex was a hopeless case.

"My sweet, stubborn girl, he is Alexander's wolf," Kia mewed.

"You seem so self-assured," I laughed. "How did you manage to connect with him?"

“It is a wolf thing,” she said.

I gave her a sidelong glance.

"All right, but I have one small condition," I said.

I was about to pack up and go rogue—not that it would help. Kona would likely transport me back to this era, compelling me to make one final attempt.

"Well...yes," she hesitantly replied. “Anything...”

"If he does not accept me this time," I said earnestly. "We are heading out. Alright?"

Kona vanished from my mind, leaving me clueless about her thoughts and actions.

Was she talking to Kevin? And why was he unaffected by Kona's time-bending ability?

"I agree," she said abruptly. "And I promise that nothing will go wrong. We promise!"

“We?” I raised a weary eyebrow in surprise.

That was way too easy. What was the catch?

“Yes, we!” She snapped.

“Pinky swear?” I said, raising an impish eyebrow at her.

"You do know that I do not have a pinky to give you," Kona sighed, clearly agitated. "However, I will give you my word. Kevin, and my word...”

"Very well," I gave in.

Will Kona be able to convince Alex to accept me as his mate, or will everything blow up in her face?

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