Shattered

P R O L O G U E

A/N - THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS THAT HAS RECEIVED NO EDITING. Feel free to point out mistakes in the comments and I will gladly fix them! Thank you for reading. :)

Hundreds of years ago, the werewolf community expanded to the point where finding your mate was near impossible. It created chaos of mass destruction when Alphas slowly went insane trying to locate their other halves. It led to the extinction of many bloodlines and threatened to end the werewolf population as a whole. Many Alphas mated prematurely in an attempt to save us all, but only successfully ended up tainting the image of mates and starting further wars when true mates were discovered. There were stories of old wolves finding the ultimate love and perishing the next day. Packs faced turmoil that led to desperation and ended with many dying alone and unhappy.

Thankfully, the Moon Goddess stepped in to save those left standing. The whole theory of mates changed. Wolves were now fated to live near their future mates from birth. There were signs young wolves could use to try and guess whom their mate was, but their true identity would not be revealed until werewolves reached the age of eighteen. Many families used the signs to keep prospective mates together at all costs. The idea of transferring packs or becoming rouge became even more taboo. Our fates were sealed the second we were born and the werewolf population started thriving.

Many packs started to plan the conception and birth of higher-ranking wolves. This ensured that the wolves would all find mates at the same time allowing for a stronger pack core. Alphas initiated mate ceremonies held monthly to ensure all of age wolves would find their mates in a timely manner. The new wave of mates gifted by the Moon Goddess ensured survival of the werewolf kind, but ended the romance and fairy tale feel mates had always brought.

I grew up knowing who my mate was. Our parents noticed the signs the second our little chubby toddler fingers touched. He had a mop of brown hair that sat perfectly on his head. He always had to fight to keep the curls off his freckled face. His green eyes sparkled with happiness at all times. He nearly tripled me in size and rank, but never let me feel like I was less. His wolf matched mine perfectly. His dark brown coat a stark contrast from my blonde one. His wolf's personality matched his as a human. Both were quiet and kind. Both managed to melt my heart with just one look. Eli was perfection inside and out.

My parents were ecstatic to learn that I was mated to the Beta's son. We were a middle rank family with a bloodline just as average. We were polar opposites in every since of the phrase. I was shy, Eli was outgoing. I was loud at times with never ending monologues, Eli was a man of few words. I had stark white hair that flowed down my back with pale skin and dark blue eyes. Eli never dropped his smile and I seemed to never carry one. Yet, he loved me nonetheless.

We had our first kiss the day I turned twelve. His birthday was just a few months before mine and I was utterly wrecked when Elizabeth planted a big, sloppy kiss on his perfect lips. She wasn't a mean girl, but just as I was pulled to Eli's charming personality, so was everyone else. I constantly felt like I had to fight for his love, even though I was the only one he ever cared for. My insecurities of being so average led me to fear that I would never be a good enough mate. But Eli was made for me. He constantly proved all my fears wrong.

I remember giggling as he scrubbed his lips raw trying to rid himself of Elizabeth's kiss, but the damage was already done. She had stolen his first kiss and in return he stole mine. Eli was a man of wonders who held my heart in his hands at all times. The sparks from his touch sent my mind hazy and my heart crazy. I couldn't imagine my life with anyone other than Eli. My world began and ended with my love for him.

So imagine my surprise when the day of Eli's eighteenth birthday, he ended up not being mine.