"Oh, so you're the one who messed up our painting?" bragged Brittney.

"Sure thing, chunky," Giselle taunted Brittney. "Just so you know, this is your first warning."

"What's your issue with us, Giselle?" Nina asked calmly.

"Obviously, it's about that ugly girl," she sneered while glancing at me.

Me? Have I ever crossed her? Shouldn't I be the one giving her a piece of my mind? After all, she's the one who snatched my boyfriend.

"You guys are seriously the worst, like total garbage," Giselle sneered. "And you, Kate... I don't dig the way you eyeball me. I didn't wreck your relationship!"

"You messed up our project by not owning up to flirting with Felix," Brittney crossed her arms. "Having a sly wolf like you as Luna? Not worth it. Your looks mean zilch if your character's trash."

"Do you really think your paintings should be in the lobby? Those crappy paintings? No point in buying fancy brushes to create an ugly masterpiece like that," Giselle remarked.

"Team, this wolf needs a reality check. Hand over our brushes, or I'll drag you to the principal," threatened Brittney.

"I ain't giving them back."

Just overheard their spat, and out of the blue, this pheromone scent hit me hard, like right here. My inner wolf smirks and goes, "Mate, I feel it."

"Oh, geez," I mutter.

"What?! You gonna try me?" Giselle fires back.

Kitty, my wolf, gets all annoyed and snaps at Giselle, "Just smack that irritating wolf. I'll handle the rest."

"No use arguing with a sly wolf like you, Giselle," a voice chimes in from behind.

"Mate! Kate, his scent's off the charts!" My inner wolf gets all hyped as this handsome guy walks in, with our homeroom teacher in tow.

"Uh, Senior Terrence?" Giselle stammered, looking a bit clumsy.

"What are you doing here? Are you messing with them?" Terrence asked, his tone icy.

"I wasn't messing with them. I just called them out because they swiped my painting brush," Giselle replied.

Terrence smirked. "Is that so? Have you forgotten what kind of punishment Elder Scarlet Moon dishes out?"

"I'm not lying. You can check with my friends," Giselle said.

"Sure thing. They've got your back. You better make a run for it," Terrence said with a casual nod.

Kitty chimed in, "Oh, Moon Goddess, he's like the ultimate authority figure." Kitty paused her praise, and I couldn't help but agree – he was almost too perfect in my mind.

I brushed off Giselle, who genuinely looked scared of Terrence. Time to dive back into my hectic routine and prep for some painting. Yet, no matter how hard I tried, Terrence lingered in my thoughts.

Terrence, the son of the big shot who owns Miracle Academy High School, sponsored by the Scarlet Moon pack. It's not just any school in Vadawolf; it's the top dog with the best accreditation. The guy is an Alpha – strong, handsome, attractive, sexy, and loaded. But the rumor mill also churns out tales of him being a bit of a tough Alpha.

Terrence cleared his throat. "Just leave the painting here. I'll handle Giselle."

"But, man. It seems like this is gonna be a bother for you," muttered Nina.

Terrence slid his hand into his jeans pocket. "I'm cool with it."

"But—"

"Seriously, let me handle your paintings. No need to haul those canvases back home," Terrence interrupted.

***

We had just wrapped up one painting when the school hours were over. Right at three o'clock in the afternoon, I rushed straight to the nearest bathroom to wash my hands, which were covered in watercolors, and also my apron, soaked in paint. Once I was done cleaning up, I unintentionally found myself walking behind Felix and Christopher Bang. I strolled slowly, making sure to keep my distance from Felix.

I overheard snippets of their conversation, and it sounded like they were discussing my sudden breakup with Felix. Christopher Bang was asking Felix why he turned down being my mate. Felix casually responded that I wasn't the omega he saw as suitable to be his Luna. According to Felix, I was too weak, and he couldn't deal with trying to figure out what I was thinking all the time. I furrowed my brow, contemplating what people thought about me. Am I really that weak? Don't I deserve to be Luna?

I am not perfect. My family's not all there, not the complete deal. I knew he couldn't appreciate me because of that, so I hoped someone else would step up.

It's just, is anyone willing to accept me? After dealing with mental stress since I was a kid? Never felt a dad figure or anything like that, except for Elder James, who keeps saying I'm Luna's strong candidate. My heart hurts, but I don't want to cry anymore. I don't want to look weak in front of everyone. Don't want to seem whiny over some romance drama.

Felix rejected me because I didn't deserve it. I get it. I'll head home early and chill in the forest for a bit to let my wolf out. My wolf's a white one with sapphire blue eyes, and I call it Kitty. Gonna let Kitty out of my system for a while. Then I'll head home and take a warm bath. My place is close to Elder James's, and the special housing for this jungle power group is near a unique forest. Vadawolf's got quite a few special forests for wolves. But I'm pretty sure no one saw me coming out of the woods all torn up.

"Sweetheart...." I stepped up and quickly fixed my messy hair when my mom came in, looking worried.

"What happened to you, sweetie? Why are your clothes all torn up? Were you in a fight?" she asked.

"Uhm... I'm—"

"Are you scrapping with that girl?" my mom asked again.

I shook my head slowly. “I just got out of the forest, Mom.”

"Oh, honey... I get that you're not ready to deal with all this yet. Okay, I get how you're feeling, babe. It's alright, go take a shower, sweetheart."

I just nodded and headed straight up the stairs to my room, had a warm bath, grabbed a nightgown, had a quick dinner with my mom with no real talk, and went back to bed.

I don't want to be sad all the time. I can't let that be my constant vibe. I'm planning to ask Mom to take me to see a therapist next week. My mental state has been a mess the past few days.

I feel like I'm losing it, unable to control my emotions right now. Love can mess you up.

It's my mom who got betrayed by my dad, and Felix rejected me because of Giselle's presence. It's a messed-up situation that's messing with my head. And who knows what's coming next? Can the Moon Goddess do something about my messed-up destiny?