Not Rejected Just Unwanted

The chill of a December morning bit at Raine Andrews as she pulled on her dark grey sweater. It was her 17th birthday, a day that promised the revelation of her fated mate. Excitement warred with a prickle of unease as she brushed her dark brown hair, the familiar weight of her mother's wolf ring on her finger.
Downstairs, a hastily scribbled note from her father confirmed her solitude for the day. "Just make dinner for yourself." A sigh escaped her lips. Solo birthdays were nothing new, but today felt different.
Driving her black truck to school, a sense of dread tightened in her chest. Her wolf, usually a source of comfort, was restless, sensing an impending wrongness. She tried to push it aside as nerves, the kind that came with a day of such profound significance. But as she stepped onto the school grounds, a scent, intoxicating and undeniable, filled the air, drawing her towards a destiny she couldn't yet comprehend.
