1. Frustrated Life

Astrid's POV:

"Astrid, get up." Someone sprayed water on my face.

I know exactly who it is. I moaned in my sleep, wanting nothing more than to be alone.My blanket was removed from me, and I noticed a draft of cold air coming from the door beside the dining room.

It was my mother, disturbed by my eight o'clock morning slumber. Despite my repeated explanations about my pack duty at night, she insisted I get up. She argued that I was a girl and had already brought them enough embarrassment; they couldn't afford further tardiness. I'd mentioned countless times that I'd only slept at 4 a.m., but my mother scolded me, claiming I'd already had enough sleep

I exhaled and opened my eyes. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs because if I keep going at this rate, I'm sure I'll go nuts from a lack of sleep and rest.

I wouldn't even have the luxury of adjusting to my new surroundings. I was about to plunge into a list of errands before heading to school.

"Get up and tidy the whole house. I want you to do it before you go to school," Mom said as she exited the dining hall.

I am Astrid Stephnie Jones, and this is how I spend my early mornings. Being the only daughter brought me nothing but exhaustion and managing everything on my own.

I don't sleep in the living room because I'm treated like a maid, but because it's my choice.. Because there are only three bedrooms in the house, one of which is inhabited by my parents and the other two by my elder brothers, I was forced to sleep in the living room. I wouldn't say I liked it there, so I asked to use the dining room, which was gratefully approved.

It was big enough to contain everything while still leaving enough space to roam around freely.Furthermore, I was never appreciated for all of the hard work I put into my entire day, and if I slept a little late, I was subjected to ridicule.

On the other hand, my two brothers, who work a little late and are not disturbed for an eternity. It made me wonder why they got special treatment while I felt neglected. My mother said it was because they were tired from their hard work the previous day and deserved rest. But, that same mother couldn't see her daughter's struggle, balancing school, housework, and working as a waitress at night in a restaurant and not to mention the  pack duties.

It breaks my heart to see the woman who brought me into this world treat me this way. I adore her because I know how much she loves her children. She used to shower me with affection until a few years ago, and I don’t know what happened all of a sudden that changed for her to treat me so coldly.I know my brothers work hard as well, with pack chores and their own work to attend to, and they need to rest, but why are others so insensitive to me?

Once I finished my chores, I would head to school, knowing that new challenges awaited me there. After school, I would go to the restaurant to work, without which I couldn't manage my expenses. Then again, I was responsible for my own costs. I never liked depending on anyone, not even my parents.But I'm not complaining. After all, I enjoy the feeling of taking responsibility for myself.

I've never liked to rely on anyone, including my parents, to give it to me, but it hurts at times not to receive the love they show to others, but I guess it's not in my fate.

I got up from my bed and did everything, packed my bag, and left for school.

I was walking aimlessly when I fell against a stone and was about to drop face-first on the ground when a soothing aroma overwhelmed me, accompanied by a pair of arms securely wrapped around my waist.

I closed my eyes and breathed a sigh of relief that I was at least rescued. Still, I dreaded having to turn around and face him because I was afraid I'd lose myself looking into those blue eyes.

"Astrid, are you all right?" he asked, clutching my waist.

I gathered my courage and stood up, embracing myself before turning around to face him.

I pursed my lips in a thin line, cursing myself internally for being careless, which had left me in this situation.

I summoned all of my courage and told myself mentally not to act stupidly.

"Oh Edward, hello," I said, smiling at my crush._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

 Here's the first chapter... Its more like an intro... I hope you like it :) There are more interesting parts yet to come.

If you like the story so far, please comment down. your appreciation will mean the world to me.

2. Werewolf realm

Astrid's POV:

"Oh Edward, hello," I said, smiling at my crush.

"I believe someone preoccupied your mind, which resulted in your stumbling," he smirked at me.

He is the loveliest young boy anyone has ever met.

I reminded myself that it was his chivalry speaking and that he treated everyone the same way, but my silly heart fluttered seeing his boyish grin.

"Umm... No, I'm okay?" I said, more like a query. I believe I spaced out on his words once more, as I have done since our childhood days together.

We were great friends in kindergarten, and as time went by, he grew apart, but I was still holding on to the promise he made at the time. As his words rang inside my head, my thoughts wandered down memory lane.

"When we grow up, Astrid, we're going to be Mates," he said as we both built a sandcastle.

"Really, Edward?" I inquired.

"Yes, and look, I'll build a castle like this for you, and where we can both play all day," Edward replied, taking my hand in his.

"Wow, so I'm going to be Luna?" I said, and he nodded, "but I don't have a wolf like you."

"But I have it," Edward cried as he stood up and transformed into his brown wolf, even though he was still a pup.

I stood up and clapped as I saw him wag his tail at me, and then he licked me.

"Astrid, are you still there?" Edward asked, snapping his fingers in front of my face.

"Huh?" I gave him a sidelong glance.

"Wired, you zone out a lot," he muttered to himself.

"Thank you for saving me, Edward. I'm getting clumsier by the day," I said, scratching the back of my neck.

"It's okay, Astrid," he said, looking at his wristwatch and then at me. "Can I catch up with you later? I have a class to attend to," he asked, his face strained from the time constraint.

He is in his senior year, and exams are just around the corner.

I'm a senior, but it's due to my outstanding grades. I am the youngest in the class, although Edward and I only shared one subject.

"Oh, okay, see you later then," I said as I nodded and watched him walk away.

I grumbled and turned to walk inside the school, but I still had about an hour till my classes began.

Instead of going to school, I took an alternative route and went to a neighboring park, where I sat on a bench and reflected on my life.

The youngster I had previously spoken with is Edward Hudson, the future Alpha of our pack and the only son of Alpha Brad and Luna Lizzy.

If it isn't evident, I've had feelings for him since we were kids. He is the sweetest, calmest, and most humble person I have ever encountered, but that attitude isn't reserved solely for me; he speaks to everyone as if he is the boy next door.

Even though we don't talk much, I have a great attraction to him, and the only thing I ask the moon goddess for is that he be my mate.

I'm unsure if praying to the moon goddess will help me because I don't yet have a wolf.

Humans have an erroneous belief that our wolves appear when we are adolescents. Still, the truth is that we as werewolves are born with our wolves, who remain in our heads until we reach the age of three, at which point they appear as pups.

The period can sometimes be extended, but the deadline for our wolf to appear is by the age of ten, although I am an exception.Everyone says they start talking to their wolves as infants and grow up with the feeling of having someone inside you everything appears biological, and their body adapts to it like is their organ, but I don't know what that feels like because again I don't have a wolf.

While everyone my age had their wolves appear at the age of three, and in some rare cases, infants as young as one are said to change into their wolf form. Still, I haven't witnessed that yet, but here I was, even after ten years of waiting, and my wolf didn't appear, and when I informed my mother about it, she was shocked. She questioned me about how I hadn't had a conversation with my wolf. When I denied it, she repeatedly questioned me whether this was the case since I was a Kid. I didn't feel any of those things, so I denied everything.

My mother was distraught when she found I didn't have a wolf, which is a shame and disgrace coming from a werewolf family. She informed me that she had remained silent since she believed it was natural to grow up with a sense of another soul inside us.

Maybe that's why my mother dislikes me; after all, she is the daughter of an alpha who was mated to an omega.

No, being an Omega does not imply being terrible in any way; they are not treated like slaves or anything. instead, in our universe, and Omega is someone who is third in rank.

Alpha is the superior of all, followed by Beta, who is second in command, and Omega, third in charge.

Actually, it is a revered position, and everyone except Alpha and Beta admires and appreciates Omega. So,

I am no less than royalty in terms of family relationships.

Skylar Jones and Lance Jones are my two brothers.

When I think about my predicament and question why I don't have a wolf, my sense tries to reason with me while comparing me to them, but I never discover an answer as to why others have wolves, and I don't.My phone rang, signaling that it was time for my class to begin. I told myself that I still had one last hope and that my misery would cease when Edward declared me his mate.

Werewolves find their partners on the 'Red Moon Night,' which occurs only once a year. Anyone over the age of nineteen will discover their partners on that night.

Though I am not yet nineteen, I have one more year until I reach that age, and I hope to experience the mate link once Edward makes me his mate.

I took my bag off the bench and began walking towards the school.

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3. Bullied

Astrid's POV:

"Look who's here," As I walked through the school hallway, I couldn't avoid the taunts and jeers from my classmates. It was a daily ritual. Ignoring them, I hurried towards my classes, but then I encountered Benson, the school's resident troublemaker, who seemed to believe the whole world revolved around him.

"What do you want, Benson?"  I asked, my irritation growing by the second.

I'm running late for class, and the last thing I want to do is stand here and entertain this group of immature bullies. I'd rather sit in one of the corners and play a phone game than get into a fight with them, which I know will lead nowhere.

His evil sneer only fueled my anger, but I tried to walk away. Standing my ground, I refused to show fear. Why should I when there was nothing to fear?

"Oh, you have the voice to respond to me. That's intriguing; let us see what more you have" His evil sneer disgusted me, and I began to back away from him.

"Ah, you have some backbone," Benson said with a malicious grin. "It's curious, though, how someone like you was chosen to defend the pack's borders, even if you're inferior to the rest of us or even humans."

"Whatever you want to think, I don't care about your opinion," I muttered and began walking away without looking back.

When they saw me turn my back on them, they began calling me insults like "disgrace," "wolfless," "witch," and so on, but I didn't care. Even his minions joined the play, laughing along Benson.

Their remarks no longer pain me since they are not my family, and their opinion no longer bothers me. If they were someone I loved or cared about, I would have been devastated beyond words, but they are just strangers who have no bearing on my life.

I walked over to my seat and sat down. Fortunately, our teacher hadn't arrived yet, or I would have been in big trouble.

I sat in the farthest corner, where I wouldn't draw much notice and could study quietly.

Mr. Daze entered the room and began lecturing. I was paying close attention and took notes on whatever I thought was significant. Despite his detailed explanations, his droning voice struggled to capture the interest of the students around him.

After finishing Mr. Daze's class, I proceeded to my next class, which I was looking forward to. Edward and I have literary have only one class together, and I have to wait a week for that. The week's wait was worth it.

I immediately gathered my belongings and proceeded to my next class, where I took my regular seat in the farthest corner.

I kept my gaze fixated on the entrance, waiting for him to enter the classroom.

It had been fifteen minutes, and there was still no sign of him. I grumbled and took my book, reasoning that I'd rather finish my homework until he arrived.

To my surprise, our lecturer never showed up. It was a rare opportunity to finish my work quickly.

I was in the middle of finishing my task when I heard other student hooting. I recognised them, so I quickly shifted my focus from the books to the door. Edward entered the room with his friends, just as I had thought.

Watching him run his fingers through his hair, my heart pounded. I kept my eyes on him as he made his way towards me.

I gulped as he locked his gaze on mine, and I could feel my heartbeat in my ears. He began to walk towards me, but his attention was drawn to his phone.

Phones were not permitted in the school, but being Alpha's son has its advantages.

I remained rooted in place, waiting for him to approach.

I stood still, waiting for him to come to me. He did, and as he stood in front of me, I swallowed hard.

"Hey, Astrid," he called out to me. My heart leaped, and I made space for him to sit beside me.

But he shifted his gaze to the seat next to mine.

"Hey, Charlotte," he greeted her.

I leaned forward and peered over Edward's shoulder to check if Charlotte was sitting there. She is the type of person who pretends to be a goody-two-shoes in order to get in every boy's pants. She clearly has feelings for Edward. Previously, she was with Bensen, but when Edward began to notice her, she deserted him in order to get in Edward's good books.

"Edward, Hello, I'm sorry, I didn't notice you were standing here." She lied, as she always does. "I was really studying for my exams. Every point counts, you know." She spoke as if she were the nerd. As if no one knows how she manages to pass her tests.

She seduces boys in order to get them to help her pass the examinations. I'd rather fail than be ranked in that manner.

"Oh, I understand how difficult things may be for you. Can I take a seat here?" he asked, motioning to the seat near her.

With her artificial lashes on, she blinked her gray eyes at him. She made room for him to sit, and he took a seat beside her.

I was disappointed, so I piled my bag and books on the seat beside me and pretended to study while keeping an eye on them.

I pretended to be studying while my entire focus was drawn to them. I could see Edward showing her something on his phone from the corners of my eyes, and she laughed.

I clenched my teeth in frustration as I watched them laugh and giggle. It made my heart hurt.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. Because there was some event that others would stay here to prepare for, but I, being the least interested in those things, decided not to participate.

I'd rather rest before heading to a restaurant and patrolling the boundaries.

While I was putting my belongings in the bag, I heard them speaking again

"Are you going to accompany me tonight?" I wanted to know where they were heading because Edward had asked, but I had zoned out by the time they named the location.

"How can I say no to you, Edward? Of course I'll come," Charlotte flashed him with her hundred-watt smile.

My mood had already been shattered, so I decided to divert my focus to something more intriguing.

I put on my headphones, which could keep me isolated from both the human and werewolf worlds, and began walking out of the school.

Arriving home, I found my mom already at work. I seized the opportunity to take a quick nap.

When I woke up, it was time to head to the restaurant. I gathered my things and left.

On my way there, I ran into my brother.

"Hey Skylar," I said, smiling and hugging him.

"Astrid, where are you going in a hurry?" he asked.

"I have to go to the restaurant," I said.

"Too bad, I got you some chocolate cake; I think I'll eat this alone," he teased as he showed me the bag.

I laughed and said, "You'd better save the majority for me. I'll come looking for it."

"I don't think you'll find any, but I can try," he grinned."You should do that and keep it away from Lance. If he sees that, he will not leave us anything."  I told, As I resumed my run.

I arrived at my restaurant, a family diner, hurriedly changed into my waitress outfit, and began serving tables.

While doing so, I noticed Edward and his buddies, as well as Charlotte, waiting for someone to come take their orders at one of the tables.

I reminded myself that no task is insignificant and began walking towards their tables to accept orders.

"Hello, sir, my name is Astrid Jones, and it would be my pleasure to serve you all today," I said again.

"Oh, it's you, Astrid?" Edward gave me a compassionate look, but I didn't need it. "I didn't realise you worked here," he said, and I could tell he was uncomfortable bringing up the subject.

But I could tell Charlotte and his other friends were having a good time.

"That's my job now, sir, if you'll excuse me; shall I take your orders?" When I asked, she nodded and dismissed me.

I went into the kitchen and placed their orders, patiently waiting for them to be made while humming odd beats.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder.

I was taken aback when I noticed Edward standing behind me.

"Astrid, I-I want to tell you something," he stuttered.

I gave him a firm look.

"Yes, I am listening," I said, folding my hands over my chest and giving him my undivided attention.

He fumbled with his hands and turned to face me.

"I.... I love you, Astrid; please tell me you love me too," he said.

I stood there, perplexed.

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