Owned by the Alpha and his Betas

Isabella ‘Izzy’ Garcia’s mornings are always the same — it is a comforting routine that helps her navigate her life as a werewolf. She wakes up before sunrise, slipping out of her bed and into her running shoes. She prefers the air to be crisp and cool. She finds it a perfect complement to the quiet stillness of her world.

Every morning, she begins her run at a brisk pace while she navigates the forest. Her surroundings is alive with the sounds of howling wolves, but Isabella doesn’t feel threatened. She is one of them, a predator in her own right.

As she runs, she greets her pack members, who are also doing their exercise while in their human form. She exchanges nods and smiles with anyone who would come her way. The werewolf pack she belongs to is a close-knit community to a fault. Everyone is ready to lend a helping hand or offer a listening ear. Unfortunately, they also love to gossip about everyone in the pack — like who are their mates, who had a child, who cheated, who recently activated their mate bond.

Mate Bond.

Now that she is reminded of it, she pauses and takes a deep breath. She loves everything about being a werewolf, BUT the mate bond is the only thing that makes her anxious. Everything else is perfect — the strength, the power, the family.

And now that she remembers about the mate bond, she turns around to return to the pack house, her mood has soured.

Arriving at the house, she sees Aria and Chloe in the kitchen, sipping on cups of hot coffee. Isabella joins them, her heart heavy with anxiety for the upcoming mate finding ceremony.

“Hey, Izzy,” Aria greets, her eyes bright with curiosity. “How was your run?”

“It was not so good,” she replies. Izzy is a name that her closest friends call her, a pet name for her.

Chloe looks up from her coffee, her brow furrowing with concern. “What’s wrong, Izzy? You seem distracted.”

Izzy sighs, her shoulders slumping. “I can’t stop thinking about the mate-finding ceremony. What if I actually receive one today?! I am pretty sure that the massive desire for my mate will activate… And what if I kiss him in front of everyone? I don’t know how I will be able to face anyone of you out of embarrassment!”

Aria laughs, and Chloe reaches out to her hand. “You don’t have to worry about that. No one will be disappointed if you make out with your mate the instant you find him. Everyone will understand.”

“Actually, I want to see you smother your mate with kisses,” Aria says, still laughing. “Heck, I want you to have sex in the middle of the field during the ceremony!”

“Aria!” Chloe scolds.

Izzy takes a deep breath. There is a feeling of unease… of something that will soon be out of her control. She always wanted to have control of her life, and this mate bond — it is the opposite of having control!

And so, she can’t help but feel apprehensive. She has bigger aspirations beyond a traditional mate bond. She wants to explore the world every time she earns enough money. She wants to learn and grow as a person. She doesn’t want to be tied down to a mate, especially if it’s something destined or something that she did not work hard for.

Despite that, she is aware that her pack values tradition above all else. But even if she loves them, she just cannot CRAVE for a mate bond. Maybe she should have left the pack and worked in the city, even if her job allowed her to work at home.

“I should have left this place,” she murmurs.

Erase that. She thinks that working at home is good because she can be with her family. It is beneficial for her. Well, that is, except for the mate bond thing.

“Even if you are far away from the pack, the mate bond will still activate, you know,” Aria says matter-of-factly.

“It’s something that you can never escape from,” Chloe pipes in.

“I heard some female werewolves never got a mate bond,” she adds.

“It only happens once in a hundred years,” Chloe says. “Or more.”