Shey's POV
Tonight was the moment of truth.
Some said a female werewolf can only achieve great things through her man. I was born to a society where a woman was only expected to be a wife and a mother. That they were nothing but a homemaker, a supporter and an unrecognized shadow behind every wolf.
This evening, I would prove them wrong.
I looked at myself at the mirror. For the succession ceremony, I chose to wear something bold. Something that would echo strength and independence. A color that would shout prominence and wit.
In the sea of black and white, I chose to wear red.
Red as dawn, my floor-length gown had an asymmetric neckline. The high-slit design revealed the nakedness of my right leg yet the flowy, silken garment put an elegant contrast to it. I finished my looks with a pair of black, platform shoes and a golden threader earrings. As for my crowning glory, I decided to curl it a little for some accent while letting it flow through the air as I walked.
"You look regal today, my dear Shey."
I paused a little after hearing his voice. I quickly turned around to confirm my suspision. I was right. It was my dad sitting in his wheelchair, his new throne after retiring.
"Thanks, Dad. I am happy I did not disappoint you tonight."
"Silly girl!" He complained. "You know I had always been proud of the woman you had become."
His words had once again, touched my heart. What did I do in my past life to deserve a father like him?
I walked towards him and grabbed his wrinkling right hand. As I gently rubbed it, I saw him teared up a little. Without any words, I was able to understand what he is trying to say. For some weird reasons, we were able to communicate using nothing but our hearts. Between the love we have for each other, words are not a necessity.
I gestured him outside my hotel room going to the function hall. After a while, Uncle Stan with a couple of helpers accompanied us. They all took care of some admin works I still needed to do in order for me to focus on what was in store for tonight.
And dare did I say I am ready. Ready to take on a role that nobody, except my father and Uncle, had believed I could do.
Instead of entering to the main entrance of the hall, we used the another door to get in. With my head held up high, I entered the hall with all my strength and might. Few moments later, notable members of the crowd began to notice me. Dad and Uncle Stan entertained some, if not, all of them. I guess the color I chose to wear tonight was not helping me stay under the radar until the formal announcement. What do I expect? Around 95% of the people around here are males.Moments later an earthy aroma filled the air. The spicy, aromatic wood-like smell has a warm, exotic profile to it. It was Sandalwood, the most intoxicating I had ever smelled!
The scent created a warm feeling inside. It increased the awareness of my well-being bursting with inner desires. It was until my wolf Kaya emerged from my thoughts jumping up and down that I finally understood what was going on. "Mate!" She shouted at the back of my head.
"You must be mistaken, Kaya. You know very well that what you're saying is highly unlikely," I uttered, trying to make a logical explanation about the mysterious scent that had overtaken us.
"I cannot be mistaken. Our mates are here! Let's go and find them quick!" She exclaimed.
I still cannot comprehend what was happening. Here I was waiting for the crowning moment of my life while my wolf had gone ballistic over the idea of finding her mate.
Yes, just her mate. Because I refused to believe this so-called mate thing. This was just a werewolf fairy tail aiming to brainwash a child into thinking that they should submit and be manipulated by the very person they were destined to be with.
Like who in the right mind would yield to the authority of another person, especially to a man, just because the moon goddess said you were fated? Certainly not me! This is just so lame!
No offense to the moon goddess, but I am my own person. I am free to love and cherish the man I would want to choose for myself. No mate bond would stop me from choosing my own destiny. All my life, the society had dictated me of what I should do. On how I should react, what I should feel and what I should like and dislike. My father and Uncle Stan do not raised me to bow my head just because I am a woman. And certainly, no superstition could ever change that.
Gone are the days when a she wolf was acting like a Disney princess, a damsel in distress waiting for their princes to save them from their ordeal. Tonight was the start of a new era where strong and independent female wolves are slowly making their names in the society. Tonight, I would rewrite history.
"And now, the moment we have all waiting for. It is my greatest honor to introduce you to the new leader of the Scarlet Union, Miss Shey Collins!"The function hall echoed with round of applauses from the crowd. That was my signal to get up on stage. The spotlight was following me as I slowly inched myself at the front.
"I am sorry to break it to you, Kaya," I told my wolf inside my head. "Mates are not real. So please, stop this nonsense at once. Whatever you're sensing, this might just be a product of your imagination and longing."
Kaya did not say anything. She always knew my stand regarding the matter so she did not push for it. I saw the devastated look at my wolf's face before retreating at the back of my mind. It broke my heart to see her like this but this is for her own good. I am sparing her from the pain and heartache that she might experience in the future. It is better for Kaya to accept this reality as early as now before things could get out of hand.
The concept of a werewolf soulmate was nothing but a hoax. And nobody could ever convince me, not even my beloved wolf Kaya, that it was otherwise.
Shey's POV My head ache like hell. I am feeling a bit under the weather the moment I opened my eyes. I only drank a single glass of red wine last night and hurried home after the formal accession ceremony was over yet I feel like my whole body had been ran over by a monster truck. This must have been because of stress, jitters and fatigue from the recent event. It was crazy! I tried to communicate with Kaya inside my head but she was ignoring me. The profound sadness and despair was all over her. Perhaps that was the reason I was feeling sick today. Kaya's depression was manifesting on my body. The clock sitting at the top of my bedside table hit quarter after nine. Realizing it was almost 10 o'clock in the morning, I forced myself to get out of bed. I let the morning air inside my room by opening the windowpane. The sunlight that came inside had a hint of sudden warmth. The morning sunshine erased all the sleepiness that was left inside of
Jaxon'sPOVIt was a very quiet Saturday evening at our house. The night sky was clear and full of twinkling stars. Cold breeze was circulating inside our home so my wife decided to lift down the small windowpane we had at our dining room for warmth. Afterwards, she began fixing the table and serve dinner.Tonight was nothing special yetLysa, as always, cooked a feast. I could smell thesmokinessof the fall-off-the-bone barbeque ribs paired with rich and creamy macaroni and cheese. The warm, yellow hue of the mac and cheese and the dark, red tone of the ribs complemented each other. Tonight's meal certainly made a picture-perfect plate. This was one of the many reasons why I had fallen head over heals with my wife. She was a fantastic cook who su
Pierre'sPOVWhat could be a better way to forget the matters of the heartthanburying yourself in mountains of paperwork?This had been my routine for the last few days after witnessing what could have been the best night of my life. In a normal circumstance, I might have been in bed, lying next to my loving mate while discussing our plans for our future. However, the goddess of the moon had other intent. Instead, Iam stuckhere in my office disconnecting myself from the world while trying to figure out how I could get the hell out of the situation I am in.On how I would be able to accept that my long-awaited mate was the very person I should destroy.
Shey'sPOV"Shey, an urgent letter came in the mail earlier."I looked up at my secretary as she handed me the whiteenvelopecontaining the letter she was talking about. After carefully scanning the outer part of the letter out of curiosity, I immediately grabbed the paper knife made of stainless steel from my desk and had its way through it. When I completely teared the paper enclosing the communication, a familiar logo appeared. The branded blank was that of the Legion of the North.I had my full trust on Janice who's working for Scarlet Union for almost 12 years. She needed little to no supervision in doing her job. Most of the time, she was able to filter all of my works down to the level that only needed my int
Pierre's POVFinally, the day I had waited for had arrived.I couldn't help but to look at myself in the mirror a thousand times. In my bed laid couple of my wardrobes and some accessories. These are the ones I had tried earlier until I came up with what I am wearing now. The last time I had been this pressured about selecting what to wear was during my inauguration as the leader of the Legion of the North. I had to commission a stylist just to look presentable that night but it was all worth it.To give myself a fresh yet a smart, boy-next-door look, I chose a gray slim-fit Chino pants, a white shirt and a blazer. Wearing a pair of black leather shoes was a no-brainer as well. I alsohad an appointmentin the salon yesterday to have my hair styled. I adorned my wrist with a gold watch to which I am constantly checking to prevent myself from ge
Shey'sPOVTonight was far from being ordinary. Somehow, it flooded me with both nerves and anticipation. Why wouldn't I? I was about to meet the head of the number one opposer of the Scarlet Union.Eager tomake a statement, I decided to went with smart yet elegant get up. Selecting a white boat-neck sheath dress paired with a black stiletto gave me the confidence I need to face probably one of the most egocentric and narcissistic persons I would possibly meet in life. Well, what could I expect? He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and knows nothing about hard labor to survive. And unfortunately, this was a common trait for someone who had been born to a privileged life in the werewolf society.
Pierre's POV This week had been a volley of curveballs. While still recovering from the disastrous first meeting with my mate, here I was waitingto beroasted by the council of the Legion. Today was thefollow upassembly aboutthe progression ofour plan to annihilate the Scarlet Union. Indeed, my nightmare was far from being over. I was deeply concerned over the sudden turn of events. Just a month ago, I was sitting in this very room devising a concrete plan on how to destroy the rebel group. Like even suggested on spying on the organization just to gain knowledge that we would use in putting them down. That plan was a success, until I met the leader of their union.
Shey's POV It had been a week since I had the worst business meeting of my life. As expected, I went back to my life as if nothing happened. I immersed myself more in the life as the Alpha she-wolf of the Scarlet Union; attaching my signature to a mountain-full of paperwork and attending to several business functions. Everything seemed to be back to its normal phase. Or so I thought. An unfathomable void was consuming my soul. For some weird reasons, I was feeling empty and sad most of the time. I adored socializing yet I found myself rather enjoy the comforts of my bed. Even myself was surprised with the sudden change of preference I had established now. Like suddenly, I had become a stranger even to my self. I even visited a mental health professional this week to have myself checked. The doctor's prescription meds seemed to not have any significant effect to my condition. I continued to be indolent and unproductive.