The annual Spring Mating Tea Day has arrived.. Where all unmated werewolves gather in hopes of finding their perfect match. Thanks to the endless flow of drinks and snacks, even some lovebirds who've already found their mate crash the party. It's a high-energy hullabaloo that's got most folks counting down the days.
I walk into my closet to try to find something that will not make a beacon for unwanted attention; but also classy enough where if I were to find my mate, I would be in acceptable attire. I put on a light violet floor length gown that crosses the back and showcases my curves just right without being scandalous. Regardless of the modest neckline of the dress, my well-endowed breasts are still showcased.I look at the clock in my room and begin to hurry. Only 30 more minutes before I am supposed to be downstairs in the ballroom of the packhouse. I quickly apply some make up, making sure not to look overdone and natural. I finish the look with nude lipstick and a spritz of my fruity perfume. Since my hair naturally is straight, I decided not to attempt to curl it and instead put it in a half up half down hair do.I look at my tall mirror in my closet to take in my appearance.“This is as good as it’s going to get.” I mumble to myself. I wish I could get out of the funk I was in. Since I was a young girl, I dreamed of participating in the Annual Spring Mating Tea. The hopeless romantic in me would fantasize about finding my mate, who would make me feel worthy and cherished.The talent show turned out to be the kind of event where you'd rather wrestle an alligator than step onto a stage in front of hundreds of people. But that was just my personal opinion, and as fate would have it, I was required to perform. You see, being the Alpha's daughter came with its own set of peculiar obligations. My father made it clear he wanted me mated off, so he wouldn’t have to “endure with me” any longer and could erase me from his life.However, it wasn’t lost on me the irony of how my father seemed to overlook my older sister Talia’s mating status. Being two years my senior, Talia was the epitome of the perfect daughter. She had still yet to meet her mate, making her one of the most sought-after prizes.In contrast to my raven hair, Her’s was a chestnut brown, like my father’s, and had beautiful blue eyes compared to my emerald. If it weren’t for our delicate matching cheekbones and body structure, one may think we weren’t related at all.I walk down the stairs to the ballroom where guests and pack members have already started to filter in. I find my father who gives me a disgusted look before returning to his conversation with one of the warriors of the pack. I continue to take in the room.Bouquets and garlands of fresh colorful flowers cover the balconies and tables. Chiffon ivory fabric cascades from the crystal chandelier, that is in the center of the room, to the pillars that hold up the ceiling. Fairy lights dangle from the ceiling, giving the room a fantasy-esk feel.The lights dim and brighten, signaling the beginning of the talent show. I take a deep breath to calm my nerves. Once my father has made his welcoming speech, I am called up on stage to start the show.I don’t see Talia until I am standing on stage. She wears a beautiful pale-yellow chiffon, floor length dress, with a sweetheart neckline. Her chestnut hair is pulled up in a simple updo. A smug expression on her face for some unknown reason.I stand on the stage, trying to hide the trembling hand that holds the microphone.Two months of tireless rehearsals, nights humming the lyrics in my sleep – all of it can't shield me from the jittery chaos inside. I know the song through and through. But now that I am on stage with hundreds of faces looking at me, I am terrified.The spotlight blinds me as it shines on me, making me squint my eyes. I can’t see the faces in the crowd anymore, however I know they are all matching the smugness that my sister is wearing.Like I am the greatest joke.The music begins, I take a shaky breath, ready to unleash the first verse.I suddenly feel a cold, gooey substance pour down on me from above, covering my entire body.The smell engulfs all of my senses, making me gag. I start to choke and cough, but the suffocating sensation continues. Just as I begin to catch my breath, another bucket from above is poured on me. This one's filled with dirty, grimy fur. I bend over, coughing violently, tears streaming from my eyes. I look at myself and see a mix of sticky glue, mixed with dirty fur covering all of me.The crowd erupts into laughter overtaking the sounds of my sobs and coughs."Nice one, Talia!" yells Liam, the son of Alpha Brock from the Nightshade Pack, who I can make out in the front of the crowd.My blood runs cold at the comment. Talia walks on stage and gives me a condescending smile before addressing the audience."Since my little sister can't shift into a wolf, I decided to lend her a paw," Talia giggles before looking back at me. "You're so welcome, my little Annette!"“Look at her, isn’t it the werewolf-est moment she will ever have?” She continues in a condescending tone.“Oh please, don’t attack us!” Liam yells out."Geez, isn't this a bit over the top?" says Haiden, Beta Damian’s son, as he rubs his neck."Oh look, Haiden's feeling sorry for Ana,” Liam mocks loudly, shoving Haiden towards the stage and says, "Off you go, the gallant knight!""You can have her, really! Just remember to cover your nose when you do it." Talia chimes in, making more tears stream down my face. "Good luck bro!""Wow, you do have a unique taste, god bless you." Yells another male voice in the crowd.The sound of mocking fills the air accompanied by whistles and laughing.The spotlight is moved to the crowd where Haiden is pushed to the front of the stage.When my emerald, green eyes meet his blue ones, he freezes.‘Mate’ I hear in my head. My entire being calls out to him, wanting our mate.From his reaction, I can tell that Haiden has also realized this.I'm a bit lost for words. How did I manage to run into my mate in such a humiliating situation? All I wanted was for him to be my mate, however this was not at all what I was expecting.I know a good person like he wouldn't be cruel to me like this.A glimmer of hope slowly rises in my gaze, hoping I can put an end to this cycle of torment. He runs a hand through his sandy blonde hair before rubbing a hand down his face.But as Haiden hesitates to act, my panic starts to set in. Why isn’t he coming to me? Then it hits me like a freight train. NO! NO! NO! My heart rate begins to speed up and sweat starts to gather on my brow as I try to keep my next words not as pathetic as I already feel."Haiden…. Please! I’m begging you..." I choke back tears, shaking my head. "At least not now!" I whisper yell to him.I see Adam’s apple bobbing up and down, as if his saliva had turned into pebbles in an instant.Then, in a parched voice, he says, "I, Haiden Montgomery, reject Annette Lockhart as my mate." He pauses and doesn’t meet my eyes. “I’m sorry Annette. I can’t be with a wolf-less werewolf.”I am not sure how I got to the lake as my body seemed to be in auto pilot. I look out at the lake before me with water covering my ankles. I welcome the coldness of the water as it numbs my feet. The mountains in the distance are covered with fog making the peaks impossible to see. Birds dive into the lake to catch their next meal. The environment around me seems to ignore my existence and continues to live their lives. Just like it is in my regular life. My heart and soul felt void from Haiden’s rejection. I looked out over the water. The dark depths of the lake are calling to my soul, ready to drown my sorrows away.As tears stream down my face, I take another step further into the water. A siren song seemingly pulling me further. My skin is itching from glue and fur. The water does nothing to absolve the itch and pain I feel. A few more steps and I will be able to drown my sorrows and my pitiful self into the watery abyss that awaits.I take a moment to reflect on how I got here a
My father scoffed at Auntie Leeanne’s antics. I was hit with a wave of anxiety when my sister’s gaze was on me. “Well, speaking of representatives… I think we have the perfect person for the job.” Talia said with a smirk at me. "I'd prefer to call them sacrifices," Auntie Leeanne corrected. Before holding out her invitation like it had a disease on it. My father remained silent, but his gaze fell on me. My anxiety turned to panic. I knew where this conversation was headed. I looked down at the floor and back up to my family, who were now all staring at me with a knowing look. They were eyeing me like a lamb being prepared for the oven.This couldn’t be happening. I didn’t want to be sent to my death. I looked to my father and felt my knees give way, sending me to the floor. "Please...,father.” I didn’t care how desperate I sounded. His lips fell into a thin line while his eyes turned black from his wolf. "I won't allow our family to have daughters who can't be married off, Annett
Ana POV "How dare you defile the future Luna candidate offered to the Lycan King!" The voice belonged to the gentleman who delivered the invitations earlier.His voice was stern, but his face radiated disdain toward my father. Talia and Auntie Leeanne looked at the newcomer with shocked expressions. Both of them opening and closing their mouths like a fish rendering speechless. Who knew all it took was the consorts of the royal family to get my family to stop their torture. I rubbed my cheek as I stayed on the floor. A sudden feeling of unease overtaking me. I met the eyes of the gentleman and pushed back the bile that was coming up my throat. "Get ready quickly, our convoy is prepared," he continued. He straightened his peacoat as he addressed us. My father awkwardly stopped his actions. He cleared his throat, adjusted his appearance, and then led my sister by the hand towards the door. My Auntie Leeanne in tow. I struggled to stand and the gentleman offered his assistance. “Are
Xavier POV "Xavier, your highness," my beta barged in, "the Mate Selection Ball is about to start." He took in my appearance and the room around me. Ethan Dreeves was not only my beta, but my best friend. He was the only person who could get away with being so casual with me. "Uh-huh. Your point?" the words slurred a little as they came out. The wine clearly had gone to my head. I lounged on my throne, absentmindedly toying with the tassels on my shoulder, giving my wine glass a gentle swirl. I hated being in my formal royal attire. Ethan gave me an annoyed look. "Why did you end up drinking so much?" Ethan asked while he picked up a nearly empty bottle. "How are you going to elegantly mingle with the ladies and nobles later?"I took another look gulp of my wine and gave my beta a lazy smile before it fell from my face. "It's not like I'm the one who wants this ball to happen," I frowned, a touch of irritation in tone. I tiled my head back and finished off the glass of wine in one
Ana POVI woke up in the arms of a guard. One arm dangling off to the side while the other was pinned between myself and the chest of the guard. His cologne had a soothing effect. Leather and a hint of cigar smoke. A manly scent that only some could pull off. Slowly, I opened my eyes and looked out from the tiny holes in my mask.I was confused on what was going on. I could tell I was in the main event space, a crowd gathering around me. I couldn’t understand why everyone was staring at me. From what I could see the guard was a behemoth of a man, with broad shoulders, sandy blonde hair that was tied up at the base of his head. "What's going on?" I croaked out. I tried to remember, but my body ached and my brain was drawing a blank. My body felt like I had been hit with a train. Although some of my injuries had healed, I still had some that were going to take a long time. Werewolves were known for their ability to heal, however with not having a wolf, my healing time would take much
Ana POV"Hi, you awake? Luna," a melodious female voice echoed in my ears.I opened my eyes, finding myself in an opulent room. It felt like I had just awoken from a dream where a strikingly tall and handsome man declared that I was his Luna. He had carried me through endless corridors, a lifetime's length away before I had fallen into unconsciousness. My head must be seriously messed up. I groaned as I tried to move my body. Still recovering from the rogue attack. I was on a bed, that much was clear with all of the luxurious silk throw pillows and blankets that cocooned me. "Hi what is..." I had a million questions but didn't know where to start."Relax! Let me give you a brief rundown." The girl said, motioning her hands in surrender before she winked at me.She was quite pretty with her auburn tightly curled hair, delicate features, whiskey colored eyes, and a pale complexion. "I'm the maid assigned to you, and you can call me Geegee."Geegee went into full detail how I had been fo
Ana POVAfter Xavier left me to my own devices, Geegee knocked on my door and walked in with a first aid kit. She sat next to me on the bed with a wicked grin on her face. “So how did that go?” I fell back onto the pillows and covered my face with my arms and groaned. “Well instead of dying from embarrassment, I almost died from choking on my coffee.” I moved my arms from my face to see Geegee’s reaction. She burst out laughing and tried to cover her mouth with her hand to stop the noise. I gave her a playful, disapproving look before laughing at myself.“Well, that is certainly a way to go!” she teased. I lifted my chin, motioning to the first aid kit. “What’s that for?” Geegee lifted the box, “We need to change your bandages.” Carefully she took off the soiled gauze and medical tape off my arms, shoulder, and left calf. The shoulder was the most sensitive. “Damn girl, they got you good here.” She stated as she cleaned the wound out on my shoulder. I hissed at the pain. “Ugh, y
Ana POV "Please, Ana, have a seat," Elizabeth said in a formal tone. She clapped her hands to signal the serving staff. A short young man with blonde hair came into the room with a tray full of dishes that were covered with a silver top. As the young man began to place the dishes on the table and remove the covers, I walked over and sat next to Xavier. I tried to keep a smile on my face while my heart felt like it was going to beat right out of my chest. I placed my hands on my lap to hide my fidgeting fingers. A large hand gently grabbed my hand and laced their fingers with mine. I looked at Xavier who gave me a slight nod to let me know it would be okay. He had a way of soothing my anxiety in ways that I wasn’t sure how to unpack. Xavier’s thumb began to rub circles on the side of my hand, continuing to show his support. I grabbed the glass full of water that was at my place setting, and drank half the glass in one gulp. I met the piercing eyes of Elizabeth who was sizing me up o