Mating Ball
Ashira's POV
The day all She-Wolves had been waiting for will be tomorrow.
Since the Prime pack is six hours away from our pack, I needed to get off today to headthere.
We are six in total. I and the five other girls from our pack have their mate in the Prime pack as per the mapping.
We'll depart at noon, riding a van. The rest of the She-Wolves will do the same but at different times. Some already left days ago since the pack they needed to settle in, will take a day or more.
Some She-Wolves from another pack also came to our days before and until now. They already settled themselves here with the pack accommodating their stay.
We'll arrive at Prime pack a day early but that's alright since we'll need to be familiar with the place first.Once done packing, I went to Ophelia who was in the kitchen, and sat down in a chair, facing her.
I watched her cook, though I'm not sure what's she is making.
"Regretting that you never attend my cook lessons?" She grinned at me, mocking me.
She always invites me to join her cook but it's not my style. I would rather learn everything about the pack system but never did like burning the kitchen.
Partly, I have no gifts for cooking.
I snorted and Ophelia laughed hard.
These past few days, after the mapping, Inever went out of the house. I took Eric's advice seriously. Not blending in with the crowd.
A grieving wolf for its dead mate is the last thing I'd like to come across.
"Did you packed the dress I bought you?" She asked. I rolled my eyes. I'm not really into a dress. If it is not a tradition for the mapping to wear that white dress, I wouldn't have.
"I did."
"Be sure to wear them at the ball, Ashi. It's a pack tradition. I'm already scared you'll wear jeans tomorrow when I'm not in sight." Her voice sounds joking but I know she's sad somehow. I am too. When shespoke the last words, it daggers in my chest.
"It dawned me that this may be the last day I'll be here," I said, changing the topic as I watch her cook. Giving her a small smile.
I could feel my eyes burning. It saddened me that I didn't give them goodbye talks. I'm so close to tears right now.
If ever I find my mate tomorrow at the ball, then there's no going back here.
She mirrored my smile which made me feel dejected more.
"I'll miss you, too." She said, responding to the meaning of my words exactly. Her voice almost cracked, I know she's about to burstShe tapped my nose with her finger and I chuckled.still there.
I have no chance to say goodbye to Eric since he's off with the Alpha doing pack works. Cruz on the other hand, purposely left the house to avoid seeing me go away. Ophelia told me. Quoted "He loves you so much it hurt him"
I decided to leave a note. One for each of them. We can communicate through phones though I'm being more sentimental and still write to them the old way.
Eric told the Alpha about my case. Alpha David immediately agreed to Ophelia's plan that I should find my mate first.
Upon little research and I found that a Stealer is rare to exist. Sometimes it'sdecades before you spot one.
And some wolves kept looking for someone like. Some who lost their mate that wanted themselves to feel complete again kept searching for a stealer.
There are also Alpha's who lost their mates, who desire my kind. It's understandable since an Alpha cannot continue its legacy once the bloodline was cut. The position will be handed over to the strongest in the pack which often is the Beta.
For me, it doesn't matter who I'll be with. I can start making my own family with whoever I choose, and also I'm not interested in having a family of my own.
But a part of me was feeling the guilt and
She loved calling me chicken since I always backed out from a fight when I first came here and they first had me. Ophelia helped me though. Her teasing made me want to be strong. And now, I do. But her teasing ispain when that someone finds their true mate. And I'll be left behind.
A war between wolves fighting to have me is also far from my objectives. I might end dead from it.
And accepting a mateless wolf is also fine, but thinking I'm a rebound makes me feel meh. Nope. Not interested.
So technically, I'm just giving my wolf the chance to find its own. A way to be in much less trouble.
I was on my way to where the Van was parked, waiting for its passengers. A mini suitcase in my hand, and the other is what I used to slide the door open.I saw the five other girls who'll be with me on my journey to the Prime pack.
Three of them gave me the 'look' that I've been having ever since I set my foot in this pack.
For some, I will never belong. I came from nowhere. I may have the blood of a traitor for all we know.
Only one girl from the group smiled at me. The seat beside her is vacant and I decided to sit next to her.
"Hi!" She beamingly greeted me. I smiled back and say hi.
"My name's Ava. What's yours?"
"Ashira," I said, settling in as I sat.
The Van started moving while Ava and I talked. All I hear from her is how she's so excited to meet her mate. Mostly what I've been hearing from Lucy.
For the rest of the drive, I was sleeping.
It was dark when we reached the pack. I was woken up byloud gasped of amusement from the girls with me.
The Van dropped us on a clearing in front of what I think was the pack building. A guy is standing there, waiting for our arrival.
He's tall and lean with a huge smile on his face. Almost welcoming.
Some would think that he's being nice and warm to us as their guests but since I knew how the pack works, I know he's being cautious with outsiders of their pack. Which was us.
"Welcome, ladies!" His voice is even cheerful. "I'm Anton, the one in charge of your group. If you'll follow me, please?"
He turned his back on us and took a step before facing us again. Caught us off guard.
We all looked questioning by his behavior.
"Just checking if one of you is mine." He smiled sheepishly. He's a joker.
The girls from my pack laughed at his remorse. He did, too before leading us the way again.
We walked away from their pack building and lead us to another building. Not too far from where we're dropped off.
"This is the guesthouse. Prime pack prepared a room for each of you, ladies."
Ava, the girl with us, put her hands up.
"Yes?" Said Anton. Smiling to her."I'm just curious. How do you know how many ladies you'll have as a guest?"
I shrugged from her question. That makes sense. Since I never took interest in this mate topic, I have no clue about it.
"Oh. Pack reaches out to each other for that. We'll inform how many of ours will come to yours after the mapping, and they do the same. Every pack does." He humbly explained and continues once no one has any follow-up questions.
We reached the lobby of the guesthouse. Our pack has a guesthouse as well for events like this or if other Alpha's need a meeting visit. But Prime pack's guesthouse is way bigger. It's tripled the size of ours. "Everyone is to fill out these forms." He handed a piece of paper to us. "We'll pass that information you'll provide to the pack office once you've met your mate. For official purposes only."
"And if we won't meet our mate at the ball?" It was Ava again.
Her questions are informative for me. I knew less about mates than I should but I don't think I have the guts to ask like that. I'm quite thankful for her curiosity, feeding mine as well.
"That's rare to happen here at Prime pack but IF, we'll send you home the same way you arrive."
"Does that mean we won't meet our mates
forever?" I'm surprised I asked. I was bothered by what he said, considering that in my case, it's almost a mission to find my mate. And his answer just disturbed what I was aiming for.
"It depends. If you ladies missed your chance this year, you'll participate in the mapping again next year and repeat the process."
"What part of that applies the 'depends' part?"
"Well, if the mapping shows your mate had died, it's entirely different then, wouldn't it?" Anton smirks. Now I have the feeling that those warm smiles are for a show.
He had a point. A year-wait is long.