HER PERFECT MATE

AT THE THRESHOLD

"Excuse me," I heard a voice whispering from next to me, and I turned my head over towards the direction which the voice came from only to see a tall hefty man with long brownish beards staring at me. He had this bushy eyebrows, and his skin was paler than mine.

"Y-Yes, what's up?" I asked apprehensively, detecting the stain of liquor on the man's shirt. I sniffed from a significant stretch, and I smelled the liquor, yet I likewise perceived a weak fusel tequila smell.

"Did it hurt when you tumbled from Heaven's Gate? You look like a fallen Angel," the man said.

I sneered and switched my attention back to my treats, a low snarl radiated from the man close to me. I wheezed when I felt his rough hands grabbing my upper arm, and I immediately turned my eyes towards his direction to see that he was barreling his teeth at me; a predominant signal.

"You answer me while I'm conversing with you, okay?." He growled

"Just leave me alone," I said softly, and the man snarled, making me screamed at the top of my voice.

I didn't realize I had tears dropping from my eyes, before I heard strides surging up to my side and gradually getting to my shoulder. I turned and saw that Brian running towards me, his eyes investigating the bruises on my arm; the man's hand shaped imprint engraved on my arm, he was gone.

"Tracy, are you alright?" Brian asked, and I gasped nodding my head as his fingertips daintily brushed against my arm. I felt some bruises around my left arm.

"It must be one of this douchebags from the Dragon Hunters Pack." He snarled. I immediately gobbled my head up towards Brian seeing he was glancing at the direction that the man was heading to, his nose and eyebrows scrunched up and looked as though they were a formed set up.

Brian peered down at me with a disheartened look, his bloodshot eyes stared point blank at me and he appeared to be stressed.

Brian must've detected my trepidation in view of my voice, hitching a breath before folding his arms. I nearly puked.

"Was that their Alpha?" I asked eager to know

"No," Brian answered

"Their Alpha is undeniably more aggressive. He's a blood sucking demon, with the desire to maim and destroy, he could be your worst nightmare." Brian gulped

I took in a deep breath, I could feel the heat surrounding me, burning me, scorching my skin, causing me to sob silently in pain with my head lowered to my chest.

"Please accept my apologies on the off chance that I didn't arrive on time to safe you." Brian immediately folded his hands over my shoulders and put his head close to mine, and I made an effort not to fall for it.

"I simply wish you good luck," I said, before the sound of a loud bang filled the entire hall. Brian immediately hopped and headed for the exit, I could hear some voices and deep grunts.

I found it difficult to breath as the strong smell of a strange fragrance clouded my nostrils.

"What the hell!" Brian whispered in a hushed tone, and I stood up and looked around;

with my eyes scanning through the hall when I saw some group of men who strolled in with uneccessary swag and charade.

There were somewhat about 7 hefty men who just strolled in with someone walking in-between them, trailed by 2 young ladies; all with either irritated or maddened articulations. The first girl was a kind of chubby, had a braided ponytail hair, alongside a plump face with lips like crimson.

The fragrance was getting more grounded when these men strolled towards the reception area of the hall, and I turned towards Brian to see that he was all the while gazing at them.

"Who are they?" I asked, Brian shook his head and loook towards me. His eyes didn't meet mine, neither did he speak, but I got the hint from his body language. I stayed quiet as Brian once again turned his attention on the seven men that had strolled in earlier.

"You see those guys there? They're elite members of the Dragon Hunters Pack," he said discreetly, my heart almost halting in my chest and my breath hitching. I previously began to feel my palms become slippery as it was soaked with sweat, Once again I turned my head back to take a gander at these men; They stroll towards a phase just in front of the large hall. I held on tight to Brians wrist, evading past people in the crowd to settle in a more comfortable place as I heard them chattering and mumbling one thing or the other.

I pushed my long hair to one side since it was obstructing my vision and immediately looked at Brian, seeing he was concerned about my safety. His facial expression had enough evidence to prove that he was stressed, his lip jabbing out and his jaw skipping somewhat in a quiet cry with his blue eyes perusing my face intently.

I tried putting on a smile to let him know I was alright. Yet he was still feeling nervous.

I once again took a look back at The Dragon Hunters Pack, seeing they were all glancing through the crowd; as though they were looking for someone.

"Who's that guy over there, the one with shades?" I asked Brian unobtrusively, but I got the answer from another person who was sitting adjacent to me.

He looked intently at me with odd lines stressed all over his face and his eyes poppin out his head. He looked familiar, I've seen him several times at the meetings we had with the neighboring packs, but his name had escaped my memory.

"You mean you don't have any idea?" the guy asked me and I shook my head. "That's Jerome Clark my highschool senior. The dreaded Alpha of the Dragon Hunters Pack" He said with much enthusiasm

My breath hitched by and by, at this moment Jerome constantly gleamed his brilliant eyes through the crowd. I could clearly observe as Jerome's eyes moved right to where I was standing. I was momentarily speechless, rooted to the ground in the middle of the spacious air conditioned hall.

I was unable to try and move my own eyes assuming that I needed to, I scowled and shivered as he focused his attention on me and I looked away immediately. At that point I perceived the strong scent once again.

It was definitely coming from him, It's great to know how cologne smells different on every person.

"I'm sending warm greetings to everyone present here, please can I have your attention?" Someone from up on the stage called out, dressed in black winter coats he was apparently a grandsire addressing the crowd as he was adorned with grey facial hair.

I immediately turned my attention away from Jerome and gazed at the man who stood before the crowd.

"Allow us to invite The Dragon Hunters Pack to this unique occasion. Give these valiant, selfless leaders of the Shapeshiters-movement a round of applause, because they really deserve it."

Immediately, a sound of thunderous applause ejected in the room coupled with shouts and whistles as the crowd bask in the euphoria.

Meanwhile Brian and I were just busy staring at the elite delegates of the Dragon Hunters Pack who just stood right there before us with practically zero aim. The actually looked as though they cared very little about anybody, their eyes actually coating over the crowd; With Jerome's eyes still on me. I tried not to be visually connecting, crouching behind Brian as he peered down at me with disarray.

"It's him," I murmured as the grandsire with grey beards began talking after the crowd quieted down. I glanced briefly at Brian, prior to looking back at Jerome; seeing that his look never left me.

I felt terrified, awkward, defenseless.

"Who?" Brian asked with a worried look. Jerome still got his eyes on me. He was still staring with absolute lust in his eyes, this time around I couldn't look away.

"I think I'm falling for him," I murmured as a my heart skipped a beat. Brian frowned and looked disturbed by what I just said.

"Wh-What!? You can't be serious" Brian replied way too furious, a few heads turned toward towards our direction eager to eavesdrop to the confabulations between me and Brian.

"I have this feeling....." I didn't actually acknowledge what was happening around me as the occasion was underway, it seems the grandsire had told every one of the wolves to find their mates. What's more, I needed to avoid mine. Everybody was sniffing the air and glancing at different directions, Brian took me by the hand and hauled me out of the group. I brushed my hair from my face and stayed at the alternate entrance of the hall with Brian adjacent to me, his hands placed on my shoulder.

"What do you think, Brian? Should I go for him?" I asked, winding my jewelry between my fingers while every other person in the room hugged and talked with their potential mates.

"You really need to be careful, Tracy, don't follow your instincts and do something you'll later regret" he said soothingly.

"But I'm attracted to him, this is more than just a mere infatuation" I sobbed

"In any case, If you which, he can end up becoming your potential mate. And I can't guarantee to shield you with him around."

"But, you said you'd protect me, you promised!" I echoed

"Tracy, I'm a Delta, for heaven's sake!" He screeched. "Be that as it may, I stand no chance against an Alpha.

Assuming I tried to defend you in his presence, he'd probably kill me."

"But Brian.......," I gasped for breath as air escape my lungs, however Brian had began his search for a mate. He endlessly sniffed the air, as his head turned towards a group of girls with one of them wearing a long red dress. Her hair was up in a tight bun, a thick layer of make-up all over her face.

Brian began strolling towards her, and I had to stop him, I ran after him grabbing him by the arm to stop him.

"Brian, hold on." I called out as Brian meandered towards the young lady, he didn't answer my call, and didn't seem to notice I was yelling his name.

I leaned my head against the pillars holding the roof of the hall as I sat close to the reception area. This s**t is getting real now, I might end up not finding a mate as usual, What lies in stock for me? I had no absolute knowledge

"Hey!" I heard a deep voice behind me, my heart started beating faster than normal and my facial expression showed that I was really scared, I pretended not to know what was happening, then I suddenly realize it was actually the voice of Jerome Clark.

The temperamental thump of my own heart was beginning to once again control me, as I gradually looked behind me in order to meet one on one with him.