Mate Quest

CHAPTER3

Belinda

Another year have gone by.

Yet I am still without a mate.

Lone and wandering.

Sad and depressed.

My soul pant for another but none will come to my aid.

No one!

Virtually, all the female wolves in the pack have found a partner.

They don't struggle as much as I do before they found a mate that desires them.

Meanwhile, I still nurse the wounds of my heart, from the loss of everything dear to me.

From the harassment, I face every night from my wicked uncle.

That same man who stood in the shadows and spoke against me in front of the whole pack.

I had no friends, not even a single person I could rant to.

Uncle Matthias should be arrested.

I had my proofs. He is responsible for the murder of my parents.

I once approached one of the Elders of the pack with my claims and evidence.

Actually, just a claim. There was no much evidence than the words of my mouth.

Elder Vandor, is the name of the elder I went to meet. The second in command after Elder Uther.

"How dare you come here saying such about Matthias?" he voiced out in anger.

"You have to believe me, Elder Vandor. He is not who he says he is. He lied. I didn't kill my parents."

"Why would I? Explain to me why I would believe a young possessed girl over a respected adult in the wolf society?" he said mockingly.

A loud laugh followed after.

I knew I didn't stand a chance.

He wasn't ready to hear me out so I walked away in shame.

I didn't even tell him about the blood stains I saw in Uncle Matthias's fingers.

****

"Where do you think you are going to?" a husky voice from behind, said.

"To the ceremony," I pointed onward to someplace.

"That place, that ceremony is for people who has a mate. Who are not murderers or possessed by evil spirits. That ceremony is for those favored by the Moon goddess," the voice replied.

"I am a daughter of the goddess. She is our deity. Her might covers us all. I know I don't have a mate but please let me go," I said, with confidence whose source I still don't know.

"No, you can't! You are nothing but a miserable wolf. Get away!" the voice echoed.

And just in that moment, I woke up from my sleep.

My heart raced.

I pant heavily as sweats fell off my face.

"That was some crazy dream!" my wolf said.

"I know right," I answered, trying to catch my breath.

Another reminder of the misfortune that follows me around.

I became sad all of a sudden.

My wolf gave me a nudge. "No, we are not doing that today. Let's go for a run," she said.

"No, I just want to stay indoors and brood."

"We can't get better if all you do is get a mood and be burdened by it."

"Let's run."

I was forced to get on my feet and I went into the woods through a shortcut to avoid being seen by the others.

My wolf snarled.

I took to my heels and began to run slowly at first.

My nails grew out of my skin into my wolf claws.

My hair grew longer and I could feel the air hit my body as I ran.

She snarled again and in the very instant, I was half-shifted and started to leap above the ground.

It was always serene in the woods whenever I went for a run.

We kept running as the cool air brushed our skin.

"What's that?" my wolf whispered to me while we were in flight.

"What's what?.......... Oh yeah, what's that?"

I said immediately I caught the scent.

It was a strange scent.

We were always alone in the woods but we caught another scent different from ours.

Apparently, that day, we had company.

My wolf trailed the scent to a clearing and we met two female wolves in the woods, discussing. They were in their human form.

They were my pack members. The Rodgers Pack.

Though coming to the woods wasn't forbidden but hardly does anyone go there unless it was for a run.

We were also cautious because our territory was quite close to that of the witch wolves, a set of old women from Dorgedom, Grimmstone neighboring city, so the Alpha had warned on staying in boundaries.

We'd had troubles with them in the past, back when my parents were still alive. The riot led to the death of some Elders and also Janet, a teenage girl who could have been my closest friend if she was still alive.

Since then, we have been warned to only run within our bounds.

"I wonder what these two are saying," I thought to myself as I and my wolf set our ears to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"So you haven't heard? The news is in circulation, already," the first girl said.

She had a ponytail and wore an odd-looking blue dress.

The other lady looked a bit older but had a tattoo on her left arm. She was looking familiar but I can't remember how I knew her.

Most especially the tattoo. I had seen it before.

"What are you talking about, Carrie?" the older lady said.

"It's the Alpha," the one called Carrie responded.

My ears vibrated at the mention on the word.

What happened to the Alpha? I asked the question in my mind like I was already in the conversation with them.

"Shhh, let's listen," my wolf grumbled.

"It's Alpha Cain. He is looking for a mate. He wants a Luna."

My eyes widened in surprise.

Shivers went down my spine multiple times at the receipt of the sentence.

Wait, did I just hear this right? My Alpha? Cain Rodgers, looking for a mate?

Is this real?

"Let's find out," my wolf snapped.

"Why are you telling me this? He is the Alpha and he will choose whosoever he desires to be his mate," the older lady responded like she wasn't moved by the news.

"Why are you always like this, Nikki?"

Finally, she said her name. I still can't remember more about her.

"That's the good part. He doesn't have someone in mind yet. He can't right? So this is our chance to make him notice us!," Carrie continued.

Perhaps this is my time.

Could this really be true?

"Do I stand a chance?"

"He promises me to make me his mate."

While I pondered, a branch in the woods snapped all of a sudden.

"Who is there!?"