A mate for The Amarok

  The early morning sun twinkling through my window wakes me gently. As if calling me to my new life. I open my eyes, stretch, and then quickly remember that my twin brother will be home today! Oh how I have missed my other half. He graduated college before me, and started working for our pack. Not that he needed a true college education since his is the packs Alpha-to-be. I jump from my bed, dress quickly and examine myself in the mirror. My red hair, which is long and wavy, is out of control this morning. I run a brush through it and sigh, It'll have to do. I run down the hall, like I'm not 25, and slide with my socked feet into the main hall. It's so beautiful in this room first thing in the morning. The sun beeming cheerfully through the almost ancient stained glass windows, that bare scenes of almost every kind of were creature out there. Supposedly my grandfather had the glass, which they are made from, sent from a family estate in Ireland.   A knock at the door brings me out of my musings of what it looked like in Ireland. Who is here this early that would need to knock? Obviously not my brother, or a pack mate. I continue my internal questioning, knowing the only being who can hear me is my fox, and she's not talking this morning. "Good morning," I say to the very well pressed and highly starched courier standing at the large wooden and glass doors to our pack house . "Good morning, ma'am. Delivery for Alpha Walsh." He says, quickly skimming over that he just called me ma'am. I mean I know I'm not a kid but ma'am was too far. Miss would do just fine. "OK thank you, I can take it to him." As I grab the envelope, I notice the seal. No pack toddler could mistake it. The Amarok's seal. Great, what does he want? The Amarok is like the Alpha of all. His line is so old that not a single were creature was born before them. The new "King", just took his place after his father stepped down from his thousand year reign. I mean a thousand years. Who wants to live that long let alone rule that long. 'Some are made to live that way.' My fox, Shea, says with her slick sultry voice. "Well good morning sleepy head." I tease her. "I wasn't asleep. I just had nothing to say." I giggle at her, but I can feel the seriousness in her voice. "What's wrong Shea?" She quietly contemplates her next words. 'I'm not sure yet, but excitement is building in me.'  She was right. I felt it too. We finish our internal conversation as I turn the corner to my father's office, where I see my twin with a smug look on his face, that he was able to sneak in under my radar. "Bryon!!" I squeal like an actual child and jump the back of the very expensive couch in Da's office, just to land in my brother's lap. "When did you get here? I would have gotten up earlier." Bryon chuckles, "Well you would have had to stay up. I got in late last night." His eyes sparkle with the amusement he feels at getting one over on me. My twin and I are polar opposites in looks. He has dark hair and Grey eyes, while I have red hair and eyes that are a blue seen as almost purple. He is olive skinned where I am the alabaster queen. "Who was at the door, little fox?" Our father asks. "From the looks of that envelope it was a Royal courier." My Da. "Nothing gets past you does it?" I quirk with laughter in my voice. "Nothing at all." I slide the envelope across his desk, but feel sadness at letting it go. What is that about? I question myself. It's not like the letter is mine. Sheesh. "It's a formal response from our new king about attending the party for you and Bryon. As Bryon is to be the next Alpha, we must always invite the King whether he comes or not. However the pack is due a visit, we haven't had one in 50 years." I watch him as he cracks the wax seal, and begins to read. My fox is almost giddy with anticipation. What is with you, Shea? I ask her. Have you ever met a king before? She shoots back. Ok fair enough. My Da shoots a look at my brother and then tells me to go get my aunt Quinn. Oh this is gonna be good. I think to myself and Shea.   Aunt Quinn dispises being summond. I know the hall's in this house the same as I know the shape of Shea. It's ingrained into my DNA. Aunt Quinn is on the third floor, away from all the noise made by the pack during gatherings. She came to our pack after my mother's death, her sister, to help raise me and Bryon. She is petite and quiet, yet so fierce that most pack members wouldn't even try to take her on. I knock on her door, that Da painted purple, some 20 years ago. Why? Because she was missing her home and the Tuatha De Dannan she called family. "Come in little fox." Her sing songy voice came. "Good morning auntin. Da is in need of you." I say lightly, knowing her feelings about being summond. "OH what could he possibly need from me? He knows how mu-" She stops short seeing my face, and as soon as her mom eyes turn on, I spit out what I know. "Da got a letter with the Amarok's seal." "The Amarok's seal? You're positive?" Her whole demeanor changed, which worried me and peaked Shea's interest. 'What is that about?' 'No idea, but we will find out I'm sure.'  "Come on then Brigh, it's time to prepare for Royalty." Before I could ask any questions, she turned me toward the door, and we headed for da's office. Confusion could never have been so thick in my brain. The seal, the way Aunt Quinn was acting, meeting Royalty. What? * * * The next thing I know, my home is a flurry of people and vendors. Human and supernatural alike. Making the "Big house" ready. The Big house was the endearing term for the pack house. All visitors who weren't family stayed at the Big house, but to Bryon and I called it Home. Preparing for a King is busy work. Yes an actual king.. King Tikaani Amaruq. "The" King, all were creatures are his subjects,, wolves, coyotes, foxes,, panthers,, dogs...all of us.. But most of our gatherings are very informal, even the big ones weren't met with this much pomp and circumstance.   It's just my graduation party. I'd much rather this be The Blue Moon Pack. My family. But a king has to hijack it. I pout to myself. And I don't wanna hear your wisdom either, Shea. But she's been growing more and more quiet. * * *   He's here. The king who just had to mess up our family gathering. Great! I hope this doesn't last long. Let them get their asses kissed and leave. As The Amarok pulled up in a sleek grey Rolls-Royse Ghost, (Could he show off any more?), Shea starts to prance. What is that smell? The king's Beta walks to the back door of the car to open it and as he does, my whole world collapses. The air is sucked from my lungs, my legs feel weak. "This is not happening, this is not happening, this is not happening," is all I can think. Everyone I have ever known is standing quietly, stoic. Not knowing what I know. In every single fiber of my being, I know, that King Tikaani, is Mine! I've waited so long for this moment, and instead of feeling beautiful, private, and enlightening, I'm scared, exposed, and confused. The Amarok's don't have mates? Do they? Not that I remember. I try to focus on the ceremony from a place outside my head. But he's 6 feet away, 4, 2. My fox is pacing, prancing, whimpering. "LOOK AT ME!" She cries. I want to cry out as well. He needs to look at me. He has to see it, feel it, smell it. I am his mate. I am right? It's not possible for him to be mine and me not be his. Me, a fox. Him, the Amarok. Is this really even possible?   My whole world starts to shift on it axis as my Da greets my mate. I fight to stay present. I want to take him in, His long black hair, so black it's almost blue. "Mine." His skin, with it's exquisite olive tone, that I swear glitters in the light. "Mine."  His almond shaped eyes, that I want so badly to look at me. "Mine."  His scents, both his human's and his wolf's. "Mine."  But when he spoke a simple greeting to my Da, the world came out from under me. "Mine." Shea growled, and everything went black.