My mate was already dead

The first howl of the morning belonged to Alpha Ronan Blackwood. It echoed across the territory before sunrise, deep and commanding, followed by hundreds of answering wolves. Their voices rolled through the forest until the entire territory seemed alive. I lay in bed and listened. I had heard that sound every morning for twenty years, yet I had never answered it. I stared through my window at the wolves racing between the trees before pulling my blanket over my head. Another morning. Another day of being the only twenty year old in Blackwood who had never shifted. A knock sounded on my door. “Elara, get up. You will be late for breakfast.” My mother's voice was soft, but warning lingered beneath it. “I am awake.” “You have been saying that for ten minutes.” I sighed and climbed out of bed. By the time I reached the bathroom, I had already heard voices outside discussing me. I did not need to hear the words. Everyone knew about me. Everyone had an opinion. I was the girl who never shifted. The defective wolf. The embarrassment. The human. I washed my face, braided my dark hair and dressed in jeans and a sweater. There was no reason to dress up. Nobody in Blackwood looked at me because they liked what they saw. My mother waited by the front door. “You did not answer the Alpha's call.” “I heard it.” “You know what I mean.” I looked away. “I cannot answer something that is not meant for me.” Her expression tightened. “Do not say that.” “Why? It is true.” She said nothing and walked outside. I followed. The compound was already crowded. Wolves moved between buildings toward the training grounds while others carried supplies. Children ran through the courtyard as their parents called after them. A group of teenagers laughed near the fountain. One suddenly shifted. His eyes flashed gold, claws appeared, and his body changed before he shifted back. His friends cheered while his mother looked proud. I looked away. I had been twelve when someone first told me I was supposed to shift. By fourteen, everyone asked when it would happen. By sixteen, they stopped asking. By eighteen, they accepted something was wrong with me. Now, at twenty, they no longer pretended to be polite. My mother and I entered the dining hall. Several conversations became quieter as we walked to our usual table. “Morning, Elara.” I smiled when Mara approached. “Morning.” She sat beside me with her plate. She was one of the few people in Blackwood who treated me like a person instead of a problem. “You look tired.” “I am tired.” “You always look tired.” “That is because I am always surrounded by people who annoy me.” She laughed. “Some people would be less annoying if they stopped pretending they were wolves.” My smile disappeared. Dorian sat at the next table with several older wolves, watching me smugly. Mara turned. “Some people would be less annoying if they learned when to shut up.” Dorian laughed. “At least I can shift.” The table went quiet. I stared at my breakfast as Mara reached for my hand beneath the table. “Do not listen to him.” “I am not.” “You are.” I smiled faintly. “I have heard worse.” That was the truth. Words stopped hurting after you heard enough of them. The dining hall doors opened. Every conversation stopped. Alpha Ronan entered with his Beta, Kael, and three council members. Everyone stood. Ronan's eyes moved across the room before settling on me. He stared a moment too long, then looked away. “Sit.” Everyone obeyed. Something about his expression unsettled me. He looked worried. Not angry. Worried. After breakfast, I went to the training grounds. I trained every morning because if I could not depend on a wolf, I had to depend on myself. I grabbed a wooden staff and entered the ring. I struck the practice post again and again, sweat gathering at my temples. “Your left side is open.” I spun around. Kael stood at the edge of the ring. “Good morning.” “Again.” I frowned. “What?” “Your left side. Again.” I attacked. He watched silently. “Better.” “Thank you.” “Elara.” Something in his voice made me straighten. “Yes?” “Alpha wants to see you.” My stomach tightened. “Why?” “I was not told.” “Is it about the council meeting?” His expression changed. “What council meeting?” He looked toward the main house. “You were not supposed to hear anything.” My heart beat faster. “Hear what?” “Just go to the Alpha.” He walked away. I watched him disappear. Something was happening, and apparently everyone knew except me. I returned the staff and headed toward the main house. The closer I got, the more uneasy I became. Blackwood's main house was usually noisy, but the halls were strangely quiet. I reached the council room and knocked. “Enter.” Alpha Ronan sat at the head of the table. Kael stood beside him. Three council members sat on either side, and my mother stood against the wall. I stopped. She looked terrified. “Sit, Elara.” I took the empty chair. “What is this about?” Ronan folded his hands. “How old are you?” I frowned. “Twenty.” “When was your last shift?” “I have never shifted.” “I know.” His voice was too quiet. “Then why are you asking?” Ronan glanced at Kael. My mother looked down. A cold feeling settled in my stomach. “Someone needs to explain what is going on.” Ronan opened a drawer and pulled out an old, dust covered book with a cracked leather binding. “This belonged to the former Alpha.” I stared at it. “What does it have to do with me?” He opened it and stopped at a page showing a woman beside a wolf. The wolf had completely black eyes. Beneath the drawing was a strange symbol. “What is that?” Ronan did not answer. He looked at my mother instead. She closed her eyes. “Mom?” She looked at me. Tears ran down her cheeks. My heart dropped. “What is happening?” “I am sorry.” “For what?” Ronan closed the book. “Your mother has been protecting you from the truth since the day you were born.” I looked at her. “What truth?” “Please, Elara.” “Please what?” Her lips trembled. “You were never supposed to grow up here.” The room went silent. “What does that mean?” She covered her mouth, fighting back a sob. Ronan's expression hardened. “Elara, there is something you need to know about the night you were born.” My heart pounded. “What happened?” Nobody answered. The door behind me opened. I turned. Dorian stood there, his face pale. “I am sorry,” he said quietly. “But they have found her.” Ronan shot to his feet. “Who told you to come here?” “The patrol.” Ronan's face changed. “What did they find?” Dorian looked at me. “They found a body in the forest.” My heart stopped. “Whose body?” Dorian's eyes returned to mine. “We do not know yet.” He paused. “But the body has the same mark as Elara.”