Black Mountain Mates

        Today was the day.         The day they picked the winner of the Lottery.         Oh, not the Lottery you’re thinking of. This one involves death.         My name is Etana Snowcap of the Sterling Crescent Pack that lives on the north side of Black Mountain, and I’ll explain a little. You see, each year every young unmated adult Wulfkin is put into a raffle, they draw a name, and your to be put on ‘trial’ as they call it. The trial is the stupidest thing on the planet in my opinion. When you’re on trial, you are being tested by the Moon Goddess herself. You must go into the Prarastas Miskas, or in English the Lost Forest. Named obviously for the fact that everyone disappears or we find their bodies close to the tree lines, we call the forest simply The Miskas and it’s where the rouge wolves live. The one’s too feral from circumstances, the go mad and turn into their wolf and never turn back. Go in the forest, kill a rouge with only a  machete, and bring back its tail as proof. Did I mention that EVERYONE is either gone or dead? Yeah, lovely Lottery, right? You want to know if you make it back? Your family becomes the Alpha and Luna of the pack instantaneously, and your lineage from then on out is immune to the Lottery. That’s it. Seriously.         Back to me, as I said my name is Etana Snowcap, and I’m a Wulfkin. Or werewolf, wolf shifter, so on. I’m an only child and my parents name are Sarosh and Chidi Snowcap. We live in a modest three bedroom two bath house in our pack’s territory, and I was the captain of the varsity volleyball team. Thanks to that my body is even more fit than the average Omega. I had knee long straight light cool blonde hair with striking cyan blue eyes. Two dark stray freckles, one on my upper cheek about an inch under my right eye and one oval one off to the left side on the bridge of my nose. I also have a bracelet I never take off because my mother gave it to me when I was small, it’s a black metal with different raised engravings in it I couldn’t translate. Other than that, I was completely average. My wolf is pure lacey white with one black ear and my stunning bright cyan blue eyes, but I was average size for an Omega. And the crappy thing was the Lottery always fell the day before my birthday. This year I turn eighteen.                                     “I wonder who will picked this year? I’m kind of disappointed that Bethany won’t be in the Lottery. That girl is a bitch.”         “I know, right? What about Hazel Bluewater? She’s pretty stuck up too.”         “I think it’s going to be Daniel. I have a strange feeling it’s going to be him.”         “No, I think your wrong. I think it’s going to be Sasha from our Art class. Her family just had that Elder die.”         It’s been like this all day. Everyone going around whispering about the Lottery tonight. Some excited and some grim. It was exhausting listing to all of them go on and on about it. I ignored them the best I could and went on about my day until school was over and I could go home. Even though we lived in pack we still attended school like normal teenagers. I was on my last two months as a senior, and I couldn’t wait to be out of this place. I didn’t fit in really. I was the head of the volleyball team, but didn’t have many friends inside school. I only liked a few people.         Arriving home felt strange this time, like something was waiting for me, but I didn’t know what. I went directly into my room to change out of my jeans and decent shirt, trading them for a short pair of black cotton shorts and tightly fitting white v-neck shirt. After tossing my long hair into a messy bun I checked my mascara which is usually the only makeup I wore, and headed out to find my parents.         I smelled them out and found them in the kitchen, sitting at the counter with a strange older man with them. I raised an eyebrow and waited for them to notice me.         “She’s not going to make it. Not out there with them.” My mother whimpered.         My father wrapped her in his arms. “She’s capable enough. She’ll do okay...”         “As she is, she won’t make it. Its cruel and harsh in there.” Chidi cried, holding her beautiful face in her hands.         Sarosh comforted his Mate the best he could, knowing nothing was going to help her at the moment. “It’s alright, my love. She’ll find a way to survive there.”         At that I decided to make my presence known. “Mom? Dad? What’s going on?”         They looked at me with tears in their eyes, but it was my father who answered. “You were chosen in the raffle, my sugar wolf…You’re going to be the annual Participant.”         I looked from my parents to the strange man in the kitchen with us, sipping at his hot beverage. My eyes narrowed at him. “Are you serious? I’m one of three single children in the entire pack, you can’t pick someone who has siblings to care for their parents when they are gone?”         He shrugged. “That’s not how it works. Sorry, girly.”         I let out a growl out of irritation. “When do I have to leave?”         “Now.”         I shook my head at him, before focusing back on my parents. “It’s alright, I’ll bring you back a tail. I promise.”         My father’s eyes leaked over, and a single tear dropped down. “We believe in you, Etana. No matter what happens, remember, we love you more than anything. Please, remember that.”         I smiled and touched his cheek gently. “I know father. I’ll make you proud, watch me make it.”         “It’s time to go, girly.”         After hugging my parents tight, I went back to my room to slip on black hiking boots and joined the creepy older guy whose name apparently was Jibril. He looked me over and shrugged. “I would have worn running shoes, but too late to change now.”            I swallowed hard, was I going to be doing that much running?