Captured and Freed

Mates Ball

I decided I would play the part of slave till the start of the ball. It would make my exit that much more grand.

during my research, I found that Fae could retract their wings if needed. it found be uncomfortable till release but not painful. I figured that I could quickly fly back to the pack house, retract my wings, and pretend it's business as usual. Hopefully, I could navigate the day without accidentally revealing that I had awakened my abilities.

I take a longing look at the Hall of Records that has been my only teacher for who knows how long. "Thank you for everything. I hope I can stumble upon you again." I take the first step out the door to the tunnel and then the other. Once both feet were out, a gust of wind came from behind me, and I heard the door slam shut. I turned to see the door vanished and returned to being just earth.

I exit the tunnel and find myself back at the water fall and reflective pool. It feels like I hadn't seen the pool in months even though it had only been a few hours. I grab my discarded clothes from the night before and redress myself in my usual wear. I face the direction of the packhouse, extend my wings, and take off at a high speed above the trees.

Once I see the packhouse in the distance, I start my descent. Once I land back in the forest, I retract my wings back into my skin. the pressure was similar to a headache forming, not completely unbearable, just annoying. I also decided to try some illusion magic to make my appearance the same broken girl I was when I left the packhouse last night.

I hoped it worked as I made my way back through the last bit of wood and in through the backdoor.

I slipped into the kitchen and prepped the day as I normally would. After a while, I hear chatter start in the dining room and recognize the voices of all the ranked members. I sigh as I grab the trays and carry them out the hungry wolves. Luckily, so much of today's meals were prepped by the omega yesterday.

All of the heirs were excited about tonight's ball and having the chance of finding their mates. One of the twins pipes up and says, "Good thing we all turned of age before the ball and can scent our Mates. Poor little Nyx will have to sit out the party since she doesn't turn of age till after the ball." She said, smirking and happy to have been able to take the shot at me. I hold back my grin.

"Speaking of Nyx... I need you to be invisible once our guests start to arrive. Many don't like to see prisoners of war." Stated the Alpha without looking up from his newspaper. The heirs all snicker and return to their conversation like I didn't exist.

"Yes, Alpha." I say with a bow and exit the kitchen. I smile to myself as they all continue to be oblivious to my new sense of self.

Tonight, I will make a grand entrance and plead to the kings and queens for Sanctuary. Maybe even find my mate. I think to myself, and my heart flutters at the thought of being loved unconditionally by my other half. I know that the Moon Goddess wouldn't curse me with an awful Mate after being given her blessing. I continue to walk to my room and think of what to wear and what to look like for the ball. I know I will be left alone all day as everyone will be too busy getting ready to worry about how I have chosen to be invisible.

Once in my room, I drop the illusion magic and take off my old clothes. I go into my bathroom, turn on the faucet, and begin to play with the water. I smile as the water floats and follows my movements. I feel so calm at this moment that I almost forgot to prepare. I drop the water and begin the brush my long black silk hair. I would try and style it, but it never holds anything. I decided to go natural as I didn't have access to makeup and didn't want to use illusion magic for something so simple.

I begin to think of my gown. I envision a mermaid styled gown with a low dropped back and haltered top front with a keyhole cutout to show some cleavage. The color was a pale blue and had gemstone embellishments delicately placed in key areas. Now that my body was fully and shaped, the dress showed that off. As I created each detail, the dress came to life wrapping and shaping my body just as I envisioned. I released my wings, and the pressure relief was the best thing I could have felt. The shimmer of my wings reflected the color of my dress, like small disco balls.

I looked at the clock and noticed that it was now 6 pm and the Mates Ball should be starting at any moment. I used the water to look at the Alpha as he greeted and guided everyone to the grand hall. Once the last guest was greeted, I started to make my way as well. I created a mascarade mask to match my dress to try and hide my identity from the ranked members for as long as possible. Hopefully, my plea will be heard, and i don't have to flee.

I started to feel nervous as I approached the hall. the music and crowds were quiet loud, and couples were coming and going as they found one another. I hesitated at the entrance, unsure of that would happen once I entered. I took a deep breath to steady myself and opened the door.

Once the door opened, everyone turned to look in my direction. Many of the conversations had stopped as I made my way into the room. I noticed the kings and queens on the far side of the room sitting on the stage, receiving guests and addressing concerns. I quickly mad my way across the room, attempting to cut through the crowd. People had returned to their dances and conversations, but as I passed, they tried to touch or sniff me in hopes of me being their mate. None stopped me, which I took as a sign of not being theirs. I continued my path to the royals and finally came in front of the stage.

"What is your name and faction miss?" A guard stopped and asked before I could proceed further.

"I am Nyx and wish to speak to the Fae King." I stated with conviction. The guard looked to the Fae King, who nodded and allowed me to approach. Once I reached the stage, I passed the Alpha King and Queen, then the Witch Queen, before someone on the stage yelled, "MATE!"

I was suddenly standing in front of a male who removed my mask and stared deep into my eyes. His eyes were glowing with the most brilliant gold I have ever seen, and the world around me disappeared. All I could see was his face and my focus on anything else broke. his hair was as dark as mine and face so beautifully chised it could have been stone. He looked at me with a plead face as if knowing what I had to say to be his.

"My name is Kendrick. What is your name goddess?" My mind was in a fog as his name wrapped its way through and around me. It was as if his name was wrapping me in a spell.

"Nyx, my name is Nyx." An unknown outside voice broke through.

"Kendrick, my boy, she is Fae. You must accept her to complete the bond." My Mate isn't Fae, but he is everything I dreamed of.

"I accept you, Nyx. I have waited so long for you." His voice rang with love and admiration as if he knew me his whole life.

"I accept you, Kendrick." The world started moving so quickly, and I felt myself pulled towards him and an unexplainable desire to protect and cherish him took over. the world began to fall from under me.

"I got you." He whispered in my ear as he caught me.

"NO!" Someone in the crowd screamed, making me realize we were not alone. “SHE IS MINE!”