Fated: Alphas of the Compass

Chapter Two - Cedar and Snow

By the time I'm halfway through room assignments, I'm convinced that rocket science would be easier than maneuvering around these politics. Aurora has a tense alliance at best with everyone except the Midlands, who have to at least tolerate all four of the packs. Nocturne and Dawnrise get along perfectly, but Duskfall and Dawnrise couldn't be more different. It seemed easy until you added individual alpha and beta relationships into the mix. Erylis and I spent a good portion of the afternoon and evening attempting to piece together some semblance of a decent setup.

Eventually, we both sit back and stretch, our muscles stiff from sitting hunched over the desk for so long. I glance at the box containing everything for the welcome bags and sigh. "Well, I'm almost finished. Just one more task, then I can eat dinner and relax before tomorrow's chaos."

Erylis chuckles, but sighs as well. "Do you need help? It'll go much faster with the two of us working," she says, glancing at the box herself, looking none too excited to begin the monotonous task.

I shake my head, remembering what happened earlier with the man in the pack house. I still don't know who he was, or why his scent affected me like that. It still tingled in my nose, and I had to stop myself from smiling at the memory of him steadying me. He was so calm and sweet, even to a priestess, which was not easy to find. "No, I can do it. I have a few things to think over, anyways. You go ahead to the dining hall. I'll catch up with you. It shouldn't take me too long to finish these since there are only eight of them."

She gives me a skeptical look, but sighs. "Well, if you're sure... I do have to look over Ellyana's speech revisions for tomorrow. I'll see you later, then. Don't take too long! We all need to be rested up for tomorrow's chaos, as you put it." She chuckles to herself and squeezes my shoulder before grabbing a folder off of the desk. She gives me one last look before heading off to the dining hall. I take a moment and close my eyes, stretching again and enjoying the resulting pops down my back and shoulders.

"Best get to work if I even want to have dinner tonight," I mutter to myself. I grab the tags for the welcome bags and begin the process of writing the alpha and beta's names in neat script at the top, followed by which rooms were assigned to them.

Alpha Emron Lawson, Dawnrise, Ruby Room

Beta Merric Culgan, Dawnrise, Scarlet Room

Alpha Luka Barmin, Duskfall, Sapphire Room

Beta Osric Lowell, Duskfall, Navy Room

Alpha Elias Deriston, Nocturne, Obsidian Room

Beta Ruston Grey, Nocturne, Midnight Room

Alpha Ronyn Hartwell, Aurora, Emerald Room

Beta Virion Marrok, Aurora, Forest Room

Once the tags are finished, I take a break, my hands aching from all of the writing. I shake them out and pop my knuckles, thankful that all the writing is finished. I survey all of the items for the bags. Maps of the Sacred City and pack house, bottles of water, easy individual snacks, and small booklets with a summary of each pack's major customs and rules. Ellyana had also included a thank you note signed by the Alpha King and Beta Prince for travelling all the way to the Midlands for this exciting occasion.

I smile in approval. Ellyana may be slow when putting things together, but she had thought of everything. I begin adding things to each canvas bag, making sure to match the color of the bag to the room each was staying in. After an hour of perfecting each, I was exhausted. My stomach felt ready to eat itself.

Satisfied, I stand and stretch, earning a few good pops, and pack my supplies. I didn't come to the Moonlit Temple with much, but I did manage to pack an expensive calligraphy set I had gotten for my sixteenth name day. It had six different nibs, gradually growing in size, and ten ink pots, all in a different color. I also had a thick mat to soak in any excess ink, but I rarely had any use for it.

I pick up my bag and leave the workroom, making sure to grab the box of welcome bags. I figured I could drop them off at the pack house after dinner. "Less hassle for tomorrow," I mutter to myself, heading down the hall towards the dining hall.

At this hour, there won't be too many people there. It should be a nice quiet dinner to myself, for once. In a temple filled with priestesses, moments of quiet are few and far between.

Entering the hall, I spot Erylis and Ellyana easily chatting at a table. I walk over and none-too-gracefully plop the box on the table next to them, making them jump. Ellyana's eyes grow wide when she looks at the names on the tags that I painstakingly wrote, and she gave a quiet whistle.

"I'm glad Erylis gave the bags to you. I don't think they would have turned out half as nicely if I had put them together," she whispers, relief clear on her face. Erylis and I giggle, happy that she agreed with the decision.

I stand up and turn towards the buffet-style bar by the far wall. "I'm going to grab something to eat. I'm starving! Do you two want anything?" I eye their already finished plates of food. They had obviously been waiting for me to finish so I wouldn't have to be alone. Both shake their heads, so I scamper over to the buffet.

Not much is left, since so many had already been through. I pick up a soggy sandwich and manage to get half of a bowl of soup, then head back to the table. On the way, I see a lone white chocolate macadamia nut cookie and snatch it up before any of the stragglers do.

I make it to the table and my friend's eye my food sadly. Ellyana shakes her head and whispers, "We should have gotten you a plate. It would have been cold, but at least you would have more to eat." Erylis nods, looking a bit ashamed, but I shake my head.

"Honestly, I'm not sure if I could have eaten much more, anyways," I say, questioning if I should tell them about the man I met earlier today. I decide I should. I need all the advice I can get. "Something weird happened earlier, and I don't think I can eat much with all this worrying." This piques their interest, so I continue. "When I left the workroom to grab some maps from the pack house, I ran into a man, and he smelled better than any other male I've ever met. You know what that means, right?" I bite my lip, torn between anxiety and excitement.

Ellyana uncharacteristically squeals and throws me a huge grin. "Of course! It means your mate is here in the Sacred City! Did you recognize him? Most likely not, since you didn't say his name. Which pack do you think he's from?" she rambled off, her excitement getting the better of her. I couldn't help but grin, but Erylis rolled her eyes at her and shook her head.

"A mate isn't everything, you know," she said calmly. "And anyways, what if he just smelled really nice? Cologne exists. Lots of females have confused it for the scent of their mate because it was too strong. How did he treat you? That can be the real giveaway." Then it's Ellyana's turn to look at me and roll her eyes.

"Erylis, always the logical thinker, never the romantic," was all she had to say.

"Well, am I wrong? Stella shouldn't get too excited before she knows for sure, you know?" Erylis says, leaning back in her chair. "No offense, but mates aren't all that common anymore, and especially for females without their wolf. Excuse me for erring on the side of caution."

I nod my head, agreeing with Erylis. "No, you're right. I guess we'll have to see. I may not even run into him again. This is exactly why I wanted to tell you two about it," I conceded, leaning back in my seat and yawning, earning a laugh from both the women.

"I think somebody's tired," Ellyana mutters, suppressing a yawn herself.

I gesture to the box beside me, grinning. "You would be too if you had to work on these after melting your brain figuring out room assignments." She sticks her tongue out at me, and all three of us laugh before standing. We take our dishes to the kitchen, where three omegas are working to clean up. I smile gratefully at the one who takes them from us, and then we head out to the hallway. "I'm going to take this to the pack house so we don't have to worry tomorrow."

Erylis gives me a look. "Alright, but be quick. You need all the sleep you can get. We all do, really."

Ellyana and I nod. "Trust me, I know. I'm exhausted. I'll see you two tomorrow." After we say our goodbyes, we head our separate ways. I pull up my hood before I leave the temple, shivering in the windy night. I lug the box to the pack house and struggle with the door.

"Would you like some help with that?" a voice asks, and I jump, making them chuckle. It's deep and throaty, more like a hum, and I want to hear that sound again. Badly. "Woah there, I didn't mean to startle you."

"No, it's alright. I just didn't hear you come up. If you could just get the door, it would be a big help," I say, turning to see him. When I do, I see another very large, very attractive male, this time smelling like cedar and snow, warm and comforting.

He shakes his head, taking the box from me. "I couldn't do that to you. Allow me." I'm so overwhelmed by his scent that I can't argue, so I only nod and push the door open for him. Why am I reacting like this to another male? Maybe Erylis was right and it's just cologne...

I step in before him and direct him to put the box on a table next to the door, before thanking him. "I appreciate the help, but I'm sure I would have figured something out." He chuckles again and shakes his head, obviously not used to females not begging for his assistance.

"I think what you mean to say is thank you, so you're welcome... I'm sorry, I don't think I caught your name." He gives me a smug grin, looking like a wolfish prince charming. I have to stop myself from rolling my eyes.

"That's because I never gave it," I say, turning to leave. I have to get away from him or I'm going to go crazy. He growls softly, grabbing my wrist. I turn and try to tug it away, but he doesn't let me.

"Do I have to make it an order, priestess?" he bites out, and I grimace. He may be attractive and smell amazing, but good Nocht, does he need to learn manners.

I finally wrench my wrist out of his grip and bite out, "It's Stella."

He smiles again and says, "Come now, was that really so hard, Stella?" Now he's back to that wolfish charm, and I shiver. I roll my eyes again and walk towards the door. Turning back as I open it, giving him one last look.

"Yes, in fact it was excruciating," I say before pulling my hood back up and shutting the door behind me, heading back to the temple for what I hope will be a relaxing sleep, but will more than likely be a very restless night.