Marked by the Lycan King

Episode 2

Elise’s POV

I was woken up by a loud bang on my door. I slowly opened my eyes and looking around, it was nighttime already. I wondered who could be knocking on my door as my aunt and her husband had already left for the ball.

It was a big day for the both of them as my uncle would hand down his title as Alpha to the next strongest person in the pack and of course if the person found his Luna, there would be a massive celebration.

This ritual was done every ten years and on the same day as the mating ceremony. The previous Alpha was also going to get lots of gifts and assets from the pack. Little wonder why my greedy aunt was so excited about it.

“Hey! Elise! Are you in there?!” I heard the voice of the one person who mattered to me in the whole world. It was my best friend, Jake!

“Yes! Yes! Yes, Jake! Get me out of here!” I shouted in excitement as I leaped to my feet and moved closer to the door.

“Okay, I can’t find the key, so step back so I’ll pull it down,” he said and I moved away from the door, then I heard a bang on the door and in a blink of an eye, the door flew open.

“Oh my goodness, Jake! Thank you so much!” I shouted as I ran and gave him a big hug.

Jake always came to my rescue when I needed him. He had been my best friend and confidant ever since I lost my parents. Jake lived just down the street with his parents, so we would often see each other from time to time.

“How did you do that?” I asked, looking at him in awe while he smiled triumphantly.

“I finally got my wolf!” He shouted excitedly as I gasped in excitement and enveloped him in another hug.

“That’s great news! How did you know I was here?” I asked and he shrugged.

“I’ve been watching your house like a hawk. I know you missed the mating ceremony last year because of your wicked aunt and I vowed you wouldn’t miss it this year, so the moment they were out of sight, I broke in and found you,” he said and I muttered a thank you.

“Now come! Get ready, let’s go,” he said and I hurriedly threw on my favorite dress and packed my hair in a bun, then put on some jewelry.

I looked at myself one more time… I was perfect! Even if I didn’t have my wolf, I knew I could win a beauty pageant anytime, any place and even without makeup. I had looks that could kill!

“How do I look?” I asked, walking down the stairs majestically as Jake looked up at me from the sofa in the living room where he was seated.

“Amazing. I’m sure your mate will love you,” he said and we both walked outside and drove to the venue.

****

My palms were sweaty and my heart rate increased as I made my way into the hall. I feared being caught here by my aunt, but what I feared even more was not finding my mate.

“You’ll be fine,” Jake, who was holding my sweaty palms, whispered and gave me a reassuring squeeze.

I nodded and faked a smile, my eyes still darting around the hall.

“I think I’ve found my mate,” he said and left me at once before I could even mutter a word.

“No, no, Jake, don’t leave me here,” I whispered after him in frustration.

“Great! Now I’m alone,” I muttered defeatedly with a sigh.

“No, you’re not,” I heard a familiar voice say behind me as I turned around and almost stumbled at the sight of him.

It was Zane, the strongest wolf in the pack. He was very cocky and arrogant and never missed a chance to bully me.

“Leave me alone Zane,” I said, slightly annoyed as I tried to brush past him.

“Don’t address me by that name. I’m your Alpha now,” he said with an arrogant smile plastered across his face.

I rolled my eyes and slapped my forehead with my palms. Of course! There was no one more befitting for that title. He was the strongest after all but he was a total jerk and I was not a fan at all.

“I don’t care, Zane. Let me be,” I said coldly, attempting to move past him again and that was when I felt it.

I suddenly felt a warmth in my chest, a tingling in my skin, and a fluttering in my stomach, as I looked into his eyes. I felt a longing, a desire, and a need, that I couldn’t explain.

“Wait… are you?” I asked and gasped in sudden realization of the fact that he might just be my mate.

This couldn’t be happening.

His eyes suddenly gleamed with disgust as I looked down at myself, wondering if I wore my clothes backward again.

“This must be a mistake,” he said as he glared at me in confusion and annoyance.

“You can’t be my mate!” He thundered and the entire hall went silent as everyone shifted their gazes toward me.

He was about to reject me publicly and not to mention, my aunt would witness it. Oh! How I wished the ground would swallow me whole!

“But I am!” I protested stubbornly as he shook his head in denial.

“I want nothing to do with a wolfless mate, so Elise Greenwood, I, Zane Blackwood, the now Alpha of Silvermoon pack, reject you as my mate,” he said with a tone of finality.

My heart dropped to my stomach as I lost touch of my surroundings. I was getting really dizzy and felt like throwing up.

I heard whispers, lots of whispers. I needed to get out of there as fast as possible. I tried moving through the crowd in the hall, walking as fast as my legs could carry me.

“I can’t believe the wolfless girl thought she could find a mate!” I heard someone say and I fought so hard to hold my tears, but they just flowed freely.

“Elise! Wait!” I heard Jake call after me but I didn’t listen.

I ran out of the hall as fast as my legs could carry me, tears streaming down my face.

I didn’t care where I was going, I just wanted to get away from the pain and humiliation.

I didn’t notice the traffic lights, the honking horns, or the screeching tires as I ran into the road.

I looked left and a bright light blinded me. The car was coming toward me, very fast, and I tried to move, to scream, to do something, but I was paralyzed.

I could only watch as the car got closer and closer, until it hit me with a deafening crash.

“Elise watch out!” Jake screamed in despair but I already landed on the ground with a loud thud, followed by ringing in my ears

Everything went black.