The Mate Fate Almost Didn't Give Me

Preface My name is Azara Sliver, I am the best warrior in the Alector Pack. Unlike many girls my age I am mateless.    I guess there are a few things I should explain about my world. There are roughly 200 packs in the United States because packs tend to be on the small side and extremely close knit because of it. However because packs are so small and there are so many of them each year there are two events held to help the packs connect.  The first is the meeting of the Alphas. The meeting of the Alphas is actually a bunch of different meetings lasting the span of days. It is always held from January 1st-7th. Then after the meeting of the Alphas is adjourned for the year the meeting of the Mates begins. The meeting of the Mates begins on January 8th and lasts till January 14th.  You may be asking why we werewolves spend so long meeting our mates after all isn’t love at first sight or well more accurately first smell and you would be correct. However, knowing that you are mates isn’t always enough, bet you weren’t expecting a werewolf to tell you that. I guess I better explain. When you meet your mate, you know that person is the other half of your soul and that you will fall in love with them no matter what. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you are ready to move across the country with someone who is otherwise a complete stranger.  So anyways, the meeting of the Mates starts on January 8th with the presentation of the females. Basically, imagine a beauty contest. Each unmated female dressed up and placed on stage where her scores for beauty, intelligence, strength, and kindness will be read out. Then the audience (every unmated male) will be told her birth place and pack placement (these aren’t always the same thing), and which pack she belongs to. Usually quite a few will find their mates at this time.  Later that night after the presentation of the females is completed. The mingling during the  ball allows couples a chance to find each other. I will admit the ball is always pretty interesting. The next morning if the female has found her mate she will be given his file. It will include all of the information given about her during the presentation ball. Plus some additional information will be in there including his financial and criminal record (yes werewolves have criminal records we aren’t uncivilized). This is to help an informed decision be given.  After this all of the wolves who didn’t find their mates will be given the week off only to return at the ending ball (a few don’t find their mates until this time). Throughout the week there will be a bunch of different meeting options to give the mates time to get to know each other.  Finally on January 13th negotiations begin. I always think calling it negotiations seems harsh. What they really mean is that mates will go into a meeting room with a mediator and decide on a multitude of things. For example who is going to transfer packs, where their families will live, and other related issues. This seems like a cold way to figure these things out but it seems to help their relationships because they have discussed everything in advance.   Then with everything else taken care of on January 14th there will be the final ball. At which time everyone mated and unmated joins together. The list of couples and their new placement is read off. Anyways wolves start going to ball after they are 16. Roughly 50% find their mate the first year. However some don’t find their’s for a couple of years because their mate is unable to make it to the ball or was simply younger than them. I, however, am now 20 years old and still unmated. And this is my story.