Lottery Arena: Escaping my Mate

Count to 30

AMARIS

40 females had been selected and notified while we ate breakfast. Marie and myself were among them.

I knew without a doubt I’d be selected for the 3rd year in a row. I was the “ungettable” and was told I was a major motivation for the wolves that loved the hunt.

Normally I felt sick to my stomach at the thought of the process we were all about to be subjected to, but all I could think about now was my mate was out there.

He was out there, and he was going to watch me get paraded in front of 39 other men and several guards in the nude?

I felt sick for an entirely different reason this year.

Fated mates were an incredibly sacred thing, I couldn’t fathom how he would feel about 50-ish other men leering at me.

Will he know it’s us? I thought to Annukka.

Oh he’ll know, if he doesn’t already. I sensed my mate as soon as he was near, I’m sure his wolf was going crazy in his head just like I was with you.

I wasn’t even sure I wanted a mate. I just wanted my freedom, I wasn’t ready to trade one prison for another.

What are you even saying right now? Annukka thought to me. We could be the last fated mates in the world.

You understand what that means don’t you? She thought to me.

Yeah, I knew what it meant. My Alpha was out there, and Annukka was an Alpha wolf too.

I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised by this. My wolf was beyond incredible.

She was a shiny deep red with large green eyes. Her ability to track or evade were 2nd to none.

She truly was “Alpha” material. You’re making me blush Amaris. She mentally winked at me. You’re pretty incredible too babe, give yourself some credit, we’re two parts of a whole.

Annukka? Do you think they’ll leave us alone if I vomit? Because I feel like I definitely could. I thought to her as we marched to the auditorium.

Marie was chatting excitedly next to me.

I hadn’t told her what we were about to go through. The females didn’t like to talk about it. There was no reason to frighten a first timer.

We had to go through it either way, our motto was ignorance truly was bliss in this situation.

We were led to a separate entrance at the back of the building, we had to go up a flight of steps to reach the backstage area.

Sometimes they’d let us put on plays or little productions on the stage.

How I wished that was what we were doing instead.

Annukka? How are you feeling about your pheromones? Think you can keep them in check for a few minutes? I asked her nervously. I’m gonna try doll, you know a wolf doesn’t have much control over that in the presence of her mate. But I’m going to try. She sounded nervous as she responded to me.

Good, because the last thing we need is 40 males latching onto our scent and gunning for us in the arena.

Ms. Anne stepped forward to instruct us on what was about to occur. She was sort of like our house mother.

She was one of the few older females that had survived the radiation fall out.

“Girls, you’ll find your robes hanging over there on the hooks. Make sure you remove all under garments as well.” She pointed to the wall where red silk robes were hanging.

Marie looked at me with wide eyes and I shrugged my shoulders at her before leaning in and whispering “they can’t touch us or get close to us. They’ll introduce you, and you’ll walk to one end of the stage and back. It’s over before you know it, ok? Just count to 30 in your head and it’s done.” I told her, squeezing her hand.

“I’ll be right here waiting for you when you step off the stage.” She slowly nodded her head at me. I could tell the excitement from earlier was gone now, the reality of our true situation settled in.

We weren’t lucky. We were prizes, and contestants wanted to see what their prize could be before they competed in a competition.

We lined up ready to file onto the stage when announced. I could hear the males chattering die down to silence. It was time.

VALERIAN

An older shewolf walked out onto the stage and introduced herself as Ms. Anne.

She told us we would begin momentarily and that all comments and questions were to be appropriate, relevant and respectful to the present shewolf.

If at anytime any male acted inappropriately or made undesirable remarks he would be disqualified and escorted out of the auditorium.

There were several guards with large guns posted around the room. Most males were nodding their heads in agreement with her, they didn’t want to risk being disqualified.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, just like the other wolves in the room, my eyes were glued to the stage. But unlike them I was only looking for one particular female. My mate.

The first female was introduced and stepped out onto the stage.

Without a single stitch of clothing on.

I felt sick.

Most of the males around me seemed shocked, but slowly a lot of them began to grin. One even let out a wolf whistle.

Why would this be necessary? Is this what Sky had to go through?

The idea almost pushed me over the edge.

Deep breaths. Tikaani told me.

Our mate is going to have to waltz out naked in front of all these leering wolves. f**k, even the guards are staring! I told him angrily.

I couldn’t believe this, I looked around the room. No one seemed upset or disgusted by what was taking place.

I gripped the arms of my chair to keep myself rooted in my seat.

Careful, you’ll buckle the wood. We can’t risk anything right now. We need to be on our A game if we want to win our mate in the arena. Tikaani was good at telling me exactly what I needed to hear.

They paraded girl after girl out. I could faintly smell lilac so I knew my mate had to be getting closer to the front of the stage.

Next was a 16 year old shewolf named Marie. She had a sweet innocent face that reminded me of Sky.

I had to look away, I couldn’t take it. A few of the males asked questions about her health and if she’d experienced her first heat yet. She was finally dismissed and she quickly exited behind the curtain with her head down.

Ms. Anne introduced the next shewolf as Amaris, or affectionately known as “Red” she added.

Unlike a lot of the other girls, she walked out with her head held high. She was beautiful. She had dark chocolate hair that hung down to butt.

Her eyes were vibrant green lined with thick lashes. Her skin was sprinkled with freckles and she had full rosey lips.

Her smell hit me as soon as she reached my row as she crossed the stage.

It was her. My mate.

I heard a low voice in the row in front me. “That’s her. That’s Red. She’s f*****g perfect.” I recognized the voice as belonging to the future beta, Drake.

He was the one that had taken my sister off at the future Alpha’s command.

I had a few classes with him and he spoke about the shewolves like they were possessions. “I almost had her last year, she evaded me at the last minute. She will be my mate if it’s the last thing I do this year.” He told his buddy, all the while leering at my mate.

Ms. Anne’s voice cut in and explained that this would be Amaris’ last year in the lottery arena. That she had successfully evaded the males the two previous years and the elders had instituted a new rule solely based on her.

If a female could make it three years without capture she won her freedom.

Just as she was finally dismissed from all the eyes in the room her nose crinkled a little and she turned her head and locked eyes with me. She knew. She knew that I knew. I could see it in her eyes.

That’s when her wolf’s pheromones hit me. Several males in the room sniffed the air and let out a low growl.

Fuck.