01. That Scent

I could not help but feel giddy as I was preparing for the Mating Ceremony despite the tiredness I felt in my body. I could no longer muster up a single ounce of strength anymore, and was thankful everything was already done.

I wiped the sweat on my forehead and watched the other she-wolf ecstatic over the ceremony.

A group of women passed in front of me while I was holding a bucket of water. 

“Look at that slave,” Iris said, the Gamma’s daughter whose role was to make me miserable. Not only mine but the other servants' as well. “She is carrying that big bucket while a dark smudge of coal was all over her face. Disgusting!” 

The other laughed at me. 

I sighed as I chose not to fight them. If they were preparing for the ceremony, I was too. Today was my birthday and hopefully, today would be the time I would find my mate.

“Not now, Iris.”

I planned on passing them, but the woman had no plans of allowing me to slip and yanked my hair.

"Let me go!" I said as I tried to swallow the pain.

I yelped in pain and instantly maneuvered my body then grabbed her hand and twisted it.

She cried and let go of my hair.

“How dare you do that!” she exclaimed, fuming. She touched her hair as if she was afraid a few strands of it were missing. 

I put my hand at the back and let go of some strands I grabbed from her scalp. 

I looked her in the eyes. “Forgive me, Iris but I have no plans of getting bullied today. I have to prepare for the  Mating Ceremony.”

She laughed at me as if she had forgotten I fought back earlier.

“You? Attending the Mating Ceremony? You’re practically wolfless, River. You will never meet your mate. Good luck with finding him.”

I clenched my teeth. Wolfless means I had no wolf and that I will have a hard time finding my mate because of that. But I am certain I will find him this evening. 

“Yeah. Thank you for wishing me luck,” I said instead. “Now, if you will excuse me.”

To my surprise, they just let me go. Without wasting any time, I hurried to my room and prepared myself for the Mating Ceremony.

"You will never find him and if he does, he will reject you instantly because you are an omega!"

I was wrong. 

---------------------

The Mating Ceremony was one of the most exciting events for us werewolves since it was the time when we would have the greatest chance of finding our mates. And that was what I was doing. I will find him today, on my birthday.

I had prepared for this night. 

I craned my neck and looked for anything that would interest me. In a couple of minutes now, every one of us will find our mates. 

“Oh, who do we have here?” It was Iris again. Without her minions. She looked at me from head to foot as if she was checking if I was wearing the right attire. It was a red dress with a high-slit cut on the legs that nearly exposed my breast. She snickered. “Oh. Others might be fooled, River. You do not look like a slave now.”

I balled my fist. “Don’t you have anything to do, Iris? It would be better if you look for your mate now. Or else, this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity will knock only once.”

The Mating Ceremony was only done once a year and every unmated male from the different packs would be coming to the selected venue. This time, it was Haverstone Pack.

“Why would I when I know for a fact that my mate is Alpha Erik.”

Alpha Erik was our alpha who was also looking for his luna. I caught a glimpse of him once, earlier talking with another alpha.

“Congratulations, then,” I said. "I am happy for you."

Her eyes narrowed at me. “Are you making fun of me, Dog Servant?”

Dog Servant was the moniker they had given to me. I hated that name. 

I gave her a forced smile. “I’m not. You’re thinking too much, Iris. Look for Alpha Erik, then. You two would be a lovely pair.”

“I will! Wait and you will know I am not lying! Alpha Erik is my mate! I will not allow him to be paired with other bitches. Not even you.”

“Are you threatened by my presence, Iris?”

She laughed at me as she pointed her fingers in my direction. 

“You? Delusional. No one wanted to have you, River. Not even the lowest rank of the pack. Your life is a mystery. You didn't even know your parents, to begin with!”

I bit back the tears after she reminded me of my family. "Don't drag them."

It was right. It looked like I was an orphan. I was seen floating in the River, floating. And with no identification, they just called me River Williams.

"Perhaps they know you will become a problematic child that is why they leave you alone."

I saw red. I wanted to scratch her perfect face and leave a scar out of it, but stopped. I would be punished and will not be allowed to attend anymore Mating Ceremony. 

"You deserve to be treated coldly, Iris. And about my mate rejecting me? We will see about that after this Mating Ceremony. If you excuse me.”

Without waiting for her approval, I turned my back and went in whatever direction my feet would carry me. I was led to an empty corridor of the pack house. To calm my nerves. The need to poke her eyes was still overflowing. 

Until I stumbled upon a delicious fruity scent. As if all my favorite fruits were mixed together.

My eyes widened when I realized something. It was no other than my mate!  He is here! 

Without even realizing it, I went to the source and stopped when I saw the back of a certain man and even if I did not see his face, I knew who it was. Alpha Erik!