The Ball

I must have fallen asleep at some point of tossing and turning in my bed because I had seen the black wolf from the woods again. This was an odd dream. I wouldn't call it a nightmare, but it was... disturbing.

The beast stood among the trees, looking at me the way he was back then when I had seen him first. He came closer but kept a safe distance between us as if he didn't want to frighten me. Then he howled and cried, lowering his large head before me. Something inside me knew he was trying to warn me, I only didn't know what he was trying to warn me from.

I woke up with a sharp gasp, shivering from the intensity of what I had just seen. Everything in the vision I had was strangely vivid—too vivid to be called a simple dream. Groaning, I glanced through the window at the lazily rising sun and crawled out of bed.

Unsurprisingly, Ellaria and my father were still asleep, but they hardly ever got up early in the morning, especially my father. Never even once had he gotten up before noon after his battle wound turned him into a cripple.

Quietly, I cleaned up the house and prepared breakfast just as my sister's head, adorned by a mass of red curls, leaned out the bedroom door. “Do I smell frying eggs and bacon?” She grinned at me.

I chuckled and nodded. “They'll be ready in a moment.”

She stepped out to the corridor and glanced at the door at the end of it—Father's bedroom. “He'll be pissed he didn't get breakfast.”

I rolled my eyes. “I'll make him breakfast when he finally wakes up, like I always do.”

She sat down by the table and gave me a sympathetic smile. “I'm older than you. I should take care of the house, not you.”

“You're a soon-to-be warrior, Ellaria. You are the elite. You can't take care of Father while you train.” I gave her a wry smile. “Taking care of house chores and food is my job.”

“Not for long now.” Her lips curved into a knowing smirk. “As soon as you'll be acknowledged as Kylar's mate…” She trailed off and narrowed her eyes at me. “Did you two fight again?”

I sighed and placed her eggs and bacon on the table. “He wanted to have sex in that abandoned hut. I refused and…”

That sympathetic smile appeared again. “He didn't react well when you did, didn't he?”

“He just stormed out, leaving me there, and now”—I sat beside her and sucked in a shaky breath—“I'm scared.”

“Scared of what?” Ellaria frowned before grabbing a slice of bacon and shoving it into her mouth.

My shoulders moved in a tense shrug. “What if he rejects me?”

She barely swallowed the food in her mouth. “And why the hell would he do that?!”

“Because I'm basically an omega?” A wry smile tugged at my lips.

She shook her head. “He cares about you. He would never do such a thing. He protects you from others.”

“Does he?” A bitter chuckle broke free as I thought about last night, and Sloan's words rang in my head. He had said that Kylar wouldn't have minded if they—

I didn't let myself finish that thought, but my stomach twisted into knots anyway. I didn't know what had happened overnight, but it seemed like I had begun to see things clearly as if I no longer had this girl-in-love filter.

“Kylar cannot reject you,” Ellaria convinced. “He must be aware of what will happen if he does. He might be a selfish prick at times, but he is not soulless.”

I squeezed her hand and let my lips curve in a bright smile. I wanted to trust her words, Goddess knew I did, but the truth was that I was risking a lot. In this love game, I was risking my life.

The elders used to say that the Fates created the mate bond to complement the mates' powers and strength. It usually made the mated ones stronger together, but on rare occasions, the strength of one mate was reduced to strengthen the other. That was why omegas were often rejected when it turned out their mate was either a warrior or a ranked wolf.

The sole rejection also wouldn't have been that terrifying if it hadn't been for the agony that the snapping bond triggered. It was said that nearly no mortal body could survive that pain. Only the wolf spirits were powerful enough to shield their owners from the rejection's consequences, but for those without wolf spirits—or shadow wolves like me—rejection was a death sentence.

“Don't worry, little sister.” Ellaria pulled me out of bewilderment. “Once he feels the power of the mate bond, he'll know that he cannot reject you.”

I drew an uneven breath. “I hope you're right.”

“I am.” She grinned, rising from her seat and grabbing my hand. “Now let me show you the dress I bought you for the ball.”

My eyes widened. “You bought me a dress?!”

“Of course I did. It's your first ball. You need to look stunning.” She chuckled. “Now let's go. Let the big sister take care of you for once.”

***

As the Blood Moon slowly rose in the sky, I became more and more restless. My feet were wobbling as Ellaria and I climbed the stairs of the castle—the place where Alpha's family and all other ranked families lived.

This place was huge and filled with the luxury I had never dared dream of. It was yet another example of how huge the gap between the ranked wolves and the rest of the pack was. The warriors were respected and rewarded with money and gold, but even the greatest ones could never climb to the ranked wolves' level. You either had to be born into a ranked family or be mated to a member of such.

I fisted the fabric on the side of my dress, lifting it slightly while I walked the stairs. I wouldn't dare get the dress Ellaria bought for me dirty, especially since it surely was the most beautiful thing I had ever worn. It was simple yet elegant, made of a delicate white fabric that gently shimmered in the light. It hugged my curves perfectly, as if the seamstress had made it knowing all my measurements. The skirt waved back and forth as I moved, making me seem like I glided through the corridor. Ellaria said that with my pale blue eyes and light blond hair, I looked like a Moon Goddess. I laughed at that, but I couldn't help but feel... beautiful, and it might have been the first time I felt this way.

We entered the ballroom, and my eyes began to search for Kylar. I knew that we would feel our mate bonds in less than an hour, and I wanted to be near him when it happened. Ellaria left my side as soon as she found Vidarr. I couldn't blame her for it. Vidarr was her childhood friend who had now become an excellent warrior. He had been gone for almost a year. Now, my sister hoped that he would turn out to be her mate, and I also hoped for that to happen.

Other pack members eyed me with confusion and shock written on their faces. They must have been wondering if I had a death wish. No omega came to Mating Balls. No one in their right mind would have risked rejection that could lead to their death. Well… no one except for me.

Seeking quiet, I strode off, entering one of the long corridors with white marble flooring and walls ornamented with gold. I wasn't sure why I chose to go there, but I kept walking until I entered a dark part of the corridor with cracked open doors at the end of it.

“I don't know where this Alpha came from, but this beast was huge and fucking lethal!” I heard Sloan's voice and my breath caught in my throat. I wasn't sure if I was relieved or not that he had somehow survived the attack. Fine, I was sure it was the latter.

“And you are saying that Asena somehow... what? Summoned the beast?” Kylar chuckled.

My heart lurched. Sloan, who was alive, was one thing. Sloan telling Kylar some bullshit about what had happened last night was something completely different. My restlessness slowly turned into a bubble of panic. I sucked in a sharp breath and stepped closer to the doors.

“I don't know how your little bitch did it, but he came there for her,” Sloan snarled.

I swallowed and shook my head. This was nonsense! I had never even seen that beast before! Besides, how was I even supposed to know some huge-ass rogue Alpha?!

Kylar huffed. “Maybe that was the real reason she didn't want me to fuck her. She said that I would be her first, but maybe she already spread her legs before another Alpha.”

His words were like a blade piercing my heart. I placed my hand on my chest, pressing the aching spot while my eyes filled with tears. He should have known that I would have never betrayed him! I believed that he was my destined one—the only one I could ever have feelings for!

“I told you she's a traitorous whore,” Sloan hissed.

“Well, it doesn't matter anymore, does it? It all ends tonight.” Kylar breathed out a cold chuckle. “If I find a mate worthy of my attention, things between Asena and me will solve themselves without me doing anything. If she turns out to be my mate… I will reject her.”

My heart stopped.