1: Gold Invite

PHOENIX

I stare at the piece gold paper in disbelief, multiple voices in my head telling me what would be the best thing to do. One says to burn it and pretend I never saw it, the other, the more compelling one said to just open it and get it over with. I went with the latter, my curiosity being my worst trait.

I break the seal and pull the paper out, reading the letter with my heart in my throat.

‘Dear Miss Phoenix Alaric, you are receiving this letter because you have been chosen to be one of the contenders at the Fifteenth Fated Banquet event.

Congratulations for being one of the lucky she-wolves deemed worthy to be invited to the most important occasion of the decade, THE FATED BANQUET. As one of the members of the Wolf Community who’s Eighteenth birth anniversary falls on this special month, you are expected to attend, and under no circumstances shall you sit out on this.

You are to arrive with this invitation at your Wolf Community Town Hall, no later than 12 noon, tomorrow. A bus will be there to drive you to the Wolf House Headquarters in Texas, where you will be briefed about your roles. In your week there, you’ll be required to go through a series of essential tests and perform a few tests, to get your final score. Note, your future depends on the final score of your overall tests during your stay. You do not have to worry about clothes and necessities as everything would be provided for you.

You will be sent to your new pack and mate after you have passed all these tests with the required scores, or you will be sent to a place more befitting of your scores outcomes, where you’re expected to start your new life.

To avoid any interference with our tracker teams, you’re expected to abide by the rules. Do not make the mistake of trying to leave or any other act or rebellion and misconduct. Abiding by the rules is in the best of interest of you and your family.

We do wish you a wonderful time and great results. Here is to a brighter future for the Wolf Community and yours. Have a great day.

Best, Wolf Community.’                                      

I fling the paper like it burned me, watching it lie on the floor, mocking me, laughing at me for a fate I know I cannot escape. Tears gather in my eyes, I breathe in to stop them from falling.

Every word of the damned letter made my blood boil, more because they are clearly stating I didn’t have a choice. No one ever did, but I wouldn’t go down that path.

The Wolf House is like the government here in the werewolf community, they make the laws and have the power to punish anyone that doesn’t abide by it. Like the multiple women my mother has told me were never heard of again after they dared to defy them and not attend the Fated Banquet.

It happens every ten years and a lot of she-wolves were happy when it was first established, since it was almost impossible for werewolves to meet their fated mates. The Wolf House thought bringing she-wolves of age at a certain time will increase chances of mating. Since when we are in our packs, it is just us and our pack members.

What started as a good thing soon became the more powerful wolves’ way of getting their fix, and never ending supply of young unmated female wolves. They’ll make the contenders do multiple things that no one apart from the members of the community know, and in the end give a final score. There’s a highest score and the middle and lowest grade. Those with the highest are taken to the lycan’s palace where they serve the lycan prince, those that follow in second are sold to rich shifters, as servants or sex slaves, and those of the lowest grade become breeders.

The thing is, you can never know what category you will fall. Only the judges there know what they rate with.

A painful sound has me gripping my chest, a throb in my heart making my eyes turn. I didn’t want to be part of that, I’ve hated the name ‘fated banquet’ since it happened ten years ago and I asked my mum what was going on out of curiosity.

Every shewolf from all the packs around, who turned eighteen that month or will turn eighteen that month are those required to join. And unfortunately, this is my birthday month. I want to cry, because this cannot be happening. It is like a life sentence—it is a life sentence, they are easily going to decide our fate and future, and we’ll not see our families again.

God, Jake! The thought came like a slap to my face and the tears I’ve been holding since trailed down my cheeks. I have to think of something! I scream internally as I snatch the paper and start to pace around my room.

I know if I get into that hall, I’m not going out, unless I’m in the arms of a rich man, or the palace guards or another batch of guards. That won’t happen. I’m not going to let that happen.

Not paying much thought to my sleeping parents, I run out of my room and down the stairs. I don’t stop running until I’m in front of Jake’s house. The alpha’s mansion. I run inside and head for his room, breathing heavily.

The guards stationed at the door make a move to stop me but I glare at them.

“You can’t go in there, miss.” One of his personal bodyguards says, holding a hand up to stop me. I feel tempted to smack him but I don’t have the time. I have more pressing matters to attend to. And they can’t pretend to not know me, I’m almost here every single day hanging out with Jake.

I push past them, ignoring their sounds of protest as I enter the room and go straight into his bedroom. I stop when I see the always bright room bathed in darkness.

“Jake,” I call, blinking rapidly so my eyes can adjust to the lack of lighting.

“Shit,” I hear his voice and immediately turn in the direction. A bedside lamp comes on. “Phoenix, what are you doing here?” I rush toward him since I’m able to see his large form on the bed. He gets up and walks up to me before I reach him.

“Why is it so dark in here?” I ask, knowing his blinds are never drawn, and it’s early in the morning. I don’t wait for him to answer, my mind running at a mile.

“Jake, I got mail from the Wolf house.” I force the words out. I notice his eyes widen, then he steps back and curses.

“W-what did it say?” his petrified tone makes something break in me.

I hand him the crumpled paper. He snatches it from my hand, his eyes skimming over the perfectly written cursive.

He grips his hair in a tight fist and curses, starting to pace.

“Jake, we have to do something. I don’t want to go.” I whisper brokenly, moving closer to him, needing him to wrap his arms around me and assure me he is right here.

“Phoenix,” his tone suggests I won’t like what he is going to say so I shake my head.

“No. No! We have to find a way out, I can’t leave you, my parents. I need to think of—“

“You can’t defy the wolf council.” he breaks off my rant.

“Well, I have to do something!” I whisper-yell. “I can’t just let them snatch my life away from me,” he shakes his head.

“You need to think logically, we can’t do anything. They’ll punish you and your family, do you really want to risk your family?” I don’t say anything to that, he knows I won’t. I can’t sacrifice my parents for my own needs.

“What if your dad helps me?” I ask, I’m speaking without letting the words register in my head. Jake’s brows pull together and his lips purse.

“How?”

“I don’t know, maybe he can speak to someone. They can find a loophole,” my heart is beating at an alarmingly fast pace, adrenaline pumping through my system.

“I think I’ll ask him to see if he can help us. You leave tomorrow?” he asks.

“Not if I have—“

“Jake, how do I look, baby?” an awfully familiar voice says from behind me. I turn in a flash.

My body almost doubles over at the sight in front of me.

Lila, my best friend, is dressed in nothing but a lingerie set, posing by the door of Jake’s bathroom.

“What’s going on?”