Anticipate

EMILY'S POV

I was met with the beautiful sunset as soon as I opened my eyes. I had taken a nap because I was tired from all the preparations. 

It was my birthday and I was going to be 18 and the party was going to begin soon.

Springing up from my bed, I dashed into my bathroom to take a relaxing bath.

I have been anticipating my 18th birthday for so long. 

Turning 18 meant finding my mate and I was tired of being mateless.

"Hmmm…" I moaned in delight as soon as I was done taking my bath.

I dashed from my bathroom into my closet and swiftly, I threw on the already made dress for tonight's event. 

"Yes! I hope I meet my mate tonight." I said to myself, as I admired myself in the mirror.

Though the mating convention was in a few days, I couldn't wait to meet my mate.

Putting on a little make up, I straightened up and I was ready.

My chin was held up high and the happiness in my eyes was obvious.

In a few seconds, I was already out of my room. I walked down the hallway leading to the stairs and as I got to the stairs, I halted. 

The whole place was quiet and it did not look like a celebration was supposed to be happening.

"What's going on?" I said to myself and I was about to take a step when I spotted a drop of blood on the staircase.

I gasped as my eyes roamed over the staircase, there was blood all over and I panicked.

In the next second, I threw off my shoes and ran down the stairs.

"Mum!!" I shouted, as I got to the living hall. The smell of blood was heavy in the air and surprisingly I wasn't disgusted by it.

However, I did not think deeply into that. My parents were supposed to be preparing for the party but they were nowhere to be found.

The whole house was silent and there were decorations on the wall. My birthday cake was already set up and immediately my eyes zeroed in on specks of blood on the cake.

"What the fuck!" I said as I walked toward the cake and instantly I caught sight of a bloodied knife.

My heart skipped a bit as I bent down to pick the knife.

I couldn't think, my brain was in a mix.

"No!" I said, shaking my head slowly. I couldn't comprehend the fact that my parents may have been stabbed with the knife.

"No! My father is the Beta and he is powerful." I said, trying to convince myself. 

I couldn't just conclude that my parents were stabbed and immediately I took the knife closer.

The blood smelt very familiar and I knew it was my mother's scent.

It did not interest me to know how I had concluded that it was my mother's scent. I immediately rushed toward anywhere I could find my parents in the house. 

At this point, I was shaken with worry and my legs were starting to shake from all the running.

"What do I do?" I asked myself, as tears streamed down my eyes.

I was the only child of my parents and my father was the Beta of the Dark Wand Pack.

I did not know what I would do if anything happened to them. I would be all alone.

As tears continued to drop from my eyes, my head snapped to look at the door.

"They must be outside." I said to myself as I straightened up.

My legs moved toward the door and I started to hear voices that belonged to the members of the Pack.

"Why are they here? It's not time for the party yet." I said to myself and as soon as I opened the door, I was met with the angry faces of the pack members.

"What's going on?" I asked out loud, with worry in my eyes.

"You killed your parents." One of the pack members accused and I shook my head, frantically.

"No!! My parents are not dead. I did not kill anyone." I clapped back and immediately I ran into the crowd. 

I was pushed around and I had several hits from them but then I did not relent in finding my parents. 

"Where are they? Where are my parents." I asked, as I continued to push against the crowd.

Eventually, the crowd made way for me and I came face to face with the body of my parents.

They were dead! 

"W-what? This is not true." I said, in a shaky tone as I felt my strength leave me. The knife I had been holding fell to the ground as I fell to my knees.

"Look, that's the knife she used to stab her parents." Another pack member screamed but I had no strength in me to refute them. 

"Mum…dad…" I called out as my shaky hands reached out to them.

Their fingers and toes were cut off and I could see several stab wounds on their bodies. 

"No!!" I shouted, in pain and agony as I held onto my mother's body.

Her blood rubbed off my elegant dress but I did not care.

"Come back! Now!!" I screamed as I just wanted my parents back. I felt like taking their soul and bringing it back but I was powerless.

I stood up and began to plead to the members of the pack.

"Please, help my parents. They can still be saved." I said. Somehow, I was convinced that my parents could still be saved even when their bodies had gone cold.

"What! You killed your parents and now you're begging us to save them? What impudence!" One of the pack members said and the others affirmed his words. 

"No, I did not kill them. I took a nap and I woke to see that they were missing." I tried to explain to them.

However, I only received judging eyes.

"Maybe you killed them in your dream, then." A pack member said and they all burst into a peal of hilarious laughter.

I was in pain as no one wanted to listen to me. Their cruel laughter echoed in my head as I wondered if they were the same people who licked my father's boot.

"Get out of here." I heard a voice as I was pushed to the ground.

I was powerless and helpless as I fell to the ground. 

The accusations and words from the members faded into the background. 

The light in my eyes was gone as I clenched my fists. 

The smell of my parents' blood was heavy in the air but then I couldn't comprehend why the pack members would accuse me of killing my parents. 

"What's going on here?" I heard a deep male voice and an intoxicating scent wafted into my nose. 

My head snapped in the direction of the voice and as the owner of the voice came closer, goosebumps lined my skin. 

"Mate!" That word echoed in my head and my nipples puckered at the sight of Eric. 

Eric is my mate! 

I gasped as soon as I realized this. At this moment, everything felt funny to me. 

I lost my parents and I found my mate, who turned out to be my childhood friend and the son of the Alpha. 

"Eric!" I called out to him, in a meek tone. Deep in my heart I was glad that he was my mate.

I couldn't control myself as I crawled to meet him up.

Eventually, I stood up as I saw my hope in him. I wish he could take away the pain and stop the accusations leveled against me.

Looking up at Eric, I could see the surprise in his eyes. I was sure he was surprised that we turned out to be mates. But then I expected him to be joyous after being surprised.

"You killed your parents, Emily." He said to me and I frowned.

"You believe them, Eric?" I asked, with my hand on my chest.

The ache in my heart increased, tremendously, at his words.

I never expected such a question from him. 

"Of course, I do. You had a knife in hand. We all know that no one invaded the Pack." He said, and I was stumped. He was here from the onset and he did not care to stop everyone.

"B-but…" I stuttered, trying to refute his words, but he cut me off immediately.

"Also, we all know that no one would dare to attack the Beta, except his own." He concluded and everyone else affirmed his words. 

His words were like a gust of wind that threw me off my feet. 

My knees met the ground and I felt like shouting to the heavens.

"But I'm your mate, Eric. You can't do this to me." I said, in a weak and shaky tone.

"You're so pathetic, Emily. Who wants a weak mate?" He said to me and I frowned, immediately.

"I'm not weak, Eric." I clapped back, with my hands clenched into tight fists.

It was the first time a person referred to me as weak. 

I wasn't weak and I knew that. I just needed to train more and I would become one of the most powerful females in the pack.

However, in the next second, Eric burst into a cold and mocking laughter.

I was stumped that he would also ridicule me before everyone.

"You know me, Eric. I would never do such a thing to my parents. Believe me." I pleaded, forgetting the part where he had called me weak.

I just needed the embrace of my mate and he would help me forge through these difficult times.

"I do not have to believe you." He said to me, in a cruel tone.

With a cold look in his eyes, he declared, "I, Eric Gonzalo, reject you as my mate." 

His words echoed continuing in my head and immediately I passed out.