chapter 4

The night of the mate bond ceremony finally came, Ava came in wearing a crimson silk that clung to her body, the neckline plunged low revealing the swell of her breast and a tempting expanse of her cleavage. The gown was a tiny arm that stopped low above her knee, exposing her lap, her clothes were revealing yet sexy. She wore high heels which made her legs look a mile long.

Her hair was styled in a messy bun revealing delicate ears which were adorned with pearl earrings, her make-up was perfect and her lips red as a rose.

She didn't look like someone who came for the mating bond but like a queen ready to descend on her throne.

All eyes were on her as she swayed her hips seductively, no one was able to recognize her as the beta daughter who went missing as her parents claimed.

She was all smiles, being the center of attraction was nice and she loved it. Immersed with the whole pack gawking at her, Ava was dragged by an unknown person.

Her eyes were filled with anger as she looked at the person who dared to drag her to a corner. She was pulled into a hug by that person.

Still feeling disgusted, she pushed the person away waiting for an explanation.

“Mitchell,” The girl said with tears in her eyes, Ava was shocked as she stood rooted to the ground.

It's been a long time since she heard someone call her that name.

Nobody knew who she was apart from her parents, so she scrutinized the girl who called her by her real name. She looked quite familiar.

“Mika?” Ava called but it sounded unsure, Ava was trying to see whether she was the one or not.

“Yes, It's me, Mika, Don't you recognize me, Mitchell,” Mika said with tears in her eyes. She missed her bestie So much, she knew Mitchell was not missing but was sent somewhere unknown to her.

Ava gasped, it was really her best friend Mika, Her fierce eyes were now soft and filled with unwritten emotions.

She has longed for her bestie too, they hugged each other dearly.

They stayed in each other's embrace for a moment.

“Your hair? What happened to it?” Ava asked, she was sure that Mika's hair was red but now the color is orange.

Did she perhaps dye her hair?

“Oh! Well, my hair changes color every ten years that's why, but this is my permanent hair color, it can't change,” Mika explained to her, that was why Ava could not recognize her.

She remembered her bestie came from a scared lineage of elves.

“Oh! My Mitchell you have changed a lot,” Mika stammered her mouth agape as she was dumbfounded to see Ava look this hot.

“You look like a whole new Mitchell on a different level, ” Mika added, which got Ava all smiles.

“It's Ava now, I don't go by the name Mitchell anymore and how did you recognize me,” Ava asked with curiosity.

“O, okay, Ava is good too, tch, well about that it was my gut, I wasn't sure at first but then I had to try my luck and then I was sure when I heard your voice, that's when I knew it was you, my instincts never fail me,” She mused proudly which got Ava chuckles.

“Oh! My sweet little pumpkin ” Ava teased holding her cheeks playfully which made Mika pout her lips like a kid.

She was faking being annoyed by those words, after their sweet reunion, they got out of the corner to join the crowd.

Both of them clung to each other as they watched the dancers dance to the rhythm of the drum. It's always like that in the Westwood pack, that always dances first before the Alpha comes in to say and speech and give orders for the mating ceremony to start.

When the beat had stopped and the dancers left the stage, all eyes were on the Alpha. Ava clenched her fist, her eyes filled with hatred as she stared at the man who ruined her teenage life for her.

The one who tormented her for years and still haunts her in her sleep.

She felt like killing him at that point but when their gaze met, her urge to kill him disappeared and was replaced with uncertain emotions that got her thrilled.

Their scent was matching and it got her confused.

On the other hand, Damon was giving his speech to his subordinate about what the mating ceremony was and the purpose of the ceremony.

“The mating ceremony is important as it is a tradition that we have been following since the days of our ancestors. It is a sacred tradition and we all have been waiting for this day to meet our other half, the true mate Selena has bestowed on us. This ceremony is important to us, as we have come together to unite those who were lucky to find their mates during the hunt.

It is a celebration of love, commitment, and the joining of two families. This ceremony is intricate and a beautiful ritual-” As he said his speech the wolves howled in unison.

His sense of smell heightened as he caught a trail of the smell of cinnamon and cloves with a dash of vanilla. He closed his eyes briefly and inhaled, he scanned around to see where the scent came from.

He remained calm as he stared deeply into her eyes, They were far from each other but he could see her clearly. She was indeed an epitome of beauty and it surely looked like she carried herself up, high and mighty.

‘Mate!’ his wolf growled inwardly.

He quickly took his glance off her as he hurried his speech declaring the opening of the mating ceremony.

“I, Alpha Damon, am happy to announce the opening of the first mating ceremony this year,” He said and the whole crowd cheered. He smiled before getting down from the stage.

He ordered his guards not to follow him and got out of the hall hurriedly as he went in search of his mate.

He wondered why his wolf had chosen her.

Who was she?

Where did she come from?

He had not seen her before and he was sure she was not a member of his pack.

Out of curiosity, he searched the whole place for her. It was hard for him since he was stopped by some lords from another pack. He smiled awkwardly as he apologized.

Her scent was faint which meant that she had left the hall a long time ago, but he didn't care, he would still go in search of her.

His wolf needed her at that moment, he wanted to claim her.