CHAPTER ONE (Awakening ceremony)

Selene

I stood in front of the broken mirror, glancing at myself.

"Broken," I muttered; my life was as broken as the shattered mirror.

My awakening ceremony was today, but I was not particularly excited about it, after all who would want a nobody like me for a mate? Yes, I have lived alone ever since and do not have any parents.

I scoffed as I looked at my reflection again and then slumped onto the floor at the end of the cottage. 

I lost a lot of weight and looked really disheveled, but whenever I pass young girls my age, I can not help but notice the look of envy in their eyes. To be honest, I am not sure if I am attractive or ugly, but that is not my biggest issue.

While I was lost in my thoughts, the cottage door creaked open, making that annoying sound every damn time. The sunlight burned my eyes as I shielded it with my hands, blinking to see who had just entered.

"Selene," Imogen chirped as she closed the door.

Ever since I joined this pack, Imogen has been my closest friend. Yes, I am not part of the pack, but that is a different story for another day.

Glancing at her perfect skin, I called out, "Hey." Her life is far better than mine, and sometimes I wonder why she chose to be friends with me. She was the late Alpha's beta's daughter.

With a smile that made my eyes sparkle, she said, "I brought you some food," bending down to put a basket full of food in front of me.

I muttered, "Thank you," as I untied the cloth that was wrapped around the basket and began to eat, causing Imogen to giggle.

"Are you all ready?" She asked, settling next to me.

Pausing "Ready for what?" I asked while still chewing my food.

"It is our awakening ceremony tonight; are you not excited to meet your mate?" Her lovely voice asked away in melody.

"I am not, and I wish this day never came. I am afraid my mate will never accept me," I mumbled sadly.

She patted my back gently and said, "Why won't your mate accept you? Here, I brought you one of my best outfits; put it on tonight." She then handed me a wrapped piece of clothing.

"Thank you," I said, my stomach churning with anxiety because wearing nice clothes and looking good would not make my mate accept me; I am the daughter of no one, at least they thought so.

Standing up and dusting her clothes “I will meet you at our usual junction when the sun starts to set in, don't be late” Imogen said to me as she walked towards the door.

"Aye aye, madame," I yelled, making Imogen squeal.

******

The sun began to set, and I began to prepare for the awakening; rumor has it that transforming into your wolf for the first time can be extremely painful, but I tried to suppress my thoughts on the subject.

"I hope my wolf is beautiful," I murmured, tying my hair in a messy bun.

 With a sigh, I set out to meet Imogen at our usual spot.

"I apologize for being late; my father insisted I accompany him to the mountain, but I escaped," she explained, panting and looking behind her.

“It is alright. Let us head out before it gets too late.” I held her hands tugging her along with me.

Since the moon was most visible at mountain Zumba, the awakening ceremony was held there every time.

We ran the entire distance to reach the mountain, panting as we noticed the moon was growing brighter. As we entered, we could hear songs being chanted and lamps being set up in specific locations.

The shamans, our new Alpha; Alpha Jasper, and his men were all present when we arrived. We quickly joined in with the incantations.

"Focus, the moon is getting brighter." The shaman yelled and continued with his incantations.

In the midst of misery, I closed my eyes and began to focus, attempting to forget everyone and everything around me.

I raised my head as a cloth dropped in front of me and heard, "Put it on." The terrifying servant smeared, making me nervous.

After glancing around and observing others putting on the clothes, I started to do the same.

"Pay attention" The shaman yelled out again.

I struggled to concentrate, and in a matter of minutes, I could hear myself howling in the murky forest.

Crack, I fell to my knees, screaming in agony; it felt like my bones were stretching beyond their limits. I screamed, prayed, and begged for the pain to stop, but it only intensified.

My bones kept breaking and ripping through my skin. I could hear other people crying out, but I was too hurt to concentrate on them. At some point, I begged for death.

Looking down, I noticed claws and heard whimpers; I tried to figure out where the whimpers were coming from.

With a thud, I collapsed to the ground, my claws quivering as if my body were too heavy to support. Upon hearing the whimper once more, I realized it was coming from my wolf.

As I struggled to stand and howled in pain, I heard the Shaman say, "Strengthen yourself, it might not look easy in the first try."

Finally, I was able to stand although my legs were still trembling, I tried so hard to maintain my stamina.

I turned to face Imogen and peered at her gorgeous black wolf with stunning hazel eyes. I tried, but was utterly unsuccessful, to see my reflection in her eyes.

I could see the color silver gleaming brighter than ever from my legs, but I was unsure of the color of my eyes.

"Compose yourself and gather your thoughts; you will begin to connect with your mate." The shaman instructed once more.

My mind started to yearn to connect with my Mate as soon as I closed my eyes. The powerful aroma of wood pine and minty leaves started to get apparent.

Then I sensed it. It felt like there was a yarn tied directly from one end of my mate to me.

I mumbled “Mate” While I looked around for him, my wolf let out a whimper.

I stumbled and trembled a little as it finally settled on him. "A..Alpha." 

"Remain focused as you start to transform into your human form." The shaman growled, causing my gaze to stray from him as I started to sense my claws retract and I reverted to my human shape.

I quickly put on my clothes, covering my nudity. "It makes sense that they asked us to tie another cloth because our clothes would be torn while transforming," I thought to myself.

My nose wafted with the aroma of woodpine and minty leaves as I turned around and collided with a broad chest. I muttered, looking up to meet his level, "Mate." 

 Thud 

I shook with fear as my butt firmly kissed the ground and he cast me a scornful glance.

“Mate?” He snarled, his eyes blazing with intensity as he glanced at me.

“Who would choose a reject like you as his mate?” He shrieked, his jaw tightened showing the struggle beneath his rugged exterior.

As I sat motionless on the ground, the disdainful stares bore into me, a stark reminder of my identity. With head bowed in dread, my heart shattered, wondering if I could endure the onslaught of their hate.