Cursed girl.

Today I woke up with a tightness in my chest which I was familiar with, and I knew which day it was. I felt like I was carrying a huge burden on my shoulder, and believe me no she-wolf should face that.

Another year of rejection at the Choosing.

I looked at myself in the mirror for about an hour wondering what was wrong with me. My eyes weren't that big to scare a potential mate, half the population in the world has light brown eyes right?

My lips may have not been plumb, and pink like I would have loved, but they were not bad either. My height wasn't something to brag about, but as a she-wolf I was happy standing at 5'8.

I had hip bearing hips that could easily carry an Alpha even though that wasn't what I would prefer.

Black long hair, again was a universal colour, so why was this happening to me? Why was I the cursed she-wolf?

"I know you've been disappointed these past couple of years, but I'm sure this year will be different." My mother tried to convince herself more than me. I knew this was more difficult for her than me.

So, I nodded because that's what a good daughter does right?

She already said that last year and the year before that, nothing was going to change and we both knew it, heck the whole pack knew it, that's why they called me

"Cursed"

"I'm fine mom, if I'm not chosen, I'm not chosen it's not a big deal" I lied to her.

It was a big deal, I was already twenty-five years old. Maybe it wasn't a big deal six years ago but it's been six years, fucken six years.

That's when I turned 19 and started to attend the Choosing for the first time, but now I have been attending that tedious event for six years and every year I come back home more embarrassed than the previous year.

The Choosing was held every year in October, and all the she-wolf that just turned 18 were invited, but my case was different since I only turned 18 in November , thus the year gap but believe me I wasn't complaining. I needed that year before things changed forever.

Even pups younger than me were already pregnant, some even have two to three pups roaming their yards, yet I was still here, attending the stupid choosing just to get a mate, and still living under my father's roof.

"I love you, you know that right?" My mother tried another tactic, and again I just nodded.

She seemed more nervous than I was, and I knew it had something to do with the change in behaviour on my father's part.

I didn't want to drag this much longer and make her cry, mostly I didn't want to make my father wait. He was dreading this as much as I was. I nodded again not being able to say much while holding the burden of this family on my shoulder and the tears in my eyes.

I took my bags to the car where my father was already waiting for me with a big scrawl on his face. You could see the darkness under his eyes, not to mention the sadness swirling in them.

I knew he was disappointed in me for not getting myself a mate yet, that's why unlike other daughters I was carrying my bags to the car.

My own father couldn't even look at me anymore. Two years ago, my sister turned eighteen and attended the choosing for the first time and she was the first one to be chosen by a Beta from the Dark kingdom. It was the most prestigious and rich pack after the Royal Pack, but my family happiness was short-lived because again their elder daughter was not chosen, nobody even batted a lash at me after that.

That's why I was a disappointment to my family. Many times I thought of running away, but what will that accomplish? Because every pack I run to attend the same Choosing.

We all go through all the same ritual, and rules, and soon enough the pack that found me was going to send me back to my father's house making me more of a disappointment to my family

I had no hope.

"Move faster, we are already late!" My father, who couldn't even bear to look at his daughter anymore, shouted and I did as I was told.

I put both my bags in the trunk of his truck, getting in the back seat looking out the window.

After last year's Choosing my father barely said a word to me, and whatever word he uttered was either an instruction or a jab at my situation.

Like it was my fault

I sat there in silence as my father drove out of the yard and followed other cars that were going in the same direction. I was nobody in the pack, just another member living in the pack but not low enough to be labelled an Omega.

We drove for about four hours with me just watching the road and wondering what today held for me. Was this the year I left my home, and joined another pack or will I be riding in another silence ride at the end of the night going back home.

This was supposed to be the happiest day of every she-wolf. It marked the beginning of our lives but when I saw the big brown decorated building that held the Choosing every year my stomach dropped.

I felt nauseous, and light headed.

Don't get me wrong the building was decorated nicely like it always did but the thought of entering the hall with all eyes on me, made me wish for death itself.

I specifically remember the excitement I felt the first year coming here, but now seeing the big brown building was part of my neverending nightmares.

Suddenly all the cars stopped at the big gates, and I knew we were waiting for our Alpha to grant us entrance and a pass to enter the building and confirm our invitation.

The entrance was nothing fancy, just a big welcoming sign, flowers and red and white balloons. Like every other year they left the good stuff inside the ballroom. It will probably look like a fairytale there.

The unbelievable human ones.

Last year it was Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty the previous year and so on, but I still can't get the first theme from six years ago, when I first attended the Choosing out of my mind.

Luna eclipse.

It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Since we were not allowed to see the real one. Something about the eclipse driving the wolves feral, my father had told me.

Believe me when I say I have seen almost all the themes at the Choosing. Sadly, even with all that attendance I couldn't even get a drunken omega to be interested in me.

I remember my first Choosing. My mother spent all her savings and bought me an expensive dress to lure a suiter for me, her first daughter, but that didn't happen.

It was money wasted.

Now, neither of us even bother anymore. I just wore my blue ripped jeans, a white tank top, and white vans. What was the use of dressing up if you already knew the outcome of the choosing anyway?

Finally the gates opened, getting me out of my depressing thoughts.

The warriors welcomed each car inside, and I could see many new she-wolves smiling, and for some sad reason I envied them. So, when our car finally parked I went straight to the huge line where we registered for the Choosing and if you were lucky enough you got chosen anonymously by a shy mate.

But firstly we were going to parade ourselves with a name tag that had our name, age, height, and which pack you were from on it. And let me not forget how high you were on the food chain. I was at the bottom just before the omegas.

Which again didn't help my case.

Next, I went to the garden without bothering about my father's whereabouts. I knew he wouldn't want to be seen with me. He already heard the whispers and taunts, enough to last him a lifetime.

I walked around looking at the calming flowers that surrounded the big fountain with a sculpture of a big black lycan. Thee, first Alpha king himself. The water seemed calm, coming out of both nostrils of the sculpture. It wasn't the most enticing sight but it always seemed to calm me down.

This place gave me time to think, and fight the edge to run back home, get in bed and cry myself to sleep, sad I know but that's has been my life for the past six years.

I closed my eyes trying to enjoy the scent of different flowers in the garden, when I heard footsteps coming my way, and I groaned knowing someone was coming. The feeling got worse when, the said she-wolf guessing from her scent, sat next to me.

I opened my eyes wondering who would want to sit next to the cursed girl like me. I thought the whispers would have spread by now. No one wanted to catch what I had. Apparently not being chosen was transferrable.

Ridiculous, I know. If it was, my sister wouldn't have been chosen by the Beta and became the first option.

"Hi" said the girl shyly, she looked younger than me, but prettier with her long curly light brown hair, big green eyes, that was staring at me with wonder.

I was sure I had the same look too, how else could I explain why I haven't answered her greeting yet? but I was shocked, who would risk their future, even if it was a lie?

"Mhhh, hi" I mumbled, and she gave me her perfect white smile.

"My name is Ingrid. I am from the Royal Forest pack." she said, still smiling and I had to give her a forced smile back so I don't come out as rude

"I'm Sophia, from the White stones pack." I answered and I saw a realisation in her eyes, finally putting two and two together. She already heard about me, but instead of walking away like other she-wolves usually do, her smile widened and the crazy She-wolf scooted even closer.

"Thee, cursed girl? they were talking about you on the bus!" She exclaimed happily. It was not a question because she wasn't even looking at me or waiting for an answer, but I nodded anyway there was no use lying about it now

"Just you know, I don't think you're cursed, I just think it hasn't been your time yet, everyone has that one special someone made just for them, and I think your husband is waiting for you.

He will come when the time is right, the question is, would you accept him?" Her words surprised me. She said all this without looking at me, her eyes were looking at the white roses in front of her the whole time.

But one thing stood out, why wouldn't I accept my mate? The person who would get me out of this hell I am in?

"I think my special somebody died a long time ago." It was meant to be a joke, even though I believed it was true.

I don't know why I was opening up to the stranger but her words were kind, which I wasn't used to. The thought that I didn't have a mate or that he may have died crossed my mind often, but this was the first time I actually said the words out loud to another being.

"Then the goddess gave you another one!" She said as a matter of fact.

Which made me wonder how she could know all that, but before I could ask her what she meant by that, she quickly got up and left without saying another word!

Weird right? I guess this Choosing may be different after all.