Prologue
Ashira's POV
Werewolves do exist. Before, it was just a myth. A way to scare the children or to keep the teens from going out too much.
But it is real. Werewolves are real.
I knew this because I am one of them. I'm living proof of the myth. I'm a She-Wolf.
Humans don't know we exist. Not from the outside world.
"Ashira!" A cheery sweet voice took my attention from gazing out.
My friend, Lucy, came running in my direction. Just like me, she was wearing a white thin satin dress that is just above the knee. We both are wearing wood-made sandals.
If you're going to compare the way we're dressed, we'll look so weird despite the age and year we are in.
We have no underwear inside the thin white dress. The wood sandals are even made by the elders of the pack.
But this is not the way we dress up.
A sacred ceremony will be held and we just need to dress like so.
It's a pack tradition.
Werewolves like us need to stick together. We have our pack. Me and my friend, Lucy belong to the Regal pack under the reigning of Alpha David together with his Beta, Eric.
Eric, the Beta of Regal, is the one who took me in and acts as my guardian.
I was once a Rogue. A lone-wolf. I don't know who my parents were or if I belong to another pack before. I have no memories of my childhood.
All I remember was waking in the middle of the forest and being found by Eric. He's already a Beta at that time.
Eric's mate, Ophelia, accepted me as their orphan child. They also have a son named Cruz, he's a couple of years older than I am.
I get along well with Eric and his family. Cruz is even overprotective like I am his sister. Overall, I settled in this pack even though I'm practically an outsider.
"You looked excited, Luce," I said to her when she came near me. We walked sideways towards the line where the other She-Wolf is. They wear the same kind of dress.
"And you're not? We're talking about mapping here! Of course, I'll be hell-bent!"
Mapping is a pack tradition. It's held annually before the end of the year. Now, it's happening five days before Christmas.
Mapping is a sacred ceremony and is one of the most important events for every pack.
It's not just the Regal pack that held this ceremony. Every pack all over the continent does.
We'll be able to know from which pack our mate is. This is the main concern of the mapping.
Each wolf has their mates. If a wolf is not able to meet its mate, it won't have the chance to produce a pup.
Even if a wolf had sex with every wolf, you'll not be able to get pregnant unless it's your mate.
A wolf can only produce their heir with its mate. So finding a mate is a must especially for the Alpha of the pack. Even for the Beta and third-in-command.
They'll need their mate to continue their legacy.
It's not easy to pick a Beta or Gamma. Those high-rank positions are mostly inherited. Unless that bloodline will betray the Alpha then they will banish that bloodline from having a position in the high ranks.
I just shrugged the thought of finally locating my mate. I'm not interested.
"I'm just waiting for this moment ever since I was born." Lucy's eyes are even sparkling as she said that.
That reaction is very common. Most of the She-Wolf is waiting for this moment of their life.
But not me. I don't have any butterflies flying on my stomach whenever the word mate is involved.
"How does this work again?" I asked. I knew most of the pack laws and its system but I never dig deep when it comes to anything about mapping or mates.
"You're so uninterested, Ashira. Aren't you excited to meet your mate?"
I shrugged only to answer her question. She rolled her eyes at me.
"Whatever. So here," she points to the house of the enchantress. "There's a sacred knife inside and you'll cut your palm with it. You'll let the blood drop on the map and it will do its magic." She explained with excitement."
"How?"
She lumped her shoulders and looked at me like I'm unbelievably naive.
"This thing is taught to the toddlers and you don't know?" She scuffed.
I scowled at her.
"Whatever. So when the enchantress does her chant, the part of the map where you're mate is will glow." She said, having sparkles in her eyes once again.
"Technically, we won't know who exactly our mate is," I stated. That sounds like a job.
"Exactly! Isn't it exciting!" Her voice almost made me cover my ear.
I scowled. "Exciting how?"
Lucy rolled her eyes at me. "We'll go to where they are, duh! First, we'll be able to visit other territories."
"Only if the mate is not from our pack." I cut her and shrugged.
"Whatever, Ashira! Oh! And second, we'll be accommodated by the other pack. That's like having a free vacation with a place to stay and free foods to eat!" She screams the last words.
"You sound like they don't feed you here." I cut again.
She ignored me this time.
"Third, we'll finally have the chance to attend the annual mapping party!"
Every year, every pack celebrates the annual mapping party. On the same dates, the Alpha's agreed on.
This year will be held the night before Christmas. So that the She-Wolves will have their time to travel to the packs where the mapping leads them. And to prepare themselves.
There are She-Wolves from other packs that come here every annual mapping party. And they'll meet their mates at the party.
The same will happen to us soon.
Every year, the Regal pack loses its She-Wolves. And every year new She-Wolves from other packs were added.
It's like exchanging the women of packs. But for a reason.
The men cannot leave the pack. Only the She-Wolves can.
It's not possible for male wolves the transfer to another pack. The female should always transfer. That's every pack's law.
The loyalty of the men wolves is essential.
Also, it's a pack law so even the men like to switch packs, they can't unless they go Rogue. But only a few packs accept Rogue as one of them. Rogue tends to have a traitor's blood. That's how packs see them.
"Any worst-case scenario?" I asked Lucy again. The long line is now a few. I guess the process of mapping is easy. We're almost next.
Many girls came out of the enchantress's house with wide ear smiles. Knowing where their mate is causing a rampage in their system. I can't relate.
Lucy somehow thinks of an answer to my question.
"Hmm, as far as I heard, there's a wolf before that loses her consciousness. Practically, blood loss. She cut way too deep on her palm. But that's the worst I know."
Okay. I don't think I'll be stupid enough to cut myself deep.
"Oh my God! I'm next!" Lucy screams. I just smiled and gave her a light push. Not feeling any excitement.
Lucy went inside and I'm the next in line. I looked around me and noticed that there's only one girl left behind me.
I took note of her excitement gushing through her aura. She looked like she'll pass out any second from being thrilled in knowing her mate.
"You wanna go first?" I asked. I knew she'll love to.
The girl's eyes widened and sparkle with hope. "I can?!" She screamed, making my ears ring for a bit.
I smiled and gave way for her to make a cutsie.
"Thank you! Thank you!" She jumped-walk past me.
A few minutes and Lucy came out of the house. There's a red cloth wrapped in her left hand just like the others before her. Maybe it helps to stop the bleeding but that's weird since we can heal fast.
Lucy was grinning like crazy. She sure is in high spirits.
"Ashiraaaaa!" She jumped on me and hugged me tightly. The girl I made a favor already run inside the Enchantress. "my god! I know where my mate is!" Lucy screamed once again that made a whizzing noise in my ears.
"I'm happy for you. Yay." I said, trying to sound cheerful while I rubbed my ears without her seeing.
"Won't you ask me more?" I was confused at first. Hell, this girl just wants to be even more thrilled.
I just laughed as I saw her eyes glittering, lips pouted... "Okay. Where!?"
"Shadow pack!" She screamed again. Damn, my friend!
"Wow!" I exclaimed.
Shadow pack is the second strongest wolf pack. Most wolves in that pack are fighters. They also outrun the other packs in numbers.
Our pack, the Regal, is fourth in line in the strongest pack. We also have a lot of wolves that made us earn fourth place.
We're mostly women but we made that as an advantage. Our She-Wolves are also fighters. Some even are the best.
I was about to talk more and congratulate her when the before me came out of the house. Her eyes mirror the same sparkle every girl had.
"I guess I'm next," I said to Lucy. She nodded nonstop with excitement.
I walked through the door of the house of the enchantress. Once inside, I was welcomed by the dark with only the dimmed lights from the candles on someplace.
A circle wooden table is in the middle of the living room. There's a huge map in its middle, a box on the side, and five candles formed into circles in the shape of a Star.
Behind the table is where the enchantress is seated. I can barely see her because of the dark.
When my eyes adjusted, I saw her almost in her fifties.
"Come closer, Wolf." The enchantress said, almost a whisper.
I did.
I'm not nervous nor afraid but my feelings are uncanny.
This place feels so heavy. I wonder why. Should I felt this way? I feel so different from the way the other She-Wolves react.
The ambiance of the place somewhat gave me a light fear. Not enough to make my knees tremble though.
It's like my Wolf is saying something. Somehow telling me danger. At least, how I felt.
"You know what to do." The Enchantress said. She sounds tired and bored. Like, she has been doing this thing all her life and she's just not into it.
I looked at the table in front of me. I looked at the box beside the map. Inside, I saw the sacred knife laying flat. Almost waiting for me to take it.
There are two wolves, hugging each other carved as the knife's handle.
I picked it up and put its edge on my palm. I inhaled deeply as I start cutting through my palm but not deep enough.
It stings a bit. My forehead is knotted as I let my blood drop on the map.
Once my blood dropped on the map, it was quickly absorbed.
That explains why there's no stain of blood on the map after all those girls before me.
I put the knife down inside the box again. I almost growled when the enchantress took my hand hastily.
Her move is fast, it also made me think she's weird.
She wrapped my hand with a red cloth just like what others have.
After, she looked at the map, waiting for the result. I did the same.
I looked at the map as well. There's no light from it yet. I was pretty sure Lucy said it will glow or something.
A few seconds and a round little glow was visible in a part of the map.
The enchantress's eyes looked even bored than it already is.
"Prime pack." She announced, no emotion can be detected in her voice.
Once informed of where my mate will be, I started turning my back to the enchantress. It's all done.
I was about to take a step when another light showed on the map. And then another, and another. Almost every part of the map is glowing!
The map took my entire attention. I'm not sure what's happening and confusion sure displayed on my face.
"What—" I was about to ask but I stopped before I could.
I don't understand any of
it. The map and its glowing lights are too distracting. My wolf has a lot of questions. Confusion and fear slowly crawled on me.
The Enchantress's expression didn't help me at all. She looked shocked. With a light fear.
"W-What's happening..." I managed to ask. Is this supposed to happen?
"You're a stealer!" She screamed.
Her voice sounds hysterical. From the sound of her voice and her expression, I know there's something wrong.
Stealer? I'm not a freakin' theft!
But what does she exactly mean?
I slowly walked backward. Away from the table. Away from the map. Away from the Enchantress.
'Ashira. Go home. Now!'
That was Eric talking to me through our mind link.
I didn't think twice when I heard him. I ran fast, heading outside of the house.
Lucy was about to come near me but I immediately shapeshifted into my beautiful white wolf.
I and my wolf is so confused. I can hear my wolf whining. And somehow, she sounded angry.
I can hear Lucy calls my name but I did not bother looking back.
I ran towards home. All I want now is a talk with Eric.
He must know something about this stealer thing or else.. I'll go insane.