"Okay everyone it's almost Go-Time so let's get this place cleaned up! Only a few more day's people, chop chop!" Dad bellowed.

"YES ALPHA!" came the unified reply of the pack.

It's that time of year again...mating season. Ugh, oh mating season, how I loathe thee. It's not bad enough I'm the pack freak, (24 and no mate) but now I have to endure yet another fancy schmancy ball...Ok, ok so I don't exactly hate dressing up and parading around like the princess I am, (In my own mind) but being 24 and watching everyone around me find true love...kinda sucks, to be honest. Usually, we find our mates when we reach maturity, 18 years old, but for some reason, I still haven't found mine!

Every year we, as the head Wolven family, host the Spring Gala and Autumn Ball. USUALLY, at the Spring Gala, we find our mates. The Autumn Ball is for the stragglers who haven't found their "one true love" yet. Unfortunately, we are now approaching the Autumn Ball and I, YET AGAIN, have no mate. Bless my parent's hearts, they've tried 7 ways from Sunday to help me, sending me on diplomatic trips too all the pack's in the US, scheduling all kinds of dinner's with any and all single males...nothing's worked so far.

To make matter's worse, I'm not just a lonely wolf. I'm THE lonely wolf. I'm the daughter of the King of the Wolven. Oh, wanna know how it can be worse? Oh, I'm gonna tell ya! Get this, I was born with powers! No shit, actual powers, I can read people's thought's and manipulate the element's, among a few other kinda cool little thing's like looking into someones past via a taste of their blood and a couple other small thing's. Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy for me. (just a little Ren and Stimpy for ya.) You may be thinkin "But Nova, it would be so cool to have powers!" and you'd be right, it would be cool...if I wasn't the Kings daughter. Having these powers only puts me in more danger of an attack or assassination attempt. I'd be so much safer if I could find my mate.

There's a prophecy that foretold my birth and my powers, it also said my mate would be just as strong as I am and that together we will be as one and lead the Wolven into a time of peace and prosperity. My parents are ALL ABOUT that Prophecy Life! They want me to find my mate just as bad (if not more) than I do. Dad even went as far as inviting International's to this year's Autumn Ball, (desperate much?!) to help his freak of a daughter find my mate.

"Nova!" bellowed a deep mighty voice.

"Speak of the devil..."

"What?, Nevermind, have you found a dress for this weekend? Have you brushed up on the International high ranking families?"

"Ummmm I'm getting too it?..." I replied sheepishly

"Nova, I swear sometimes you make me madder than a wet hen on a hot rock girl. Get your rear in gear, we don't have much longer till the night of the Ball!"

If ya ain't picked up on it yet...yeah, we're a southern family.

"Daddy, don't be so dramatic. I'll study up tonight I promise." I said as I planted a peck on his cheek and strode past him, head held high in rebellion.

"Oh no ya don't young lady! You'll study NOW." he said as he turned on me and grabbed my elbow.

"Daaaaaaaaddy, please don't make a big deal outta this. You know it's just gonna be like every other year. I'll dance, sing, drink, burn and or blow something up then at the end of the night I'll go to the cliff just like the prophecy say's and I'll wait, just like I'm supposed too, then after I've waited till sun up I'll go back to my room, cry myself to sleep and get over it in a week or so..." I spat. The look in his sky blue eyes told me I'd made a mistake. I sighed as I wrapped my arms around his muscular shoulders and buried my face in his shoulder-length raven hair.

"I'm sorry daddy. It's not your fault and I didn't mean what I said. I'm just a brat right now. Nerve's I think, I'll go get cleaned up and changed and then we'll have lunch?" I asked as I released him from my bear hug.

"Ok." was his reply. I turned towards the staircase but didn't get more than a half a step before I realized he was still holding my hand. I looked back.

"You know, we never wanted you to be like this. We hoped the prophecy was wrong, that you'd be a normal little wolven girl. I would never have...especially after..."

I cut him off.

"I know daddy. It's alright, I'm a big girl I can handle it. Buck up pop's we got a ball to plan for." I said as I squeezed his hand. He smiled but I saw that it didn't reach his eyes.

He released me to go freshen up before lunch. After my melt-the-skin-off-your-bones shower, I wiped the steam from the mirror. I didn't think I looked too bad in all honesty. I mean sure I was a little thicker than most wolven but I like to think of it as, more cushion, ya know what I'm sayin? My hair is nothing special, it hangs to about the middle of my back and is usually braided in some fashion and is white as the driven snow. (Not dyed, just born this way) My eyes are my favorite thing about me though. See, they change color! Typically they stay a deep bluish green with yellow spikes coming out from the iris but when I'm mad, sad, scared, or powered up they change to all kind's of colors.

As far as my face goes, I have a normal, ever so slightly upturned nose but, you couldn't really tell if you weren't really looking at my side profile. My lips are average and boring, thin upper lip, little thicker lower lip. Accompany that to my high cheekbones and kinda heart/ triangle face and BOOM, ya got me! Oh, I'm also tan..ish...?... and my nose is littered with light freckles. I hate them! One thing I definitely don't hate is my body, and no, my waist isn't a dang 18 inches, it's a very nice and normal 37 inches with 48 inch hip's and 42 inch chest which is decent for my 5′7 frame. I told ya, I'm as normal in the looks department as they come, well, aside from my eye's and hair.

Anywho, so I get all dried off and begin the Goddess awful task of drying my mane when I'm hit with this crazy sick feeling. It's kinda like, someones watching me. I'm so on edge right now. I'm in nothing but my towel and I know for a fact my door is locked. I always lock it when I hit the shower. Regardless of this crap-feeling, I gotta get this head dried so I keep a wary eye out and continue drying. After a few minutes, the feeling actually goes away and I'm left wondering "what the holy hell" was that about. I unlock the door, give the hall a quick glance and head back inside to dress. I open my drawers and grab my lunch outfit.

Royal Blue blouse and dark washed skinny jeans with crew cut black socks and my favorite pair of biker booties. After trying and failing...twice...to braid my hair I yell for Emily, who shuffles into my room a few minutes later and braids it for me. Yeah, I know, pathetic. SO once I'm all decked out in my comfy clothes I throw on some lip gloss and bomb ass earrings and head to the little breakfast nook in the kitchen that mom, dad and I usually have our private lunches in.

"Ah, there you are darling." mama coo's at me.

"Sorry I'm a little late. Stupid braid took forever, had to get Emily to do it for me." I muttered the last part.

"Oh sweetheart, why didn't you just use your magic to fix it?"

Mama and Daddy are at two different ends of the "Nova has powers" spectrum. She thinks I should indulge in them and he thinks I should be more cautious and use them less. I, however, try not to use them if it's a task I can do on my own, if not, I have no quarrels about using them.

"Desha please, don't encourage her to use them so much. It's not..." he stopped. They both suddenly found their plates very interesting. I sat down to my own plate and placed the napkin in my lap.

"Normal?" I said as nonchalantly as I could whilst scooping a big spoonful of eggs.

"Nova...I didn't mean..."

"I know." I smiled up at him.

"Let's just finish our breakfast before it gets cold huh?" mama said with a smile.

We nodded and dug in. Soon mama began with a new topic. One I was just as eager NOT to discuss.

"So, have you picked your gown for the Ball? You know it's only a week away. Oh, Lincoln I'm supposed to tell you, the first guests will be arriving today."

"Well, that was fast. Which nation?"

"Let's see, the Germans arrived last night and today will be the British, including the Scottish and Irish since their packs fall under English Rule, tomorrow I believe will be the Russians, after that the French will be coming in as they arrive off the planes. Only the English have sent word of their arrival time's though. The rest we'll just have to try and be prepared for as they get here over the next day or two."

"Hmmm I don't like not knowing when the rest will be here."

"I know dear, but this was sort of last minute."

"I know. Well, hopefully, this years Ball will be the one our little girl finds her mate at, Eh Nova?" dad exclaimed as he and mama looked at me expectantly.

"Yup, just...don't get your hopes up ok?" I said sheepishly. I hated seeing the pain in their eyes each year when I didn't find my mate. Mama put her hand on mine and gave it a gentle and knowing squeeze. Daddy did the same to my other hand. I was the only child they had at the moment. We truly treasured each other.

"So hows baby bro today?" I asked eager to break the attention from myself.

"Oh, he's sitting on my bladder, per the usual and kicking me every chance he gets." she said cheerily as she rubbed her stomach.

"At least he's kicking and moving around! Let's you know he's alive..." He chuckled then regret and sorrow filled his eye's. Mama cleared her throat.

"We'd best be gettin everythin set up for the guest's Desha." Daddy said as he rose and helped my mother up.

"Oh Nova, hunny, you never told me, did you find a dress to wear?" mama asked, looking back at me.

"Nah not yet but I'm going to the city today to look again. No worries I'll take Grayson and Buck and Trix is gonna meet me at the mall anyway." I told them.

"Ok hunny, just be safe. Love you." she said as she smiled and took daddy's elbow.

"Love ya'll too." I quickly threw back as I got up and bolted for the door.