Zutelle is invited to a meeting of the elders. It is time for her to take over and continue the lineage of the pure wolves of Arikonda. All her life, Zutelle was hidden away by her father, the Alpha king as is the custom of the kingdom. She is to become heir and successor of the Arikonda tribe. She is undefiled and this accounts for her beauty and power. A wolf who remains undefiled before the mating ritual retains power and unimaginable beauty. He or she is also granted by the elders the power to be able to transform into humans. However, wolves are forbidden from mating with humans. Zutelle has fulfilled all that is required of her in preparation for her succession of the kingdom's leadership and mating ritual. However, one thing is lacking. The full moon is fast approaching and there's no heir to perform the ritual of purification. Zutelle's father has gotten to the age where he is no longer qualified to perform this ritual. He is old but the ritual must be performed by a young blood. This is the tradition. The new successor must be appointed before the new moon appears otherwise, the pure wolves of Arikonda will be punished by turning into unclean, vile and less powerful wolves forever. The fate of Arikonda lies on Zutelle's shoulders now and she must be prepared to answer the call of the elders. The qualified males of the Arikonda pack has been assembled and she must make her choice. These males have been carefully selected from the noble families of Arikonda by the Elders and they are believed to be without blame. The wolves of Arikonda are believed to be pure and undefiled. However, the nobles are carefully selected by the gods to represent and lead the kingdom whenever the need arises. A wolf who is a commoner is not permitted to lead Arikonda. The elders are waiting and it is time to summon Zutelle. Her father slowly and carefully moves into his territory to fetch his daughter. It is finally time to unveil his precious successor to the elders of Arikonda. "Zutelle, my daughter, I have done my best to protect you and make you powerful enough to rule after me. I have carried on my father's lineage up to this day. You must continue where I have to stop. Now, I must present you to the elders, come with me." He turns to leave…"Father, forgive me but I am afraid…I do not have the courage…""Silence Zutelle!" Rogan howls at his daughter with a Stern, frightening look. He is sorry and disappointed. Sorry that his precious daughter is about to take up a responsibility so great and disappointed because he didn't expect her to be this feeble minded, not after all he has done to make her ready. "Zutelle, you must remember that not only does the fate of this kingdom lie in your hands, the name of your lineage lies on your shoulders too. Do not disappoint me and my fathers. Follow me, it is time" She follows her father out to meet the assembled council of elders. The selected nobles are also present and are all mesmerized by her beauty and magnificence. Indeed such beauty as this have never been seen in the kingdom. Zutelle is now in the presence of the council of elders headed by her father, the Alpha King. "I present to you, my daughter, the heir to my throne, Zutelle. "The elders pay their respects to Zutelle who in turn kneels to receive their blessings.The selected male nobles comes forward also to pay their respects to Zutelle on their knees, this time, she is standing.Her gaze meets that of one of the nobles, a handsome noble with dreamy eyes, Lokel. He is well built with a feisty look.There's something about him, and she is trying to figure it out. He keeps looking at her, his eyes screaming with the passion to become her mate, if only she would pick him.It is time for Zutelle to make her choice. She must make this choice using her divine power which would help her make the right decision. She looks over to her father who encourages her to go ahead while nodding his head in a way that said, "I trust you". Gracefully, she inspects the nobles lined up before her with her eyes. She is not allowed to have any physical contact with them, not even after selecting her mate who is believed to be her fated mate. She observes that none of the nobles could look at her face. Are they shy or they do not have the courage to rule with me? However, Lokel is the only one among the wolf nobles who has maintained eye contact with her. She immediately thinks to herself, "He must be the most fearless of them all, he looks handsome and responsible. "I pick him" She said and walks up to her father the king to sit beside him. The king, standing up immediately orders the guards, "Escort the chosen one to my presence and that of the elders" The other nobles leaves while Lokel is escorted to face the council of elders.
The chosen one is to be set apart from the rest of the pack, never to be seen until it is time for the mating ritual. He must be purified and prepared to become Zutelle's Alpha.
The elders circles him while howling towards the moon.
This sends him to Zuko, the shrine enclave of the great Arikonda Pack. He is to dwell here until the mating ritual.
The meeting of the elders is over and Zutelle is in her room this time.
She is meditating and her father's words during her training comes ringing through her head.
"Every wolf has a destined mate. While choosing your mate, be on the lookout for a familiar scent. You will recognize your mate by his scent. It will be so strong that you can never mistake it".
She springs up immediately, this is it! I did not look out for the familiar scent. How will I explain this to my father? What will be the fate of Arikonda?