A sigh escaped faded pink lips. Charcoal eyes gazed into the mirror as their owner, Marietta applied the makeup given to her by the elders on her face drawing lines across her cheeks. Marietta's shoulders slumped slightly, her third time, to make it right. Gain her wolf and leave the pack grounds, she did not care if she was going to be declared a Rogue omega as long as she distanced herself from them.

She dusted her hands after drawing the last of her makeup and turned to attend her next big task, making up her hair; Opening the drawer, she took a black ribbon and wrapped it around her blond, curly hair to form a neat bun. .

"That's about it." She puffed her cheeks out in pride, for a self-made job she had done a splendid job making herself look presentable.

Marietta wore a blouse that came up to her knees, the blouse had a low V-cut around her neck reaching her chest exposing her well-endowed assets slightly. The dress had stains on the hems around her knees, a sign that it was not cleanly washed.

She looked at herself in the mirror, her charcoal eyes lost their gleam, staring back at her was a lifeless version of herself; how she, was feeling, her true self appeared in the mirror as if it was judging the mask she had adorned.

A knock on the door alerted Marietta. She turned from the mirror and hurried to open it. "Yes?"

The door swung open and standing before her, was a woman with short wavy black hair and black eyes wearing a white and black maid uniform. "It's time to go," The maid said, every word sounded like cold water poured on Marietta's shoulders.

Marietta nodded. "Thanks for coming to get me Roxy," She expressed her gratitude for the woman in front of her with a smile showing her fangs slightly.

Marietta left the room and made her way to the main hall.

She entered the main hall and walked on the red carpet on the floor, she glanced around at the other shifters. She hung her head shielding her eyes with her hair. Their snickers irritated her, she wanted to clutch her ears with her hands, but her fingers twitched as she refrained from the impulse to do that and took the stand beside the others.

She slightly elevated her eyes to look at the podium in front of them. She lowered her eyes instantaneously avoiding the glare from the red eyes belonging to their soon-to-be alpha, Silas William Laufey.

You know pup, that's not the way to look at her. Silver said disturbing Silas.

 Silas rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue. She was like all the beta females in the pack, but something about her made him loathe her, You won't understand Silver

But I do understand, you harbour loathing for her because of something she cannot change. Shut up Silver! I don't need you pitching in.

One way or the other, you can feel the pull she has on you, it's undeniable. She will soon be your mate.

Silas chuckled. That's rather stupid to say, how could she be my mate? She doesn't even have her wolf. There's no way she would be the one destined to spend eternity with me.

Mark my words. Silver's last response as he receded into the subconscious of Silas, his blue eyes flashing in the darkness briefly.

Silas clicked his tongue again, he tightened his hand to a fist. Silver was unwise, did he truly believe that he was going to settle for someone not off Alpha bloodline? Fat chance.

A man with faded black hair and blue eyes stepped forward, his elderly gaze glanced at the partakers of the ceremony before leaning to Silas, then back to the pack. "Esteemed pack members, once again we are gathered here for the upcoming ceremony, where our young ones will be full members of the pack."

The shifters went silent as the compulsion from their Alpha compelled them. The hall fell silent.

Reed looked at his pack with a critical eye, the participants of the ceremony were under his scrutinising eye; especially Marietta, this was her last time trying to awaken her wolf. If she did not awaken, he had to do what was best for the pack, release her from his protection.

"Under the moonlight, the elders shall begin the ceremony! Let us make haste."

The doors leading to the foot of the mountain were opened. The fresh musky breeze of the woodland washed into the hall.

Marietta held her breath. The path before them was a path she dreaded to take. Thinking about it made her stomach churn with displeasure, distaste rolling on her tongue making her want to barf.

 One by one, the partakers of the ceremony left behind the Alpha and his son, Marietta closed her eyes again as she began to move in a line with the others.

The sharp stones pierced her foot as she got outside, she was barefooted, unlike the others who were given shoes. She bit her lip to occupy her mind from the pain pulsing through her right foot. She kept repeating 'It was going to be on.' over and over in her mind as she made her way to the summit.

She looked up at the sky suddenly, the bright silver moon looked like wax melting in her eyes, and the starry midnight blue sky gave her heart solace; she stopped for a second, her eyes staring at the moon, every second that passed the moon drew nearer to her.

One of the pack members in the ceremony with her bumped into her, snapping her out of her trance. Marietta mumbled sorry and proceeded up the mountain, the dread she was feeling gone.

The pack made it to the summit and Marietta along with the other young adults took a stand in a line before the pack elder.

The elderly woman walked forward, in her hand was a small bowl with a substance that looked like darkness. The slush within the bowl would casually shake with her steps.

She started with Marietta who was at the left side of the line. Her long nails dipped into the bowl and she brought her hand back, pressed a nail on Marietta's forehead and slid it down between her eyes to the bridge of Marietta's nose blood mixed with the goo rolled slowly from the path the elder woman made.

With the initiation done, she went to the next one beside Marietta and did the same process. The result was instantaneous as the 18-year-old beside her let out a howl; a howl so loud the trees reverberated with its intensity. He got on the ground and twitched as his body started to morph, the joints changing to match that of a canine.

Howls of pain followed after the second one and the rest aside from Marietta began to writhe on the ground in pain.

Marietta closed her eyes, a tear escaped her closed eyelid. This was it, she had failed to awaken her wolf yet again.

Her heart felt heavy and constricted. She gasped for air as the sorrow from her broken heart tore through her mind sending signals to the lungs that she could not breathe.

Calm down, child.

 A voice brought Marietta to her senses, she snapped open her eyes and gasped once more as oxygen flooded her lungs allowing her to breathe again.

Her frightened eyes danced around her vicinity, the elders, the alpha they were gone from her sight. She was standing on top of a lake, the water below her had petals of cherry blossoms and she could see the bottom.

"Who is there?"

It is me pup, your wolf. The water slowly rose to a height just a bit above that of a normal human. It dissipated and in its stead was a wolf with white fur, red eyes and black paws...

The wolf howled and wiggled its tail. Why did it take so long to get here? I've waited for two years for you to reach out to me.

Marietta's eyes were wide as saucers, she could not believe her eyes. She had a wolf, she had an inner wolf. That meant she was not a failure, her dreams were slowly being recognized, and she was a step away from leaving the cursed place.

I see you are still stunned, my name is Monica Pup. Monica hopped over to Marietta and snuggled against her.

Instinctively, Marietta rubbed her fur, and her hand melted into Monica's fur. "Why didn't you wake up that day? You must have known how I felt."

Monica nodded and sat down on the water. You see, it wasn't that I didn't wake up that day, I did wake up but the moon goddess had restricted me from appearing to you. I was not ready to awaken.

"Why would the moon goddess do that? "

I don't know myself but it has something to do with your lineage, you are special.

Marietta chuckled bitterly. "I'm anything but special, I'm a disgrace. I have no parents, I don't know who they were or if they wanted me. Maybe I was just a mistake?"

Monica licked her face. You aren't a mistake, what you seek is not there but here.

She placed her paw on Marietta's chest to emphasize her point and what she meant.

It's time you go back, don't worry I'm with you now. Monica said as she nudged Marietta with her nose.

 Marietta opened her eyes and looked at the elder who was staring at her.

The stare from the elder made her quite uncomfortable and she asked a question quietly. "What's the matter,"

"Impossible..." The elder whispered, eyes wide open as she stared at Marietta.

Marietta raised an eyebrow and looked at her feet. It was then she saw what the elder was seeing.

A rose petal, the size of a basketball drew itself on the earth, the moonlight gently clandestine her body showering her with luminescence, making her glow.

The glow made Marietta take a step back, her eyes flashing red. She was assaulted by crystal clear sight, the darkness in the trees fading away making night turn to day. "What's happening to me?"

The elder's shock turned into excitement, she reached for Marietta's hands and her wrinkled epidermis reverted back to its healthy shape as soon as she made contact with the moonlight. The elder looked at her hand, the moonlight had restored it.

"Don't be afraid child," She soothed Marietta with her soft vocals and kind words. Her hand held Marietta's and she slowly walked back, allowing Marietta to come to her to the altar.

Marietta resigned to her situation, the vision, the hearing, and the sensory devices that flooded her sensory senses were all new to her. She had anticipated her wolf awakening, and dreamt about it for days on end. But now, she was more scared than excited,

With every step she took, her legs wobbled as her joints tried to reconfigure themselves to match Monica but they couldn't.

Marietta and the elder stopped on the altar, her feet on top of the clan crest.

The moonlight radiated intensely as the clan crest resonated with her presence, the wolf crest hidden by the sand glowing crimson and manifesting to the others.

This was truly a one-of-a-kind phenomenon, one not seen in centuries.

Silver who was observing the ceremony through Silasʼ eyes howled. That's her pup!! I told you that she was our mate and you did not believe me.

 Silas gritted his teeth; for the love of the moon goddess she could not fathom such a thing, it made his stomach twist in disgust, she was not of noble blood, did not belong to the consort of the alphas as well and their beloved goddess choose her, the worst candidate to be his mate.

She was plain looking, had no redeeming quality, and was always pitiful and dirty covered in grease and grime even as he was looking at the spectacle that had ensnared everyone into watching.

"She will never be my mate!" Silasʼ growled unaware that his voice not only got transmitted to Silver in his ear but to his father and mother.

His eyes bled charcoal like Silverʼs, his fangs grew a bit and in a blink, Silas was at the altar, having covered the distance between him and Marietta on the altar in a heartbeat. His charcoal eyes bore into Marietta's and he licked his lips, the corners of his mouth tugged upward into a smirk.

"She finally awakens! But it's unfortunate."