Hayley
The most anticipated night of the year was finally here and all the mateless wolves in the Kingdom were all looking forward to tonight. It was the mating night, and the one time in a month when the moon goddess blesses her kindreds with partners and goodness. Everybody was looking forward to it, everybody except me.
Ever since my eighteenth birthday I haven't been able to get myself a mate. My mates trolled me for still being single even after reaching twenty one, but I never buckled or yielded to their harsh tones. One thing kept me motivated throughout the years of me being mateless, and it was the single fact that the Alpha's son, Zion Alaric, was yet to find his mate as well.
Even though I was nothing but a servant in the palace, I dreamt big. I fantasized everyday that Zion would be my mate, that we would someday get married and have children, but that was all in my head. He was an Alpha and I was an Omega, there was no way we were compatible.
"Why do you always hurt yourself? You know there's nobody who would accept you as their mate, don't you?" Emily said as I cleaned up my gown for tonight. She didn't have a mate as well, but unlike me, she had status. She was a beta, and was the lady everybody wanted the young Alpha to be with. Even though she was a complete jerk to me, there was no denying the fact that she was better than me in most aspects.
Unlike me who had only three gowns in my closet, Emily probably had a dozen or more. She was educated, and didn't clean the stables every morning. She was a lucky maid who had caught Zion's attention by accident and had suddenly been elevated to a status of wealth and privilege. Emily hadn't been this rude before, but she hadn't been the nicest either. I hated her, and the both of us knew that fact very well.
"Just because you're Zion's girlfriend doesn't mean you'll be his mate. I'll advise you to focus on yourself instead of trying to bother me." I replied with a cold tone, and in the same instant received a slap across the face.
I felt my cheeks burn from the impact of her hand, and I quickly stood to react, but was apprehended by the guard nearby.
"Trash like you should know their place," Emily spat before finally turning and taking her leave. My eyes teared up, but I didn't let my tears fall. I had cried enough, and there was no way I was going to cry again, at least not tonight.
After getting my dress ready, I had a quick bath and immediately got ready to ascend into the ballroom. Men and women were invited from all over the pack to participate in the moonlight dance. It was essentially a dance where partners were switched from time to time until you're able to find your mate. Once a couple realizes that they're mates, they leave the dance floor and leave the others to continue theirs. This dance would continue until the full moon in the sky is no longer visible to the eye.
As I entered the ales filled hall I prayed that I'd be able to find a mate, preferably someone who was from another pack. I wanted someone who would take me away from this place, someone who would not care for my status as Omega or Alpha. I dreamed and prayed that it would be Zion, but slowly those fantasies were beginning to vanish from my thoughts.
I walked straight for the dance floor even though my body called for me to eat before I went off to dance. As I approached the dance floor, Emily intercepted me with a disgusting look on her face.
"So you actually came, but for what exactly? Do you really think anyone would want to be with you?" She asked in a mocking tone.
I rolled my eyes at her remarks, and made to walk past her but she wouldn't let me. Realizing that she wasn't going to leave me alone until I gave her a reaction, I took a deep breath before asking her a question I've been holding in for a while. "What is your problem with me Emily? What did I ever do to you?"
She scoffed lightly, and in the next second her brows furrowed in rage and contempt. "I see the way you look at Zion, I know you fantasize about him everyday,but I've come to burst your bubble. Tonight, Zion is going to get mated to me, and you'll end up alone without a mate for the rest of your life."
I was left embarrassed and speechless after her answer, and soon I began to regret why I ever decided to even speak to her in the first place. After Emily walked away, I entered the dance floor and immediately engaged in the dancing.
I switched partners from time to time, but felt no pull with any of the men around. While on the other hand, Emily never left Zion's side. It was obvious that they hadn't felt a pull between themselves, if they had felt a mate pull, both of them would have left the dance floor.
Tactfully, I closed in towards the two of them. Every partner I switched got me one inch closer to Zion, and my heart pounded in my chest as I drew closer to him. The only problem was how to dance with him when Emily would never give him up to the other dancers. Not only was she keeping her potential mate away, she was also keeping Zion away from finding his mate.
The moment Emily spotted me, she tried to pull Zion off the dance floor and pretend as though they'd found each other. However, Zion refused, and cautioned her against it.
"What do you think you're doing? We haven't found our mates, we have to keep dancing." He scolded her before leaving her behind to re-enter the dance floor.
I immediately ceased the opportunity and raced towards Zion. He probably recognised me as the maid from the palace, but during the mating night, status didn't matter.
The moment we locked hands, I felt a wave of electricity course through my veins, and I could tell Zion felt it too. We both paused and stared into the eyes of each other, our mouths dropped in utter shock. I felt the urge to smile and leap up in joy, but Zion's face suddenly fell in disgust and embarrassment as he uttered his next words in complete disbelief.
"Mate? Impossible."