"What's amusing, Lyn? You've been gazing at your reflection in the mirror all day." A voice broke through my thoughts like a wind, silencing the impropriety ravishing my mind.
The abrupt twirl was unnecessary but I was caught in the act; drowning in the memory of my night with alpha Damien, and building castles in the air about our imminent forever together.
"Vina, hey," I responded, smiling sheepishly.
Vina halted, furrowed her brows, and asked, "Mind telling me what happened last night? I feel something crazy happened in Alpha Damien's chamber."
"A lot of crazy things." I squealed, staring back at my reflection in the mirror.
I was blushing badly. A pink outline had contoured on my pale skin already, now everyone could easily predict what it was I'd been thinking about.
Omegas were despised, but Damein didn't seem bothered by my status, which was so adorable and made me love him more. And what we had may have been a one-night shit, but we weren't strangers, and I could swear that Damien was just as into me as I was into him. It was just a matter of time before we tied the knot and I became officially his.
"Alpha Damien is such a gentleman," I continued, wrapping my hands around my body like a burrito bread, and reveling in the memories of the night before. "He held me all through the night like he was scared to let go."
"Sounds like you two went down to it." Vina chuckled, and I nodded absentmindedly.
Being in his muscular arms felt so good, I couldn't help reminiscing and smiling like a fool. I thought about his short curly hair with shiny strands, and those green eyes, how could anyone not like him? He made every woman want to gravel. I felt really lucky that he chose me over everyone else.
Talking about my sacred moment with him was supposed to be a secret, but I couldn't keep my lips sealed, plus, it was Vina. What harm could Vina possibly do? She wasn't into Damien, and she was well cognizant of the alpha's feelings for me, so I could trust her.
Talking about Vina, I swirled around to her golden eyes observing me with interest. She caught the puzzling look in my eyes and smiled.
Vina Ferguson was my best friend. We'd been friends from high school and she may have been born a hybrid - witch and omega werewolf, but she was just as calm and sweet as a dove. She was the purest of them all, and I loved her like a sister because she was the closest I had to family.
"What?" I chuckled and burst out laughing.
Vina shrugged, but I caught the corners of her narrow lips curling up into a smile as she looked away.
"I know what you're thinking, Vina but I'm not insane," I said again, pointing a finger at her and bleating with laughter.
"I haven't even said a word" Vina replied, returning her eyes to me, a hint of humor in my voice. "It's clear how much you're into Damien, but girl, get a hold of yourself. You're going to make it too obvious."
"I don't know how not to," I squealed, turning my eyes back to the mirror, and then to my wardrobe.
I'm going to miss being in this space, I thought recollecting with poignant clarity the different melodies and tears the walls of my room had heard.
My room wasn't the most luxurious, but it had been my haven. My eyes roamed about my makeshift wardrobe. A sparse collection of clothes hung on the rod; some I'd worn since I clocked eighteen and those I'd received as gifts. It wasn't every day that I got to buy new clothes, I could barely provide for my needs and pay taxes, but I lived, one day at a time.
The house I lived in belonged to my deceased parents. We weren't the wealthiest family in Evergreen's pack but my parents had stolen the hearts of the rest of our pack members, can't tell how they did that. After their demise, neighbors and well-wishers couldn't let me wander alone. They showered me with so much love and affection. Thinking about it now, I think that helped me live above the rift my parent's death had created in my heart.
My room in particular was small but cozy, with the walls painted a light purple color we called lilac, and some lovely artwork my dad had set up for me before he died. It had a single wooden window that allowed in streams of sunlight. I used to sit by the window in a fetal position, staring out at the night sky as a bereaved teenager. Some ridiculous amount of energy always aided my transformation on the night of the full moon.
Life had tossed me some hard curve balls, but my bedding was harder. The faded patchwork quilt was a hand-me-down that was passed down to me like a ritual. I can't even tell who the original owner was because the mattress had seen hundreds of sweat-soaked bodies. Thinking about that sounded horrible, but I was one of the sweat-soaked bodies.
A small desk sat at the right hand corner of the room, with a handful of science books I'd never read, some books on nature that I'd devoured, and heaps of dance books. Then there was a tiny nightstand beside my bed that held my lamp and riff-raff journal I'd kept from my teenage days. It wasn't much, but it was my haven.
"All of these won't matter after tomorrow," I spoke into the air. I was speaking more about my past than I was conversing with Vina. Then turning to her, I whispered, "Do you think Damien will choose me? Because I can sense it in my bones."
"We'll see." She replied, with a brief scoff, and stood up from my bed. "I'll leave you to prepare for the night. Let the best girl win."
"Let the best girl win," I replied, raising my hair brush.
Wasn't that what this was all about? Winning? Getting chosen as the alpha's mate? I watched Vina waltz out of my room with a slightly different energy than when she'd walked in but I couldn't quite wrap my head around it, but I thought it was nothing she couldn't handle.
Night came, and the much anticipated moon dance took place. As envisioned, the rendezvous was an open air arena decorated with lanterns, ribbons, and confetti that provided an ethereal template of what a made-believed paradise should look like. Not that we needed the lanterns, we were creatures of the night and could survive without electronic or man-made light. Our natural optical antenna could aid our vision, but what's a party without lights?
The towering trees in the forest stretched their branches into the night sky like natural cathedrals, forming canopies in the air. The lush green grass was carpet to our feet in place of the lustrous marble floor and the night wind stirred up the sweet scent of blooming flowers as they mingled with the fragrance of faux flowers.
Music blared from a raised platform erected from natural stone and moss which the DJ used as his deck, but it wasn't an ordinary platform. It was adorned with silvers, an ambience of the moon reflecting down from the firmament.
I was adorned in our Pack's costume which was a stunning shade of moonlit blue, silver, and pale purple. Glittering sequins, florals, and the shape of the full moon were embroidered onto our costumes.
I wore my hair in a high ponytail that accentuated my elegant neckline. That was one of my few assets, and yes, I knew Damien was going to be watching. The soft ankle-strap sandals jiggled as we danced to the rhythm of the beat while spectators cheered and screamed.
Despite taking part in the dance performance, I couldn't take my eyes off Damien. He was dressed in a sleek, high-collared black jacket, a crisp, snowy white shirt, a silver pendant that had a wolf's head on his neck, and sturdy, black leather boots.
I thought he exuded just the right amount of energy and influence. He looked like a true alpha and he kept his eyes glued to my body all through the dance. The joy, the hunger, and the anticipation were just too sultry, I couldn't wait for the moment when he announced me as his mate.
From the crowd, I could see Vina cheering as we wiggled our bodies to the music, getting lost in the rhythm. For me, it was about pleasing my secret lover. Oh, I wanted so badly to let everyone else know how I felt about Alpha Damien and the moment finally came.
"Gentlemen and ladies, finally the hour we've all been anticipating." The compere announced in his polished accents which I thought he'd prepared just for the occasion. "Alpha Damien Green will now announce his mate."
I felt my heart jolt in my chest, so I turned around and grabbed Vina's hands, giving it a light squeeze. "It's time," I whispered, my temperature rising from the heat of the dance and from hysteria.
Alpha Damien walked to the podium, and without even sparing a glance at me, he made an announcement that changed my life forever.