Chapter 2

I spent the rest of the week in my bedroom watching movies to pass the time. All the other young girls were supposed to be making the dresses they would be wearing for the next three days, except for me, who was an anomaly.

Charlotte was not going to ask me for anything extra, her standards had dropped to a very low level and she was praying that I would be able to spend the three days of the hunt in peace.

What should I tell my mother? I had probably given up my plans to escape, but I couldn't possibly live in peace. Since my parents and friends around me had been showing me a story of the victor to become king since I was born, I would be the one who won first.

That's what I resolved in my mind, there's no reason for me to become a weak's mate, was not there?

I used to have no great interest in romance themed movies, but now that I had watched a dozen classic masterpieces of romance movies in one sitting, I felt that it was actually quite good to portray this way, and that the hero and heroine meeting like fate should also have the blessing of Moon Goddess.

But I did not believe that the way to fall in love was the smell, which work would have such a ridiculous plot? The hero smelled the scent emanating from the heroine to determine his future belong to her? What's even more outrageous was that the heroine also believed in the matter and she also hugged the hero saying that it was indeed so and she agreed with his vision.

I thought I should feel the despair; the reality I was about to face was more illogical than a fictional film or television production. I stood up and looked into the mirror I had located on my desk. The original ordinary color of my eyes showed an amazing dark purple color the moment I lashed out. These were my wolf eyes.

I narrowed my eyes as if I had locked on to a prey, I examined me in the mirror, I appeased myself to believe in my power, because since I believed in my ability, I had to believe that I could control my destiny.

Suddenly, I heard a noise outside my door, a very small noise, as if someone was approaching my room, but deliberately slowed down.

I also lowered my voice and slowly sat back down in my original position. I actually had a rough guess of who the owner of the footsteps was, because in my family, both my parents had heavy public duties and everyone would try to give me clear assignments.

Not beyond my expectations, the movement at the door was quiet for a second, then Jayden suddenly pushed it open with a jerk.

"A surprise!" He stood in front of me with something in his one hand and his other hand open in an embrace.

Since I had expected such a thing, I looked at him calmly, not showing a bit on my face after seeing the surprise.

"My dear sister, why are you so calm after seeing me?"

I answered his question indifferently, "Because you didn't knock."

"Nonsense," he was disappointed for just a second before he walked happily to my side, "I've knocked before, but you still didn't feel the proper anticipation for my arrival."

I was so full of things right now, where was I in the mood to listen to him rehash these old scores?

"If you don't have anything to do, just leave now, I really want to be alone."

A plate of delicious scented snacks was placed in front of me, my wolf nose had already smelled this smell and Tefnut was wagging his tail happily in my head, but I still maintained my cold image on the surface.

"Mom told you to send it over? Forget it then, I need to diet and then get my strength down because I'm worried I will bite my mate if he's not to my liking."

He raised an eyebrow in agreement with me, then grabbed a piece of jerky and put it in his mouth.

"It's delicious," he chewed loudly for a few moments before pushing the plate in front of me "It's a snack mom baked, but I snuck it out, so I will take it away if you don't eat it."

I reached out and grabbed his sleeve, signaling him to put the plate down. Mom's baked treats were delicious, and her role as the Luna of the pack required a lot of extra skills, which she passed on to me.

My mom also identified early on with dad that my mate was extraordinary. I stuffed my mouth full of snacks, I hadn't eaten properly in the past few days, and it really starved me. Jayden looked at me, and he thoughtfully helped me take out a bottle of drink from the fridge.

I didn't reach out to catch it, instead I looked at him warily.

"Why are you so nice all of a sudden, did mom and dad bribe you to do something? They want you to persuade me?"

He rolled his eyes up toward me with a blank stare, then he squeezed away from me and sat down next to me.

"I will be able to continue to stand firm by your side if you'll still give your precious trust back to your brother."

I rolled my eyes as well. Everyone in the world knew that my brother and I would never be able to stay in the same room peacefully. Because when we were two little pups, we started not knowing how to stop. The two of us either wrestled with each other or made a little trouble for each other in life. I loved my brother, and I knew he loved me, but neither of us had any intention of letting the other go.

I was cranky and strong-willed, with a lot of violence in me, perfectly inheriting my dad's aggressive side, which was like an inheritance of his flaws. But my brother was very different, all the glorious virtues of my dad as an Alpha were inherited in him. He was sensible and calm, decisive, and able to care for others and helping the weak. Apart from the fact that he liked to tease me, he would be the perfect Alpha heir, as my family and I thought.

"I'm here to help you figure out what to do, really. Even if there's nothing substantial to conclude, I think I can spend some time talking with you. Haven't we two siblings gotten together in a while?"

Yes, we were both busy with our own things when we were growing up, and I hadn't had a good chat with Jayden since I got back from this vacation.

I sat down with my legs wrapped around me and I rested my head on my knees.

"I hate losing my options, Jayden, I really hate this."

His hand wrapped around my back and he patted it up as gently as if he were soothing a small child.

"Beryl, how can you not have a choice when Tefnut is almost as big as Daddy's wolf, she's even close to being twice as big as mine?"

I laughed at his exaggerated tone of voice.

"So what? I still have to wait for the males to distinguish my scent."

He didn't say anything else, maybe he didn't know how to comfort my strange thoughts.

" When Vida come to marry you?"

"I don't know, it will take some time for her pack, I guess."

Vida was my brother's mate, but the pack she was in was under external threat, so their marriage was delayed until now. My brother found his mate right outside of the hunting ritual, and they both agreed on it. Werewolf weddings were not that important because in the usual case, the male would tag her after he found his mate.

That was the important part that drove me crazy, if I was not happy with my mate, I would have to flip him to the ground at this point.

My hand balled into a fist and raised it in front of Jayden, "I will knock him down if I'm not happy with his presence."

He didn't block my decision, he even thought seriously for me about the success rate of doing so.

"I think you have the qualifications and the ability to do so. Thinking about it that way you'll be able to rule out the vast majority of wolves you're not happy with."

I was concerned that he didn't affirm that I would definitely succeed.

"Why the vast majority?"

He frowned slightly, "Don't you know dear, some Alphas don't find his Luna either."

In a split second my sweat stood up. I couldn't say I hadn't thought about it, but I had forgotten about it. Because such a situation required a lot of conditions, for example this Alpha would need to sit on this throne of power very early, probably almost just as an adult when he started ruling the whole pack. Secondly he also needed as Jayden said so, after serving as the Alpha his pack also no one to help him try their best to find his Luna.

Although there was some vague concern, honestly, I didn't believe that such probabilities stacked up, and apart from such a possibility, I was invincible as long as I tried my best.

"Could there really be such a person? He's already an Alpha, so why hasn't he escaped the hunting ritual?"

He shook his head at me, "It should be harder to have a reason to hate the hunting ritual if he's a male, right? It's like our dad, he'd be born into the tradition."

Chagrined, I sat up and I rolled over onto the couch.

"We're family, Beryl, and you need to remember that I've got your back." Jayden knelt down and took my hand as he left my room.

He came up to my ear again and whispered, "I may not be able to follow you around, but the warriors of our pack will definitely be involved in the security of this ritual, and they will help you."

I was really so moved that I got up and hugged him straight away, "I love you too, Jayden. but."

I looked at the puzzled man with a smile, "Don't forget to take the plate with you, as well as wash it up before mom comes back."