/ 3 \

For one of the first times, I was dancing on cloud nine. The echoes of cheers made my adrenaline race for miles. I wanted to sprint as far as my happiness can last-I and felt euphoric. A vague feeling filled my heart, reminding me of the victory I'd always dreamed of. It was strong enough to almost hide the tiny dark feeling that was disturbing me.

I won. It isn't like you would care if you knew, Roberts.

Immediately after I walked into the VIP lounge, swarms of reporters threw me off-guard. Flashing lights were everywhere, and microphones and cameras were being shoved at me or each other; I could ba The air was so heavy and no one was helping by talking and yelling all at once.

I'm sure someone will sweep my feet or stab me at any given moment if my mask didn't slip by then. I waved my hand for the paparazzi to shut up and pointed to a petite blonde who eagerly asked,

"False Face, now that you have beaten Invincible, do you plan to return for a rematch?", I shrugged my shoulders without delay. Her eager face turned dissatisfied quickly. Someone didn't expect the expected.

I pointed at a man with perfectly gelled black hair to blurt out his question,

"Why hide your identity from the world? Are you being threatened or forced here according to the latest rumors?" I shook my head and shrugged my shoulders—another whiff of disappointment. But seriously, did anyone see me getting pushed into the back of a pick-up truck?

The next was about if I was mute or not. Funny, you'll never know. I never wanted to risk people guessing who I was through my voice. It was also illegal for she-wolves to be in the tournament; it isn't like the rule is very one-sided or anything.

I was asked more sensible questions and a couple of weird questions. Questions like if I had a dark past and why my scent was of a maple tree flew back and forth long enough to be uncomfortable. If I spoke, no one would clear the room in an hour, which did happen and the room stopped choking me.

Before I could leave, I needed to find a way to escape from two female journalists and their live camera crew that was fighting for the slightest bit of evidence of who I was.

Not while I'm alive. You'll get nothing from me. I am bored to death just watching journalists waste two hours of my time on awkward silences.

One lady was in a V-shaped sleeved top and trousers, the other in a dress tight enough to squeeze out all the air that was left in her. The first lady searched her paper for the millionth time,

"So what do you do in your spare time?" she said, her eyes shifting ever so randomly on her paper. I took the notepad I was given and wrote 'Fighting'. Both women tried to grab the notebook immediately I pushed it forward, and the air-lackey wins the tournament.

Like I have no idea what would happen if they knew I wasn't a man. Anyone would think I wrote a serious dare on the paper; the hungry glint in their eyes crossed multiple boundaries.

As I faced the women who tried to say their questions as fast as game show contestants, I caught a whiff of something in the air. No not a whiff, the most pleasantly overpowering scent hit my nostrils. It smelt like a bit of lavender, but it felt faded under the scent of cranberry. I tried to talk to Ivy, but she was all over my head. I could feel she was too excited and was banging on the cage of my skull, forcing me to hold my temple before I could block her out. All she did was bark, not even a childish statement came out of her.

The brunette journalist noticed my move and asked what was wrong, but I ignored her. I looked around the room, but nothing caught my interest. I leaned back into my seat, trying to focus on something else to no avail. The scent was the only thing I could sense, it felt so overwhelming but calm, and it kept growing stronger. Delightful, if I've used that term before.

The other journalist, who looked a bit off in a skimpy skirt rose from the chair and pointed at someone behind me.

"Welcome Alpha Adam and Beta Lucas of the BloodCrest pack" she bowed alongside the other girl. I turned around, only to lock eyes with the most enchanting electric blue eyes I have ever seen.

I gazed at him, taking in every single detail about him. He had the curliest chocolate brown hair, his faintly outlined jaw, the glasses faintly adding more detail to his freckles. His scent alone was enchanting: Lavender and peppermint. Frozen in time, I focused on him and only him.

What was even going on?! First Ivy goes insane and silent at the same time, I'm enchanted by a sweetly suffocating scent and I'm staring into a stranger's eyes while spitting strings of obscenities. It just feels like...

That's when it clicked. The chaos of my senses was getting clearer. Every piece of my fears fell into the one fate that tortured my mind.

Why moon goddess. Why now?

Why today?

Why ever?

To confirm it all, the dreaded word rolled off my tongue; a lethal poison so sweet on my lips.

"Mate"

Reality reeled in to save me from my time trap. The man was breathing heavily, his eyes switching through silver and gold in seconds. He walked up to me, covering our 20 feet spacing slowly but surely. I hated this. Every fiber in me disconnected from Ivy hated it. She might be yelling about my so-called 'mate', but I need to get the heck out of here.

I tried to move my legs, but they stayed glued to the floor. My body disobeyed my attempts to move and my heart raced with my fear and Ivy's excitement.

I want to run, but I couldn't. I want to dash the heck out of there, but I couldn't. He was just ten feet away, taking his time as a true predator. He looked happy, yet serious. Glad, yet cautious. Delighted, yet- when did I become a poet? Screw you, the moon goddess.

His grin was wider than ever as he reached out for my hand. Suddenly, something out of nowhere struck my cheek with such force, I found myself hitting the wall on the far side of the room. Blood spurted from my mouth, my jaw now dislocated. The mask was restaining my breath, and I yanked it off without a second thought. My legs wobbled under my weight, merely on a stool's support to stand.

Of course, his graciously miserable-unmasked Invincible stood. His glare at me just drove home the point of how much of a lunatic he was confirmed to be. His hair was all unruly and glossy, his hulk face dripping with sweat with the dorkiest freckles I've ever seen.

He should've been the real-life copy for hulk in case no human saw the potential.

He stalked his way over to me but Curly Fries blocked him. To the name, I will never find another for. He was in a blue cornflower wolf. Strange. I've never seen wolves with bright fur. Now I have a mate, what controversial opinion could I have?

Cornflower Curly Fries ran straight for Invincible's neck. Invincible tried to dodge, but got hit by Curly Fries' side and fell through a center table. Curly Fries got back on his feet and gave Invincible a deathly snarl. His brown wolf looked resistant to fighting Cornflower but charged for him regardless.

Ivy was going insane at the back of my head. She was begging me -more like forcing me- to go and defend him.

Yeah right. I should save him from his recklessness. I'd rather watch him jump into the fire.

Curly Fries kept on going for Invincible's neck in painfully obvious methods for five minutes. Even though Invincible dodged him, Curly Fries' force was enough to topple him into the bar, repeatedly shattering glasses all over the floor. Finally, Curly Fries gave up on his attempts and bit his hind leg firmly. It looked firm. Invincible's painful howl rang but was cut short by Curly Fries scratching his side.

The dude lost by a knockout. Give him a break.

"Stop the bloody mess, I've seen enough. I thought you knew how to fight, and you're out here with the skills of a toddler. I'm sick of this, shift" the sandy blonde guy Curly Fries came with growled. Both squabblers stared at the sandy guy grumpily but shifted anyways.

They wrecked the place like a tornado. Everything except what I was sitting on and the place the crew was overturned. Chairs lay on their topsides with fluff spilled out of the sofas and brutally fractured stool legs. The bar's vintage dignity was taken; its broken glass bottles and a horrible stench of whiskeys and alcohol. Even the table attached to the bar had a busted hole.

The brunette reporter had spare shirts with her and threw them to the men. Thanks to an upturned chair, my view was gracefully blocked.

"WWR was meant for men only because I know what a man looks like" Sandy blonde shot a death stare. Shoot my mask is cracked. The worst part dawned on me as I looked into the camera behind him- it was a live stream, right? People know. Every fudging...

"I mean, she's pretty" Curly Fries whispered. If that was meant to be nice, you failed hard.

I glared at him, at the idiot that dared to trigger my anger. If not for him, I would've noticed Invincible coming. I could take part in the tournament again. The one thing in my life I appreciated shattered in an eye's blink. If not for him...

"I, Hazel Wilson reject my mate," I said confidently to everyone's shock. Curly Fries' smile collapsed I picked my legs out of there. I ran as fast as I could through the golden double doors and the dark halls. Just breathe, breathe, and don't explode into another mess. I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I didn't notice someone chasing me. The minute I felt grass under my feet, a voice called out to me,

"What should I call you?", Curly Fries caught up to me outside. I felt a sudden spark when he held my arm, a spark with flashes of excitement and confusion. I swung my hand out of his grip, but he easily caught my other hand.

The pain in his eyes pricked me. I tried to make a run for it, but he got my arm again with more calming sparks on my skin. This game of chase was getting on my nerves, fast.

"Would you leave me alone?" I yelled. He stubbornly took my hand into his and went on one knee. His bright electric eyes glimmered under thick lenses that reflected the moon,

"Please, we're mates. Don't run away so soon: at least let me know your name" he begged, holding my hand as if I would disappear forever.

To be honest, I'll never step outside once I get home. Socializing has been a double-edged sword that hurt me more than helped anything. It's funny that I grew careless with my nightmares.

"Go on, sing every love poem that you memorized for today. Say you love me in a million languages and that nothing will ever come between us. You know how big of a facade that is" His face fell from its hopeful expression. It was his problem if he broke down into a heartbroken mess. Suddenly, he stood up and came closer to me. I could swear I felt the heat radiating from his body as he stooped over me.

"I'd never treat you like that. I swear on my life. Do what you want, but I've waited for this moment for far too long. Please." My cheeks were burning because of how close we were. Who told him that impromptu close-ups from strangers were a good idea?

"Don't make promises you can't keep." I retorted, my anger was starting to rise to the surface.

"Do you know why I'm pissed with you?"

Curly Fries darted his gaze to the ground "Because you won't be able to participate in the Werewolf Royale again?"

"You think?" This man doesn't even act like someone with a brain cell.

"I'm sorry" he readjusted his glasses. They seemed to slip every time he looked ashamed.

"You don't want to have anything to do with the bond", his sigh had an air of defeat in it, "It's fine, I hope you reconsider. If now's the last time I'll see you, let me know your beautiful name"

I scoffed, "How do you know my name is beautiful?" Curly Fries shrugged, his hair bouncing like gentle waves in the breeze.

"Whoever the moon goddess connected me to has the most beautiful name, at least that's what I know"

"What a charmer." I rolled my eyes.

"So you think I'm charming?" he grinned widely.

"You're disgusting," I said before running into the group of trees behind me. I leaped onto the nearest branch in my grasp and climbed up. His scent lingered less and less as I jumped from branch to branch, swinging and leaping away from the strings that made me yearn for him. I could barely tell if I was going in the right direction, but I just wanted to be far away from him.

I fell off a tree and shifted to get home faster. The silence was almost torturing, the only things to be heard were the crunch of leaves under my paws and the occasional howl of a hunting owl. And the echo of Ivy's frustratingly agonized whines in my head.

The vibe I felt reminded me of distant childhood memories I cherished and despised. In fairytales, Curly Fries would be behind me and convince me he loved me. That he'd care for me no matter what. This is reality. He couldn't just enter into my life. He'd never. I won't let him wreck more of my future.

After hours of missing my way and Ivy crying that I should go back led me to the packhouse. I entered through the gate I passed through and effortlessly climbed into my room. Immediately my feet touched the floor, I collapsed and curled up in a ball onto its wooden texture. I laid there, rethinking the whole day.

First off, I won the WWR. I'm happy at least. Now my win might be revoked because of that stupid Cornflower Curly Fries. His hair wasn't that loose, to be honest. They were curled so they kinda adorably sit on his head.

Adorable; more like disgusting.

See you like him! Ivy whined at me.

"If you don't shut up, I'll inject myself with wolfsbane" I warned. All she did was whimper and she disappeared somewhere in my mind.

Oh yeah. I'm supposed to attend Robert's pack meeting three hours ago. An egg's gonna boil tonight.

Considering I have nothing to do but lay in my thoughts, I'll be present for the last bit. After a blessed time in the shower, I quickly threw on a loose brown hoodie and a loose pair of jeans with black canvases.

My presence should reduce his two-sided overheated temper. No need to 'dress like a woman'.

I walked downstairs to the hall after popping bubblegum into my mouth, looking for where they'd be. In the office then. As I held the handle of the white firm door, I smelt something off. More descriptively, felt someone. It couldn't be Curly Fries, could it...

"You stupid girl. It was nine I told you to come, and where were you?", Roberts yelled through the mind link.

"Shut it and focus on your meeting. Save that for the sweet talk, "I spat back before blocking him

My mouth almost dropped from just seeing Roberts' special guest. On the long table with eight chairs, Sandy Blond and Curly Fries were sitting in front of Roberts, the old man's coded glare right on cue.

Deep down in my muddled mind, all I wanted right then was the earth to swallow me whole.