Chapter Two - Mate

Natalie Grayson 

The night was full, everything and everyone were here. The music played in the background as everyone chatted amongst themselves in a delightful and happy matter. 

I watched how many couples found their mates within a few seconds and enveloped them in their arms, or in other cases, being dragged away in a rush to mate. The smell of arousals hit me like a tonne of bricks, my wolf calling out to me as she was like the many others, searching for their mate. 

Alice was gripping onto my arm when we arrived and instantly, I could tell she had found her mate. Her eyes glazed over and her nose pointed up to the air. 

She immediately let go of my arms and went into the crowd, disappearing from sight. I almost called out her name, but stopped myself from distracting her and looked around. 

In the distance, I heard some wolves howling and some Alphas introduced their newly found mate to the whole audience, but I could tell that in some of the girl's faces, they dreaded this. 

Many Alpha's came to visit, bringing with them hundreds of wolves, both male and female for the festivities. However, a few Alphas were either missing or late.

So the night was still young and my sister, Alice had already found her mate in a matter of seconds. He was a beta from the  Armor Pack who was really charming.

My parents welcomed him with open arms, as well as the rest of my family, I included. They were to be mated in her next heat, and hopefully bring a child into the world so I could be an aunt. 

Finally, as the night drew in, when the clock hit nine, I pulled back from the festivities, and walked in the cold wind towards the library, hoping to at least get a few reads until my parents or sister dragged me back to the hall so I could find my mate. 

But Raya and I had not had a whiff of our mate's scent, nor did we feel any connection to anyone we had just met. 

As my wolf whimpered for me to go back, I pulled myself together and opened the library doors,  inhaling the scent of old parchment, books and dust. 

I hoped my mate would smell like this because it was intoxicating. Settling down on one of the chairs, I grabbed the nearest book and started to flip through the pages. Luckily for me, it was a book about humans which I loved reading.

So I continued reading as the time ticked passed and soon it was midnight. However, the festivities would continue to last until the next morning as more people would be arriving at this time. 

And the more time that passed by, the more my wolf cried out in pain as she thought another year would pass ny without us finding our mate. 

I was beginning to feel the sadness too. Although I didn't like the idea of a mate, it would be nice to have someone to lean on. 

Minutes later, I felt my eyes grow heavy, and disappointment filled my chest as I realised I may have to go another year before I would find them, but then I smelt it. 

It was only a matter of seconds until I realized what it was. My eyes shot open, the feeling of sleepiness withheld as I came to my senses. 

Mate, my wolf said in my mind. 

The scent was heavenly, it wrapped around me like a blanket, it was the smell of the library, only much stronger and hinted with roses. 

Raya was crying out in happiness as my eyes scanned the library for the source of the delicious scent, but no one was there. 

I panicked for a second, wondering who the source of the smell was and where they were. I could hear Raya telling me to go towards the scent, but it wrapped around me like a blanket, and I swore they were close, but the more I looked around, I could not see anyone. 

"Hello?" I called out, trying to see if anyone was there. 

I tried to heighten my sense of smell and hearing, but all I could hear was the wind blowing and the trees rustling. It was like there was a ghost roaming the area, but I knew there was no such thing. 

After a small search of the library, the smell still lingered there. However, the source was still unknown and I was saddened at the fact that I could have found my mate, which I did, but they were gone — just like the wind. 

Unwillingly, I left the library with a burning desire to find my mate. Raya was howling at me, but I shut her off after the disappointment as I walked out of the door. 

It was as if they had disappeared without a trace. With a saddened heart, I walked back into the hall only to be hit with much more scents of newcomers from other packs, mixed with the smell of alcohol and arousals. I believed that all the packs were here now. 

I walked aimlessly through the crowd, trying to find the scent that I had been longing for only to find no one with the exact scent. 

I frowned as I reached the end of the hall, then I hid behind one the golden pillars, trying to desperately not to cry. I didn't necessarily long for a mate, but knowing I had one and I couldn't find them obviously made me doubt that I had a mate. 

Maybe it was just a trick of the mind. If I didn't see anyone, maybe it was just a trick, right? 

Maybe my mind made me think of it because I was reading a romance book, which would have given me false smells, right? 

Is that even possible? I growled at myself, hitting my forehead with my idiotic excuses for the delicious smell. Then I felt tears stream down my face. 

Sure, call me a hypocrite or whatever, but I was so sure that I smelt my mate. Even if I didn't want a mate, or seemingly didn't need one right now, it was nice to know someone was made for me. 

That the Moon Goddess was ever so kind to give me my other half, and now that I knew that I had one, it kinda made me feel complete. 

Then suddenly, I found myself smelling the same scent that I smelt in the library. I allowed it to engulf me in a quiet embrace, and as I looked up from my tears, I saw two electric blue eyes staring directly at me, almost calming me and I inhaled the scent once more. 

The person knelt down so that we were at eye level, and I watched as he closed his eyes inhaling my scent, but he kept a small distance away as if he was afraid of me. 

I wanted nothing more than to reach out to him and embrace him, pulling him closer. But, I stayed still, watching his eyes open, turning darker by the second as he moved closer, his hand slowly reached out to caress my cheek.

And when he touched it, I saw colours, all shades and all tints. The feeting of fire had coursed through my scent and I leaned into his touch, my eyes ceased their watering. 

We simply stayed in each other's embrace for another few seconds. It was magical, and when we decided to break the silence, we whispered the same words together. 

"Mate."