My Second Chance Mate

My eyes are red and puffy, looking at the mirror I sigh rather loudly. I dab a good amount of concealer to look okay. I turn around to the side table near my bed to grab my phone and sling bag crossing it over my shoulder I descend the stairs. I usually grab an apple from the kitchen daily while leaving to work, but today I am in no mood. I head straight to the door stepping out and locking it thinking what today might bring. I am Lyla West from Black river pack, one of the biggest pack in US and no there is no deep meaning in the name of the pack. The river that flows through our pack is almost black in color so the name. I turned 18 yesterday. I am not looking forward to my birthday, I lost my parents on the same day in a rogue attack 2 years ago. I don't want this day to ever come. All those memories are still fresh in my mind. I was wearing a blue princess gown, simply like elsa's. After many hunger strikes, protests and promises, I had got that dress. It's not like my parents couldn't afford it or anything. They just wanted me to not have anything easily. Nothing comes for free, everything costs and I know it well by now. I was their only princess, so they wanted to give everything to me, but all I needed was their love, their affection, their assistance. That day, when I was getting ready upstairs I heard the door bell ring and immediately after mom's squeal followed by Dad's yelling, grunts and groans. I ran to see what was happening but I could only see mom lying in the pool of blood her neck had cracked open and dad was fighting 2 rogues. He yelled at me to run, I hesitated at first but when he yelled the second time in pain. I ran...ran and ran. Yes, I was a coward. There was an attack on our pack by rogues, many had lost lives, many had lost their loved ones. It was horrific, I couldn't sleep for weeks. My parents were loved by everyone in the pack, they were a happy couple. They never shy away from kissing, hugging or to portray their love for each other in front of me or the public. They showed me, mates are meant to love unconditionally and forever. I miss them. 'We have to find our mate today. Maybe he is from our pack. He will take care of us' says my wolf Alka. She is not happy today but she has hope to find our mate. I don't blame her, our species take birth to find a mate and claim them. I don't say anything, even I want to find him, tell him everything and be in his arms. I sigh heavily again which I am doing a lot lately. Yesterday I spent the day bowling my eyes out, later my cousin Sam had come to take me to the cemetery where my parents are burried. Sam and my aunt Simone are the only ones I have now. Sam is 20 and a warrior, he works hard. His mate Samaira is cute and kind. My aunt found her mate at the age of 30, she had lost interest in looking for one but she finally met him. His name is Jake and he is from neighbouring pack, Red river pack. He is a good man, like a father figure to me. I passed our pack house walking slowly to my shop. We had articles shop in the market place.Its a small shop, it has all kinds of ancient and modern articles. Dad used to look after the shop, now I have to. Mom was nurse at the pack hospital. I used to volunteer there when I had time. I wanted to become a pack doctor or to do research on medicines. Yes!, there is a lot to research in the medical field in our world. Our species were resistant to wolfsbane. Many researches are going on to reduce the power of wolfsbane on the wolves and also to create an antidote. There are many such weapons that are a threat to us werewolves in this modern world. My eagerness to work on the subject and my academic grades , our pack doctor who is a very good friend of my mother suggested to me to take a special course in the university that will help achieve my goal. But the medical University is far and I need to take care of the shop now. Our shop is around 45mins away by walk from our house. I usually take my father's car, but it is running low on gas and I am no mood to refill it. 'I told you to let me out but you didn't listen' says Alka. 'Not now Alka, pls' I beg her. Alka is a smart wolf, she is faster and fighter too. I am not a fighter but have taken self defence classes when our previous Alpha had ordered for all the women to take it. As I turn around the corner of the huge building to the series of shops, the air surrounding me is suddenly filled with an intoxicating smell of cinnamon and pine.