THE AWAKENING

The pack usually hosted these bonfires for all unmated wolves in the pack. And tonight happened to be that night where we sat around the huge fire and listened to endless stories told by one of the elders in the pack. The stories were of different alphas and how they accomplished what they have. Tonight the elder spoke about mates and the importance of mates. And since the bonfire consisted of unmated wolves, the issue was talked about most of the time, and I couldn't complain. I enjoyed listening to such talks. After all, I'm unmarried until at least the age of nineteen. I listened quietly as I watched the fire dance around us as though it wanted to kiss one of the pack members, its flare lighting us all up and casting shadows around us. The smoke drifted off into the sky, saying bye as it disappeared into the abyss. "You need to respect the mate bond at all cost, no matter who your mate is." Elder Ryker spoke with emphasis, while pack members listened eagerly as if their lives depended on each word he uttered. I was not surprised. He was a great man and very influential to each one of us. By now the fire had toned down and I could almost see its embers, but even so, I could still feel the heat it provided. Elder Ryker walked inside the circle we had made around the fire. "The mate bond never lies; it's always right!" his voice boomed once more, as he motioned his hands around while talking. Elder Ryker was a tall but lean man, standing at 6". He had long blond hair but tied every single strand of hair at the back of his head. He had wrinkles covering some parts of his lower eyelids even though he looked youthful with high cheekbones. He looked to be in his 40s. "And what we should all keep in mind is, each of us has a mate out there. We just have to find our other half." No sooner had he said his statement than mummers erupted, breaking the silence that was left behind. Members whispered to themselves that they disagreed with him, but none was brave enough to voice their opinion. I looked around observing, trying to listen to one of the conversations. Unfortunately, I didn't have anyone to talk to at that moment. My one and only friend decided not to attend the bonfire. All I could do was just observe what was happening around me. I caught one of the whispers from the two girls sitting next to me on the logs we sat on. It was Shannon whispering to Jade, saying she didn't think the alpha had a mate because of his heartlessness. I wasn't surprised that we all thought that. Our alpha, Alpha Lucian, even though he is only twenty-three years old, is said to be one of the cruellest alphas. He didn't have the word mercy in his vocabulary. And while all this happened, Elder Ryker just stood quietly looking at each of us. I am sure he knew what caused the mini conversations among the members. But he too waited to see if anyone would even object to what he had just said. After seeing as no one was ready to oppose him, he continued, "When the time comes, you will all feel the pull towards your mate." "Obviously," I whispered under my breath, rolling my eyes in the process. At this point, I was really tired and all I could think about was getting some sleep. Having listened enough, I got up and decided to leave. The bonfire was always held a mile from the packhouse and all the other houses, so those members who chose not to attend were not disturbed. I walked quietly on the footpath that led home. Most of the houses in the pack were situated behind the packhouse. I made a small detour and headed for the packhouse. I just needed some refreshments. The packed house was very big, elegant, and modern. The members that wished to live in it did, while those who wanted more privacy, especially the newly mated couple, lived in houses around the pack territory. The pack consisted of a lot of wolves and was very large, the largest in North America. It was well hidden in the mountains away from human civilisation. That way, it was easy for wolves to be more of themselves and shift anytime they felt like it. I headed to the kitchen. The house was quiet. Most of the members should have been sleeping or still at the bonfire. Besides, we didn't get to have it most of the time. This made them even more appealing, at least to us teenagers. "Look where you're going, b***h!"