The Morning Of...
The last couple of days were a whirlwind of planning, prepping and pampering. It was finally Saturday morning and tonight was my grand ball, birthday soirée and conveniently - roughly six hours of speed dating the most eligible Alpha's.
I giggled at the thought of what a great reality TV show this would make.
I thought I'd have dark clouds hanging over my head this morning, but knowing that I was going to meet my wolf tomorrow pushed anything but giddiness aside.
That life partner trumped the life partner I was going to meet tonight.
I rolled over in bed to check the time just as my door opened and Macie peeked her head in.
"I've bought breakfast!" She sung cheerily as she carted in my usual loaded Eggs Benedict along with a side of fruit and, more importantly - a dash of liquid courage in the form of Champagne.
"Oh you spoil me Macie." I gushed to the young girl.
She was a small, mousy girl with dark blonde hair and only a year younger than me. I'd always liked her and the banter we had when she wasn't rushing around.
I loved our pack for many reasons - not only because we are the oldest and largest pack in the world, but because we were fair, strong, fierce and everyone was genuinely happy to be a part of it.
Macie was no exception.
No one was overworked and we all did our fair share to keep the wheels turning.
Macie though, was an absolute gun in the kitchen and took so much pride in her work.
"Are you excited!?" She exclaimed, and I knew she was talking about finally meeting my wolf.
"I feel like a little girl at Christmas time." I replied back enthusiastically as I bounced up to where my breakfast was waiting on my little sitting table. It was a hot topic between us when we had the chance to talk.
While I previously filled my schedule by attending meetings with my father and training, Macie was probably the closest thing I had to a friend.
"Do you.." She hesitated for a second, trying to figure out if she should continue with her question. "Do you think you'll meet your mate tonight?"
I sighed and looked down, already having thought about it over the past week.
"I.. don't know. I've always daydreamed about meeting my fated mate and I always knew there was a possibility of having a chosen mate considering my family. I do think that I would be a little bit disappointed if I didn't and wonder what could have been..." I trailed off for a second.
While you're young, you might pass your mate and not know - but the closer you get to getting your wolf, the more you're likely to feel the bond. If my mate was here tonight then I'd definitely know.
"But even if I don't meet my fated mate tonight, I'll definitely be meeting my soul mate tomorrow." I finished with a twinkle returning to my eyes.
Before either of us could say anything else, my Mother waltzed through the door.
"Goooooddddd Morninggggg!" She sang.
"Morning Mother." I giggled at her.
Macie gave me a nod and a smile and headed back towards the kitchen.
"We have a busy day today so I want you in the shower within 15 minutes!" She gushed.
I inhaled my breakfast quickly and then made a beeline for my ensuite, if that's what you could call it.
My bathroom was huge and housed a large white marbled clawfoot bathtub, an open walk-in shower that was to die for - along with a white marbled vanity that seemed like it stretched for days. I'd also filled it with plants over the years, giving it a real forest vibe.
I quickly had a shower, washed my hair and covered myself with a fluffy white robe.
When I walked out, my quiet room from this morning had been transformed into a chaotic circus.
There was a makeshift makeup table, a clothing rack, with jewellery and shoes that had been carefully displayed. There was an army of beauticians, seamstresses and hairdressers rushing around like madmen - with my mother standing in the middle of the chaos barking orders like a drill sargent.
"Aurelia, over there!" She said as she spotted me emerging, while swiftly directing me to the chair in front of the makeup table.
I grinned and saluted her before making my way over.
Within seconds of taking a seat, my hair was being tugged in all directions while my face was assaulted with soft brushes.
After what felt like an eternity I was ushered out of my seat, and moved on to clothing while my mother sifted through the rack.
Which was unnecessary, considering I already had my heart set on a beautiful black gown that I had chosen earlier in the week.
"I've already chosen my dress, Mother." I said softly to her while placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Oh I know my dear, these are mine!" She said with a cheeky glint in her eye.
"Of course." I giggled.
With my presence in the area now known, another harem of people rained down on me and helped me to slip into my dress. They worked quickly, making a few last-minute adjustments so that it fit me like an absolute glove.
I put on the matching black, silky heels and turned around only to come face to face with a floor-length mirror.
"Oh, Aurelia!" My Mother exclaimed with tears in her eyes.
My shiny black hair had been styled into loose curls that framed my face. My overall makeup was simple, just as I liked it - but it was paired with a deep red lipstick that made my brown eyes absolutely pop.
My dress was a shiny black material with the tiniest straps that went over my shoulders to hold it up. The body of the dress sat like a glove - almost as if it was sewn on my body, and it gave my breasts the push up that they deserved - framed perfectly, of course. The bottom of the gown flared out enough that you couldn't even see my matching shoes.
I couldn't stop the huge smile that appeared on my face.
Tonight, I was going to give them all a show.
After Mother quickly finished getting dressed, as quickly as the circus arrived, they disappeared as if my room hadn't been in a state of organised chaos for the morning.
It was now 4pm in the afternoon and we were both seated at my little sitting table.
"More liquid courage?" Mother asked with a cheeky glint in her eye as she pulled out a bottle of Champagne and two glasses out of nowhere.
"Yes pleaseeee." I laughed.
Despite what needed to happen tonight, it was still my birthday celebrations and I had been cherishing the time I'd spent with my Mother this week. A pang of guilt hit my stomach like a truck that we'd never really had bonding time like this over the years, and now I was going to be shipped off elsewhere.
I brushed it off. Now that we were in the 11th hour, it wasn't the time to put a dimmer on things.
We spent the next half an hour drinking and laughing about anything and everything before she pulled a little case out from underneath her chair.
"Aurelia, I am so proud of you.." She started.
"Mother, I.." She held her hand up so I didn't interrupt whatever I was going to say.
"You have grown into such a fiery, strong, smart and confident young woman and I know things haven't turned out how you thought they were going to, but you have taken it in your absolute stride and I know that you are going to make an incredible Luna."
She opened the case and staring back at me were that damn pair of stunning gold earrings, with that damn shade of light green.
I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out, leaving me looking like a goldfish. I didn't even know what to say. I wanted them, badly. Or more specifically, the person who owned the eyes that these earrings reminded me of. Then again, I just wanted to leave the bastard in the past.
Mother let me process my thoughts for a couple of minutes before interrupting.
"I know why you were so taken with him at a young age. Arya and I used to always talk about how you would end up together, May she rest in peace..." She trailed off, pain clearly in her eyes for her lost friend.
I sat in a little bit of shock. Mothers really saw more than we thought they did.
My eyes glanced back over at the case and were met with a beautiful matching necklace that I hadn't noticed before.
"Thank you Mother, really, it's beautiful."
"Aurelia, we can't let the past continue to haunt us and we can't just force ourselves to move on. We have to make peace with it in our hearts, and know that the path laid out in front of us is the path that we're meant to be on." She said with more strength in her voice, that only backed her statement.
Poised and wise as always, but at that point I didn't know if she was talking to me or herself.
"Now, let's put this beautiful set on you!" She exclaimed suddenly, and all of the darkness from the last few minutes passed, and we were back laughing and talking again.
Eventually, we were interrupted by a sharp knock on the door.
"Come in!" My Mother yelled.
My Father entered the room, followed by Ezra - both looking extremely dapper.
They definitely cleaned up well.
"Wow. Look at you." My Father breathed, taking my giggling Mother in his arms and giving her a twirl.
"It's time to go and greet the guests and introduce the belle of the ball!" He said happily, still not taking his eyes off his mate, Luna and Queen.
We all trailed down the stairs and Ezra slipped his arm into mine, to escort me like the absolute gentleman he was.
With the ringing of laughter and banter from the four of us echoing down the halls, for the first time in a long time - we felt like a normal family.