CHAPTER 5

Elena's POV

I touch my fingertips along my jawline as I watch the stranger staring back at me in the mirror. Thick lashes flutter over beautiful, brown eyes that seemed clearer than they'd ever been. Soft shades of pink and gold glitter at the top and corners of my eyes as Freya leans in close to do the finishing touches to my lipstick.

She takes a step back and nods approvingly at her handywork as I hear sniffling on the bed behind me. I turn in my chair to see my mom dabbing at her eyes and blowing her nose.

"Mom, don't do that. You're going to make me cry and then Freya is going to deal with the both of us for messing up her hard work." I walk over to the bed and my mom embraces me.

"You were my baby girl just the other day. Now look at you. Eighteen years old and attending The Choosing ceremony." Fresh tears fall from her eyes as she sniffles some more.

"My little girl is a full grown princess now," I turn to see my dad and Brandon standing by the door.

Brandon is in a dark blue suit and holding two small boxes in his hands. He walks over and opens one to reveal the most beautiful broach made of lavender and chrysanthemums. He removes the delicate fixture from the box and slides it onto my right wrist. He then turns to Freya and takes out one with pink roses and baby's breath. After sliding it onto her wrist, Brandon looks at the both of us with a proud big brother smile on his face.

"No matter what, you two are my little sisters. If anyone does you wrong, they have me to deal with tonight."

My dad slaps Brandon on the back and smiles approvingly before walking over to me and handing me a small velvet box. He glances over to my mom who walks to stand beside him. A small smile plays on her quivering lips and they both open the box to show me what was inside.

I hear Freya gasp behind me as my eyes widen at the beautiful gold necklace lying blanketed in the soft inlay. The pendant looks like a wolf's paw and the bottom has my name carved into it. Looking up to my parents again, I realize that they were both now shedding silent tears as my dad removed the necklace from the box and proceeded to link it behind my neck. The cool feel of the pendant against my chest has me subconscious as Freya and Brandon come in close to see it better.

"It's almost like it was made for you, Elena," Freya's eyes are wide with awe and Brandon's hand slowly raises to touch the pendant but it stops short and drops back to his side.

"Alright you three, here are the rules," my dad declares as we all turn around to see him standing seriously with his arms folded across his chest.

"Colt…" I hear my mom warn him but my dad nods before looking at us again.

"This ceremony will be visited by members of other packs. Be on your best behaviour and show respect when needed," my dad looks at us waiting for us to acknowledge him. We all nod our heads and then he continues.

"Good. Brandon is there for your safety. Do not wander off without letting him know where you are going and ensure you introduce him to whoever you are going with," he waits for Freya and I to acknowledge him. We both nod.

"Freya and Brandon, you've both been to this ceremony at least once. I hope you both can help Elena be comfortable and above all else," he pauses for a few seconds before a smile pulls across his once serious face. "Have fun."

We all smile and rush into his waiting arms as my mom joins us in a big group hug. We pull apart and Freya and I check ourselves once more before we all head out the room and down the stairs to the front hall. My mom and dad take a few pictures of us before they opened the front door to reveal Lily, decked out with a beautiful flower garland and strapped on to a small carriage.

"We're literally going in a horse-pulled carriage?" I asked as I turn to see my parents giggling with Freya and Brandon beside them.

"Don't be silly, Elena," Freya giggled. "We just did that for her to take you to the main road. Brandon's dad left us a car there to go the rest of the way."

I chuckled as I walked out the front door and approached Lily. I smoothened my hands along her nose and placed a soft kiss near her ear as she bowed her head deep and whinnied in glee.

"You look beautiful, Lily girl," She whinnied again and panted while knocking her front hoof, telling us that she was ready for duty.

Brandon helped Freya and I into the small carriage as my parents waved at us from the front porch. Freya and I leaned out the small window to wave back at them and then settled ourselves for the short journey to the main road.

"Are you nervous?" Freya asks me and I'm about to tell her 'yes' when I suddenly changed my mind.

"Not really. I'm an omega. What are the chances of an Omega finding a mate at one of these things anyway? And besides, I don't have a wolf so there's no way…"

"Elena…" I hear the seriousness in Brandon's voice as he looks at me from the seat across from Freya and me.

"What? It's the truth though. I have no inner wolf, so there's a very high chance that I have no fated mate. I mean, how could I?" I look down at my fidgeting fingers as I feel a finger flick my forehead. "Ow!" I rub my forehead and look up as Brandon waves a stern finger at me.

"I promised your parents that I won't allow you to be doom and gloom tonight. You are forbidden to speak of not having a wolf. You are to have fun. Meet new people. And if by the grace of the Goddess, some sorry bloke ends up being your fated one, introduce me, so I can warn him about what he's in for."

"Brandon!" Freya launches her hand to smack him behind the head but he ducks just in time. Their little tousle makes me laugh as the carriage pulls to a halt and the young man at the reigns jumps down to open the door for us.

"This is as far as she goes kids. Your much nicer carriage awaits you."

We all climb down from the carriage and walk towards the black SUV waiting at the side of the road. A young man standing beside the vehicle approaches Brandon and hands him the keys. Brandon turns to us and wiggles his eyebrows as he opens the back door for us to get in.

"Come on ladies. The grand ball awaits you." He bows deeply as he holds the door open for us. Freya and I both giggle at his actions before carefully manoeuvring the skirts of our dresses into the vehicle.

As Brandon drives the vehicle on the main road, I look out my window at stare at the sight of the mountains in the distance. The reflection of the night sky could be seen in the calm surface of the lake that ran between the mainland and that of the islands of the Royal Court. Flickering lights of the castle could be seen along with faint glimmer of what could be the lights of the main entrance.

"Look Elena, it's the Alpha's house," Freya says as she points ahead.

My eyes lock onto the magnificent structure as a sudden feeling of dread suddenly washed over me. I was a wolfless omega, about to walk into a lion's den. Nothing about that sounded fun at all.