CHAPTER THREE

Catania's POV

The entire hall goes dead silent when Alpha Chase and I appear at the door. Everyone turns to look at us and I can see on their faces that they are all stunned to see me standing arm in arm with the almighty Alpha. I search around the room for my parents and when I spot them, the looks on their faces almost make me laugh.

Mum looks like she just saw a ghost and my father looks rather annoyed. My sister who is standing by their side is staring daggers at me. If looks could kill, I would be six feet by now.

They hate me and I know it. I know my parents, including my sister, wish that she was the one in this position instead, but I'm really sorry to burst their bubbles because that isn't the case.

Everyone gives way to us as we walk into the ballroom.

I can see my mates whispering and hurling contemptuous looks at me, but I am the least bothered. This moment is going to last but for a moment and I do not intend to let any of them rob me of it.

"Show me your parents so I can take you to them" Alpha Chase whispers in my ears with his very calm and soothing voice.

"The couple we are approaching on your right, they are both dressed in blue." I direct as we walk on.

When we are close to my parents, he hands me over to my father and nods before walking on.

I smile widely, like an idiot as he walks on to the podium. Even the fact that my parents and sister are scowling at me won't stop me from smiling.

Not every girl has had the opportunity to talk to or ever have a walk with the Alpha, so I am highly honored to have gotten that chance.

Alpha Chase addresses us all and soon announces for all the youths who turned eighteen years old this year to come forward. This day is our day, our wolves will be awakened. Some of us will find our mates, others won't, but I pray I fall in the category of werewolves who will find their mates.

A cold silent breeze blows across the hall as our pack witch, Rivera gracefully walks into the hall. She is the one to call out our wolves. This is our pack tradition.

All the butterflies rise haphazardly in my stomach when she stands before us. We are roughly fifty in number, both male and female werewolves and I'm certain each and every one of them are just as excited for this as I am.

I can see it on their faces.

Like… who wouldn't want to live like a full werewolf. All the crazy things we can do in our wolf forms and above all, the fact that we finally get to find our mates.

Ahhh… I can't wait.

"Our creator and Moon Goodness…" She begins to recite as she holds up the clay pot in her hand to the sky. The wind becomes colder and stronger and I silently curse myself for wearing such a tiny gown.

She begins her incantations and we all just stay quiet, looking at her totally lost, but hoping that the moment finally comes when she activates our wolves.

When she's done with her incantations, she lowers the clay pot and instantly, the atmosphere becomes still again, but still cold because of her presence. She then opens her eyes and looks at us one after the other.

"Today, you all will become full fleshed werewolves because your wolves will be activated. Everything about you will change. Your speed will quadruple, eyesight will be a lot better in the dark, hearing senses will be heightened and your healing ability will be awaked as well …but, the wolf side also comes with hunger and you will have to hunt. You all will be taught how to go about that. Life doesn't get easy after this. Living as a full fleshed werewolf comes with its challenges and you will have to face them one way or the other. The wolves of the Crystal moon pack are not weak, nor are they troublesome, so you all are reminded to respect pack rules and regulations. I could go on and on about the instructions, but we don't have all day. Now, what I need for you all to do is close your eyes. The moment I apply this powder on your foreheads, your wolves will be awakened" She explains and immediately, I close my eyes and patiently wait for my turn to come.

Moments later, I hear a loud scream from one of us and I instantly open my eyes to see what's going on. It's a young boy in the line on whom powder has already been applied.

His bones are cracking and reforming and his eyes are turning yellow. His wolf has been activated and it's trying to take over him for the first time. Another girl joins him as the same thing starts happening to her.

Soon, the entire hall is filled with screams and howls and the sound of bones crackling. I quickly shut my eyes once more as I wait for the witch to arrive at my spot.

My entire body is trembling and my heart is beating so fast that I'm scared that it might hop out of my body. I'm excited and nervous all together.

Cold chills run down my spine when the witch steps before me. I heave out a heavy breath as she rubs the powder on my face. I clench my fists and squeeze my eyes and lips as I wait for my wolf to take over me, but nothing happens. The next person beside me soon screams, causing me to tremble and open my eyes. I watch in horror as his fingers and feet transform, together with his eyes, but nothing is happening to me.

I close my eyes one more time to focus so my reaction can take place, but nothing happens.

Several minutes pass and everyone else is now stable, but nothing has happened to me. Everyone is looking at me in shock.

Even I am shocked.

I can't feel my wolf.

I can't feel anything.

I'm just the same way I was before all this began.

Right now I'm so worried that I feel like bursting into tears.

Why don't I have a wolf?

"What is your name?" The witch asks as she approaches me.

"Catania… Catania Gabriella Collins" I reply with a tiny voice and she carefully scrutinizes my face.

I hope she spots out what is wrong with me and fixes it.

As we both stand there, saying nothing to each other, the sound of werewolf growls suddenly fills the atmosphere.

I turn behind to look and I see that some male werewolves are growling and looking at me with their eye colors changing. Fear takes over me as I rush behind the witch.

The other pack members scream as they make way for the Werewolves to pass through and approach me. One of them suddenly grabs me by the waist and I cry as I wiggle myself from his hold.

What is going on?

I run to my parents for help but they all pull away from me like I am an outcast

"Mum! Dad, please help me. Please" I cry in agony but none of them come to my rescue, I turn around and notice that the male werewolves are still growling and walking towards me. It feels like there's something on me that's attracting them to me. They all seem to be obsessed with me and it's so frightening.

"Guards! Hold them down!" The Alpha's mighty voice commands and immediately, a group of guards come sprawling in and in less than no time, they hold down the growling men in order to stop them from coming close to me, but the maniacs keep howling and trying to break free.

I stand there stunned to the core, utterly and completely thunderstruck.

Confused and frightened as well.

What just happened?

First, my wolf was not activated like the others and now, some strange male werewolves want to rip me apart.

What exactly is going on?

"Come with me" A voice calls out and when I turn to look, I'm happy to see Alpha Chase standing before me with his palm stretched out to me just like he did a few hours ago.

I wish I could reminisce about that scene for a short while, but for now, I need to get away from here. Without any hesitation, I take his hand and he leads me out of the ball room, away from the growling men who want to rip me apart and away from my parents who want nothing to do with me.