The moon hung low in the velvety night sky, casting an eerie silver glow through the dense forest that surrounded Lyra's father's house. Inside the modest dwelling, Lyra stood before her mirror, her heart pounding in her chest like a trapped bird. Today marked her eighteenth birthday-the day she anticipated since a year ago.
She was supposed to embrace her wolf form, to finally shift and join the ranks of her pack as a true member. By tonight, maybe, the curse will be broken.
Last year, on her seventeenth birthday, Lyra had stood in this very spot, her anticipation rising, only to be met with crushing disappointment as the hours ticked by and her transformation remained elusive. It was an embarrassment she could hardly bear, a mark of shame that whispered of curses and inadequacy.
She could remember the mocking, the cursing she received from her family and other pack members when she failed to shift into her wolf form on her seventeenth birthday, just like other members of the Dawn Blade pack. It hit her like a thunder when other members whose birthday was on the same day shifted and embraced their wolves while she stood stupidly anticipating until the clock ticked to dawn.
The next day she had been cursed and told the most hurtful words that a seventeen year old could ever hear. She was declared as a wolf less she-wolf, a curse to the pack because it had never happened before.
As she carefully adjusted the intricate silver necklace around her neck, her fingers trembled. The pendant, an ancient family heirloom given by her grandmother, glinted with an ethereal light, mirroring the silver moon's glow. Lyra's eyes flickered with a mixture of determination and fear. She wouldn't let another year go by without achieving what was expected of her.
Barely audible, a chorus of hushed voices from her family members swirled around her as she dressed, their words indistinct yet laden with an otherworldly weight. Whispers of curses, of the moon's displeasure and ancestral disapproval, wound their way into her consciousness. But Lyra's refused to succumb to the doubts that crawled at her mind. She was stronger than this, stronger than the weight of expectations and the specter of failure.
Quiet steps caused Lyra to turn back, she met Elara's graceful moves. "I sneaked in." Elara whispered, she couldn't dare speaking loudly or else she would arouse suspicion and cause trouble for her friend Lyra.
She wore a midnight-blue dress with delicate laces, lively and full of mischief, defining her teenage curves.
"You could get yourself in trouble for coming in. I don't want to drag you into my curse and misfortune, Elara." Lyra whispered back to her best friend Elara who risked everything for their friendship. Elara was a true friend. She slipped into the house unnoticed, sneaking past guards and shadows to stand by Lyra's side. Her unwavering support was a lifeline that anchored Lyra's resolve.
Ever since her seventeenth birthday, Lyra was restricted from having any friends. Her father, Beta Richard had changed and so did her step siblings toward her. They hated her a nd never held back from telling it to her. They had showed her love before her seventeenth birthday even in the absence of her mother who became a rogue. She thought life was complete even though her stepmother hated her.
However, after that day, everyone hated her. The pack cursed her for being a wolf less omega. How could she embarrass her father, the strongest Beta of the Dawn Blade pack? She was chased from college, she was thrown grass at by her age mates. No one wanted to be around her since that moment, except Elara her best friend.
Tonight being her last chance, she was in utter fear. Tonight was also when she would recognize her mate. She was so nervous that he would reject her for being wolf less yet deep down she hoped for the impossible. She hoped that he would be one to protect her from the hurtful words and torture from her family.
"You are thinking a lot my darling. Let me get you ready for today's ceremony. It's almost time. I can't wait to meet your mate. Maybe it's my brother." Elara told Lyra, smiling at her like a hopeful star. She wished the best for Lyra. She wished her the life that she deserved.
Lyra smirked bitterly. She bet Dylan would take a wolf less she-wolf as a mate. He was an Alpha and needed a strong Luna, not someone like her. She was weak and useless, cursed and unwanted.
"Thank you, Elara. As much as I want Dylan to be my mate, he can never accept me. You and I know that's a fact." Lyra reminded Elara after a silent sigh. His brother definitely hated her now.
Elara sighed. She felt sad only by looking at her friend's sad face. Why would fate be so cruel. She only prayed for her friend's wolf to appear today. "It's okay Lyra. Let's get ready. We have to go out in a few minutes." Elara opened the bag she had come in with. There were all products she needed to enhance her friend's beauty.
After a few touches, Elara smiled. " You're a queen Lyra. Your mate will be lucky to have you."
Lyra looked at her reflection. She didn't look bad. Her red tinted lips stood up, speaking volumes of her beauty. Her eyebrows were black and beautiful, her nose sharp and it's tip glittering with a little bronze.
"Thank you Lyra." She whispered.
Elara kissed Lyra's hair carefully. "There is one more thing. "Elara carefully adjusted Lyra's midnight-blue defined with delicate laces, a match to hers that she specifically chose for today.
"We are good to go and find your mate and meet his wolf." Elara confidently told her friend, her face bearing a contagious bright smile that eased up Lyra's emotions.
Lyra took a deep breath, nervousness shadowing her breath as the wooden door of her bedroom creaked open, revealing a silver moonlit corridor beyond. As she stepped forward, Elara's hand slipped into her sweating palms, offering a silent assurance that she wasn't alone.
Soon, she was outside. The mixed scents in the air could be inhaled through her nose but some scent stood out causing her to raise her nostrils. It was fresh and addictive, soothing and exotic.
Eucalyptus and jasmine!