Chapter 1 Chapter 1

"Do you have everything? Are you sure? Did you get your phone? An-" my mom was blabbering again, anyone could tell.

I cut her off and said, "I have everything mom, we have been packing for days, I bet I didn't forget anything," and then I frowned. "I'll miss you too mom, and I promise to try and stay in touch."

Today is the big day, because today I find my mate. No, not a 'soul' mate, just a mate. In my world, there are no soul mates, no such thing actually. On every New Year's Eve, like right now, a ceremony takes place which gathers all the werewolves who are nineteen, Betas who are twenty, and all the Alphas who are twenty-one to be assigned their mate.

No sparks fly when you meet or make eye contact, not even the touch does anything, since we are not 'soul' mates, but once you are marked by your mate, that's when everything slips out of control, because you start to feel the weird electrifying feeling, not as strong for a real bond, but something would still be present.

So yeah, today is the Big day, because I am one of the teenagers who turned nineteen, and I have to leave my family to live with my assigned mate. To say I am scared and sad is underestimated, because right now I am hyperventilating, which always happens when I am deeply nervous or am in anxiety. Even my mom is in that position right now, she is avoiding eye contact and is running around the house trying to find something, anything, which I forgot to take with me. I have my one suitcase which does not have much, just my clothes, my art kit, some paintings and pictures of my family, and my series of books which are kept under all my clothes. I thought my suitcase wouldn't be big enough for all my books, but I managed. Surprisingly.

I sighed and just stood there, watching my mom go all out, she went inside the kitchen to pack some food, "Mom, there is no need for food, all the food is going to be there, I think," I said and started following her, but out of nowhere two pairs of arms came to circle my waist, and I yelped in surprise. When I turned around, I found it to be my older brother, Mason, and his mate, Jessica, who I call Jess. "Hey guys, where have you been, its been like a full hour," I scowled at them when they pulled away.

"I know, sorry," Jess said and then pulled something from behind her, and Mason's frown turned into a grin, "Um.. me and Mason brought you something, like a gift, since you are leaving and..." she trailed off and shut her eyes tightly, and I knew she was holding back tears.

Shaking my head to get rid of my own sad tears, I grabbed the big box out of Jess' hand and put it on the dining table beside the kitchen, and then started tearing the sparkling pink wrapper, all the while Jess and Mason came to my side, staring at each other and then at me as I undid the gift slowly.

Under the wrapper there was a box, and when I took the lid off, my eyes widened at the elements inside. There was a small frame with me, my mom, Mason, Jess, and my ...dad, the tears which I held back came rushing out, and I quickly wiped it away. My dad passed away in a rogue attack, my mom and I were there too, he was just trying to protect us. Mason and mom fought the group of rogues, while I was crumpled behind a tree, hiding and astonished by all the action, till now I believe its my fault that dad is dead, because I didn't help, though I know what dad told me when he went to strike, that in order to help him, I have to hide.

Shaking my head, I looked at the other stuff. There were a series of books bonded together by a tape, and when I read the title, my eyes widened, "Oh my god, the Lunar Chronicles," Jess and Mason knew how much I wanted to read these books, "Thank you so much," I shrieked and hugged both of them, they laughed.

I grabbed the other contents, one of them was a long painting brush and the other was a CD. I raised an eyebrow at Mason, and he smiled, "Whenever you miss us a lot, just watch this little film which Jess put together, its on all of us,"he murmured and then excused himself to go to the washroom.

His guard is breaking, I could see it. The rule says that there will barely be any connection to your old pack when you are assigned to your mate, and that's why all the houses lined up beside ours were awake along with us for the whole night, because their children who were nineteen were to leave today.

Mainly the females are supposed to be at the party to be called upon the stage, they are the ones who are supposed to be taken by the man they are assigned to. A name draw was placed by an office, where people were mandatory to place their names in, even if a person did not, the hosting group would cross out every teen's name from a checklist they made of people who are of age and must attend. This ceremony has been going on for almost twenty-three years.

"I will really miss everyone," I mumbled and hugged Jess and mom who came from the kitchen to give me a box of lasagna, we stayed in that place for I don't know how long. After few seconds, we heard a loud honk from the outside.