2. Mate

Mia

Aaaah!

My head was killing me.

I woke up with a splitting headache and I couldn't move.

I felt as if I was being held down by a tonne of bricks and it was even hard to open my eyes.

My eyelids felt as if they were being held down by an invisible thread that had been sewn through them all along from one side to the other.

I didn't know where I was and I couldn't sense any sounds.

I figured that maybe, I had been left at home as the others went to the ceremony.

I stayed there still willing my body to come to itself and it did.

After a few minutes, my eyes finally opened and that's when I realised that I was on a lagoon somewhere.

It was all dark around me and I could tell that it was the lagoon because this was my peaceful place and I was halfway immersed in water.

I tried sitting down and I sank.

I wasn't prepared for that and I gulped a mouthful of water and then someone spoke to me.

“Swim," it was a voice I have never heard and I opened my eyes but it was dark all over and my lungs were starting to scream.

“Swim damn it! SWIM! Flap your hands and legs and float upwards!" The voice was irritated and I did as she instructed.

I flapped my hands and legs and rose.

The water wasn't deep and I think I panicked because I wasn't prepared for it.

I struggled to get myself out and I dragged my body which felt as if a ten tonnes truck had ridden over it.

I was sore all over and I couldn't tell what part was hurting more.

My head hurt from the back and I remembered the slap my father gave me that made me fall.

I raised my heavy hand and tried to touch the nape of my hand and I screamed when I realised that the hand was broken at the elbow.

I slumped back down and willed myself to die.

Why was I still alive?

What was the need? 

It was dark and it meant that either the ceremony was done or it was going on and it meant that I would miss it. 

“The ceremony is already done," the same voice said and I sat with a jolt wondering who it was that was talking to me.

“Who are you?" I asked as I hissed in pain.

“It's me. My name is Lily, and I am your wolf," she said and I gasped in surprise.

“So, I got my wolf?" I couldn't believe it.

“Yes, sit still and we are going to try and heal those wounds," she said and I sat there with a smile.

I couldn't believe that I had finally got my wolf.

All that was remaining was me finding my mate and he would get me out of this hell hole.

No one believed me and all they did was hate and beat me and enough was enough.

If there wasn't a mate for me, then I would leave and be a rogue.

I felt my bones snap and start rejoining and I screamed in pain.

That's when I realized that not only did I have a broken hand but a broken rib, broken legs and several bruises.

I slumped back down and allowed Lily to do her thing and she did.

It might have taken several minutes but I was alright and I skipped when I realized that the headache was gone and I could stand up.

I was all muddy and I walked to the rock where I always say whenever I stole time to rest and started cleaning myself.

“Lily, are you there?” I hoped that it wasn't an illusion.

"Yes, I am here," she said in a pleasant voice.

“Will you go rogue with me if our mate doesn't want us?" I asked her.

I had an inkling that it might happen seeing how everyone hated me.

"Ouch!" I held my chest as I felt a sharp pain pass through me.

I felt tears fall involuntarily as if I was in emotional pain.

“Lily, what's happening?" I asked her as I struggled to breathe.

“Our Mate is having a make out session with another woman," she said and I felt a pain like I had never experienced before.

It would have been better if I had been beaten physically than this.

It tore my heart and my soul out.

Enough was enough.

I was going rogue and I didn't care if my mate wanted me or not.

“Lily, will you go rogue with me?” I asked her again because the pain assaulted me before I could ask her.

"Don't be in a rush Mia. Let's ask him first. You never know, maybe he's doing that because he doesn't know that he has a mate yet.

Let's go,” she said and actually, that made a lot of sense. 

I cleaned myself quickly and started walking back to the castle.

It was not far off seeing that it had been built at the shores of a lake and it didn't take me long.

There were celebrations and merry making everywhere.

I could see the newly turned wolves at the big table eating all manner of food and there were waiters and waitresses in black suits and white shirts serving the guests.

I smiled deprecatingly knowing that if I had been able to cook, no one would have hired a catering company.

I hid myself and used a longer route to get to the castle and I went up to my attic.

I then raised a board at the floor and took out the box that was holding the dress mom had given me when I was ten.

It was a beautiful pink dress with pearls all over the front bodice and the elbow length sleeves.

It then flowed to the ankles and it looked beautiful.

I took a quick shower in the bathroom that was a floor below the attic. I was brave enough to do that since I knew that everyone was at the party. Or so I thought.

I then wore the dress and combed my hair and held it in a bin at the centre with a parting at the centre of my forehead with a little hair falling on both sides of my face.

My hair was red just like my mother's and it was long and I loved it.

I always wore a scarf over it because I knew Agatha was always jealous of my hair and she once beat me and cut it crudely with a knife and that was the worst.

I looked at myself in the mirror and I looked super.

I didn't have any shoes and I always walked barefoot but that didn't stop me.

I knew that I was beautiful and I looked beautiful.

I then walked downstairs and as I was rounding off the last stairwell, I heard chuckles and snickers.

I could tell who that was even from a mile away.

That was Agatha and I didn't need to be told who she was with.

“I knew that you would turn out to be an alpha just like your dad.

Too bad that it wasn't black like I had hoped.

But grey is also a good colour.

So, when will you get married?" Agatha asked Josiah and I swear I didn't want to eavesdrop but something kept me glued to the floor. 

“Agatha, I had told you that this would be a fling until I found my mate. We have to end it now," Josiah said but that did not deter my sister.

She was determined.

“It's okay. But I can be here till you find her," Agatha said.

“Mate," Lily said and I turned thinking that she was talking about someone else and not any of these two.

“Mate," she said again and I turned to find Josiah looking at me.

“You?" He asked in disgust.