The Rejected Slave

“Heyy Scarlett come on, stop being such a kill joy and get your ass ready!” My friend, Elora cooed playfully from the doorframe. I smiled, ignoring the tapping noises she made with her shoes against the wooden door frame.

“I’ve not applied mascara yet!” I cried, hurriedly applying a strawberry lip gloss on my dry full lips.

“You know you don’t need them right?” She said eying me up and down, “Your lashes are unnaturally long, they’ll still look pretty without mascara.” Shaking my head at her failed attempt at flattery, I applied the almost dried out  mascara on my eyelashes and tied my wild ginger red hair into a messy bun.

“Let’s go now,” She drawled pulling at my arm. “I don’t want to have to stand at the furthest corner of the hall. The prince could be my mate!” She said chuckling. Her silly statement made me burst out in fits of laughter because we both knew it was something that wouldn’t happen.

Allowing her drag me along the almost deserted corridor, I quickly tagged along behind her as we made our way to the auditorium to welcome her imaginary mate… Our new Alpha.

***

The auditorium was filled to the brim by pack members scurrying around to get a glimpse of our new Alpha. I shook my head at teenage girls with heavy make up, giggling in circles they had formed with their respective cliques- they seemed mechanical.

“He isn’t here yet so we’re early enough,” I heard Elora whisper beside me; I nodded my head affirmatively and glanced through the crowd frantically. I was fast becoming lightheaded from the excessive screams, giggles, movement of people in and out of the auditorium and the hotness in the room.

Just as I was about to leave, a sweet intoxicating smell attacked my nostrils making me halt in my tracks. It smelled divine like pines and hand picked grapes in a dewy garden.

“Do you smell that?” I asked Elora who stood closely beside me. She turned to stare at me with a confused grin gracing her porcelain face.

“You mean the stench of bodily fluids?” She asked with a laugh, making me chuckle lightly.

“No something else, something swe—” My sentence was abruptly cut short when a loud cheering erupted in the auditorium.

“What’s happening?!” I yelled at Elora, over the deafening noise in the large space.

“He’s here!” She shouted back; “the prince is here!” Due to my height, it proved quite difficult for me to see him as I was short. In near desperation, I tiptoed, resting against the young boy standing in front of me but was immediately shoved off.

“Arrgh I can’t see him!” I cried out in frustration but Elora only chuckled.

“He’s so handsome.” She cried, her face taking on a dreamy look, “I wish he was my mate!” At the mention of the word ‘mate’, the sweet smell attacked my senses with a ferocious force, it made my mind fuzzy.

“Scarlett! Scarlett I can carry you briefly so that you can catch a glimpse of him!” Elora offered almost pitifully when she took in the frustrated look on my face.

“No thank you!” I answered loudly, my mind was everywhere. I needed to find out where this smell came from.

“What’s it?! You seem bothered!” She yelled, her face contorting with unbridled concern. She stopped cheering and turned to look at me with her hands placed firmly on her waist.

“My mate’s here! I can sense him!” I cried out, desperately looking around me.

“What if your mate is the Alpha?” She asked, chuckling. I joined in her laugh too because I was sure it wasn’t possible. A noble blood like myself usually do not get paired with royalty…

***

I waited until the initial excitement had worn off and the new Alpha whom I still didn’t see had given his speech until I went about looking for the source of my unease.

“Are you really going to do this right now?” Elora complained from beside me as I practically dragged her along the length of the wide auditorium.

“Yes, I know he’s here, it won’t be long before I sniff him out.” I answered stubbornly.

We continued marching down the large room until the smell became concentrated at a particular spot, I stopped.

“What’s it again?” Elora grumbled.

“He’s here. Right here!” I nearly screamed out in excitement; I gasped as soon as I saw the handsome demon sitting opposite where I stood with an intense look on his face. The smell drifted slowly but surely from exactly where he sat; and I was sure he was the one;

“What’s it Scarlett, say something!” Elora nearly shrieked from besides me. I noticed how she moved, bouncing from one foot to the other. It seemed like she also experienced the uncomfortable unease I felt under his scrutiny.

“That’s him Elora, that’s my mate,” I whispered fiercely, in a voice that only her could hear.

“Are you sure?” She asked, looking at me like I had suddenly gone crazy; “Are you sure? Because that’s Alpha Michael, our new Alpha.” She said steely, her voice suddenly cold. My eyes went as round as a saucer, in shock when realization hit.

Just as I was about to walk towards him, to probably introduce myself to him, a loud bang resonated around the auditorium. It was so loud that it made a lot of people scurry about in a bid to protect themselves from whatever it was that had made that sound. 

We had been attacked…