*Leone's P.O.V.*
"All rise in the presence of his highness, King Hamilton Balisio Cuore and his mate and queen Anna Bastille Cuore," Shouted the announcement maker. I knew him as Lester, and he had been present in my life just as much as my father.
Any where I had ever gone he was there announcing my presence. It was nice most of the time, having so much attention. Yet, sometimes I just wanted to be invisible. Not tonight though, tonight I wanted her to notice me. To look into my eyes and feel the connection that I yearned for. One that would bind us together through the thickest of thick and the thinnest of thin. I wanted her to feel the mate bond that would glue our souls to one another's.
A mate is a wolves other half, their soul mate, their reason to live.
"Now will you all put your hands together for the future king, Prince Leone Coraggioso Cuore!" Lester exclaimed as I stepped out onto the balcony. Many girls began to scream and gush over me. They had begun to get a little out of hand at the idea of one of them possibly being my mate. So with a knowing glance toward my father I stepped up to the podium with the royal family crest on it.
"Alright ladies and gentlemen please settle down," I said in a gentle tone, making sure most caught on to the authoritative edge in my voice. How could they not have I contained a very strong alpha wolf.
"We all know the real reason you're here is for the Running of the Mates. At least , that's why I'm here I spoke in a cool voice. Once I explain the rules to the newcomers we will commence the ceremony," I stated earning whistles from the crowd of mostly males. I cleared my throat and began to list of the rules of the annual ceremony that only occurred every four years.
" Today is a day that is important to all of the werewolf community. Today we do not discriminate against anyone. It doesn't matter wether you are rogues or pack members, friends or enemies. Tonight the borders fall. We will not let that cloud our judgment, for the rules state, that on the 28th of November of every fourth year there will be a 24 hour period where both rogue and pack member are free to leave the comforts of their dwellings and search for their mate.
Their's only two rules. One,you mist not take upon yourself a mate that is not yours. And second, you must return after the 24th hour. If you have not found your mate by this time, you must wait four years until the next annual running."
I began to probe my brain for any other important information I could think of. Once I concluded that there was nothing else I said the words that I had beeen waiting so anxiously to say all day.
"I hereby commence the Running of the Mates. Good luck ladies and gentlemen" I finished before sprinting off the platform and shifting into my sandy colored royal wolf. I then continued to journey into the woods. My mate was out there somewhere, and I was going to find her .
************************************
*Kitrina's P.O.V*
I stared at the clock on the wall of my bedroom in boredom. All the other single 18 year olds were all lined up at the border waiting for their mates to come and sweep them of their feet. They were going to live fairytale lives with them. Well not I.
I Kitrina Valcoph refuse to take part in it. For I used to believe in fairytale endings, but all that changed just this morning during the commissioning ceremony.
Flashback
I was sitting in the high school gymnasium where the pack held it's meetings. It was a special day for us newly turned 18 year olds. We were going to receive our place in the pack. My wolf and I were proud. I was the firstborn child of Beta Valcoph. We were going to step into our positions of leadership alongside our alpha, who was also my best friend Trent.
We'd been friends since diapers, and had always dreamt of running the Mega Lima Pack with our mates by our sides. We were planning on being the best leaders the pack had ever seen, although we didn't tell our father's that. We didn't want to damage their pride. You never messed with a wolf's pride. Yet, that's exactly what everyone wanted to do at the time.
When I woke up my mother dolled me up and stuffed me in a dress. Then I had to sit in a room full of people with no air conditioning, thanks to some prankster who thought it'd be fun to break it. But I held in all my anger at the thought that today I'd become beta. I mean there's no one else they could give it to . I mean my brother Kris was only 17, and besides he didn't have a beta wolf. I watched as Trent received his place as alpha and applauded probably louder than I should have.
Then the moment I had been training for my whole life came. My father stepped up to the podium and grabbed the microphone. I was finding it hard to sit there and keep a look of suspense on my face, so was my brother. He just wanted to go home and eat cheeto puffs while playing Call of Duty.
" I Kristian Valcoph, Beta of the Mega Lima pack, hereby announce and hand over my position to," here it comes," my son Kris Valcoph" My father finished. It took a few moments for me to realize what had just happened. The room was silent except for my brother's surprised blabbering. Everyone looked to me for my reaction, even Trent. It was then that I exploded in a fit of rage that nobody expected from a innocent girl like me.
" What!" I screeched loudly. " You're making him the beta. Is this some type of joke! It's not funny. " I turned to see that nobody was laughing. What could I have possibly done to deserve it, I thought. Then it hit me.
" It's because I'm a girl isn't it? I've worked my tail off to prove to you people that I could be beta. Heck, I basically through away my freedom for this position," I continued on. You could here my wolf seeping through. She was not happy with being disrespected like that, and neither was I.
"I need to get out of here," I mind linked Trent.
" Okay, I got you", he replied.
"Clear a path!" He shouted using his alpha voice. I watched as stragglers scrambled to get out of the aisles. I didn't want to hurt anybody, because once I let my wolf loose she destroyed everything in her path.
#############
That brought me back to where I was now. Watching the various video monitors that I had spread across the territory in case of attack by some evil wolf. This is why I deserved to be beta. I cared for Mega Lima so much that I was willing to risk my mate over it. But hey I could wait 4 more years, why couldn't he?
