The Weight of a Legacy

Chapter Three

Toby and I danced the night away. The tantalizing mixture of the music and electricity made us feel so intimate with one another. We continued to dance for hours even though it only seemed like minutes. He would say stuff to make sure I had a smile on my face.

    Then the conductor of the band turned around and spoke to the crowd, "This will be our final song. This song is dedicated to those who will find your soulmate tonight. So now, we will proudly perform "So this is Love" from Walt Disney's Cinderella."

    As the band begins to play their final song, Toby whispers in my ear, "I hope that you are mine at the end of tonight." He then delicately kisses my cheek.

    I whisper back to him, "I hope so too." As we go back to our dancing, the singers start to sing the last song:

"So this is love, mmm

So this is love

So this is what makes life divine

I'm all aglow, mmm

And now I know (and now I know)

The key to all heaven is mine

My heart has wings, mmm

And I can fly

I'll touch every star in the sky

So this is the miracle

That I've been dreaming of

Mmm, mmm

So this is love"

As quickly as the song began, it quickly came to an end. I looked up into Toby's eyes, and I saw his emotions clear as the night sky outside. They were filled with admiration and fear, and I know exactly why because I felt the same way. We have had an absolutely magical time tonight, but we are both scared that we might not be each other's mates.

Toby and I begin to separate to go to our assigned tables, but before we fully walk away, Toby grabs my arm and whispers in my ear, "I hope that you are mine, princess." He then grabs my right hand and kisses before he walks back to his table to sit with his parents and siblings. I shake my head out the trance he put me in and begin to adventure to my table that is set for nine. When I arrive at the table, Emily, Caroline, and my mom are give me knowing looks.

Emily teasingly asks, "Weren't you trying to avoid a certain alpha to be Annie? Yet, he was the only guy I saw you dance with. Did you two really dance for hours, and what was that stunt he pulled before you came over here? A kiss on the hand? So Annie, it is time to spill the beans."

Caroline continues, "Em, you only saw the kiss on the hand? I am guessing that you didn't see what he did before the last song. He whispered something in Annie's ear, and then kissed her cheek."

Chris interjects, "Who is kissing my baby sister before she is mated? Alpha male or not, I going to beat the living shi..."

My mom intervenes, "Christopher, do NOT use that kind of language with young ears around, and Annie and Toby did nothing wrong. A lot of wolves feel attractions right before they mate. Also Chris, you are not a match for him. He will break you like a toothpick. Now girls, give your sister a break, she is probably on an emotional rollercoaster right now."

I turn to her and say, "Thanks mom."

"No problem sweetie," My mom responds, "The host is about to come on."

"Welcome everyone to this year's International Werewolf Committee Meeting. I am your host Atticus Verbeck, the Gamma of the Verbeck Pack. I hope everyone had a wonderful time dancing. We are about an hour away from the stroke of midnight. Then the real party begins for us old folk! So, let's eat some dessert, and then we will discover who will be mated."

We all had our choice of desserts. I chose the cheesecake because it is my favorite. After dessert, every unmated wolf above the age of 20 is asked to meet outside the pack house. When Emily, Chris, and I walk outside, The moon was hanging over the Rocky Mountains that frame a perfect backdrop for this night.

Atticus Verbeck announces, "Midnight is in 1 minute, so let's start the countdown."

    60

    59

    58

    57

    56

I look at Emily and Chris, and I grab both of their hands and say, "I hope we all find our mates tonight."

Chris says back to me with a big grin, "I hope so too.'' He squeezes my hand out of reinsurance.

33

32

31

30

29

Emily says, "Annie, I hope Toby is your mate. You two would be a great pair."

I say back to Emily with a huge smile, "I hope so too!"

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

Then it was midnight. For the first couple of seconds nothing happened. Then I heard the first roar. I knew someone just found their mate. Right after that, Chris lets go of my hand and runs away, knowing full well that he just found his mate. Then, Em was snatched up by a guy, and he is taking her back to one of the cabins. I was all alone, standing in the grass and looking at the moon. All of a sudden, I was given the most wonderful smell. The smell was of fresh grass and worn leaver. I felt a hand on the small of my back, and I could feel that familiar electricity. I turned around, and I was met with a familiar set of green eyes.

I whispered out loud, "Mate.."

"Mate..." he replied. Then, he kissed me. The kiss was full of passion and love. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he wrapped his arms around my waist.

After the kiss, I looked back up at my newly found mate. His brown curls laid on the top of his head so perfectly. His green eyes sparkled with love and acceptance. He wore the biggest smile, and I never realized that he had dimples until now.

"You are now mine, princess," he said to me.

"Tobias Verbeck, can you stop calling me that awful nickname you gave me!" I exclaimed with a huge smile on my face.

"Never," Toby said. "You are my mate. So, you are my princess."