The Marking

Chapter One

The Marking is a sacred ceremony that has been going on since the early 1400's. Unmated wolves from around the world take a run through the forest in search of their mates. The starting age is 16 and goes up from there.

Rune has made it through two years without so much as a sniff in her direction, she thought this year would be no different.

It was dusk as wolves lined up at the edge of the forest in anticipation of mating. A howl sounded through the air signaling it was time to begin! Shifting in midair Rune took off at the speed of light. Dodging stumps and low branches she made her way to salvation. It took a little over an hour for her to find the borrow she had been using since her first marking ceremony. Like every other year she had marked her scent along trees taking any follower a mile north of den then she'd jump in the river and swim back to the borrow to help mask her scent. Curling up inside the hole she closed her eyes and welcomed dreamland.

Not paying much attention to where he was going Thorn wondered through the dense forest at a light pace. He knew to be the next alpha he would have to mate but at the age of twenty-one he didn't want to rush anything. Jogging towards the river to take a drink the ground quickly gave out underneath him and he tumbled down falling on someone!? "Get off me you warthog!" An angry feminine voice yelled. Hopping off of the girl Thorn offered to help her up but she stood on her own and shook off the dirt all over her. When her silver eyes met his brown ones the world shifted into place.
Mate
Mate
Their inner wolves called out to one another in excitement!

Rune shook her head in disbelief, she never thought she would be mated let alone find her true mate! "What's your name?" He asked quietly. "Rune, and yours?" She answered. "Thorn." He replied. A new layer of shock was added to her mind when she heard his name. "You're the Thorn Hemming?" Rune raised an eyebrow. "That's me." Thorn smirked. A loud howl broke their conversation. Easily they both leaped out of the hole. Two wolves were marking each other around twenty yards away. Awkwardly they walked back towards the starting line where they would be announced by elders as true mates.

Only a handful of couples were there with them. "Thorn Hemming and Rune Borealis hmm what an interesting couple my dear moon goddess." The elder chuckled nodding to us both. "Let's go." Thorn nugged Rune towards a black SUV. Not a bit happy but out of her element Rune complied. "Where are we going?" She wondered. "My pack." Thorn said in a duh tone.