Mated

The Ritual

Prologue

Twenty-three years ago, they had found her. An infant, wrapped in a pale pink blanket with the name Lyric embroidered on a corner, on the snow between the mutilated bodies of her parents. The Elders put Lyla in charge of caring for the poor orphan, saying that she could tell the girl she was her sister. Lyla's mate had passed years before and she was childless. It was a perfect fit.

Chapter One "The Ritual"

Lyric peered around the trunk of a large tree at the several figures walking up the narrow path that led to her Village. They were all clad in dark, semi-formal clothing, but that was all she could make out from her place on the hill. She could, however, catch their scent when the wind blew just right and she knew that they were like her. Rather, they were like the others in her Pack. No one was like her. She was a misfit, even in the werewolf world.

"Jesus, here you are," a voice said and she spun around. "Quit spying on the Alpha and his family. Lyla's expecting you back at the house."

"I already told her that there's no point in me taking part in the damn Ritual tonight," she groaned, rolling her eyes. "He's not going to pick me, Bryan."

"Lyric," Bryan sighed, shoulders slumping. "C'mon, you're twenty-three and still aren't mated to anyone."

"As if you have any room to talk," she growled. "You're a year older and aren't mated either."

"Well, I haven't met the right girl yet," he shrugged. "Now, come on. Lyla will kill me if I don't get you back in time to get ready."

"Bryan," she whined.

"Nope," he said with a firm tone and a shake of his head. "Let's go."

"What if I refuse?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Lyla told me to use force if I had to," Bryan said.

"You wouldn't freaking dare," she growled.

"I will if I have to. Lyric, please don't make this impossible," he sighed.

She glared at him for a moment before softening her stance and letting out a deep sigh. Her sister wouldn't let her worm her way out of this. No way in hell. It was an important deal. Bryan smiled and extended his hand. Lyric walked by him, slapping at his hand, and started making the walk back to her small home.

********

"My God, finally!" Lyla all but screamed when Lyric walked in. "You are so late. I have the generator on so you can get a shower. No soaps with perfume. Light deodorant. You know the drill. We've gone over it a million times. I set your outfit on the bed. You've got no more than twenty minutes to get your ass to the Clearing."

"Twenty minutes!" she scoffed. "Lyla, it takes that long for me to just rinse my hair!"

"If you'd come with Bryan right away instead of putting up a fight and being your stubborn self, you'd have twice that time to get ready. Now, quit wasting time and get moving."

With an eye roll, Lyric sulked off to their tiny bathroom, and got into the small stand up shower. She hurried to get washed, pissed that she hardly had enough time for the water to even get warm, and rushed to comb the tangles out of her wet hair once she hopped out. A low groan left her when she saw the outfit laid out on her bed.