The Mating Games

Chapter 18

Chapter 18- The Mating Games

I woke up to the smell of chocolate chip pancakes and bacon. I ran downstairs and started piling my plate high with both of the mouthwatering foods. I moaned when I started eating them, and was disappointed when I finished my plate. I frowned when I didn't see any left in the kitchen either. I went into the living room and saw Max sitting watching TV. Without a word I walked over and sat by him.

He looked over at me and said, "You ready for later?"

I glared at him and retorted, "What do you think Max?"

He just winced a little and turned back to the show he was watching. I looked at the clock on the wall across from me and frowned a little. It was only three hours until we had to be at the grounds for the mating games. Only now does the pressure of the games hit me, I feel like I am about to have a panic attack. I start to breathe heavily and sweat.

I turn to run out of the room and back up to my room. Once I got there I run into the bathroom and jump into the shower. I slid down the wall and put my head in my hands thinking about what I am going to do. The Moon Goddess told me accept my mate, but I don't want one. I have no idea what is going to happen during the games, and I have no idea what I am going to decide. I feel that either option is going to end badly.

I take a deep breath and finally get out of the shower. As I was pulling on my jacket I heard a knock on my door.

"Come in!" I yell at whoever is on the other side of the door.

I heard my door open and I turn around to see Max standing in the doorway.

"It's time to go Sophia, we have to leave now to make it on time." He looks at me and sighs.

"What the last time I looked at the time we still had three hours!"

"Sophia you have been up here for three hours." He sighs at me again.

I turn back and rub my hands down my face, I really am not ready for this yet. I grab my necklace and head down the stairs with Max. I climb into his car and lay down in the back. I fell asleep to the soft sound of the radio playing in the background.

Max woke me up and the first thing I noticed was that the sun was about to set. I sit up and look around and see that there are a lot of females standing to the side. I take that as sign that I need to head over with all the other girls and stand in the middle of the group.

I never liked crowds, much less a crowd of hundreds of antsy teenage girls. I walk off to the edge of the group and sit down on a rock and wait for the games to start. I watch the setting and sun, but before it set all the way a man stepped in front of the group and whistled to get everyone's attention.

"Ladies, ladies! The mating games will be starting in a few minutes and I have to go over a few things with you before we let you go and the games officially begin."

He looks over all of us with a calculating gaze while we all nod in his general direction.

"First of all no man can force himself on you and force you to be his mate. Second once you find your mate, you have to come back to the main gathering grounds and confirm your mate with the council. Lastly we do not recommend this, but you can reject your mate. If you choose to do this though you have to give the council a reason for your rejection. Is that clear ladies?"

He looked over at us again as we nodded.

"Now that we have gone over the rules are there any last minute questions that you ladies have or anything that you need to be clarified on?"

Once again he looked over the crowd and I saw someone raise their hand to speck.

"Yes young lady what is your concern?"

"What if we do not find our mates?"

"If you do not find your mate this time then you will come to the main gathering areas when the night is over and we will put you on the list the come the games next year. Any more questions?"

Once he saw there were no more questions he nodded to himself.

A few minutes later he took out an air horn and pressed it three times and then announced, "The Mating Games have officially started!"

I watched in the background for a few minutes while the women all ran into the forest to search or if in my case hide from their mates. Once almost everyone was in the forest, I walked slowly into the woods as if I was walking to my death.

Once I broke through the barrier of trees into the dark wooded area my stomach erupted with butterflies. I kept walking forward, not knowing exactly what to do. I walk forward a bit more when I saw a very pissed off looking male wolf facing another she wolf and he growled mine and grabbed her and kissed her very forcefully. 

I turn and ran from the horrid scene that I had just witnessed. I don't want to be in these games, and that did not inspire my confidence in the least. I ran until I came upon a cave that seemed to be pretty well hidden from everything else. I started to make my way toward the cave only to come to the entrance and see that it was occupied by another girl who looked very frightened.  I didn't know what to do so I just turned and ran to find another suitable hiding place, that wasn't occupied.

I feel like it had been hours since the games started, but in all reality it had probably only been a few minutes. I am still looking for somewhere to hide, but I am not having any luck finding another one. I was about to stop and rest when I heard a growl from behind me, and I ran without looking back.