One True Alpha

Chapter 02

"Okay, will the ladies of group 45 please follow Gamma Murphy," a middle-aged female asked into the dwindling crowd. We had been in the ballroom for hours. Jessica and a few of the higher ranked females and I were sitting on the now spacious ballroom floor. Leaning against the wall, our shoes in a pile on the floor.

A group of twenty girls headed towards the door, ID tags in hand. Each female presented their tags to the she-wolf as they passed, she checked each girl's name off the list on her tablet. A girl from my pack looked back at me and waved. Her black hair was braided tightly against her skull like her mother. "Good luck, future Alpha," Sarah called with tears in her dark blue eyes that stood out against olive toned skin. I waved back and let out a small sigh. After the festival, I likely would not see her again. Males stay, females go. My heart hurt.

"It's kinda sad, in a way. How we may not see some of our friends and sisters again," Jessica said as she waved at a girl that was getting in line with her group. She waved back before being herded out the door. The guards seemed more relaxed now. Most of the females that were forced into this event had gone through the line already. A few had tried to run but were easily caught, I felt sorry for them, but it was not my place to speak for a female that wasn't a part of my pack. "I heard some of the packs were from across the sea," chimed in a female a few groups in front of us. "Would you fight your mate if he was from one of them," an older beta female asked Jessica. "Yes, I will not bow down to a male that isn't worth his salt, mate or not. If he rejects me, I'll figure something else out," Jessica said adamantly, fluffing her curls up. Although, I could tell she hoped it wouldn't come to that. Jessica did not want to leave her brother without security and she certainly did not want to be far from the territory she grew up in.

"Won't your dad be, like, way mad," a second-born alpha asked. "Worst case scenario, I am rejected. Then I will participate in the Second Mate Choosing Ceremony at the end of the festival," Jessica said quietly, as everyone looking at her in shock. "You mean choosing a mate instead of giving your Moon-blessed one a chance," exclaimed a beta female with a raised lip. The Second Mate Choosing was a way for wolves that either lost or were rejected by their mate could go and have the opportunity to choose their mate. It was always on the last day so the mateless wolves could have a few days to interact and build a connection with someone.

"I will make that clear to him before we battle it out. He has a day and a half to decide," she said showing her teeth at the female. She bowed her head as Jessica stared her down. If he can't stand having a powerful female at his side and only wants a follower, then I'll find someone who can." Her words were truth, her wolf would not allow her to bow down to any male without him proving himself. But she didn't want to be rejected for how the moon created her either.

"Group 57 through 60 please follow Omega Ralph," the female wolf said, motioning towards a small male with mousy hair. The last twenty-two of us headed towards the door, ID tags and shoes in hand. "Good luck, Heir Ironclaw," she said with a kind smile. "Thank you," I replied as I slipped my shoes back on before leaving the ballroom.

We walked down the hallway in silence. The finality of our situation finally coming to a head. I finally understood why some of the females tried to flee, I had no idea who my mate was. Would he be kind? Mean? Rude? I had no way of knowing and for a she-wolf with less power at her disposal, it could mean a life under a male's thumb.. I ran my fingers through my hair again, scrunching up my waves. My heartbeat pounded in my chest and ears like a drum as I worked on controlling my breathing. Ralph smelt of another female and the mark peaking out of his shirt looked red and irritated. If I was his mate, I would have made sure my scent saturated his skin before he surrounded himself with unclaimed she-wolves. It was in our nature to make sure what was ours, stayed ours. Walking down the hall I couldn't help but notice the various office chairs that had been pulled out of the rooms for the festival. An open door showed a conference room that was overflowing with tables from the other rooms. I would hate to be part of the committee that had to rearrange all the furniture after the festivities closed.