Blood and Moon Ties

Mating...

Soul Ties...

Soul Mates...

True love...

Growing up in wolf society, I heard these words a lot in our village. We live among humans, a fact ignored by them.

Normally, we walk around in our human forms and develop the ability to transform into wolves on our 18th birthday.

And when that happens, we meet our predestined mate.

The Moon Goddess creates a soul mate for every single wolf in the world. And, when we find her, we love no one who is not that person for the rest of our lives.

However, few have that chance, nowadays, it is rare for a wolf to find its partner.

Mostly because, every day, the number of wolves decreases thanks to the incessant persecution of human hunters and renegade trackers.

My father met my mother at a gathering in the neighboring villages and instantly fell deeply in love with her. But sadly, she died in childbirth—while I, Elodie Lunt, was being born.

In the loneliness of grief, my father remarried Freya, who, as his second wife, came to rule the Lunt family.

My father, Marcus, was a warrior of our pack, the Gamma of the pack, but five years ago he died in action.

Now, I was only a few days away from turning eighteen, and I was nervous with anticipation of finally meeting my she-wolf.

And more importantly, meeting my mate.

"Elodie! Have you finished the laundry? Dinner's ready!" Freya shouts as I spread the laundry on the clothesline.

I looked up at the sky, basking in the warmth the sun offered. It was a rare occurrence since we lived in a small village called Drusila, which snowed most of the year.

Our pack, the Night Eclipse, lived among humans who had no idea of our existence.

When I entered the house, I was greeted by my stepmother's hideous grimace.

"What took you so long? I'm starving!" She complained.

"You could have started without me." I replied, sitting down to eat.

I needed to give Freya this credit. Her food is excellent.

"So, Elodie... In a few days, you'll be 18, right?" She asks awkwardly.

I looked at her over my plate.

"Hi? Oh... Yes." I mumble, turning my attention back to my food.

"You know... It's about time you started earning your own money. Marcus' pension is getting smaller and smaller."

I looked at her again, almost choking on my food.

"What's it like?"

"Yeah, it already wasn't much to begin with, dear, and having to split it between the two of us has taken a huge toll on the finances." She says it sadly. "So I've decided to offer your name to the leader's house, they urgently need servants to work on the alpha's birthday celebration."

"You did what?" I shout in shock, and I stand up so abruptly that the chair falls backward. "How could you?"

"Pay attention, Elodie! It's way past time for you to help with the expenses around here." She crosses her arms. "The alpha's party is one of the biggest events of the year, they need any extra hands they can get." Freya raises her eyebrows. "Think about it! Maybe you'll meet your partner that night."

I couldn't believe it. I huffed, annoyed, and stomped off toward my room, not wanting to be around her for another minute.

Not that Freya was a bad person, she practically raised me after my dad died, but she was so annoying sometimes, assuming that whatever she decided for me was the right choice.

I pick up my cell phone and dial a video call to my best friend, Maia Willow.

"Hey, Elodie!" Maia greets me with a scary black goo on her face.

"What the hell do you have on your face?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, it's a charcoal mask. Rebecca tipped me off, so I decided to try it." She says this, shrugging her shoulders as she swallows a cookie. "So, what are the plans for your birthday? You must be very excited about turning 18. You're going to meet your partner!" Maia shouts excitedly.

I roll my eyes at her craziness.

"I can't wait to turn 18!" Maia speaks enthusiastically.

"First, I'm not even sure I'm going to meet my partner. You know, that's a once-in-a-blue-moon thing."

I turn over on the bed and hug my teddy bear.

"And I have to work on my birthday, so I won't be able to do much."

"What do you mean you're going to work that night?" She asks incredulously. "Oh, my goddess, you don't..." She gives me a suspicious look.

"No, I don't. But Freya does." I roll my eyes again.

"What! Why did she do that?" Maia asks, confused.

"She said this would be the best way for me to find my partner."

"Oh, I don't believe it! She can't be serious!" Maia's nostrils flare in fury. "Sometimes I can't understand your stepmother, Elodie."

"Yeah, well... Not much to do. I'm going to go to the damn dance, work all night, earn my money, and come home." I stifle a yawn, tired of the whole situation.

"Well... If you're saying... I'll call you later, then. I'll get this thing off my face and get something to eat. Love you, Elodie." Maia jumps out of bed and starts pacing.

"I love you more." I turn off the phone and stretch out on the bed.

Is it that important to find my partner? It's not even such a common thing anymore. What if he's a weirdo?

These questions keep dancing in my head until I fall asleep.

~~

I wake up a few hours later, stretch and get out of bed, go downstairs, and, through the unusual silence, realize I am alone in the house.

"Freya must have gone out." I think out loud before I go back to my room again.

I wasn't hungry, so I didn't bother to prepare anything. As usual, my stepmother wasn't home, so I didn't need to bother with her either, but her idiotic words kept echoing in my head.

What if I meet my partner that night? Do I leave with him right away?

Will he even like me? Will I like him?

"Argh! This is so annoying!" I huffed, clutching the pillow, and covered my face with the blanket.