C6 Chapter 5. The Night Of Red Moon

5. The Night Of Red Moon

Finally, the big day had arrived, and I had gone to great lengths to look my best.

If this is the day I discover my Mate, I want to look my best, and I've read that no one can resist a mate link, and I have a feeling I'll find him today.

I wore a red dress since it is tradition in our pack for all unmated she-wolves to wear red dresses and show up in the ground to glorify and give meaning to the night.

I let my hair down in its natural waves and put on some makeup to draw attention to my features.

I can boldly state that I look better even without makeup than those phoney dolls in my pack, but I don't show it since I believe that only my Mate deserves to witness my inner beauty.

Well, I thought about Edward specifically, but right now I don't care who it is; whoever it is, I'm going to embrace him as my due Mate, whom the moon goddess has chosen for me.

I've seen Edward with Charlotte a lot in the last several days, and I even saw them kissing once. Yes, it hurt my heart, but I pretended it didn't bother me and went away.

I'm not sure what I want anymore; the thought of envisioning myself with someone else from my pack disgusts me, but on the other hand, I want to experience the magical effect that everyone describes.

I want to know what it's like to have a mate, and I picture how much he will cherish me every day. After that, I won't have to see my parents again. They don't want me, so I think it's better if I don't see them again, and I hope they forget they ever had a daughter that brought them shame.

I put on some high heels because, no matter how gorgeous my looks were, I was short and required some assistance to appear stable.

I put on some red lipstick to match my dress, and to my surprise, it enhanced my look for tonight and looked lovely on my dark eyes.

I started walking towards the back door, knowing that if my mother saw me doing this, she would surely punish me.

She wants me to have a mate, but she won't let me go to the ground or even see another guy. If I do, she stares disgustingly at me, which I can't stand, so I prefer to stay alone or I'll be punished for something I have no control over.

I know she'll see me in the ground regardless, but at least she won't be able to say anything to me in front of everyone.

She had taken my brothers with her earlier this evening, telling them how they would meet their friends there, but like every year, I want to go with them and I didn't even bother to ask them why because it was evident they didn't want to take me.

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I paused in front of the venue, debating if I should go inside or return from here. If I walk inside and find my Mate, I'll be able to deal with my parents, but if I don't, I'm not sure how I'll deal with them again.

I gave my ideas some time to process, and I concluded that the risk was worthwhile, so I took a big breath and embraced myself to confront whatever happened inside.

I've never seen what the 'Union' ground looks like in person, so this will be my first time seeing everything.

So, if I haven't been here, how come I know so much about it?

Because we have a class in school that is totally dedicated to the mating process and how things are done. I suppose that's everyone's favourite subject because everyone, as teenagers, is eager to learn about the Mates and attractions.

I was one of them, too, because I daydreamed every day about the day I'd find my Mate.

When I walked in, I was greeted by the applause and enthusiasm of everyone present, who was encouraging their children, siblings, or friends.

I silently crept into a corner and sat there, out of sight of everyone.

The 'Union ground' resembled a vast stadium, with a stance and a pitch in the centre.

In the middle were royal chairs arranged in a circle, where Alpha Brad Hudson and Luna Lilly Hudson sat side by side, looking proudly at their son Edward, who was about to bring them their new Luna and the title of Alpha would be passed to him later. Next to them were Beta and his wife, and beside them were Omega's family, which included my Mom and Dad, Skylar, and Lance.

No one under the age of fifteen is allowed inside the grounds because mating events are considered intimate in our world, and children aren't allowed because they aren't of the age to witness, but anyone over the age of fifteen is allowed to gain some experience before arriving at the age I think that makes sense, but I haven't been welcomed here yet.

I'm curious what my parents would have told everyone if they had questioned about my absence from the celebration.

My mind raced through the reasons why my brothers, Lance and Skylar, haven't found their soul mates despite the fact that they are both 21 and 20 years old.

I kept glancing at everyone who was preoccupied with their own business, and my thoughts were brought back to reality as everyone around me began wailing.

This was the signal that the time had come for which everyone had been waiting.

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The significance of this night is that the full moon in the sky turns crimson, and an ombré of colours surrounds us not only on this land, but throughout the realm.

When the mates are revealed, everyone stands in the centre of the ground, and the moon shines, revealing the picture of their mates that only the respective individuals can see. For everyone else, even if they have found their mates, the moon seems to be a red ball of fire.

I'm not sure if I'll see my Mate's reflection in the moon, but I'm confident that if I'm destined to be someone's Mate here, my Mate will recognise me and locate me.

"I'd like to suggest that every unmated wolf gather in front of their Alpha and Luna to seek their blessing. I hope everyone here is mated and has found their mate." When an announcement was made, every unmated wolf began to walk towards the earth.

I braced myself once again and stood, attracting the attention of a few individuals around me.

Everyone began to form lines to receive the blessings of the Alpha and Luna, as well as other higher officials.

As I got closer to my parents, my heart was pounding loudly.

I was the second to leave.

When my parents seen me in the line, they exclaimed.

"Astrid?" My mum rose up and began walking towards me.

She approached me and forced me to face her. I noticed her clenching her teeth.

"What are you doing here, Astrid, and why are you wearing a red dress?" Mom inquired.

I knew she wanted to yell at me, but she was holding back since she noticed everyone's focus was on us.

"Yes, Mom, I'm here to find my Mate, wasn't that what you asked of me?" I merely inquired of her.

"But you're not even of the age," she gritted her teeth.

"What are you and Astrid talking about, Nolan?" Luna Lizzy inquired.

Even though she is human, everyone respects her status. I expect my Mate to treat me the same way.

"Oh nothing," she said, shaking her head.

Mom would have wanted to state that I wasn't of the age, but for some inexplicable reason, she stood silent, which bothered me more.

"Let it loose, Nolan, let the kids have their time," she said to Mom beside her, and they both began talking about something, but my attention was drawn to Edward, who was anxiously standing in the centre, waiting for the moon to shine, and I began walking in his direction.

I could feel my parents' agonising glare digging a hole in my back, but I didn't care about the consequences.

I remained in the centre, wondering if my Mate would find me today.

Soon after, a siren was heard, and the atmosphere began to change colours, with a yellowish hue surrounding us that was gradually turning orange with time.

When a bright light appeared in the centre, everyone transformed into wolves and howled at the moon.

A few of them wasted no time in claiming other she-wolves as their mates, but I didn't notice any difference and continued to stare at the moon.

I felt uneasy and humiliated standing among other wolves, and because I was the only one in human form, I was aware that I was the centre of attention for everyone.

I continued shifting my attention from the crimson moon to the other wolves, waiting for someone to approach me, but soon everyone was claiming others as their mates.

I was on the edge of sobbing when I saw that everyone had found their mates.

Soon after, the last one standing went and licked another she-wolf, and no one approached me.

If I hadn't been observing myself, I would have expected someone to claim me as their Mate, but no one did.

I became dissatisfied and began to leave. Suddenly, I felt the light shine even more, and I could see an image beginning to form in the moon, eventually turning into a distinct picture.