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The Marked Wolves were the harshest warriors in their kingdom. For years they fought off the Cold Blooded asking no help from the other three shifter tribes, Lion, Hawk and Bears. Since the beginning they were the only tribe created by the Original Witches to not be blessed with a soulmate. Instead the witches blessed them with Immortality, and as The Lions, Hawks and Bears loved and lived out their lives, the same Marked Wolves roamed through the kingdom killing and rarely dying in battle.
A thousand years had passed since all four shifter tribes were created, and now the Marked Wolves were as strong as ever but falling in numbers. They were made to fight, not to love and have families. Fate seems to be wanting a change, and it will come as a huge shock, especially to a few young women.
In a world where the men aren't human and women were matched perfectly for them, Bonnie Smith dreamt of the day she'd go to the annual mating ceremonies. Bonnie thought that finding her mate would diminish the fear of the Cold Blooded Tribe that ran through everyones veins, only to find out the fairy tale isn't all that it is brought up to be. The last ceremony of that year, Bonnie knew she would have to meet her mate on that dark night. What she didn't expect was the harsh treatment she'd receive after.
***
Bonnie Smith
" Does this look okay?" I asked my best friend Lucy, turning around to face her.
" Um…" She looked up from her phone, her face breaking out in a huge smile. " Oh my God."
I couldn't help the smile that formed on my face as I attacked her in a bear hug. " You think he'll like it?"
" He'll want to rip it off yah, but he'll love it!" She giggled, brushing my dark curls off my face.
I blushed at her comment, looking up at her beneath my heavy coated mascara eye lashes. " I hope so."
" Well, well, Miss Smith." She gasped tapping me playfully on the nose. " Who knew you could be such a little minx."
" Shush!" I hissed, standing up to twirl around in front of the mirror. It was the third and last ceremony of the year, and I knew that tonight was the night I'd meet him. Every year during the week of The Original Witches creation of the tribes, all women of the age eighteen and older-which was rare- would meet at the three castles of our kingdom, where the Marked Wolves lived. Each Castle was untouched by any new form of technological advancement, and hidden in the trees as it had been since the beginning. The women traveled to each ceremony until they met their soulmate, as it was tradition for them to go home with their male mate. The men would go to the ceremony near their home to meet their mate. I had gone to North Castle first, only to go home crying in disappointment. The next time, after Lucy gave me hope I went to the Mid Castle , traveling hours by train with the other girls from my part of the kingdom only to be disappointed all over again.
As I looked at myself in the mirror I felt confident. I was usually a timid girl, but tonight I craved the feeling Ive been waiting for since I was a small child. Both my parents had been killed during the last Cold Blooded attack ten years ago, and since then my fear towards them were even higher than most. I lived with my grandparents for the rest of my life, and when I finished school I lived in the North Kingdom with Lucy and her mate Xander, who is part of the bear tribe, and the North Bears Healer. Lucy was a year older than me and met her mate at the year priors first ceremony.
" Bonnie… that dress is truly beautiful on you." Lucy said seriously, finishing braiding my hair back.
Lucy had let me borrow her mothers dress, when she had went to her mating ceremony years ago. I had ruined my nude colored dress when I fell in a puddle of mud last night, and Lucy came down to the hotel I was staying at with the rest of the unmated girls heading to the Souths Kingdoms Ceremony with a surprise.
" Its an amazing dress.." I whispered back, running my hand over the black material that clung to my soft curves, covering my neck down to my toes, which were slipped in a pair of black flats. I turned to see the back, seeing the low cut of the sold black material, and where the skin would of been left bare, was a floral lace material. My arms were left bare and I searched for the black scar to wrap around my shoulders.
After I found it , Lucy walked me down stairs to the lobby where we'd meet to take the cars to the castle.
" Have a safe trip home. " I whispered to Lucy, as I gathered her in a hug. " Call Xander every few hours so he knows your okay. "
She laughed , pulling back to look at me. " He hates when I take long train rides…thinks the Cold Blooded like to hang out there." She said sarcastically.
I shivered at the thought of the Cold Blooded Tribe, but hugged her goodbye once more.
" I hope he's a Bear." She murmured.
I winked at her, " Me too."
Less than twenty minutes after she left for the train, I was piling in the black cars the Kingdom had sent for us.
"You're dress is amazing." The girl beside me stated, smiling.
" Thank You." I smiled back, " Im so nervous though..I feel like I'm going to sweat through it!"
" Oh Gosh!" She through her hands up laughing. " I feel the same way. This week will just not end the way I'd like it to."
We chatted for a while, before falling silent with the four girls in the car when the castle came to view. Just like the other two nights, the castle was lit up, with beautiful gold lights, and decorations at every corner.
As I exited the car I gasped at how unique this castle was. Vines were crawling up every corner, curving into abstract shapes.
The spring air had a moist feel , as the cool night wind touched my skin. I took in a deep breath, enjoying the outside weather, before I took a step towards the entrance with the other women. I kept my eyes down, afraid to meet the Marked Wolves, as the ones who lived here served as protecters of the castle. The men wore a threatening outfit consisting of black boots, black pants and a tucked in black shirt. Their bodies were massive, worn from years of battle, but a never faulting amount of power that radiated off them.
