Chapter 5 The Awakening

• Julia POV
• I stand before the mirror as I watch myself. I'm 30 minutes away from my awakening at the ripe age of 18. No one gives a crap about me, not even my family, unlike how they treated Maya last year when she clocked eighteen.
• I was left on my own to do my things while they kept talking about my sister like she was the one celebrating today.
• Awakening is like a day that determines your fate, if you are lucky enough you can find your mate. I stare at myself again in the mirror, but right now, I'm nervous and at the same time happy about today. Today is the day that will seal my fate, when I will feel my wolf and start a new life as an adult.
• I think I already planned everything out. Welcome my wolf, accept Arthur's proposal to be his mate, and today will be my last day here in this hell of a home.
• Although I know not what fate has for me.
• So wish me well.
• “Smile, Julia, everything will be fine,” I whispered to myself, forcing a smile on my face. Of course, who wouldn't be nervous on a day like this when all eyes will be on you waiting to see what your wolf looks like.
• A slight knock came on my door, distracting me from my thoughts as I turned my head in the direction of the door.
• “Yes, who is that?” I asked, turning my attention to the door.
• “Your father and the alpha are waiting for you outside.” one of the housemaids informed me.
• "Okay, I will be there in a minute, '' I told her, and I heard the steady sound of her footsteps fade away.
• Breath in.
• Breathe out.
• “Yes, it's time, everything will be fine,” I assured myself, forcing a slight smile on my face.
• I turn my head back to the mirror as I give myself a last satisfying look. I didn't look overdressed, but I looked beautiful with my dark-brown hair packed in a ponytail. Even without make-up, I look perfect and one of the reasons why Maya is always jealous of me is because of my beauty.
• I came out of my room and walked to the ball hall, taking each step with care. Everywhere was looking very beautiful and well decorated. I looked around the surroundings, searching for Arthur, but my eyes caught Maya's from a distance. She was seated beside my Mom and Dad. I will admit that she looked beautiful and well-dressed, she was wearing a beautiful new dress while I wore the same clothes my parents bought for me last year. Everything she wore looked very expensive even down to the hairpin used in decorating her hair which makes her look like a princess.
• I took a deep breath as I attempted to walk towards them, when suddenly a familiar voice stopped me.
• “Hello,” came the voice, and I turned around immediately when I recognized the familiar voice.
• “Arthur,” I called almost in a whisper as I scrutinized his perfect figure. He was looking perfect, with his short dark hair well combed and laying neat on his head.
• “You look… beautiful.” he compliments me, breaking the silence between us. He stretched his hand forward, while I placed my hand on his with a broad smile.
• “Thank you.” I gave him a light smile. “And you look good, too.”
• “Shall we.” He held my hand under his arm and we both walked towards where my family was seated. As we walked, I could feel his eyes glaring at me in admiration.
• “Wow! Look who we have here, if I can remember, this is what you wore last year,” Maya whispered to me, immediately I sat down next to her.
• Today being a special and different day in our pack, my parents would be forced to treat me well and acknowledge me as their daughter the same way they treated Maya. That is another joy about awakening: everyone received equal treatment, even the maids.
• “And did you dress like this because of Alpha Wolfe?” I lean closer and whisper to her, trying not to draw the attention of others.
• I watch as Maya bites on her inner cheeks lightly. This is what she does whenever she is angry, and her hands clutch in a fist beside her.
• “Once I leave here to become his Luna, I will make sure life becomes miserable for you, and you shall be one of my slaves.” She faces me, and gives me a wicked grin mixed with an evil smile.
• I chuckled lightly. “In your dreams, the alpha is never going to like you, and you can never be his mate.”
• “We shall watch and see. I always get what I want.” She threatened, and that is one fact about Maya: she always gets what she wants because my parents always make sure of that.
• I divert my attention away from her as I watch the man standing at the front of the crowd in the middle of the stage, addressing everyone.
• I watched him with a smile flushed on my face when I remembered all the promises we made together. Even if we are not mates, I believe that he is the right man for me.
• “Ladies and gentlemen, I believe we all know the reason we are here today.” He spoke in a loud voice as his voice filled the entire room addressing everyone.
• “So now we are going to proceed properly into today's awakening ceremony. As we all know, today, a new set of people are to usher in their wolves.” He announces, and all the crowd cheers again as they scream in jubilation.
• Right where I was seated I was already nervous at the mention of the awakening everything around me seemed strange and different, although this was not my first time experiencing the awakening ceremony I was here last year during Maya's own how she was pampered and treated well by my parent, but now I am let alone to myself no one to encourage me.
• Someone walked to the stage and whispered some words in Arthur's ear, then he went back. “I am sorry to announce that the alpha king of the Black Moon pack won't be available for the awakening ceremony.” At the mention of this, I turned to face Maya, and I could see her face contorted into a frown. She wasn't expecting this sad news. She had dressed so beautifully just to meet her prince charming, too bad for her.
• “But we don't have to feel bad he will be here at night at the banquet.” He announces again and they all cheer up in jubilation. A wide smile spreads on Maya's before giving me a silly victorious look.
• “So now let's proceed to the event of today and let all the pack members who just turned eighteen this year come out,” Arthur announced that was when I started feeling some strange heat on my body despite the breeze blowing, I was f*cking feeling heat and scared.
• Every other pack member of my age started coming out from the crowd, some were happy, and others were nervous just like me, but they all had the support from their family. I turned my attention toward my parents, hoping they would give me an encouraging word, but they didn't bother to say a word as they turned their attention back to the crowd.
• Slowly I came out and joined my peers. I walk out with confidence, but inside me, I am nervous. I forced out a smile on my face as a sign of encouragement to myself.
• We all lined up in a straight line facing the crowd. We were all about ten in number, four boys and six girls.
• “Let the ritual commence,” Arthur announced, and then he gave me a light smile before walking back to his seat.
• Immediately I raised my head, my eyes met with an old woman who was walking toward us with a bowl in her hand. News has it that she lived to be 200 years old, but she was walking perfectly like a 20-year-old girl with no wrinkles or spots on her face, and according to what I heard she was said to be the pack witch. Half-witch and half-werewolf. She performs the ritual for the awakening.
• She stopped at our front as her eyes roamed around every one of us and everywhere went silent. She stopped at my front and took a proper look at me and our eyes met, but I was quick to take my eyes away from her as I could feel my heartbeat pounding heavily against my chest begging to be broken free. Am I the only one feeling this way?
• I paused for a while trying to listen to the heartbeat of others and I could feel their heartbeat functioning normally. I am the only one nervous here but why this strange feeling? I am feeling uneasy and scared of the unknown, a part of me that I never knew existed.
• The old witch ordered us to stretch forth our hands, and she placed white cowries on our hands. When she got to my turn, she paused for a while and stared at me like she was trying to read something unknown on my body.
• After collecting the cowries, we turn towards the east where the moon rises from with our eyes closed and our backs facing the crowd.
• She started speaking some incantations and in just under two minutes, everything around us changed. I could hear the sound of people howling and their bones snapping. Slowly, I opened my eyes and the girl standing before me has started growing fangs and claws sprouting out from her fingers, her skin turned into fur, and she started transforming into a wolf due to the sound of the cry and screams. I could tell how painful it felt.
• Under-five minutes, everyone had transformed, and they were captured with a chain preventing them from running away. This is the part I hate most. They could have left them to feel their first transformation instead of caging and chaining them like dogs.
• I looked around me, and I was the only one left. I didn't transform into a wolf as expected, like others.
• What is happening!! I almost yelled, my palms were becoming sweaty, and I could feel everyone's eyes on me.
• “She didn't transform!” I heard the loud scream of Maya from the crowd as a loud murmur filled the hall like I had committed a great taboo.
• Then the witch turned towards me and stared into my eyes for a few seconds, then she declared “She is a stealer, and she doesn't have a wolf!”
• The witch turned to the crowd and she announced. At that instant, I knew that my life was sealed for the worst.
• I could feel my entire world and plans scrambling before me.