M. Martin Creations and Creatives

At the front of the room stood Alpha Lucas and his son. I followed the girl in front of down the aisle, my heels clicking against the floor. Benji stiffened as the last of us lined up, and it seemed like the whole room held their breath. This was it. His reaction meant he had smelled her, felt her wolf. He took a step forward and then another until he was standing in front of the line. He slowly walked down, stopping in front of each female who stood in line. He leaned and inhaled, before sighing and shaking his head. Each girl who got denied had the expression of defeat.

My heart quickened as he neared me and I took a small breath in, not realizing I had been holding my breath. That’s when the smell hit me. Cherrywood, apples and moss. The smell set my skin on fire and my heart quickened. My wolf awakened inside me, whining. My eyes widened as Benji stopped in front of me and leaned forward. We each took a deep inhale and my heart dropped.

The smell was not him.

He sighed and moved on and I couldn’t help but smile. The happiness that soared in me was almost indescribable. I did not want to be Benji’s mate. But if that smell wasn’t from him… well, where was it coming from?

The time seemed to slow as Benji made his way down the line, and I silently urged him to hurry. My wolf was going crazy inside me, wanting to find the source of the intoxicating aroma that seemed to envelop me. I tried to calm her, but it only seemed to urge her on.

Finally, Benji emitted a growl, and a cheer went up. A small squeal from a girl far down the line let me know he had found his Mate. My wolf howled in my mind, her excitement making me squirm. This meant we were dismissed, and I was finally able to follow the smell. It would be fifteen minutes before we were lined back up for the next Alpha to peruse to possibly find his Mate. My hopes were to find the source of the smell before I had to be put on show again.

I rounded around the room, following the scent, though it had dissipated a bit as I had waited for Benji to find his Mate. Time ticked by, and I lost the scent trail in the room. There were so many wolves within this one room that I knew it would be rough to try and find the One. A booming voice from the front of the room alerted me that it was time to gather back in line. I sighed, rolling my eyes. This tradition really grated on my nerves, but it was tradition, after all.

I made my way back to my place in line and waited, the other girls doing the same. I allowed myself one last look around, hoping that maybe if I met eyes with him, I would know. I faced ahead when I heard the next Alpha clear his throat from in front of the line. Alpha Garret. He began his trek down the line, doing the same thing Benji had done before, leaning in, and sniffing before moving on. As he got closer, my heart beat faster and I eagerly waited for him to get to me. Garret was not bad looking, but he also didn’t fit my idea of a mate. He was big and buff, and handsome, but his attitude was awful. He was a horrible leader, and a mean one at that. Garret stood in front of me, and I heaved a sigh of relief as he moved on. Thank the Moon Goddess. I inhaled and the smell rushed over my senses again, flooding my body with warmth. I looked around wildly, hoping maybe the owner of the smell would also be reacting to the closeness of our two wolves. If my mate was close, he certainly was hiding it quite well.

Again, the line of girls was free to move around once Garret found his mate, and I quickly made my way around the room again. I followed the scent and stopped behind a figure. The figure turned around, and I met green eyes. They sparkled like emeralds and my breath left my chest. My wolf went crazy and it took quite a bit effort to contain her.

“Hi.” I said, breathless. “My name’s Katherine.” I reached my hand out, and the figure grabbed my hand, bringing it up to lay lips on it.

“Robin.”

“Robin.” I repeated the name, enjoying the flow of it over my tongue. “Nice to meet you, Robin.” I smiled.

“Kitty Kat!” my dad came up from behind me and I watched as Robin laughed, the sound making me feel all warm and fuzzy.

“Dad, please.” I nudged him.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” And the way he said it, I knew he was being sarcastic. He looked at Robin, and then at me. His eyes then moved to my hand, which Robin was still holding. “Who’s this?” his eyes never left our hands, and I slowly dropped mine, immediately feeling the lack of Robin’s warmth.

“Dad, this is Robin. Robin, this is my dad, Robert.” I smiled, giving my dad a side hug.

“Nice to meet you, sir.” Robin reached a hand out but Dad just stared at it. Robin glanced at me and I nudged my father with my elbow. He grunted and reluctantly reached out and shook Robin’s hand.

“Alright, well, I’m gonna go grab a drink.” I said, and Dad looked at me with surprise.
            “Shouldn’t you be getting ready to line up for the next round?” He suggested pointedly. My eyes widened.
            “Uh, I don’t think so.” I stood there, and Robin reached for my hand. “I don’t qualify anymore.” Dad looked back and forth between Robin and me, before taking a step back.