I
“With Mating Season beginning tonight, we advise all children and elders, and any females not looking to mate, to lock up tight and hunker down until your Alpha’s return with their mate.”
Eleanor looked up at the television, crammed between her two older brothers, her best friend’s back against Eleanor’s knees. Half the pack filled the living room with their eyes glued to the Supernatural Supernews reporter. Jackson, one of her brothers, scoffed and moved to turn the tv off. “What a bunch of crock. They act like it’s dangerous for people to be out during Mating Season, like it’s not in our nature to be out during this time.”
Snatching the remote out of Jackson’s hand, Eleanor shushed him. “You’re a male who will take his mate, so you don’t understand what it would be like to be an unmated female. What if I was out there, and my mate didn’t find me first? What if a random male mated me?”
A series of growls filled the room as the males all looked at Eleanor with a protective stare. Jackson tensed at her side with his lips lifting into a sneer. “Okay, I get it.”
Eleanor bobbed her head and turned back to the news.
“We also want to make an extra warning of caution because Alpha Rafael and his pack are still on the hunt for his mate. As many know, Alpha Rafael is twenty-eight-years-old and has yet to find his mate, although many find theirs by twenty-three. While not finding your mate who can birth an heir is excruciating for an Alpha, it is worse for Alpha Rafael because a part of the original lycanthrope family. We advise you to be careful and we advise males to stay as far away as possible from Alpha Rafael and his new mate because Alpha Rafael is known for his brutal and impulsive kills.”
“Jesus,” Jared, Eleanor’s other brother, shook his head with distaste. “I hope to the Moon Goddess that bastard finds his mate soon or we’ll all in for a treat. Did you know that last Mating Season when he didn’t find his mate, he killed thirty people from neighboring packs?”
“And the year before that, he tortured four packs looking for his mate.”
“That Alpha is an asshole. I fear for whoever his mate is.” Bonnie, Eleanor’s best friend, chimed in.
A knot twisted in Eleanor’s stomach at the mention of Alpha Rafael. He was the most feared wolf across North America and instilled terror upon every pack he crossed. He was known for his brutal tactics, terrifying warriors, and his unstable mental health which only worsened as each Mating Season passed without him finding his mate. It was a possibility that Eleanor could be his mate, and even that sliver of a chance horrified her.
When Mating Season came around, there was an eerie silence that set upon the supernatural world as werewolves and lycanthrope alike migrated towards the woods and waited for the mates to find them. As day turned into night, females from all packs heard the whispers of their hearts and followed the scent of their mate. The male would smell her and in their shifted form - a tall beast with sharp claws and long snout and huge fangs, that towered like a human with wolf features - they would claim their mate. This would go on for days, and the male wouldn’t shift back until his mate was impregnated. It was a dark and dangerous time. Humans were warned away from the woods and anyone else who wasn’t participating in Mating Season. It was easy for any male to claim any female he wanted, whether they had a mate or not. But when it did work out, two halves of one soul were joined together.
This would be Eleanor’s first Mating Season and she couldn’t wait to find her mate. She had been preparing for this night her entire life. She couldn’t wait to feel the fur of her mate beneath her fingertips as he pushed inside her over and over again. She couldn’t wait to feel the swell of her belly as her pup grew. After twenty-one years of waiting, Eleanor would finally be able to fulfill her purpose and have a full heart and soul. Nothing excited her more than finding her one true love, a blessing from the Moon Goddess. She just hoped and prayed it wasn’t Alpha Rafael.
He had waited too long for his mate, and was starting the ‘Mate Craze’. His emotions were heightened, he was completely unstable, and was hurting others for the sake of finding his mate. Every wolf was terrified of him, and was worried even more about the women being put out for their mates this Mating Season. Because Alpha Rafael was so unstable, he might claim a mate that isn’t his. Everyone warned their daughters and sisters to stay away from Alpha Rafael and his pack, but it was almost impossible when he was the strongest, fastest, and most-feared Alpha in the world. As one of the last original lycanthrope, he was almost impossible to kill, and without a mate, he didn’t have a weak spot either. He was basically indestructible.
Jackson wrapped his arm around Eleanor’s neck and brought her head down, giving her head a good rub. “We’ll protect you, sissy, don’t worry.” He said in a faux baby voice.
Eleanor pushed him away with an annoyed grin and stood up. “I don’t need protecting from Alpha Rafael, Jack. My mate will protect me.”
“If you say so.” He said, shaking his head. “Just call out if you need anything.”
“You’ll be too busy with your mate.” Eleanor pointed to his mate, Hannah, who blushed beside him.
Giving both her brothers a kiss on the cheek, Eleanor grabbed her phone off the couch. “I’m headed to bed. I have to be well rested for my mate.” She winked at them, who both made faces and noises of disgust.
“Yuck.”
“Jesus, gross!”
