~Ayan POV~

The sun flutters throughout my room, signalling it's almost time to start the day.

There's just something about the early morning light shining upon your face. That brings me joy. The beauty in the silence before everyone wakes. 

I lived for these moments. It was the only time I got to hide in my own little bubble, outside of time and space. 

But today, I wasn't just hiding. Instead, I was procrastinating on what was to come. 

What I had to face. 

6:15 am 

My eyes glossed when I read the bold number on the clock. It wouldn’t be long now.

My blissful escape was coming to an end. The house would be up and running within the hour.

I would have to be up and running with it. 

A soft knock sounded from the door, followed by someone entering after. “Good morning, bun-bun.”

I forced a smile. “Morning, Daddy.”

He returned my smile before sitting on the bed. “I know today isn't one you wanted to face.” he started, straight to the point and my breath catches. “But I'll be here when it's all said and done.”

My bottom lip temples, and my voice cracks. “It's not fair. What did I do? Daddy, what did I do?” 

His jaw clenches as he fights back the tears. It's never easy to see your child's pain and not be able to do anything about it. 

“I don't know, my love. Sometimes fate is truly unfair.”

Tears continue to fall silently. I had already partially accepted what was to come, but it didn’t make it any easier getting up to do it.

I took a deep breath, wiped my face, sat up, then looked at him. 

“This isn’t a fate I would choose for myself, but you're right it is unfair but it's time to face the 

music.” 

I gave another smile making it as genuine as possible, but he saw right through it.

He didn’t comment on it but leaned toward me and hugged me. 

We stayed like that for a while, just hugging, and I enjoyed every second because it meant prolonging what would come just a little longer.

And I was more than okay with that. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I step out of the car and look at the building in front of me. Dread creeping up on me. 

“Are you ready?”

I looked to the sky to help fight back the tears. No, No, I wasn't going to cry again, especially here, of all places. 

I took a second to gather my thoughts before standing up straight and nodding. I can do this. “Yes, I'm ready. Let's go.” I affirm 

Both my parents led the way towards pack doors. Once we entered, we walked the corridor until we reached another door. 

      Certification/Registration office. 

I took a shaky breath, my battle with tears starting up again. Those words. Those words taunted me. 

Forced me to see the failure I had become. I hate it. I fucking hated it because I tried my best. I tried.  I-

My trail of thoughts were interrupted by a gentle knock on the door. 

My heart stopped, and I whipped my head to the corporate. “Daddy, why?”

He sighed with a guilty look on his face. “Your stalling, my love. The sooner this is over, the sooner we can accept the aftermath.”

I went quiet. He was right. 

It was time to face the music. Then, once it was all done, we could go home and cry and watch movies together as planned. 

“Come in.”

I stood tall and opened the door. As expected, the inside looked like a waiting area. Chairs line against the wall, and a colossal reception desk in the middle of the room. 

My eyes trailed all over the room before they landed on a blond-haired woman. 

I forced a smile as I got closer to said desk. “Hi, I'm…. I'm here to register my mating status.”

Her eyes stayed glued to the computer in front of her. A bored expression plastered on her face. “And what's your status, honey?”

I swallowed.“Ma… Mateless.”

She paused and glanced at me. A look of pity ran across her face before she smiled. “Alright, Honey.” She grabbed a clipboard. “Fill out this paperwork, and someone will be with you shortly. There's a line at the moment.” 

“Okay, umm, thank you.”

“Of course, you can take a seat wherever you like.”

Both my parents wrap their arms around me as we head to one of the sections of empty chairs. 

“See, that wasn't so bad.” My papa said. 

I eyed him before taking my seat. “For you, maybe.”

He raised a brow. “Someone is feeling sassy today.”

I threw my hands up in defeat. “Papa, as you may know, today is pretty much the worse day of my life. I mean, being stripped of anything little hope I had and being deemed a low life in  the same day has got to be a new world record for how pathetic I can get.” Bitterness laced my words, but the pregnant silence that followed had regret influencing my next ones.

“I’m sorry that was uncalled for.“ 

God the silence was unbearable.

“.... Ayan”

I froze, then turned to my papa. My breath caught, and tear gathered in my eyes at the sadness that swarmed in his light green ones. 

“...papa, I’m sorry.” 

He sent me a sad smile. “Ayan, my heart. You are not a low life. Just because things didn’t happen how they weren’t supposed to doesn’t mean you’re any less than the rest of us. It’s a status, not the end of your life.”

I scoffed. “Tell that to the rest of the world.”

“..ayan that’s not true.” my papa tried, but I knew they lacked real convicted. He knew just how cruel people could be. Once considered mateless, everyone, and I mean everyone, would look down on you.

“I know you want to believe that, papa but me and you both know that is the truth,” I said, finality and sadness audible in my voice.

Papa opened his mouth to say something but stopped when daddy laid a hand on his shoulder a look on his face I couldn’t understand, but he got it because he stayed silent, letting go of our back and forward.

The room was thick with emotions, but no one spoke, too caught up in thought to try anymore.

It wasn’t long before a door opened, and three voices traveled through the air, celebrating by the sounds of cheerful murmurs and talks of throwing a party. It was hard to make out, considering they weren’t being all that loud as they chatted.

But there was one voice that stood out among the rest. One that made my heart skip a beat.

“There will be no party, Owen. I will rip your balls off if you attempt one.”

My head dropped slightly, and I held back a moan. God, who was that? The voice was feminine but solid and rich. 

A shiver danced across my skin and a fog started to overtake my brain as she continued to speak. 

“No, no, no, I will not…..What’s that smell?”

I fought back a whimper at the slight change in her voice. It was more profound, more commanding, like…like her wolf, it was coming forward.

“Look up, Ayan, look up.” my wolf spoke. With effort, I raised my head. The fog made it hard to do that simple task. 

But when I did…. God when I did a gasp escaped my lips. A breathtaking woman stood staring deeply at me with bright golden eyes.

“Hi, little one.”

That was the last thing I heard before everything went black.