It was going to rain today.

I could smell it in the air, feel it before it even came to be, sense it like a premonition that was about to come true. To most people it might seem ordinary, as it is not very special to have predicted the rain, but you can only mark so many incidents as co-incidents. To be very honest, I was skeptical of this abnormality as well, even though my mother believed otherwise. But that changed when he left me.

The curve of his small smile, still etched on my heart like a wounded scar.

“Hey watchu doing?” Ace laughed mischievously as he practically shouted in my ear and dropped his soaking wet woollen cap on top of my perfectly dry head.

“Ace, what the hell?” I laughed as well when I saw his smiling eyes and shining pearly whites all on display. He always looked happy, or tried to when even in unfavourable situations.

“What? I thought you liked the rain.” He raked his fingers through his wet hair to style it better and keep it out of his face. Not that he needed it, he was quite handsome even when he was not trying. Most of the women from our pack swooned over his looks and some even stalked, but he was not interested in them. He wanted something else. Just like me. Perhaps that’s why we were best friends and thankfully not lovers because I would hate to lose ace like I lost Him.

“Not like this! Haha” I liked how he could make me laugh even when the crushing weight of everything pulled me down. I was afraid of its darkness, but Ace was like the sun. Taken for granted.

We started walking towards the big auditorium, where everyone around the same age was headed. With its high arches and tall glass windows, it looked like something out of a fairytale. No one was allowed to stay there for long. It was more like a privilege to visit the Sacellum.

It was the day before the big day. One that made all the women and men dress up to look their best. After all, their mate might as well be standing in the room right now. Everyone was looking at each other, anxious and excited about the person they will live their rest of their life with. It seemed all in vain though because there’ll be other packs as well and the chances of mates being from other packs have always been high.

It didn't matter to me. Instead, I hoped to not get a mate at all.

“Okay everyone, I know you are excited. Please settle down.” The Alpha of our pack, Mr. Colt and Luna, Mrs. Avril stood on the stadium with the beta and a couple of other officials on the side. It was like an orientation, an introduction of all the rules and a brief explanation of what we might face tomorrow.

The room was still very active, it was not very easy to calm down a group of werewolves raging with hormones, about to burst out at any point of time, inevitably tomorrow. It was natural for them to be so. The word mate itself made us feel a longing that could be only satiated with the touch of a mate. I used to be like that once, hoping for my mate in someone. I used to be like that for the first two times, well one and a half. The second time I came to the utter realization that the person who I wanted to be my mate was bound by another. So many things change so quickly.

Ace on the other hand never really wanted a mate. I never asked why, nor did I plan to when he didn’t know why I had the sudden change myself.

“Settle down.” The Luna spoke calmly with a smile, but she succeeded in what the Alpha failed. It’s true that Alpha Mr Colt was at the top of the pyramid, but he was easy going and Mrs Avril was always more stern and strict in her beliefs and rules.

“Thank you, my dear. I wouldn’t know what to do without you.” They looked at each other with a smile on their face. Their love was so palpable that everyone longed to have a love like theirs.

“As we all know, it is mandatory for the younglings to take part in the mating ritual. Even if it was not, I am sure none of you would have skipped on the festival either.” He flashed a brilliant, handsome smile and earned a couple of laughs from men and women alike. “So it is important for all of you to know the rules of Sodalis. Those who have already attended it before, you know everything already and have experienced it as well. The young ones need to be careful-”

It was the same rules every year, for years now, and I knew them pretty well. It was my third time, after all.

Firstly, we have to fast the entire day tomorrow until we find your mate. Nevertheless, it would end up being an entire day of fasting because most mates don’t even remember about food as the hunger for each other is more pressing.

Secondly, we need to leave the house as soon as the blood moon is upon us. It is the holiest time of the year and that’s when our senses are at its highest. We also reek. A lot. It’s not really a pleasant smell. I remember the scent of the nearby wolves the last two times. That sickly sweet rotting smell made me want to puke my guts out, but apparently it is distinct for each wolf. And especially the mate’s smell is supposed to smell so perspicuous that it’s like a drug made especially for the other half of the soul. An oil to the flame which will never extinguish.

Third, it didn’t matter what we wore as long as it was white and we had to head towards the deep forest. But to be very honest, what colour we wore didn’t matter either. Because once we transform to our other form, there's not much left of the clothes we initially wear.

Lastly, the mark. The bite on the throat made by the dominating mate, on the other. Deadly. Eternal.