The Choice

Selena

The next couple of days went by quickly as my father tried to keep shoving profiles of guys in my face but I kept saying no as always. I knew this was a never-ending battle between us and it wasn’t going to end the way either of us wanted it. So I knew my doom was going to be soon, and I looked around in my closet to see what delicate dresses I had to choose from. I have beautiful dresses, but no matter how long I look at them I’m reminded that I have to do this... why is it so wrong to want my mate?? After staring at my dresses for a while I hear a knock on the door and I let my sister Gwen in. She’s already dressed beautifully in an evergreen long-sleeve dress with a sweetheart top, and a small tiara in her auburn braids, and black kitten heels.

“Hey Gwen, I thought you would’ve been downstairs already.” I tried to smile at her but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

“No, I was too worried about you to head down yet… do you need help picking a dress? I brought a necklace and earrings in case you needed some help. Mom would’ve come with me but she’s helping dad set up and she thought spending time with me would be better.” She asked me nervously. I give her a gentle smile for what she’s trying to do. I take the jewelry and put them on. It was a simple diamond pendant and white gold flower diamond stud earrings. We head towards my closet and look around. We still have some time before I have to go down so a little sister bonding time before my doom is nice. We picked a dark sapphire blue gown with long sleeves, a long black cape just in case wherever I go is cold, closed-toed, dark blue kitten heels, and a small tiara with small sapphires in it. I do my makeup tastefully but to compliment my pastel skin, amber eyes, auburn, curly hair, and freckles. Just a little brown mascara and eyeliner, light peachy lipstick, and eyeshadow. I take a deep breath and make my way downstairs with Gwen.

We start with a banquet dinner in the formal dining room. With just family and a couple of dad’s friends we didn’t need to use the big ballroom. It was a nice last meal with my family I even got to sit close to mom, Gwen and Jude. Dad sat at the head of the table, far away from me. A fruit salad appetizer, a caesar salad for the salad course, the entrée was a prime rib or grilled portobello mushroom with herbed yellow potatoes for both of them. For dessert was crème brûlée or an eclair like dessert only it was just the filling with chocolate on top. The castle’s cooks always made good food, but I was so nervous to eat most of it. Soon with everyone done eating their dinner and desserts there was a crowd around me in the courtyard.

I look around to see my family giving me sympathetic looks except for my father who looks disappointed in me and then to see the two magic doors in front of me I have to choose… supposedly a wizard or witch friend of my father’s enchanted these doors to go to specific areas of the kingdom. My hands start to sweat as I make my way to the enchanted doors. Before I make my way to the doors, Jude pulls me aside.

“You know you don’t have to do this. You can just choose someone and be happy with him. That’s what happened with Liam and look how happy he is!” Jude tells me nervously. We were close growing up and him talking to me like this breaks my heart.

“Well, apparently I do. I won’t be forced to love someone that I don’t want. Only my mate will do! The rest of you maybe happy to marry some stranger but I’m not!” I’m very passionate about this. I want my mate. Jude lets out a deep sigh and gives me a hug.

“Well, dad has already picked out my luna... maybe she’ll be the lucky girl and happens to be my mate like he and mom are. Please... don’t go...” I see him start to tear up and give him another hug.

“Look I know you’re trying to help but it’s not helping. I want to be with who I’m meant to be myself with. Please let me just get this over with...” I give him one last hug. I let out a deep sigh and gave him a sympathetic smile while walking to my doom.

One door has a dragon emblem on it with a dark oak wood door. I hear a roar that makes me jump back away from it… oh boy I’m going to be barbecued… the other door has a wolf emblem with grayish silver paint on maple wood door, I hear a howl… great either way I’m going to get eaten… father sits on his throne with a smirk the kind of smirk of ‘I told you so’… me being the only princess of age I have to choose… well here goes nothing… and I head towards the wolf.... at least I’ll be familiar with my kind instead of being barbecued by dragons.

Sigh… whelp I’m all alone in a world I have no idea I’m in… one moment I was in a banquet filled with people including my father, smirking at me with the creepiest smile like he knew this would happen… the next I’m in the woods somewhere with wolves howling… deep breaths it’s ok… I just keep telling myself that but I’m clearly not. Who the heck wears a ballgown and nice makeup for a walk in the woods?! The howling gets louder and I start to run as best I can but in a dress and heels not the best… I see a field of flowers and the wolf shifts into a humongous but handsome man. I can’t see him well, but he looks to be around 6ft 4 with muscles that could match any alpha I’ve met, and that’s just from his silhouette. He looks at me like we had known each other our whole lives and comes running up to me saying

“Mine!” I scream and run away but he grabs me by the waist trying to look at me better.

“Who are you?? Please don’t eat me!” I’m sobbing in his arms and I’m sure my tiara probably fell on the ground but I didn’t care at the moment. I tried to hide behind a tree and brace myself for what was to happen.

“I’m not going to eat you. Don’t be scared, I’m here to help!” His voice sounded so genuine like he actually wanted to help. I start to say something but from exhaustion and shock I must’ve passed out. I feel a pair of hands around my waist and gently pick me up. We start walking somewhere, but where we’re going who knows.