I woke up the morning after to my mum gently shaking my shoulder and calling my name. "Carnet, come on sweetie, you've got an important day ahead." she sang. I scrunched my eyes before opening them and seeing her smiling face.

"Hmm... morning," I mumbled, sitting up slowly with a stretch and a yawn.

"Now come on, you're due to have breakfast with the Alpha soon." I slipped from under the warm and soft covers, my mother dragged me over to the closet and I waited outside as she rummaged around for clothes for me. She came out with a darkish green tight sweater and dark skinny tailored jeans, plus some leather laced shoes. I put them all on and she messed around with my hair, doing my morning routine.

Just as she was finishing there was a knock at the door, and it opened to reveal a female wolf dressed in suit trousers and a nice blouse. "Breakfast is almost ready," she informed. Mum played around with my hair once more before stepping back and letting me go. Dad was sitting in the armchair reading the paper and gave me a reassuring look as I left the room.

I followed the she-wolf down the hall and down the stairs like last night and into the large hall. The tables on either side were void of people, clean plates laid out, most likely for everyone's breakfast whenever they were to have it. She lead me down the red carpet and to the table on the raised platform. It seemed as if I was the first to arrive.

The she-wolf pulled back a chair to the left of the Alpha's and I paused for a moment, feeling trepidation and buckets full of nerves thinking that I would be sitting next to the Alpha, being that close, his presence I knew would be completely overwhelming and his scent would suffocate me.

The she-wolf gave me a gentle smile as if she knew what was going through my mind.

"The Alpha wishes for you to be beside him, he chose where everyone sits at the table." she divulged and I frowned, why would he want me to be right beside him? The other contenders looked much more beautiful to me than I was.

"Why?" I asked quietly, not really wanting to know the answer, but I needed to know, I wouldn't be able to stop thinking about it otherwise.

She, to my surprise, chuckled a little. "Oh my dear, you don't know how radiant you are, do you? He may have chosen five candidates, but that was because he was expected to, he had to choose five. He arranged the seating so those he liked most were close to him. You caught his attention." she told me and I blinked at her a few times slowly, trying to process what she was saying, and after I had I was just filled with disbelief.

I sunk down into the seat she'd pulled out and she pushed it in a bit. I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder before she stepped away. "I wish you good luck, you seem sweet and down to earth, not like the others, I'd heard that they're all stuck up brats," she mentioned before she slipped out of a side door I'd missed yesterday, a waft of food coming my way when she shut it, it must lead to the kitchen.

I looked around, my hands clammy and clasped in my lap, I felt so small in this vast room, I couldn't believe I was here, I never believed I'd have a chance, I was me after all, pale Carnet from a medium, insignificant pack. Aside from my eyes, I'm not extraordinary, I remembered that tall leggy blonde from yesterday, he could captivate a room, but I couldn't do that.

My thoughts were interrupted when I saw two figures pass through the open doors and walk down the red carpet, speak of the devil. The same she-wolf as before led the leggy blonde to the table I was sitting at, pulling out a chair for him right of the Alpha's chair, a smug smile on his lips, it was a hubristic and conceited expression, he seemed like a beautiful person, note the sarcasm.

He sat down elegantly, wearing an off-white button-down shirt and soft blue pants trousers, his blonde hair looking like a halo in the early morning light, the sun shining in from the big stained glass window behind us that framed the Alphas chair.

He glanced over at me, his lips curling a little, shocking blue eyes ice-cold and uncaring, almost cruel. The look made me shiver and I quickly looked away, not missing the triumphant smirk pulling at his lips.

The she-wolf left, speaking no words.

Leaving me with him, alone.