Dark Prophecies: Second Chance Mates

Rayven's POV. Fate? Grrr.... Fate....was....a....a bitch. A vindictive cruel bitch too. A terrible truth that I, Rayven Vonyah Stanhope Carlisle have come to know to be the unfortunate truth. Forced to bear witness to the malicious cruelty and horror that fate could bestow upon the people who relied on it. As it'd been shitting on me since practically from the moment I came into this world, almost like it was tormenting me with the reality I was forced to endure. Today was my birthday. My sixteenth birthday to be more precise. A day that was normally marked by joy and happiness, to begin my adventure into womanhood. At least these were human beliefs of the joyous occasion. Neither was the case for me. Today only served as a reminder of the complete failure that I was, the embarrassment I posed to my family. My pack. My goddess. Muttering under my breath at the reminder of the cruel fate that'd been cursed upon my head, I almost didn't want to rouse from bed. Where I lived in the small town of Shadow Creek to be found deep in the Olympian Mountains, was pack territory. That's right. I wasn't born into a world of mortals, I was entrusted to the safekeeping of the powerful werewolf packs. Mine was Blood Diamond. The strongest, most powerful and fierce pack to be found in these mountains. Just the name of our pack had the ability to terrify the masses, sending our enemies running away like the chickenshits they were. Especially him. A grin spread across my lips at the thought of the one that'd come to my mind in that moment. Our leader, Alpha Kadden Black. He was truly a terrifying sight to behold at a height of nearly six foot seven, with muscular arms so large it was hard to wrap my arms around them. His chest was just as massive as the rest of him. I couldn't touch my hands together the man was so enormous, making the rest of us feel like dwarfs next to him. Most especially me, the smallest cub in the pack. When I'd been born everyone had rejoiced at the marking of my birth, honored to be presented with baby me. My parents were the Betas bloodline in the pack, the second most powerful bloodline in existence. My father had stood as Alpha Kadden's Beta for close to twenty years now, such a powerless he'd become legendary. My mom was no different, before her breeding had come on she'd been a warrior, the first female beta warrior in close to a hundred years. So it'd been rather embarrassing when two such great fighters were finally presented with their long-hoped-for child. The baby was so tiny I practically fit in the small of my father's hand, topping all of three pounds then. The den mother had shaken her head as she'd stared at the infant I'd been, having little doubt I'd even survive through the night. Of course I had. There'd been a strength inside of me none of them could ever understand that'd given me the strength to survive. One day had turned to two and then suddenly I'd reached my first month, incredibly strong but persistently hanging on. While most people would've been overjoyed at the thought their baby survived, my parents weren't the delighted parents they should've been. Because as much as my parents loved me, neither could quite get over the disappointment I was for them. Again, my family loved me. Especially my parents. I'd been the center of their world from the moment I was conceived, the child both had given up hope on. I was my parents' midlife crisis. After being mated for nearly thirty years without being granted a child of their own both gave up hope of having one. So it'd been astonishing to be faced with the realization they were being granted their long hoped-for child. Yes, my parents loved me, but neither could quite hide the disappointment they felt at being condemned to the weakened shell. Barely half the size of the other cubs in the pack I was too small to join in their fun, constantly reminded how easily I could get hurt. I wasn't as strong as them either. When the rest of the cubs ran through the woods beneath the full moon I was forced to stay home, knowing I wasn't strong enough. By the time I was eight, no one could hide the shame I presented to the pack, experiencing none of my wolf like the rest of them. At five I didn't receive the first signs of my wolf like them, I wasn't marked by the fever, the call of the wild, the strange glowing eyes. I was bland, my soul lifeless. And now that I was to be turning sixteen tonight it was my last chance to prove to them I wasn't completely useless. Because unless I shifted underneath the full moon tonight then I'd never be able to harness my wolf. No one was holding out much hope of my ability, confident my wolf had long since died of starvation. In their minds, if I was too weak to compare to the rest of them, I was too weak to harness my wolf spirit. And as much as I hated to admit it to myself, I'd lost hope of ever getting my wolf a long time ago. I was a wolfless girl. A failure. "Rayven!" Grumbling at the voice of my mother calling out to me I came to understand hiding out in my bedroom wasn't an option. Rolling out of bed as I came to this realization I stalked to the dresser, opening it up I looked for something to wear. I changed into the clothes I'd chosen for the day, but I paused as I caught my own reflection in the mirror. The girl staring back at me from the glass barely topped five foot even, maybe a hundred pounds with mediocre looks. My best attributes were my eyes. The strangest eyes to be seen in Shadow Creek that's for sure. The center of the pupil was marked by a strange swirl of color of navy and turquoise blue, then rimmed by almost cerulean. Like I said, they're freaking weird. "Rayven, you better be up," Mom yelled. Spinning away from the reflection that belonged to me, I flew out of my room before she grew any more upset. I knew better than to make her wait. My mother wasn't a violent woman, as she'd never lifted her hand towards me a day in my life. Not violent, but not with unlimited patience either. If I persisted in remaining in my bedroom as I'd been hoping to do then Mom would come get me herself and I wouldn't like the outcome. "Hey mama," I spoke in my best fake happy voice when I sailed into the kitchen, spotting her cooking at the stove. My daddy was already sitting down at the table with the paper opened up in front of him, looking like the typical husband. Mom instantly relaxed at the sight of me sauntering into the kitchen, then her eyes scrutinized my clothes. She wrinkled her nose. "You're not planning on wearing that today, are you?" I shrugged. "Why not?" "Aren't you leaving the house?" I scrunched up my face into a frown at the lingering doubt in her words, not really following her mind track this morning. "Um yeah, I guess. Lyla wanted me to meet up with her in town, so we can hang out before tonight. So?" Sighing in exasperation as if she couldn't fathom the thought process of her daughter, she placed down the spatula. Mom moved away from her position in front of the stove, peering down at her daughter before her. "Rayven, please for once listen to your mother. Today marks the first day of your adult life, whether you get your wolf or not, after today you won't be a child anymore. Do you really want to begin the next chapter in your life dressed like that?" Hearing her statements I glanced at what I was wearing this morning, wondering what could be the big deal. I'd chosen to wear a top while it was a couple sizes too large for me, it hung loosely off to one shoulder. Giving me a hint of the sexy appearance girls my age normally went for, I other hand found it annoying. I'm also wearing a pair of black leggings snugging tightly against my body, hinting at the possibility of curves. I shrugged helplessly. "I'm comfortable." Mom wasn't pleased by my answer, her unhappiness showed her expression. "I left a bag for you on the trunk near the closest, I saw it in the store the other day and knew it'd be perfect. Please go change." "Mom," I groaned. "Rayven," my father's loud booming voice finally entered into the silence, the first time he'd opted to say a thing. Alex Carlisle wasn't a man of many words, normally reserving his voice for moments of extreme frustration. Like now for instance. "I don't want none of this childish whining anymore. You're an adult now, so start acting like one. Your mother purchased you something to wear so....." "Yes daddy," I obediently assured him, knowing to continue complaining would only serve to disappoint him further. Offering him one of those sickly sweet smiles of mine he claimed warmed his heart, I spun around and walked out of the kitchen. Grown or not he was my daddy. I didn't dare defy him.