Chosen by Fate, Torn by the Crown

　　ELISE'S POV

　　I stood in front of the mirror admiring the beautiful dress I had on. The beautiful purple dress made my blue eyes pop, and my wee auburn hair softly flowed down my shoulders in its waves.

　　But even though the hair stylist, make-up artist, and the tailor had done a beautiful job, there were no traces of a smile on my face. I was sad, but if I was being honest, I was scared. But I couldn't admit it. How can the soon-to-be alpha of one of the largest packs be scared? My parents would have a heart attack if they heard it.

　　"You look beautiful." I heard someone say. I jumped, startled, and quickly turned to the door. I visibly relaxed when I noticed it was my best friend, Sophia.

　　"Indeed. I do look beautiful." I said with a smile. But my voice has a tinge of sadness, even though I tried not to show it.

　　She closed the door behind her and walked in. "It's just the two of us here. You can be yourself." She said calmly.

　　I turned around and faced her. "Why do you speak like I have something to confess?" I chuckled softly.

　　She squinted her eyes, observing me closely. "You are wearing one of the most beautiful gowns I have ever seen, yet there is no light in your eyes. You don't look happy."

　　I exhaled quietly. I was hoping she wouldn't catch on, but who was I kidding? Sophia knew me too well.

　　"I know you are strong, Elise. You have been all your life, but there are no humans without emotions and feelings. And I can tell that beyond that strong facade you have on right now, that you are sad." She said in a soothing voice.

　　I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply. She was the only one who ever saw this part of me. Everyone else sees me as the strong, confident soon-to-be alpha.

　　"I am scared." I finally said. "Scared that once again, like every other year, I still will not find my mate at the annual gathering. The pressure from my parents and the pack elders is quite choking. But even apart from that, I want to be like everyone else. All our age mates have found their fated mate except for me." I poured out my heart to her.

　　"And who is to say that you will not find him this time?" She smiled at me. "I have a good feeling about this annual gathering. You will find him, trust me."

　　I scoffed and turned away. "I doubt that. I fear what my parents will do if I don't find him this time. They already told me that if I don't find my mate and get married, then I cannot ascend the Iron Throne of the SilverClaw Pack. I cannot become alpha unless I get married."

　　My heart was heavy, but I couldn't cry. I, as an alpha, shouldn't cry; I have been taught that all my life. And that was how I grew up to be the strong woman I am today.

　　"You will find him." She said again confidently. "You will become alpha and ascend the Iron Throne. You were born for greatness, Elise." She walked over and hugged me compassionately.

　　Just then, a knock came at the door. She moved away and bowed her head. We may be best friends, but she never allowed anyone to see how I am with her in private.

　　I cleared my throat. "Come in," I ordered.

　　The warrior walked in and inclined his head in respect. "The car is ready. We are waiting for you, my lady." He said politely.

　　"I will be going without any bodyguards today. I will drive myself." I said in an authoritative tone.

　　His eyes went wide. "But my lady, the alpha and Luna will not be happy about this." He said in fear.

　　"That is my order." My voice boomed.

　　He immediately inclined his head. "Yes, my lady." He replied and rushed out.

　　The resistance I got from my parents wasn't enough to stop me from leaving the pack alone. I was set in my decision, and not even their yelling and commands could change my mind. They trained me to be confident and strong, and I have to deal with it.

　　I alighted as I got to the venue of the gathering. Men and women entered in their numbers. Each one hoping to finally find their fated mate.

　　I took a deep breath and steadied myself before going in. As expected of the council arranging annual gatherings for mateless wolves, the hall was decorated to perfection. Soft music was playing in the background, and servers moved around with trays of champagne. The tables were filled with different dishes.

　　Looking around, it was obvious that some people had already found their mates. They stood in corners, their faces filled with smiles.

　　I sighed. Coming here always made me feel somewhat less. As a server passed, I took a glass of champagne and chugged it down.

　　"Easy. You don't want to get drunk," a familiar voice said behind me.

　　I gracefully turned around and immediately sighed inwardly as I saw the annoying face of a man I had known for most of my life.

　　I suddenly wished I were anywhere but beside him. But instead of showing my real feelings, I smiled. "Gabriel. What are you doing here? I heard you already found your mate." I said to him,

　　He tucked his hands into his trouser pockets and smiled smugly. "I rejected her. She wasn't up to my standards." He said cockily.

　　"Right," I said curtly.

　　"So, have you found him yet?" He asked.

　　"No. But I will start searching now." I replied and walked away.

　　But after searching, I still didn't find him. There were only a few people left in the hall, as most had already left with their mates or alone. I wasn't so disappointed because I knew this would happen. It was starting to get late, so I decided to head back home.

　　I left the hall and boarded my car. On the way, it started to rain, and I dialled Sophia's number to rant.

　　"Did you find him?" She asked as soon as she picked up the call.

　　"I didn't. I am even more angry because I met Gabriel, and just seeing him pissed me off." I replied angrily.

　　"That's surprising. I really had a good feeling about this annual gathering, and my hunch is never wrong." Sophia said.

　　"Well, it was wrong this time." I snapped. "And now it's raining, and I hate it when it rains on days like this. Nothing is working out." I said sadly.

　　As we talked, the rain got heavier. It came with thunderstorms, and I was starting to get a little worried. Just then, my car jerked and stopped.

　　"What's wrong? What just happened?" Sophia asked.

　　Before I could reply, the call ended, and the network disappeared.

　　"Just great!" I yelled. I tried starting the car again and again, but it wasn't working.

　　It was getting dark. My phone has no network, and my car won't move. It was even worse that I was in the sketchy part of town. I gave up and decided to stay in the car until the rain stopped. I relaxed in the car and closed my eyes. Telling myself that the storm will soon pass.

　　But the dress was too uncomfortable to wear. I immediately began to undress, removing parts of the cloth that were detachable.

　　Just then, I heard a knock on my window. I turned around slowly, and there stood a rough-looking man clad in a black jacket. Behind him stood other muscled men.