6. Aurora

CHAPTER 6

Aurora

Waking up on what I'm guessing is the fourth day, the smell of bacon and lilacs assault my nose. Although the lilacs smell wonderful, I'm all about the bacon. Cracking one eye open, there sits Elena in the recliner in the corner of the room with a plate of bacon. Gods, I love this woman. It's been over a hundred years since I had last seen her, and she's barely aged. Being almost five hundred looks damn good on her. At most, she seems like she's in her mid-thirties, black hair, blue eyes, and a rather light build for a Lycan female. "Morning Elena, is that bacon for me?" My voice is still scratchy and rough from lack of use. I stretch out my stiff body before accepting the plate of bacon from her.

"Princess, it's good to see you looking so well. You look so much like your mother." Gently Elena caresses my cheek. "She would be proud of the female you have become." She smiles softly as she watches me inhale the plate of food. "I have brought you the last, single Lycan males that I could find." She quirks her lip and tilts her head to look at me before raising a brow. "I've also brought to you my son. He isn't mated and about a hundred years older than you." She smiles confidently. "I believe you two may be a good match. I do have to warn you though, he has a female he's been considering." Elena rolls her eyes. "Her father has been in talks with us about a betrothal. In the meantime, Dimitri and Andre are getting the boys ready for your inspection."

Okay, now she has my undivided attention. I have males. Willing males wanting to be inspected? What the fuck was I supposed to be inspecting? "Okay, I need a shower before I go inspect hotties. Oh, and coffee, plenty of coffee..."

I hear Elena giggle on my way into the bathroom and take the world's fastest shower. I mean seriously, I think I was in there like fifteen minutes max. I waltz out of the bathroom to find Andre and Elena holding a robe and coffee. "Why the robe?" I question as I slip it on before taking the coffee. Downing half the mug in a few gulps, coffee was definitely needed.

Elena stifles a laugh. "Because more than likely, if you scent your mate, your wolf will make herself known at that exact moment. It won't happen with the second one, but the first it's like bam! here she is!" She claps her hands together loudly to emphasize what will happen.

My eyebrows shoot up at the explanation, as Andre is laughing his ass off. "Okay, how does this work?"

She moves and opens the double doors so we can look into the yard. "Each male is standing in a different part of the yard, so their scents don't mix. All you must do is walk up and sniff. Your wolf will do the rest." She says it so matter of factly that, yeah, okay, not a problem.

"Andre, put "Sanitarium" by Metallica on for me. It's kind of fitting." I listen for the first few notes to echo through the yard before I step out onto the deck. Which way to start? Well, the question is answered for me quickly as Elena pushes me to start on the right side of the yard.

I guess counterclockwise is the order for the day. Slowly, I move towards the first male. His body language screams anxious, and his scent screams fear, which doesn't make my she- wolf happy. She assesses him as a weak male, not worthy, even before I get close to him. I lean in and sniff at his neck, just under his ear. The acrid scent of urine fills the air. Seriously? I can't believe he actually pissed himself. A growl escapes my lips, and he scurries backward.

"Wuss."That was the first and last word spoken to the coward.

I snort a couple of times to clear the urine scent from my nostrils as I move towards the next male. He's standing stock still, his frame slightly muscular. Typical dark hair, dark eyes, and he's about an inch taller than me. So far, nothing exciting to write home about. I get closer and begin circling him. I want to see if I can throw him off his game. Nothing yet. Leaning in from behind him, in a very dominant move, I sniff at his neck and smell perfume on him mixed with his male musk. Apparently, he took this meeting very seriously... not. I grab him under his arms, sinking my now extended talons into his ribcage, and throw him away from me.

"Next time you visit a potential mate, don't smell like your last conquest." The words are growled out, my full Alpha power behind it. He visibly pales, then runs off into the woods. Two down, two to go. Hopefully, one of these two has balls and common sense. I swear what has happened to guys? They just don't make men anymore. My eyes seek out Elena, Dimitri, and Andre. The three amigos are up on the deck, laughing their asses off over this bullshit. I flip them the bird and stalk towards the next contestant, only the male is wrong. Poor thing, someone forgot to tell him he was male. He's built like a human male and shorter than me. What the fuck!

I mean, really, has the gene pool gotten so shallow that I'm built more substantially than these so-called males? I am so disgusted by what I see, I bypass him completely and start towards unlucky number four. I stop in my tracks when he looks up at me. His eyes are sky blue, his hair is black as pitch. He's muscled, but not overdone. His skin is a golden brown, and scars litter his body, marking him as a fighter. Finally, an actual male! We lock eyes, and he doesn't back down. My wolf makes her presence known, and I feel my eyes turn to liquid mercury.

He smirks, and his wolf surges forward; his eyes are almost a white-blue. His wolf's eyes are beautiful. He begins to move towards me, and I freeze in my tracks. This is starting to get interesting. I hear Elena gasp, and the guys hush her. I'm studying this bold male, and in the back of my mind, I'm hoping he's the one. We stand about a foot apart, his nose in the wind catching my scent, his nostrils flare and his wolf rips into existence. He's beautiful, thick black fur, white-blue eyes, and long talon-like claws. If I had to venture a guess, he has to be about nine feet tall and is thickly muscled.

Ever so slowly, he lowers his muzzle to me. I tilt my head to the side, granting him access to my throat. I just submitted to this male without even realizing what I was doing.

Once his nose touches my neck, I get a good whiff of his scent... he's mine . My wolf doesn't want to wait to shift; she tears free and begins to sniff at him, rubbing her muzzle along his neck and chest. Damn, my bitch is the happiest I've ever seen her. Clapping erupts behind us, snapping us out of our little bubble. Elena has tears in her eyes as she runs down the stairs and hugs us both.

"My baby has found his mate!" She wraps her arms around the male wolf, jumping up and down while holding onto him. Her eyes move to me before she pounces and hugs me too. "Princess, you chose my baby boy. You bring so much honor to my bloodline, thank you!"

Hold on. Back that fucking train up. I back away and shift again. Andre is ready with a pair of beach towels and hands me one. "What do you mean, Elena?" Puzzled, I look back and forth between her and this stud of an Alpha before me.

"Oh. Forgive me, Princess." Elena motions to the man with great pride, "this is my son, Sebastian Lupi. My first-born," Elena says as she introduces him. "He has trained for over two hundred years in the art of war and every known fighting style." She beams with pride telling me of her son's pedigree.

I nod as I move back towards him and wrap my arms around his taut, furred waistline. "Mind shifting back, big guy? I'd like to get to know your human side too." I smile, looking up into the wolf's eyes, he leans down and licks my cheek before I feel his body starting to break and shift back. Sebastian is easily six foot five and relatively easy on the eyes.

His arms tighten around me as he holds on. "I never thought you'd accept me." He speaks so softly, and with such reverence, tears threaten to break loose. "I've waited for what has felt like forever for you. I saw you as a baby in Dimitri's arms; you were so tiny and precious. Your scent called to my wolf and I wanted to protect you." He buries his face in my white hair, and I feel his warm breath upon my shoulder.

He's shaking slightly, overcome with emotion. I squeeze him tightly to me, holding on to him like I am afraid he will vanish. My protective instincts kick into overdrive because of his emotional state. "Did you know what I was to him?" I raise my eyes to look at Elena, watching her cry, "If you did, how could you keep him from me?" My own tears run down my cheeks, sensing my mate's pain. Wait... I was feeling Sebastian's emotions, not Dimitri's? My head whips up, and I stare at Dimitri, and he holds up his left arm. The scar… it's gone. I look down at my arm, my scar is gone as well. I run my fingers through Sebastian's hair in a soothing manner as I wait for Elena to answer me.

"Yes, child, I suspected, but you were far too young to have a male that was getting ready to ascend around you. His wolf would have demanded to complete the bond long before your body was ready." I nod slowly and nuzzle Sebastian as he scoops me up. Ever so carefully, he carries me up onto the porch and sits down, situating me on his lap. "I don't think he's going to let go for a while, child; you may have to get used to it."

I giggle and nuzzle his cheek. "That's okay; he can hold me for as long as he wants to." A muffled " forever " comes from Sebastian, and all I can do is smile like a lovesick puppy.

"We still have one matter to attend to, Princess, before you can complete the bond." There was a sadness in Elena's voice that made me raise my head to look at her.

Slowly, I nod and look at Sebastian, kissing his temple. "Let's get this over with. If I must battle, then I must battle." I stand and stretch, my bones pop and crack as I look back to Elena. "Set it up, have the witnesses ready, we do it the old way; wolf-on-wolf. Winner lives, and the loser dies." Everyone's jaws drop, shocked by how matter of fact I agree to battle.

Apparently, I stunned the group into silence. Quickly, I turn and start heading towards my bedroom door, when a large hand grabs my wrist. I look down and notice it's Dimitri's. "Say what you must, bear. You have prepared me well. I am battle-ready." My tone is nothing short of full-blown Alpha and bleeds dominance. "No bitch will take what's mine without a fight."

"Aurora, I do not doubt your training. Though, with so few Lycan females left, you may wish to fight to submission." Dimitri is wringing his hands, looking at his feet.

I know he didn't want to question my desires, but I understand where he's coming from. "I will consider it, D, as long as she's not some insolent wench." I bare my canines at him and then look back at the group.

"We leave in an hour." I watch as Sebastian battles his wolf to leave with his mother. I know he wishes to remain at my side, but until that other bitch dies or submits, honor states he's not entirely mine. I head in and pack only a day bag to take with me. The boys are quick to pack as well, thankfully. Honestly, the wait is killing me. I want to go. Within minutes we are heading to the battlegrounds.