There was something odd about the way my family moved around me. Ever since I told them that I'd sign up for the Mate Selection, they've looked at me differently. There was this haze that masked the smiles I was so used to, which were now replaced with a look of guilt.

My mother tried to talk me out of signing up; she said that I was selfless for trying to help them out, but that she wanted me to do more than just become a vessel for the Alpha's power. If I had told her that I agreed, and that it sickened me as much as it probably sickened them, they would have tried harder to convince me to opt out. But I wasn't going to let my sisters grow up around a place where people were murdered by their own family in order to cut back on the number of mouths to feed.

The Alpha had tried numerous of times to fix our hunger problem, but he had numerous territories and in the end, only the strong survive. After the last attack by the wolf pack from the neighboring country of over fifty years ago, our fields were burned down, and the water systems were filled with toxins that killed off many of our pack members. It was months before our waters were cleansed again, according to my parents, and it would be years before stability would be brought back to everyone.

"Jamie," Sam spoke from the spot next to me on the floor. "Are you nervous about tomorrow?" My mother was sewing Liz's tattered sweater, and my father was busy fixing the window that had the habit of slamming open and shut at night, but I sensed their hesitant hands that slowed down from their rhythmic movements as soon as the words were left hanging in the air.

I shifted to look at her with a grin, "Nervous? What is there to be nervous about?" I was praying she didn't call me out on my bluff.

"What if you don't get chosen?"

She turned around on her side, her soft brown eyes seeming a bit glossier than usual. I swallowed down, "If I don't get chosen, then that means I'm going to have to find a job scrubbing poop off the toilets."

Sam giggled, scrunching her face up, "I hope you get chosen then. I would hate for you to clean up after people like dad."

I bursted out into a laugh before pulling her in, noticing my father's playful glare and my mother's side smile. The pale walls were a contrast to the bright clothes Sam loved.

"Alright everyone," I heard my mother say as she stood up. "Jamie needs all the rest she can get, so get ready for bed."

I heard Liz complain from somewhere in the house, but Sam quickly obliged, grabbing the blanket tucked underneath her lap. Soon after, Liz and Sam were covered in that same dark brown cloth, burying deep under its warmth from the cold that came in waves every once in a while throughout the night.

"Jamie," there was a large hand covering my right shoulder tha caused me to turn around. "When you go out there tomorrow," my father was struggling to find the words, looking far past the stain on my old shirt. "Just remember that no matter what happens, you stay focused. I don't know what it's like to shift, you'll be gifted with a whole new set of abilities. But not everyone has the same intentions as you. You want to win for a reason that'll do good to more than just yourself," he shook his head, almost as if he was trying to crawl out of the place he was stuck in. "Some want to win for the satisfaction, and those are the people you look out for because they have nothing to lose, and they'll do whatever they can to make sure no one stands in their way."

My lips were slightly opened in shock at his words. When I brought it up to them that I'd be signing up for the Mate Selection, I didn't hear much from him. His sad expression said everything he didn't. I didn't expect them to understand, but I didn't want them to try to convince me to choose another option either.

"Okay," I nodded absently, processing his words before he pulled me into a short but firm embrace. 

He didn't look at me when he pulled away, just walked towards the last room on the left. My mother looked more pained than ever, eagerly pulling me in so that the cold breeze that had settled around me was masked in her warmth. 

"We'll be cheering for you and praying that you're safe," she whispered against my ear. I was rendered speechless, the consequences of my loss sinking in. Would it be worth losing my sisters? My parents?

If I resigned my name from the list, I'd turn myself into poverty, but at least I know that at some point I'd have the possibility of settling with someone of my choice - not the traditional way my parents had. I had resigned my mate a long time ago. Those who were going to be a part of the Selection had to be injected with a powerful toxin that prohibited any mate bond to form after the age of eighteen, which was the time frame for bonds to occur, but some didn't happen until years after that. 

I had done it as soon as possible; giving the person I would have mated with the possibility to form a new bond, leaving them oblivious of my existence; it was only fair to them. Which is why I was so comfortable with Nathan; a small part of me would have believed he would have been my mate, but that was a useless theory because either way, a new mate was given to him. He just hadn't found her yet, and although it pained me to know he belonged to someone else, I loved every moment spent with him, even if everything had been kept within boundaries and we had never gotten past an embrace to protect us both from latching on considering the circumstances. 

But watching the bond between my parents that held them together under the pressures of the environment around us, gave me a flicker of hope that burned out as soon as it ignited.

My mother's garden gave us some vegetables, and her work selling the rest of them gave us money for milk or any other small necessity. My father's work as a baker in a local shop further down was enough to cover for our water and electricity, but nowadays the cost of bread had gone a bit higher and the sales weren't as good as they once were. Sometimes he'd help someone who was wounded, or sick, but he didnt charge them knowing they couldn't afford it. Either way, they tried their best.

My mother followed my father soon after placing a single kiss against my temple, leaving me alone with a stream of thoughts flooding my mind.

-

The countless possibilities were racing against one another, taunting the future the way a predator taunts its prey. Closing my eyes, I played back the process of the Mate Selection again. 

Phase One: Transformation

All females are injected with the Alpha's blood, causing them to transform in wolves after a grueling and painful process where many quit halfway through. Those who opt out are sent to the pack's hospital to reverse the transformation - that only recently became possible a few generations ago. The ones who make it are left alone in a room for a full twenty four hours to allow healing and another twenty four hours for stabilization that allowed you to get to know the new version of yourself.

Phase Two: Elimination

All remaining females are to be released into the south east end of the forest where they must hunt the partner assigned to them; first one to be pinned down between the two is immediately eliminated and taken out of the Selection.

Phase 3: The Hunt

Each female will be released at the North end of the forest where they must hunt the Alpha, himself. First to leave a mark wins the Mate Selection.

Suddenly my stomach became uneasy, it clenched and fought against the urge to throw up because my body knew I couldn't afford to lose any bit of energy. I took in deep breaths, reminding myself that I wasn't going in completely blind sided.

With that comforting thought, I let myself fall asleep slowly, dreaming of what it would be like to win and defeat the threats of hunger that loomed over the people I cared about the most.