A/N: I haven't written in forever, so this is going to be very rough, but I didn't know what else to do besides write meta. Also, a lot of this is speculation, and I haven't been able to keep up with how the ceremony is supposed to go down, so bear with me. Anyways, here's my addition to Haylijah Appreciation Week.

She smoothed the crinkles on her dress for the umpteenth, making sure that everything seemed perfect. She knew that she needed to put on a good front tonight because her people's lives depended on it.

She eyed the piece of silver in her hand, wondering how something so small could be so significant. She placed it on her ring finger, but it still didn't feel right.

I don't think it's ever going to feel right.

She had been wrestling with the pit in the bottom of her stomach for past few days. She constantly went over the options in her head, and why she had to do this. It was about sacrifice and being selfless. It was about making decisions for the greater good, and placing her people's needs over her own.

It was difficult, one of the most difficult things she's ever done. She would never hide the fact that she could be selfish, and often did things on impulse. But once she held her daughter in her arms for the first time, everything changed. It was about her anymore. It wasn't about making sure she was happy and damning everyone else. It was now all about protecting her daughter, making sure she could live a normal and safe life, well as normal as you could get with hybrids for parents.

She breathed out a heavy sigh, knowing that it was only a matter of time before someone sent for her to begin the ceremony. Closing her eyes, she imagines what the clearing would look like. It would be lit up with torches around the outskirts, and her people standing in a large circle. She would enter from the left, and her betrothed would enter from the right.

The oldest member of the pack would be standing in the middle with an old worn book and a large silver bowl placed on a pedestal. They would wait until the moon hit its apex to officially begin the ritual. The elder would ask that they join their hands, and repeat the words of the clan.

Once they finished with their oaths, the elder would take a bone knife and make small incisions on the insides of their wrists. A few droplets of blood would fall into the silver bowl, and the elder would place the silver bowl back on the pedestal. They would then press them together, and the elder would wrap a tattered cloth and tie it off. The elder would recite a verse in Latin, and then ask the rest of the pack to join in. The chanting would grow louder, until all members of the pack were yelling out the worlds that would end their suffering. Once the moon lit up the clearing, the elder takes the silver bowl and adds a mixture of herbs and water from the spring nearby. Mixing the concoction together, the elder would take the silver chalice and fill it up.

One by one, each pack member would drink from the chalice, with the first being the king and queen of the pack, and go from there. By the time, they were finished, the moon would soon fall beyond the trees and the only source of light would be the torches held by pack members. The elder would then declare the ceremony as completed, and the celebration would begin.

Her betrothed had explicitly explained each detail to her, making sure she understood what needed to be done. For the ceremony to work, there could be no mistakes. No hesitation. No doubts. She knew what she had to do. But that didn't stop her from thinking of the man she left behind with her daughter.

The days they had spent in Arkansas was the first time she could remember being happy since her daughter was born. It was such a short time to be together, but they made sure every moment was cherished.

She would often catch herself thinking about the day they spent in bed together, only leaving to tend to her daughter. It would put a sad smile on her face every time when she remembered the last thing he said to her.

I hope you know how proud of you I am, to see you mature into this intelligent, feisty, nurturing, and commanding woman, a queen among her wolves.

He had pressed her fingers to his lips, each one, before he looked her in the eyes again.

I also want you to know that you are doing the right thing, and no matter what happens, I will always care for you and your daughter. I will always protect you and Hope, and despite the situation that lies ahead, remember you are doing this for your people, and more importantly, your daughter. Keep this close to your heart, and know I will be doing the same.

A knock was heard, and she shook herself out of her reverie. She looked into the mirror one last time before she grabbed her bouquet of wildflowers. Taking one more moment to look around the small cabin, she opens the screen door and follows her escort to the clearing.

Each step she took towards her betrothed, the thought of knowing that she was making the right decision became clearer. The last thought she could remember before she saw her betrothed was that, perhaps, she could grow to love this man as a partner someday, but it would never go beyond that.

For she knew, deep down, she had nothing of her heart to give, because it was still in Arkansas with the man caring for her daughter.

fin.