Chapter 1 Chapter 1

ELLE A shifter’s eighteenth birthday was a monumental occasion for most because it marked the beginning of being able to sense one’s mate. Many dreamed of the day that they met the one that was destined and fated to them. The only one who could truly complete them – their soulmate which was handpicked by the Moon Goddess. I always longed for my mate because love was a concept that I had not really grown up with except a select few people. I was orphaned at the age of five with no memories from before then of who I was or where I came from. Alpha Andrew said that he found me right outside of the pack’s border when I was a pup and brought me back to the Blue Crest pack to be raised by the Omegas of the pack. Blue Crest Omegas were slaves to the pack and were treated as such. Have you ever been treated like you were less than simply because of factors that were outside of your control? It sucked, but that was unfortunately our reality – one that we could never escape from no matter how hard we tried to do just that. I turned eighteen last week but did not feel any different. A little more hopeful for the future perhaps, but that was about it. Eric Blake, Alpha Andrew and Luna Ashley’s son and sole Alpha heir, would have his eighteenth birthday party tomorrow. It was a big to-do, so a few allied packs would be attending and bringing many of their unmated she-wolves and important families in hopes that one of them would be Eric’s mate. He was a decently handsome guy with his broad shoulders, ripped muscles, and chocolate eyes that could pull you into them whenever you saw them. She-wolves fawned over him left and right. However, the allure was only skin-deep. He was an arrogant asshole who believed he was a gift from above to all womankind. Eric took every opportunity to make his importance known and certainly took after his father when it came to believing that he was above all else. Both were absolute monsters and made horrible Alpha types in my opinion because Alphas were meant to protect their pack and lead it. Those two only cared about their title and authority. “Elle,” Luna Ashley called out as I passed by the kitchen on my way out the door. “Yes, Luna?” I asked as I approached the kitchen and lowered my eyes. Omegas were to submit themselves when in the presence of leadership. It was just their way to remind us that we would never be their equals. Trust us that we knew it even without the reminder. However, none of us really desired to deal with that reminder being beaten into us, so we abided by their ridiculous rules. “How are the preparations coming for the party?” she asked in her high-pitched nasally voice. “The food will be fully prepped tomorrow. We’ve already taken care of the things that could be made early. The ballroom has been decorated and prepared. The stage will be set up tomorrow morning because Mr. Belford had an emergency to take care of. I’m going to doublecheck the guest rooms and ensure that they have been prepared properly tonight,” I explained. I did not have to look at her to know that she would be looking down her long nose at me, trying to find any flaw that she could in my duties. She would find none though because I did not make mistakes in my work. I was a perfectionist and damn proud of it. That was what made me excellent with my job. Said job was to take care of everything in the packhouse. I essentially made sure that it ran smoothly. Did I ask for this job? Nope, and I never would have because it sucked. It put me in vicinity of the Alpha family each and every day which I hated because they always felt the need to reaffirm the hierarchy in this pack. I was on the lowest rung. “And what about bouncers for the guestlist?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest as if she found the flaw. “Warrior Gerald and Warrior Brian have been assigned the duty and have been briefed on your established protocol.” She dismissed me with a grunt and a wave of her hand. I wasted no time and got out of the packhouse before I ran into anyone else. It had already been a long day, and I just needed a breather. I already got slapped by Alpha for making too much noise while vacuuming the hallway and yelled at by a group of warriors. It was just an average day in fucking this pack. Blue Crest was a medium-sized pack situated in Northern Texas with about three hundred members. It was not the most breathtaking territory or anything, but we did have decent woods that had a good selection of game. Wolves loved to hunt, but we were not allowed to hunt. It was a crock of shit if you asked me. I thought about leaving many times, but I could not leave the Omegas alone to deal with all of this by themselves. It did not always feel like I made a significant difference, but I would do anything for them. An arm slung over my shoulders, surprising me. It was not easy to sneak up on me, but it did happen from time to time. Survival in this pack required excellent instincts. “What’s got you in your head, Em?” Gabriel asked, flashing me his signature smile. Only he called me Em since my name was Elle Mae. He was quite the looker with his tousled blonde hair that always looked like he styled it but did not, chiseled jaw, sharp features, and piercing green eyes that could either be so filled with emotion that you knew exactly what was going on in his mind or completely cold and detached when someone crossed him. Gabriel’s muscular build and strength would be more suited for him being a warrior, but he was born into his role. He did not mind though because he hated being near our current warriors. They were allowed to treat us however they wanted, and they took that liberty to heart. There was not a single Omega who had not been treated worse than trash. “Nothing,” I said, hoping he would drop it, but he did not. Gabriel leveled me with a look that told me not to bullshit him. We had been best friends for ten years now. He knew me better than anyone else did and was the closest thing to family I ever had. “Not here,” I said. He steered me towards the Omega quarters. We had our own type of packhouse which was situated far away from the actual one. There were about fifty of us in Blue Crest, so it was not ridiculously large like the packhouse was, but it had plenty enough room for us. There were individual bedrooms, two communal shower rooms which we split between male and female, a communal kitchen, and dining room. It was not much, but we made it our home. We had a shared community and understanding. We looked out for one another because nobody else looked out for us. I led him to my room which was directly across from his. We both were orphans, so we bonded over that shared pain. The difference was that he remembered his family, and I did not. I remembered absolutely nothing from before being found. It was like that part of my life never happened, and it really bothered me. What could have happened to me that would cause that? How did I get to the border on my own? Where did I come from? I once asked these questions growing up but stopped the first time I got backhanded by Alpha and told that it was not my place to question anything. Gabriel was my strength to get through each day, and I was his. The two of us were more dominant than the rest of the Omegas because we took it upon ourselves to shield them as much as possible from the horrors here. “What’s going on?” he asked, flopping down on my bed, and getting comfortable. “You remember how I had a special visitor when I was ten?” I asked. I met Moon Goddess when I was a pup. It was not an overactive imagination or anything either because it was legitimately her. She came and explained that there was something special about me but could not say what it was just yet. I would find out when it was the proper time. She told me that I would face much adversity in life but to never lose hope that it would change because it would. The adversity would make me stronger, and I would need that strength in the future. My destiny would be painful but would be worth it in the end. I had no idea why in the world she thought I was special because I was not, but it was not like I would contradict her. She was our deity after all. He nodded his head and raised one of his blonde brows, waiting to see where I was going with this. Gabriel did not think that I was insane when I told him about it because he could sense a change in me after that visit. I asked him what he meant, but he could not tell me other than he knew that I was telling the truth. He was the only person I ever trusted with that information because it could be dangerous in the wrong hands. “All day long, I felt like something is going to be changing soon. I just can’t shake the feeling,” I said, flopping down next to him. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. There was a deeply ingrained need in me to know things, so I positively hated not knowing something and being out of the loop. “Maybe you’ll find your mate,” he mused. “Future Alpha Douche’s party is tomorrow night. Perhaps your mate will be in attendance.” I snorted and laughed. Could you imagine that? That would be every ingredient needed to create an earth-shattering and monumental recipe for disaster. It would be very amusing though. We were considered to be the lowest part of the totem pole in this pack. They believed that we were even lower than the dirt packed underneath the pole. “That would go over so well. I can already see it. Alpha and Luna would both keel over from heart attacks if one of their guests was mated to a lowly Omega,” I said, wiping away a fake tear. Of course, we never believed their lies that we were less than everyone else. We just had to play the part that they so ungraciously bestowed upon us. We hated every single second of their power play. It was unfortunately their pack where their word was law. Mostly, Alphas were allowed to do whatever they wanted with their pack no matter how ridiculous or despicable it might be. “Don’t worry. Those two would have to go through me to get to you,” he said, pulling me into his side protectively. I relaxed into his embrace and smiled at my best friend who had been my protector all of these years, saving me from what he could, and picking up the pieces any time that he could not. He was the only person I trusted implicitly without a second thought. One of the first times that someone attacked me, he fought back against the warrior and severely injured him. Gabriel was only twelve at the time, but they whipped him in front of the pack just to prove a point. We were beneath them. He never stepped away from me though even when I begged him to keep his distance so that he would not get hurt because of me. He would make a great mate for somebody one day, and I prayed that he found her. He was loyal to a fault and would destroy anyone that tried to hurt what was his. He deserved happiness more than anyone else I knew. “You’re too good for me, Gabe,” I said. “I think you got that backwards, sweetheart,” he said, dropping a kiss to the top of my head. The two of us were very close, but had never been a couple or even explored that. We were best friends and happy as such, content within that reality. Had we found out that we were mates then it would have obviously changed, but we were not mates. That did not mean anything though because we were exactly what the other needed. An ear to listen. A shoulder to cry on. A heart that understood. Not everyone could understand what the two of us went through day in and day out, but we did. That was all that truly mattered. “What are you up to tonight?” I asked, looking up at him with the most innocent expression I could muster. “Aiding you in whatever last-minute thing you needed before the nightmare of tomorrow starts,” he said with a crooked grin. “This is why we’re besties. I need to check on the guest rooms to make sure they were done correctly. It’s the last thing on my checklist. We could check them after supper,” I told him, jumping up from the bed and pulling him up too. The smell of Maci’s signature steak fajitas wafted down the hallway, luring us to her. Maci was a beautiful bombshell Latina girl who made the best damn fajitas you would ever eat. They were downright orgasmic to the tastebuds. We all rotated cooking so that we did not push it off on just a few people while also giving us variety in the meals. My favorite type of food to cook was Italian food because there was so much possibility there. I never cooked the same types of dishes either. I liked to vary it and often aimed it for someone special. Last time I cooked was homemade chicken alfredo which was Denny’s favorite. He was an adorable eight-year-old with matching dimples and a missing front tooth. His family joined our pack a month ago. They certainly had not expected that our pack was the way it was when it came to us, however they had no other choice. It was either Blue Crest or going rogue. Going rogue was not an option at all because they would never subject their son to such a fate. We all tried to make it better for the three of them however we could. They appreciated the community we all had with one another. We got our food and took a seat, digging into one of our favorite dishes of hers. Gabriel and I both let out matching groans as the taste hit us. We both loved Maci’s cooking the most out of everyone else’s. Denny’s family came and joined us as well. He proceeded to tell us all about a frog that he found. He wanted to keep it as a pet but saw that it had a family. He ended up leaving the frog but promised he would visit it. Pups were the best. Many adults often thought that pups did not know a damn thing about life. Denny just proved that he did. His words were proof that he understood an important concept.  Just because he wanted something did not mean that it was best for him to have it. He showed compassion for an animal because he did not want to split up the family. Pups understood more than adults gave them credit for. “I’m very proud of you for not separating them. You can always go back, but that means that they can stay together now. You did the right thing, kiddo,” I said sincerely. A cute blush blossomed across his cheeks with my words, and his chest puffed out a bit. “Thanks Miss Elle. I’ll take you to visit them one day if you like,” he offered enthusiastically. I nodded my head and told him how much I would appreciate that. He acted like I gave him the best gift with my acceptance. We finished supper and headed out to check the guest rooms. A total of twenty-three were prepped, and all of them were done correctly. Gabriel chuckled at my sigh of relief after we looked into each one of them. Nothing could go wrong tomorrow, or it would be my head on the chopping block. I was partial to my head being firmly attached to my shoulders. The Alpha family always looked for any opportunity to see me fail, which I never understood. If they did not like my work then they could send me somewhere else to perform my duties. Nope. They liked me front and center. Oh, how I wished that I could tell them to fuck right off. I laid in bed, trying to fall asleep for a couple of hours before I gave up. There was this restless energy inside of me, and I could not figure out why. I did not have the answer, but the restlessness was there, nonetheless. ‘Yes you do,’ my wolf Faye said. ‘And what would that be?’ I asked her. I hated when she went all cryptic. I gave up long ago trying to figure it all out with her. Once she awoke at thirteen, it was like she was privy to things that I was not. I learned to just go with the flow, but it did not quell the annoyance that flared to life whenever she chose to be cryptic. ‘You damn well know that I won’t tell you and ruin all the surprises in life. You’ll know soon because things are definitely changing. Sleep well my beautiful human,’ Faye said with a sweet smile in her voice. Faye was the best wolf a girl could ever have. She and Gabriel were my saving graces all these years. I loved her more than I loved anything else in this world because she was with me through every single thing – every pain, every nightmare, every wound, and every happiness. I heeded her advice and closed my eyes again. The last thought in my mind was that things were changing.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

ELLE ‘Stay strong,’ a melodic voice whispered right before I woke up to a knock on my door. I groaned when I looked at the clock. It was already six in the morning, and I had to get up and get ready for the day. I did not get much in the way of sleep last night because I kept thinking back to the idea of things changing. I could not tell if I was happy about that or nervous. The other part of the troubling equation was whether the change was going to be good or bad. I was not certain how much more bad I could handle without finally cracking. “Come in only if you have java,” I called out, sitting up and stretching my arms over my head. Gabriel opened the door and held up the coffee cup to show me. I chuckled and waved him in. He knew me well enough to know I would need coffee this morning because of how stressed out I had been lately. This party took over an entire month to plan. It required long discussions with Luna about what all she wanted and what she would not accept which equated to any single failure. She was a monster to work with, but I had not even been surprised about that. A sigh escaped my lips as soon as the taste of coffee hit my throat. This would be my first cup but not last today. There was a lot to do today that would need to be checked and rechecked. “Morning. Rough night?” he asked. “A bit. Just eager to get today over and done with. It’s a recipe for disaster.” It was absolutely a recipe for disaster and chaos. I hoped that the birthday boy found his mate today because perhaps she could help straighten him out. This pack requirements of secession required the Alpha heir to have found their mate before they could officially take over the leadership of the pack, but I could not imagine that Alpha would be considering that any time soon. I overheard him and Luna talking about how their son was nowhere near ready to be Alpha. In truth, Eric was not fit to be Alpha yet. He was immature and prone to anger issues. He did not have the tact to deal with anyone disagreeing with a word that he said. I certainly could not imagine him responsible for negotiations and treaties. Alphas demanded control, but he did not know how to get it without force. His father was not much better but had a track record to back him up though. He was known to be cruel which kept a lot of people in line. He was not necessarily a loved Alpha by other packs but was tolerated. “Perhaps it is, but I’ll get us some popcorn so that we can watch the fireworks as the pack crashes and burns,” he said, waggling his eyebrows at me. I laughed harder at that than I had in a long time. He followed suit with his own deep laugh that brought a smile to my face. I did not know what I would do without him by my side. He was my ride or die. He left so that I could get changed. I threw on a pair of skinny jeans and a silver button down shirt. I stood in front of the mirror and took a good look at myself. Standing at 5’7, I was not exceptionally tall but thankfully not short either. My jet-black hair fell just over my shoulders with a natural wave to it. My eyes always stood out because they were a vibrant arctic blue against my ivory skin. My figure was not that alluring or anything, but I did have a solid C-cup, trimmed waist, and muscles. Said muscles were not ridiculously large or anything, but Gabriel insisted that I needed to be able to protect myself, so he taught me. We did not have time to waste, so we just grabbed muffins before we hurried out the door. Gabriel would be helping set up the stage and getting the kitchen squared away while I flitted around to ensure that everything was running smoothly and on schedule. Guests would start showing up around six tonight, but the actual party would not start until nine. Birthday boy was probably passed out from all the partying he did last night. Gabriel and I heard the music, shouting, and moaning while we were making sure the rooms were ready to go. Eric would be out of our hair until tonight which worked because he always made it his mission to fuck with me. It was like he ordained himself as my personal tormentor. It was tiring, but there was not much I could do about it. How I would love the freedom to fight back. I would make him pay for every ounce of pain he ever caused me if I could. However, that was not a reality and never would be. “Omega,” someone barked. I sighed internally because that was all I could do. I was the only one in the room, so I took a breath before responding. I had a name, but most did not care. How dare I desire an identity at all. Sometimes I wondered if I should just change my name to Omega to make it easier on the idiots. “Warrior Gerald,” I acknowledged, making sure to keep my eyes trained on the ground. “Warrior Brian is down with a cold. Find a replacement,” he said. Great. I should have known that it would be one thing or another. This was not the end of the world though. It just meant that I would have to take a trip down to the training field. It was not my favorite place to go because warriors tended to get handsy whenever they wanted to. “Thank you for letting me know. I’ll do that right now.” I bowed my head a little bit before I left. My feet carried my unhappy ass out the packhouse doors, through Luna’s blooming flower garden, and over to the training field which only took a few minutes. The training field was a massive clearing broken into sections. There was the very difficult obstacle course meant for endurance training, a building that housed the weight room, and a section near the obstacle course which was used for sparring. Gabriel and I set up our own version at our place, but it was nothing compared to here. We both made sure to help our people learn to fight and protect themselves. Everyone was in the middle of training, so I quickly made my way over to the warrior who led this training session. All I needed to do was get in and out. “Look what the cat dragged in,” one guy said, snickering. Original. Real original. “I wouldn’t mind sparring with the Omega. Bloodying her up a bit might make her a bit more attractive,” another responded. I just ignored them and approached Warrior Justin. He was a bastard but at least he never put his hands on me. There was that at least. It was his only semi-redeeming quality, but even that only went so far. “Warrior Justin, Warrior Brian was supposed to be a bouncer for the future Alpha’s party tonight but is sick. Do you have someone who can fill in? Luna insists that we need two warriors who’ll check the guests in and make sure they’re on the list,” I explained. “Damnit. I’ll send Warrior Daniel in his place. What time does he need to report?” he asked. “5:00 P.M. and needs to report directly to Luna.”“K. Get the fuck out of here now.” He grunted before getting back to yelling at those on the training field. I did not need to be told twice and quickly made my way back to the packhouse. It was already noon, so I got back to work. The party was in full swing by the time that ten rolled around. There was a least a hundred guests who all seemed to be enjoying their time. There was a lot of dancing, drinks getting passed around from the bar, and even a bit of some softcore porn scenes happening throughout the packhouse. I could have gone my whole life without seeing some of that shit, so I just adverted my eyes while complaining to Gabriel through the link. Luna was even seen taking a couple of the guests upstairs. Alpha and Luna had an open relationship I supposed because they were constantly entertaining other people. I could not imagine being in a relationship like that. Mates were a precious gift. Such a precious gift that you should not spit on it like that. The only issue we had so far was that we had to pull in another person to help mix alcohol because the two we had were not enough. The third made it run smoothly, and the drinks were in high demand. I was glad that the party turned out so well thus far. Part of me had been terrified that today would be a disaster. So far that was not the case. Was it too much to hope that it would continue to run smoothly? “We would like everyone, guests and staff alike, to come into the ballroom and gather around to officially wish our son a happy birthday,” Alpha said into the microphone. Gabriel and I exchanged a confused look because they never included us. It had to be for show because they normally demanded us to stay away as if we had the plague. He and I had been helping out in the kitchen all night to ensure that everything kept running smoothly. The two of us were a great team and worked perfectly together. Luckily, the preparations that I put in place had made it a success as of now. ‘Stay strong,’ a melodic voice whispered in my mind. I would recognize that voice anywhere, but I had not heard it since I was ten. I vaguely remembered hearing it during a dream this morning, but I could not be certain. My gut twisted in anticipation as Gabriel led me into the room. What would I need to stay strong for? There were many possible scenarios and could be referencing any number of them. My mind conjured up some of the more ridiculous ones such as an enemy attack, being struck by lightning, and all the Omegas getting killed off as a party favor. Anything and everything were possible in this moment. The large ballroom was fairly packed. Hundreds of guests, a majority of the pack, and all of the thirty workers who were helping out made the room seem much smaller than what it actually was. All worries and concern were wiped from my mind as the most pleasant citrus scent hit my nose. I inhaled deeply and picked up the subtle note of vanilla as well. It invigorated me more than I ever had been before, wrapping around me and pulling me towards it, wanting me to follow along. My heart thrummed in my chest in anticipation as every cell in my body felt awakened all at once. It felt like I had only lived a half-life until this moment, and now the rest merged, making me whole for the first time ever. “He’s here,” I whispered to Gabriel. My eyes scanned the crowd, hoping to catch a glimpse of my mate. This was the moment that most shifters waited for with eager anticipation. I had been eager for it since I was a pup. Not everyone was guaranteed to find their mate. It could be someone from the same pack or halfway across the world. I was very blessed to have been granted the ability to find mine. “Where?” Gabriel asked. My best friend smiled at me. He knew how much I longed for my mate, and how I knew it would make my life fulfilled for the first time ever. He longed for his too. I could not wait for him to his mate as well because he was a great guy who deserved all of the best things in life. I shrugged because I was not certain. It would be awesome if we knew their names the moment that we picked up their delectable scent, but it was not quite that easy. Gabriel nudged me and subtly nodded to the stage. My eyes hesitantly looked, and my fear was confirmed. No. My blood turned to ice. It could not be. There had to be a mistake. There was no way that Eric was my mate. The Alpha family hated me. He hated me. This had to be a fucking mistake. I spent so much of my time trying to avoid Eric entirely because he was one of my biggest tormentors, thriving in the pain that he could inflict upon me. What would he do when it came to me being his mate? This was not a good position to be in at all. It was downright dangerous. That invigoration that I just felt turned into trepidation with the knowledge of truth. This would go very wrong. I knew that today would be a disaster. I just had anticipated it being the party not it being my mate. Eric’s eyes had also been scanning the crowd, looking for the owner to the scent of his mate. He landed on me, and shock was the first thing that registered on his face. The shock was wiped away as just as quickly as it appeared. It triggered warning bells in my mind. Gabriel and I were joking last night about Alpha and Luna keeling over if I was mated to any of their guests. What would happen when it was their own son? My heart hammered painfully in my chest, and I felt like I was going to pass out. I always imagined finding my mate to be my fairytale moment. This was anything but that. This was my worst nightmare instead. I would take every horror that I ever faced again over this. That was what showed me how horrible this was. “Elle, come here please,” Eric said, holding his hand out to me.

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

ELLE This was what the Goddess meant by staying strong. There had to be a purpose to this pairing, so I had to stay strong and have faith that it would work out how it was supposed to. Right? That was what I was trying to tell myself at least. Faye was exceptionally quiet. She was certainly in shock because wolves longed to meet their mate even more than the humans did. Her being quiet did nothing for me but make me even more nervous and apprehensive. One would think that she would be jumping for joy and howling into the night sky with her delight. Those were things that she was not doing. At least we were on the same page regarding him. Gabriel placed his hand on the small of my back and gently pushed, knowing I was not thrilled with this. He could read me like a book, so he would understand the war that was raging inside of me without me even uttering a single word to him. However, he also knew that it would be worse for me if I did not go. So, my feet started moving forward despite wanting to run out the door and away from the Devil on stage. The crowd parted as I walked forward. Our pack was completely silent because they understood how fucked up this situation was. There were the Omegas who feared for me right now, and there were the rest who hated me right now as if this was my fault. That was a laughable thought. I would never pick someone like Eric as a mate. They could have him, and I would not even put up a fight. I would willingly step aside. Some of the visiting she-wolves made little sweet noises, thinking that this was such a romantic gesture that my mate wanted to present me as his future Luna. There was nothing sweet about this. Stay strong. I had to stay strong. I refused to let him see how uncomfortable I was. He would never know that I was worried about my safety right now. He would never see my internal struggle in this moment. What he saw was an unaffected Omega. His eyes watched my every movement as if sizing me up. There was the same glint in his eyes that he always had whenever contemplating the best way to make me miserable. Why would I expect anything different now? I took a breath as I clasped his outstretched hand. The sparks that shot through my hand wormed their way throughout my body. Everyone talked about the sparks that fated mates felt, but there was no preparing for what it felt like to actually experience it. They were amazing initially, but I would not allow that to make me complacent. I knew the demon that he was. He would sooner take a knife and gut me before he would think a single decent thought about me. Eric looked me over from head to toe with a small smile on his face. There was no way that he was happy with me being his mate. I was very confused because he was not acting like his normal self which worried me even more. “Elle, I’ve known you pretty much my whole life, and I can say with absolute certainty one thing,” he said, still smiling. “Fate got it wrong because an Omega will never be my Luna. You’re worthy of scrubbing the toilets, sure, but why would you be worthy of leading this pack? I would rather die this very moment than accept you as my mate. I, Eric Blake, reject you as my mate and Luna,” he said with a cruel smirk on his face, throwing my hand down. Unimaginable pain exploded in my chest. I bit into my cheek to keep myself from crying out from the sheer agonizing force of it. I was used to pain, but this felt like a hand being thrusted into my chest, ripping my very soul in half. I supposed that it was. Our souls connected the moment the mate-bond snapped in place. His rejection ripped that bond apart. His face contorted in pain because he was the fool who broke the bond. The mate-bond was a sacred gift, so rejecting it caused them the same pain as it caused the one being rejected. Eric could not handle it as well as I could though and grunted as his fists clutched hard enough that his veins popped out. He was trying to keep up a brave front for his guests, and I was enjoying him looking weak in front of them when a loud groan escaped his lips even though none passed mine. “Accept the fucking rejection, Elle,” he snarled at me with his Alpha command. Cute but sincerely ineffective. The pain would not go away until I accepted it. I did not want him as my mate, but this was the only way that I could finally fight back. He made a spectacle just to humiliate me. How the tables had turned. Sweat beaded his forehead from the strain of the rejection. Energy crackled between us as I stood in front of him both unafraid and not submissive one bit unlike every other time when I had to play the part of the submissive Omega. That was not me in this moment. In this moment, I embraced the Luna that I was apparently born to be. “Suffer,” I said. My voice was stronger than I felt inside. Faye was helping to shield me from some of the pain even though she was hurting just as much. His hand wrapped around my throat, trying to scare me. It did not do accomplish that goal though. He would have to step up his game. I spent most of my life fighting against this pack. They felt that they could treat us however they wanted and never have any consequences for it because they believed that they were untouchable. They were untouchable in the way that the Alpha Family gave them many leniencies when it came to keeping us in line. His eyes darkened with his anger. Danger and ferocity swam deeply in them. Some would cower in fear, but I would never cower to him. No matter what he did. No matter what he said. He would never earn my submission. I had no problem submitting to someone who deserved it. He did not and never would. The entire room was deadly silent as they watched the dramatic spectacle before them. I was certain that our pack did not have a single problem with what was going on, but he was acting like a bastard in front of all his guests. Nobody would take him seriously as Alpha if this was how he acted to not only to his pack member but especially to his fated mate. The mate that the Moon Goddess chose for him and was his soul’s completion. His hand dropped from around my neck right before a fist collided with my gut with his full strength. He had Alpha blood after all, so he was very strong, and I fell to the floor. I somehow still kept from crying out though which was impressive even to me. I did not drop my gaze from him at all. My expression did not change either which really bothered him more than anything else. He wanted my pain and fear. He wanted me to fall at his feet and beg him for him to reconsider. It was a laughable notion because he made fucking sure that I would never grovel by the way he treated me for years. He grabbed my hair and pulled my head back. Spots of crimson trickled from his nose, and I silently praised myself for making him bleed. This was not about him rejecting me. This was about the reason why he rejected me. I was but an Omega. It must suck for him to realize that an Omega was fucking him over. While the pain sucked, I was thoroughly enjoying his discomfort. I never claimed to be a mature she-wolf. “Accept the fucking rejection,” he said, ripping my hair hard enough to pull me back to my feet. His fist cocked back for another blow, and I knew that he would beat me to death if absolutely necessary. ‘Accept the rejection, sweetheart. Please,’ Gabriel begged with me through a mindlink. He sounded pained because I knew it hurt him to see me treated like this just as I would feel the same way if he was in my place. I glared at the asshole before me and sneered at him. “This isn’t for you at all. It’s because you’re hurting someone I care about. If it wasn’t for that, I’d keep this up all fucking night. I, Elle Croft, accept your rejection,” I spat. He had the audacity to look triumphant. That was not for him or me. That was for Gabriel because I would do anything to protect him even if it was from seeing me be treated like filth. The bastard pushed me away from him, making me fall on my ass. I stood up and walked off the stage with my head held high. I did not give a damn about what any of them thought. Their opinions never mattered to me in the first place. My eyes remained trained on Gabriel who looked murderous. I had no doubt that he would destroy Eric if given the opportunity. I grabbed his hand and led him away. I also did not give a damn if anyone cared about us leaving because I would not remain there to be made a mockery of. Gabriel put his arm around my waist and led me back home. That was what I had to stay strong for. I could not even fully digest what just happened because my heart still echoed with the pain of the bond snapping. Everyone prepared you for what it was like when it came to the mate-bond but sorely underprepared you for a rejection other than the fact that you had to accept it for the pain to go away. Faye whined in my head because of her own heartbreak. A broken bond was a thousand times more painful for the wolf because the mate-bond was hardwired in their DNA. Mates meant everything to them. It was a unique completion that they needed. Wolf mates were inseparable. Now, Faye would never be whole. I hated Eric with everything inside of me, but our wolves were the ones suffering the most. Neither of them would ever be whole again. My heart broke for his wolf. Gabriel closed my bedroom door and pulled me into his arms. His embrace was exactly what I needed right about now. It was safe in his arms, and I never wanted to leave them. Eric tried to humiliate me to prove a point that I got loud and clear. I was beneath them all. However, I dodged a bullet though because it would have been excruciating and miserable to be his Luna. I never could have done it because I would not have accepted the way that they treated us and would not have aided them in hurting my people. “You made him cry tonight. It was only a few tears, but they were there,” Gabriel said. “Good. His pain was my aim. His bloody nose was very rewarding too,” I said, laughing softly and pulling away to sit down on the bed on the bed. It would not go unpunished, but I did not give a shit. He was the idiot who wanted to make a scene. It was not my fault if it got turned around on him. Perhaps he should have thought about it before he tried to pull a stunt like that. He was humiliated that the Goddess would give him a fated bond to an Omega. If only he knew the truth, but he would never know the truth. “Can’t believe that I got paired with him. The Goddess told me to remain strong tonight, so there had to be a reason why this happened. I just feel bad for our wolves, but I’m thankful that he didn’t claim me. That would’ve been the disaster of Pompeii,” I said seriously. As much as I hated him, it still hurt that he did not feel I was good enough to be his mate. It was completely idiotic. Even I knew that. However, I could not help but still feel that way. It was ridiculous because I would never want to be touched by him. Even holding his hand tonight felt wrong. The sparks were nice, but the touch was tainted with how toxic he was. Hopefully the hurt was just the emotional rollercoaster of the night. Tomorrow was a new day after all. “He’s the one who fucked up, Em. He never deserved you in the first place. He’ll regret it one day and will have nobody to blame but himself. Want me to stay with you tonight?” he asked. I nodded because my throat had a lump in it. He pressed a kiss to my head and went to get changed. I took that opportunity to get ready for bed myself. I threw on some sleep shorts and a tank top before going down to the shower room and brushing my teeth. I threw my hair up in a ponytail. I had plenty of hair because it was thick, but I loved it and refused to thin it out. He was already laying on the bed when I got back. He was wearing a pair of sleep pants and a fitted tee. It really showcased his muscles and strength, reminding me that he would always protect me. He never wanted me to know but that was why he got stronger. The first attack that he saved me from was brutal when I was eleven. I was covered in bruises and blood by the time that he got to me. My clothes had been ripped off me, but thankfully he got to me just before the warrior took it further. Seeing me like that broke a part of him, and I hated that he suffered because of it. He was my protector all these years. I would have died many times by now if it were not for him. We looked out for each other day in and day out. Gabriel held his arm up, waiting for me. I let him pull into his chest. That was when the tears started. I had not cried during that entire thing. Now I did, and I hated that. I hated this pain my chest. I hated this loneliness and incompleteness that I felt. It was my hope that it would not always feel this way. I prayed that it would not because this was brutal and painful. “You’ll get through this, sweetheart,” he said as he rubbed soothing circles on my back. ‘Thank you for always having my back,’ I linked him because I could not stop my tears. “I’ll always have it,” he promised me, and I knew that he meant it. It took a long time for my tears to finally dry up. I hated crying over what happened because it made me feel weak, and that was a feeling I hated more than anything else. I was not weak. I was not a victim either because I was a survivor. It was purely a physical pain from mate-bond rejection. I fell asleep without even realizing it. My subconscious floated into a beautiful field that was adorned with flowers of every color. My body was bathed in incredible warmth from the sun overhead. It was so peaceful, and my heart felt whole. It was a nice change from it feeling ripped apart, so there was that at least. This was an amazing place even if I were to have died during the night. “My child, it is time that we talked,” I heard from behind me. I spun around and saw her just as she had been when I was a pup. The Moon Goddess had pure white ringlets that fell to her waist. Her porcelain skin was blemish free, and her eyes were a brilliant shade of silver. The beautiful lilac dress that she wore floated along the wind. The most amazing feature on her was her breathtaking smile. It was pure and genuine. The sincerity in her gaze showed me that she was as happy to see me again as I was to see her.

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

ELLE “It’s great to see you, my Goddess,” I said. It truly was. Having any interaction with her was a significant blessing. I submitted myself to her. I was not entirely certain about what was the proper protocol to observe when coming face-to-face with the Goddess. I was too young to remember what I did the first time around. I just hoped I did not look as unsure and awkward as I felt right now. Her eyes twinkled before she closed the distance and pulled me into her arms instead. Warmth encased my entire body, relaxing it in a way that only her presence could. It was the best hug I ever had in my entire life. It was filled with pure and unadulterated love. Such love was willingly given instead of forced or demanded. It was a love that not even the strongest evil could overcome. “You need not submit yourself to me, Elle. Please call me Selene as well. It is finally time that I can tell you the things that I need to. Come and sit with me,” she said, linking her arm through mine. Being in her presence was the most peaceful thing that I could imagine. She was our eternal mother that brought out feelings of serenity and fulfilment. It was truly an amazing feeling. It temporarily erased every pain I had felt in my lifetime. Here was a place that the pain was not permitted to enter. We walked towards a beautiful fountain that towered feet above us and sat down. The clearest water cascaded downwards before cycling back through to the top of the fountain to begin again. It was an endless cycle which was very calming. “This place is beautiful,” I said, smiling as wolves raced around, completely oblivious to the two of us. It made sense that she would have wolves here wherever here was. A cute little pup bounded up and jumped onto my lap. It was adorable with a cinnamon-colored fur. The pup nuzzled against me and watched me with the most intense green eyes I had ever seen. There was an intelligence in its eyes that made it seem much older than it looked. “That is Kiera. She will be reborn soon enough once her human is ready for her to join them. Until the humans are ready, the wolves stay here with me. The wolves return here to wait until they are chosen again once their humans die. They live here with their families and return to them once they are no longer needed until they are needed once again as a counterpart,” Selene explained. “I hadn’t realized that’s how that works, but it makes a lot of sense. That’s definitely a beautiful cycle,” I said, petting the pup. I wondered how many times Faye had been reborn like that. Another pup yipped to catch Kiera’s attention, so I set her on the ground and shooed her to go play. Both of the pups turned towards me and yipped, so I gave them a wave. I smiled as I watched the two play a game of tag. They were really adorable. This entire experience was very strange. It was an honor of the utmost importance to ever speak to Selene and hear her voice. This was the second time that she visited with me face-to-face. Then she brought me here to this beautiful place. I could not even wrap my head around it all yet. “I was unable to explain certain things until now because it was dangerous for you to know. However, it is time for you to understand. First though, I want you to know how incredibly proud I am of how strong you were when facing Eric. Your refusal to back down sparked change in some of your pack member’s hearts. You will not see it right away, but you lit a fuse. I am truly sorry that you had to face that pain, but you will not have that pain after you wake up. It will be as if the mate-bond and his rejection were never there in the first place. That is the least that I can do for you.” That was why it was necessary. I trusted that she would have a reason for that pairing. I never doubted that. However, knowing that it created sparks for change meant every agonizing moment of the entire ordeal was well worth it. There was also another part of me that felt triumphant that his attempt at humiliation was what caused that spark. Compassion and understanding were the two things seen in her eyes. Every wolf-shifter wondered what Selene was like and especially what it would be like to meet her. The majority of us never got to, but we always hoped that we would. I was blessed to have met her before and also to meet her again now. She was the true mother of our kind. I did not remember my own mother, but I would always wonder if she would have been like Selene. “You don’t have to do anything for me. You’ve already blessed me tremendously,” I told her truthfully. She smiled at me and placed her hand over mine. “Yes I do because you are very special to me my sweetest Elle. Would you like to know why that is?” My heart soared with her words. It was an acceptance that I never realized I desired. I was special to Gabriel, and he to me, but to be special to Selene was even more elevated. My pack treated me like an insect which needed to be squashed, but the creator of our kind deemed me special. I nodded my head because I was insanely curious. I never understood what was special about me that would cause her to visit me when I was a pup. My mind tried and failed to come up with the answer over the years. “You have immense power inside of you because of your lineage. You are my descendant Elle. You are my family, and I am proud to call you mine. That power will save others as you bring prosperity to your pack, making them unstoppable and help them to become the most powerful pack in history that will do ever so much good for our kind.” My eyes widened with that bit of information. Not going to lie. I was completely shocked. I was related to Selene, and that she was proud of that. Part of me wanted to faint. Faye preened with pride, strutting around my mind. She felt like a rockstar. “I don’t have any power though, and I know that Blue Crest would be unholy terrors with any type of power,” I said, shaking my head. My heart hurt even thinking about them using whatever power to become even more vile than they currently were. There would be no way of stopping them if they had that type of power. She placed her finger underneath my chin and raised it up high so that I had to look into her eyes to see the truth of what she was saying. Her eyes were soft but still firm and resolute. “The power has not been unlocked yet because of Blue Crest. I agree that they would be monsters with power. They will not be your pack for much longer. I cannot tell you how or why because that would ruin the special surprise. The power will be unlocked at the proper time when you are where you need to be. This is your destiny because only you could accomplish this Elle. Only you will be strong enough for the power to not corrupt you. Only you will be strong enough to do what needs to be done. I wish that I could tell you more, but I cannot. What I can tell you is to not give up hope because things will soon be changing for you. This change is one you will love,” she promised. I sighed in relief because I would be damned if I would give anything to them. It also meant that I would finally be free of them once and for all. That was something I never thought I would be able to accomplish. I had already come to accept that I would die in that pack, probably at the hands of Eric himself. Good riddance. “If we’re family … do you know anything about who my parents are or where I came from?” I asked carefully. I was hoping that perhaps she could answer something that had ripped at me over the years. Her lips turned downwards into a frown, and I could see the storm of emotions in her eyes. “I am sorry, Elle. I cannot tell you that yet because it must be found out at the proper time, or it could ruin your future. You will know the truth soon though.”“It was worth a shot. It’s okay. I was just curious, but I can be patient,” I assured her. Her arms wrapped around me once again. I could feel her emotions while in her arms. She was conflicted and was pained by what I faced and would end up facing. However, she also had an unwavering faith in me. She was filled with hope and determination. “I must send you back because it is not good for you to stay too long in my realm. I love you, Elle,” she said as she placed a tender kiss to my forehead. One moment I was embracing Selene and the next I was lying in bed, curled up into Gabriel’s chest. I looked up and saw his eyes were closed. His even breathing told me that he was still asleep. I took a few moments to myself in order to try and wrap my head around everything. The first thing I wrapped my head around was that she had been correct. I felt no pain, worry, or sadness regarding the broken bond. ‘It really is gone,’ Faye said in amazement. I pressed on my chest where the pain and heaviness had been centered but again found nothing at all. It was like it never even happened. The only emotion I felt towards it all was relief that I never had to worry about being mated to someone like him. I giggled because this gift was something I could never thank her enough for. She gave me control to a situation in which I had none before. He would still feel everything though, so that was also a bit amusing. I was sometimes petty, but I had every right to be with this. I heard that the emptiness from a broken bond never went away. Well, unless Selene took it away apparently. He probably should have considered that before he decided to be a total jackass. “What’s got you giggling?” Gabriel asked, opening one eye to peer at me. His voice was still gruff and thick with sleep. “Ask me how it feels being rejected,” I said. His eyebrows touched his hairline in surprise with my question. “Umm. How does it feel?” he asked hesitantly because I had broken down last night and cried for what felt like hours. I turned on my side to face him and propped my head up on my hand. A true smile graced my lips, and I felt amazing. There was absolutely no doubt that the Alpha family would have tried to lord this over me in hopes of it torturing me. The joke would be on them though when they did not get the reactions they would have desired. “It feels fucking fantastic. I had another visit from my special someone who insisted that I call her Selene. She took away the pain and all negative emotions from the rejection. She said it was the least she could do.” Then I proceeded to tell him about the entire visit. He also propped himself up to listen, soaking up every detail that I offered. He was just as amazed as I was about it all. I watched as pure happiness overtook his features when he realized that I would not be stuck here forever. “I want you to come with me whenever and however I do end up leaving. Well, as long as it’s what you want. I’d never want you to feel forced or obligated,” I said. His smile matched my own as he said ‘hell yes’ that he would come. He had been such a big part of my life that I never wanted to lose him. He never protected me because he had to. I never protected him because I had to. It was just what you did for family. We were the only family that the either of us had for this past decade. I yawned and got comfortable again, falling into a dreamless sleep. I got another couple hours of sleep and woke refreshed. Things were certainly looking up, and I was hopeful for the future again. After the rejection, I was wary of the future because I did not want to live with that constant painful reminder. However, that was no longer an issue. “Gabe time to wake up,” I said, shaking his shoulder. He grumbled and tried to pull the pillow over his face to block me out. “Come on Mr. Grumpy. If you get up then you’ll get to see their attempts at baiting me about the rejection fail,” I tempted him. Those words were all it took. His eyes popped open, and his eyebrows waggled. The two of us knew the truth, but nobody else would. That was what made the whole situation even more amusing. They would never know what we knew and did not deserve to know at all. The other thing they would never know was that they treated Selene’s direct family member like trash. They always called me weak, but they did not know the truth. I had never been weak. I just never wanted them to know that fact. “I’ll meet you in the kitchen,” he said before leaving. Now, what should I wear? What said a loud ‘fuck you’ without seeming obvious? I looked through my closet, pondering just that, until my hand landed on a beautiful light blue sun dress which I paired with leggings and flats. My hair got swooped up into a low messy bun with a few strands in the front to help frame my face. ‘It’s perfect,’ Faye approved. I skipped towards the kitchen, earning quite a few confused stares. There was no doubt that word had fully gotten around that I had been mated to Douchebag Eric before he broke the bond. They probably expected me to feel broken inside and downright distraught that my soulmate did not want me. That I would cry my heart out before begging him for another chance. It was probably how many rejected mates felt, but thankfully I had a bit of divine intervention to help in that department. “I promise that I’m really okay. I never wanted to be mated to him, and I’m thankful he rejected me. It’s so much better this way,” I said, giving them a genuine smile. They all looked at me curiously before nodding in understanding. Every single person in this room understood how our kind was treated here. I would feel guilty for leaving them behind, but if there was anything that I could do to help out then I would. Nobody should be treated the way that they treated us. Most other packs did not do this. Omegas, in some packs, were considered the bottom tier in pack hierarchy. However, most packs treated them with respect and kindness. Omegas helped a pack to function properly. The pack would fall into disarray without them. We were the worker bees in the pack hive. “Well, I made you a sympathy muffin because I thought you’d need it,” Bethany said. She was our resident baker. Her muffins were amazing and the best I had ever tasted in my entire life. “You should still give it to me because I didn’t see the tears he cried from the pain, so I need sympathy for missing that.” I pouted for effect. She laughed and passed it to me. I inhaled and groaned because it was my favorite flavor too – strawberries and cream. I took a bite out of it, savoring the flavorful notes that grew and exploded as they collided with my tastebuds. It was made with real pieces of strawberries that we grew in our garden instead of the imitation kind. Perhaps I could smuggle her into wherever I ended up with promises of orgasmic muffins to whomever the Alpha was. Nobody could say no to her muffins. Not even the most vile monsters would be capable of that. “Got your coffee,” Gabriel said, beckoning me over to the table. I split my muffin in half and handed it to Gabriel in exchange for the coffee. He never would have asked for it, but I knew that this was his favorite muffin too. I had no problem sharing it with him. “What the hell? That’s so unfair. Why does he get part of your sympathy muffin?” Kevin asked, glaring daggers at me. “Because he deserves it,” I said, sipping my coffee. Kevin looked at me incredulously. “Who do you think brought me home and consoled me last night? He earned it,” I explained. Gabriel always took care of me but never made me feel weak while he did it. I always tried to keep the true depths of how things affected me from the rest of our people because they did not know the lengths I went to in order to protect them the best that I could. Gabriel understood since he did the exact same thing. We were a team. “He’s just your favorite,” he accused and was not wrong there. “Damn straight he is,” I said, patting Gabriel’s cheek. My best friend just looked smugly at Kevin as he bit into his part of the muffin. Gabriel would be helping me to tear down the ballroom today, so here was to hoping that the Alpha family did not do anything to set him off on a murdering rampage. He was still furious with what happened last night. I could not fault him for that anger though. I would have been just as angry if our situations were reversed. I did not regret last night and would do it exactly the same way if I was ever given the chance to redo it. We headed straight in and got to work breaking down the chairs, tables, and stage. We had ten other helpers because this place was wrecked and would need a thorough cleaning. They definitely partied it up last night. The guest rooms would all be cleared out by this afternoon, so we would tackle those after supper. Those were easier to clean because we could assign a few per helper. Teamwork truly made the dreamwork. ‘Bastard’s behind you,’ Gabriel linked without looking at me. A hand wrapped tightly around my arm as he pulled me backwards to face him. Wow. He looked like absolute shit today. There were dark circles under his eyes, and it looked like he did not sleep at all last night. I wondered if he regretted any of it. I did not care one way or the other if he did or did not. It was just a mere curiosity. ‘His wolf is pissed off at him for rejecting us and kept him up all night,’ Faye supplied. Oh. This did get better because now he would have to deal with an angry wolf for taking away his one true chance at completion. I hoped that his wolf never gave him a moment of peace. Our wolves could annoy the living shit out of us, but we were stuck with them despite how many which ways we both considered murdering each other. “What was that last night?” he growled. Irritation, anger, and confusion swirled around in his chocolate orbs. “It was you choosing to reject me because I was an unworthy Omega,” I said plainly. He did not like my answer, and his eyes narrowed into slits in response. His response deeply amused me though. I embedded myself underneath his skin last night, and I was getting to him even though he would never want me to know that. He was confused about why I did not react the way he wanted. He was confused about how I could stand up to him without fear. He would never know the truth of any of it though. He would never find the answers he sought. “Why didn’t you just accept the fucking rejection like I demanded?” I tilted my head as if I had to think about this answer. As if I had not even considered that question last night. Why did I not do that? Hmm. Why indeed. “Because you chose to reject me without even taking what I wanted into consideration. My acceptance of the rejection had nothing to do with what you wanted or didn’t want. Now both of our wolves will never feel completed since you didn’t take his desire into consideration either,” I pointed out. If steam could come out of his ears like a cartoon character then it would because I hit a nerve with that. His jaw clenched hard enough that I was surprised that it did not crack. He was not hiding his emotions, and that was a fatal flaw of his. He was always easily distracted and thrown off kilter if he was slammed with something that he was not expecting. He certainly did not expect me to react that way last night and certainly did not expect me to act the way I was right now. “My wolf wanted to reject you just as much as I did,” he unconvincingly lied. “Prove it. Let me talk to him. If that’s the case then I’ll apologize to the entire pack for my outburst and take whatever punishment they deem fit,” I offered. He turned on his heel and stomped off, slamming the door behind him. He knew damn well that his wolf would tell me the truth. He also did not know that his wolf already told Faye the truth. I pitied whoever his future mate would end up being because he was a despicable bastard. Gabriel turned my body around to face him. His hands rested on my shoulders, and the most amusing look flashed across his face. He and I both busted up laughing. He heard everything, and that just made our fucking day. I was still fighting back even now. I would continue doing it for as long as I could despite the future consequences of it. “His wolf told Faye that he kept him up all night because he was pissed off at him rejecting us,” I explained. I told Faye to let his wolf know that we were truly sorry for his suffering. We had nothing against him because he was always very considerate and kind unlike his stupid human. Too bad wolves could not get a do-over if they hated their humans. It took a few of hours, but the entire room was cleaned up, and I assigned the crew to make sure that the room was mopped and polished. It would look brand new by tonight. It was always rewarding when things worked out properly. Gabriel and I were on our way back home when Luna called my name loudly enough to draw the attention of everyone around us. They always had to be damn drama Queens. I rolled my eyes before turning around to see Luna, Alpha, Eric, and some she-wolf that I did not even know. It did not take a rocket scientist to understand what was going on here. It was ridiculous that they were trying so hard to prove something that was completely inconsequential. It was like they were incapable of handling anyone not falling at their feet. They could not get over someone standing up to them and doing it with vigor. “This is Charlotte from the Blythe pack. Her father is their Beta and saw how heartbroken Eric was last night. He offered her as his chosen mate. I just wanted to make sure that was okay with you. I would hate for there to be any petty jealousy,” Luna said. She spoke as if she was trying to look out for me even though it was clear that she was not. If she wanted to break me then she would have to step up her game quite a bit. I spent thirteen years being tormented, beaten, and ridiculed. I still had not broken. There was nothing that she could do that would accomplish that. “She’s a very attractive she-wolf from a good pedigree. I’m sure that she’ll give your son much happiness and many heirs. I wish you both the best on your union,” I told them honestly. That was not the response that they were hoping for. An even bigger crowd was now forming, but it would be just like earlier when he tried to get a rise out of me. It would not work. Eric grabbed Charlotte and kissed her deeply, but my bored expression never once changed. There was no longing, no heartbreak, or anything else. Luna and Alpha both exchanged a look of confusion with my lack of reaction. Goddamn, this was amusing. Now the crowd that they gathered was just witnessing them act like idiots. They were getting angry at me since their dominance display was backfiring. “Alpha, you have a call from the Alpha Kade of the Nightshade pack,” Beta Oscar interrupted. The entire Alpha family turned around and left without a word. Gabriel and I just continued on home and waited until we were behind a closed door in order to laugh. I actually had a couple of tears leaking from my eye. “I’ll be getting my ass handed to me for all of this shit, but you have to admit that it’s funny as fuck,” I said. Gabriel agreed even though I knew he worried about me getting punished for this. They would be looking to prove a point, but I would endure whatever I needed to. They had not broken me before and would not now. Things would change. I just had to wait it out. Knowing that this pack was not going to be mine forever would make anything they threw at me less problematic. It would be well worth it in the end. ‘His wolf thanked us for our kindness and apologized for what happened. He said that he’ll never stop making him miserable for how he’s always treated you and the pain he puts you through,’ Faye said.

Chapter 5 Chapter 5

KADE “You ready for this trip? It’s about a four-hour drive so not too far away,” Apollo said. He was my best friend and Beta. He was damn good in both roles. Was I ready? No. Did I have to go? Yes. I was twenty-four and had yet to find my mate. Normally, that would not be a big deal. However, being the Alpha of a prominent pack set certain expectations upon my shoulders. I took over as Alpha six years ago after my father died in a rogue attack. Our Elders had been trying to force me into taken a chosen mate in order to strengthen the pack for the past year, but I adamantly refused. I would only accept the one fated to me. She would be my equal in all ways. They struck a deal with me that they would lay off entirely on the whole chosen mate thing for two years if I visited various packs in order to increase the likelihood of finding her. This was the third pack that I would be visiting but at least it was not too far away. The first two were complete duds, but I would keep going because I refused to take a chosen mate. My wolf Tyre also refused a chosen because our wolves would only find their true completion with their fated mates. I would never condemn my wolf to being incomplete. I might be a jackass, but I was not a monster. “Not a bad drive. I know that Alpha Andrew was eager for this treaty talk and wasn’t entirely thrilled when I had to put it off until we got back. Too bad. He wants our help not the other way around,” I said as I slung my duffle bag over my shoulder. Apollo snorted at that. He knew all about Alpha Andrew because Apollo was my information seeker. If there was something he wanted to know then he knew how to get it. We had to know the ins and outs of the packs that wanted our assistance and alliance. We refused to blindly offer our assistance and support. Our pack’s protection was our top priority and having a treaty with a potentially problematic pack could end up harming ours. It was something that we would never do. The plan was to spend a couple of days there while we assessed the pack to see if it was the right fit or not. We would examine everything from security to pack ideals and everything in between. Treaties meant that our pack was allied with theirs. If they needed support then we would help them and vice versa. It could be with anything from wars to financial assistance. Treaties could be beneficial, so it was our responsibility to decide if those benefits were worth potential risks. “Demi was at their son’s birthday party a month ago where he found his fated mate and rejected her for being an Omega. She wouldn’t get into all the details because she knew that we’d flip our shit but did say the girl suffered through some heavy pain because he tried to demean her but refused to accept that treatment and was a complete badass doing it. Hopefully we get to meet that girl while we’re there,” Apollo said. My eyes shot to his with that. Why would the son do that? Neither Tyre nor I could comprehend rejecting your fated mate at all but especially because of a stupid title. “Just because she’s an Omega? When did that become a disqualification to a mate-bond? The Goddess pairs people for a reason. Good for the girl. Their son sounds like a real bitch and wouldn’t have made much of a mate in the first place. Can’t wait to meet him,” I said, flashing my friend a dangerous smirk. Neither of us played with shit like that. Anyone who would throw away a fated mate-bond like that was an idiot. It did not matter what the girl was raised as. She was born to be a Luna and handpicked by the Goddess for that purpose. It would not matter if my mate was an Omega, rogue, or even human. A mate was a gift that completed us. A mate-bond did not equate to love, but it did connect two people in the most intricate way possible, entwining their souls together as absolute equals in all ways. While he drove, I had him go over what we knew so far about this pack’s needs and resources so that we were both on the same page. Alpha Andrew and Luna Ashley had a medium-sized pack with approximately three hundred pack members. They focused heavily on warriors but were not the most protected. It was possible that it was just a status thing instead of an actual role. That possibility was idiotic and opened their pack up to outside danger. A pack could easily fall if their defenses lacked. “What are they offering in exchange for our assistance?” I asked since he stopped and cleared his throat. “Is that all you’re worried about?” he teased. “Yes. Humor me,” I deadpanned. “They’re offering security in the form of their warriors,” he said, snorting. I could not contain my laughter. How ridiculous was that offer? We would never need their warriors because theirs were probably complete shit ones compared to ours. Our warriors took their roles very seriously and worked their asses off to make it up the ranks. It was a grueling process that was not for the faint of heart. Warriors were the first-line of defense for our pack. They protected our people and took that duty with the utmost important reverence because it meant the deaths of their family, friends, and pack members if they failed. We had a larger pack with a little more than five thousand pack members. We had about two hundred warriors, but that number increased as we brought more members in. “Do they know how many of us are coming along?” he asked me. “They didn’t ask. I didn’t tell. They either want our help or don’t. We’d be idiots to go in without our people,” I said. He hummed his agreement. Gamma Dayton was riding with his mate. Tanya was our Lead Warrior. She was ecstatic to tag along because she had been taking care of her parents over the past few months while they recovered from a bad accident. We also had ten top warriors that she personally selected. An additional team of thirty warriors was stationed halfway here ready to be called up just incase we needed them for anything. We took our security very seriously. Us going into an unallied pack was a time to be cautious because they could have any number of intentions. It could be a ploy to get us within their territory just as easily as it could be simply for a treaty negotiation. My Alpha mind had to always consider each potentiality and decide how to proceed. We did not trust easily because trust had to be earned. Our pack had been burned before because of misplaced trust. We learned from our mistakes. It was the middle of the afternoon by the time that we made it to their border. Two guys in uniform approached our car. I rolled down the window and somehow managed to contain my snort. They looked at us through slitted eyes and blank faces. They were trying to be intimidating but severely failed the mark. “State your name and business,” the one with his arms crossed over his chest barked at me. ‘Let’s give them hell,’ Tyre said, smirking at me. “Alpha Kade of the Nightshade pack. Your Alpha called us for help, so we decided to come on down,” I said with an unreadable mask on. Tyre released the full-force of his aura but directed it just to them. His aura was very powerful, so it was no surprise when the men paled and stood back nodding their heads quickly. They changed their tune awfully quick. “Follow the brown wolf down to the packhouse, Alpha Kade,” he stammered. I rolled up my window without responding. Tyre was laughing his wolf ass off, and it was taking everything in me not to break my stoic face until they were out of sight. Our pack always loved pulling rank when people tried their macho bullshit. Our pack had a reputation as one you did not want to mess with for a reason. Respect was given when it was shown. However, we would swiftly and easily strike anyone else down if they threw the first punch. “This is why we had to come. C’mon. Just admit that this is going to be a fun time. Nobody messes with us, and there’s a reason for that. Cheer up, old man. Here’s to finding the badass girl who put the birthday boy in his fucking place,” Apollo said, clapping my shoulder. Yes. I could not wait to meet her. Hopefully I would get my chance. I heard how much pain a rejection caused, so I could only imagine that she had to have the strength and character of a true warrior to withstand it. I admired the fact that she refused to submit to the asshole. This pack was not too impressive so far. There were some woods surrounding it, but I did not really see anything special in the way of entertainment or shopping. It could be further back in the pack, so I would have to ask for a tour later. We saw one school, but it looked a little rundown. Where were all of the finances going to? Apollo let out a whistle as the massive three-story packhouse came into view. That would be where the money went to. An Alpha who benefited when a pack did not was an Alpha that should never have been given a pack in the first place. It was despicable. Our pack was thoroughly taken care of before we were. Our pack also had many business ventures that helped support everyone, and we taught any curious member how to benefit from those themselves as well. No wonder he needed someone to come in and save his ass. This was a disaster waiting to happen. I was almost afraid to see what type of Alpha he was. Three people stood out front of the lavish packhouse in designer clothes as if that made them the pack’s leaders. I already did not like this pack. The son looked like he had seen better days. Apparently that rejection was taking its toll on him. He definitely deserved that. I hoped the girl was not suffering the same way. Alpha Andrew was dressed in a black tailored suit with a gold Rolex on his wrist. The Luna wore a skintight red dress that dipped dangerously low into her cleavage with black stilettos. Every piece of her look was meant to convey sensuality and expected a lustful response. ‘He doesn’t think that parading her around us would benefit him. Right?’ Apollo asked with a grimace. ‘That’s probably exactly what he thinks because he has her pulled a few inches in front of him instead of beside him. Could he be any more obvious?’ I retorted. I took a deep breath and got out of the car. As much as I wanted to just cut the trip now and leave, I could not do that. When I was approached about this travelling thing by the Elders, the Moon Goddess insisted that I see it through because it was important. Who was I to argue? Not everyone was granted an audience with her, but she met with me when she bestowed a special gift to me in order to help my pack flourish. She gave me the gift of being able to pinpoint other gifted wolves on the day of my Alpha ceremony. That was one reason why our pack flourished so much because it was a safe haven for those wolves so that they were not just used for their gifts. We taught them how to hone their gifts, and they chose what they did with them. Most chose to use them to help the pack prosper. A few chose not to but that was okay too. Only they should be able to say how it was used. It was theirs after all. Both of us grabbed our bags before approaching the trio. The rest of our people filed out and joined us. Alpha Andrew’s eyes swept around at everyone, and I noticed him swallow hard. However, he did not say anything about how many of us came along. Smart move. “Welcome, Alpha Kade. We hope you had a good trip,” Alpha Andrew said, flashing an overenthusiastic smile that was as fake as him. “Thank you for having us. The drive was easy,” I replied without returning his fake enthusiasm. That shit would not work with us. “Let me introduce my Beta Apollo and Gamma Dayton,” I said gesturing to them in turn. “Nice to meet you both. This is Luna Ashley and future Alpha Eric. Our Beta is currently tied up. We still have two hours before dinner if you would like to get settled in,” he offered. I looked around at our people before nodding to him. Apollo and I always tried to take in the opinions of our team members. There were times when it was not feasible to do so, but we preferred to do it whenever possible. Not all Alphas and Betas worked like that, but we did. Luna Ashley told us to follow her to the guest rooms that were made up for our stay. There was enough to accommodate everyone. We stepped through the threshold and Tyre perked up before laying back down. Odd. The interior was beautiful but showy with high contrast between dark and light. The walls were lined in artwork. Not very good artwork but expensive ones, nonetheless. The entire thing bled money. Our own packhouse was large but homey. It looked lived in because people lived there. We had a communal entertainment areas and libraries where our pups and pack members hung out and grew up. Our leadership lived in the packhouse. There were a few other families and also the occasional guest. We had an open-door policy because sometimes people just needed a place to get away from their realities. It was a family setting just like a packhouse should be. This place was sterile and had not an ounce of looking like a home. We walked up the stairs to the guest wing, and Tyre perked back up without laying back down this time. He was immediately antsy and freaking out. That was when I smelled the one thing I was afraid I would not find. The most invigorating scent of jasmine with hints of cherry wrapped around me, but she was not here at the moment. The scent was weak, so it had probably been hours since she was right here where I was walking. At least now I knew what pack she was in, and we would not be leaving here without her. Tyre and I were understandably excited. “Alpha Kade, your room is right here,” Luna Ashley said as she stopped in front of my door and pushed it open. “The rest of the rooms in this wing are also available, so please feel free to find your own rooms,” she said before bidding us goodbye. I grabbed Apollo and pulled him into his new room because I sure as hell was not going to be in the room that the not-so-subtle Luna wanted me in. That would be disastrous. I had no delusions that she would try something if given the opportunity, so there would not be an opportunity at all. “This is your room. I’ll take yours,” I said. The scent was stronger in here. I left the room and went to the next one, which was originally going to be his, and the scent was just as strong. Okay, that was fine then. I did not mind changing. Apollo looked at me like I was insane when I came back into the room without saying anything. I was following my nose. Her scent was like crack and I needed it. Every shifter learned about a mate’s scent. It was the most intoxicating scent that you would ever experience as it appealed to every cell in your being. It was the first thing that mates noticed about one another. You could have smelled them every day for your entire life before the mate-bond was able to snap into place, but it became overwhelming and overpowering the second that you smelled it after the bond was possible. My eyes landed on the bed. Bingo. I grabbed the pillow and brought it to my nose and inhaled deeply. A low rumble left my chest. This scent was heavenly, and I could not wait to smell it straight from the source. I would bury my face in her hair, neck, or anywhere just to smell it at its full concentration. “What the fuck is your problem? Did you drink some of their Kool-Aid?” he asked. I glared at him but went into the bathroom and found the towels also smelled like her. Who the hell was she? I needed to find her, but I did not want to look like a lunatic. That would not be the best first impression at all. This first impression was going to be very important, and I wanted to present my best self. She needed to see the real me. The real me was not crazy. Well, sometimes people accused me of it when I made decisions based on blind faith. Those decisions always worked out positively though. After supper I would ask for a tour. That way I would have a better chance of finding her. I would be able to cover a larger portion of the territory. Surely, somewhere would have her delicious calling card. “She’s here. Her scent is in this room and yours. You’re still taking this room though. Jasmine and cherry. Fuck. She smells amazing,” I said taking another whiff of the pillow. Tyre was imagining rolling around in her scent. He wanted her to scent him, and he would scent her. Luckily, a wolf would not find that crazy. Wolves placed great importance on the action. He also wanted to carry around his Luna’s scent for all of our people to get acquainted with it because protecting her would be their top priority. “See? I knew this would be a great trip! Now you won’t be forced into any more packs. The third pack at that. We finally have a Luna,” Apollo said, pulling me into a bro hug. I was ecstatic. This was why the Moon Goddess insisted on this pack tour. It was definitely worth it. I wondered what she was like. If her personality matched her scent then I was sold. I was a firm believer that mates were paired up for a specific purpose. She would be my perfect completion and complement. Tyre was trying to imagine what her wolf looked like. Tyre was a massive pure black wolf with bright golden eyes. He was big even by Alpha standards and was very smug about that. I had everyone pile into the room. They needed to know what I found out because it directly impacted them. They needed to know that they were to protect their Luna if anything were to go down. I would also be contacting the backup team to ensure that they knew the stakes as well. My eyes looked around at our team, and I was incredibly proud to have them by my side. I grew up with most of them, but a few joined us within the past five years. They were the best leaders our pack could ever have. Warriors were considered part of leadership in our pack because of how important their role was. “I have an announcement just so everyone is on the same page. Somewhere in this pack is your future Luna. I’m not sure who she is, but her scent is in the rooms here and in the packhouse, so I’ll know once I come across her. Just stay alert because we can all sense that this pack throws off some negative vibes” I said. This was a big day for our pack because it meant that we would have both an Alpha and Luna to lead. My mother died when I was seven, so our pack did not have a Luna since then because my father never took another mate. The widower became half of what they were once their fated mate died since half of their soul died along with them. The only way that one could hope to overcome some of that was to take a chosen mate. It did not hold the same level of bond as a fated bond had, but it was still a mate-bond. My father could never bring himself to allow another she-wolf to take the place in his life and heart that my mother once held. Everyone had smiles on their faces and congratulated me. They also acknowledged that they understood the potential implications. I took my bag into my new room because Apollo could deal with being fondled if the Luna tried anything. Apollo felt like I was betraying him, but I told him to take one for the team because today was about me. He just flipped me off and shut his new door with a huff. I grabbed a quick shower so that I could get ready. Even these towels had her scent, so I was happy to dry off with it. That was something that I would keep to myself because that would seem fairly creepy out of context. I would also never tell her either because that would be a recipe for awkward. I threw on some black slacks and a navy button-down shirt. I rolled the sleeves up on my forearms and left the top two buttons undone. My auburn hair was shorter on the sides and longer on the top with a bit of natural wave to it. Some of my tattoos could be seen, so I hoped she did not mind tattoos. I loved them and had quite a few. ‘What do you think?’ I asked Tyre. ‘I think you have a decent shot. If she’s not sold then I’ll shift and win her over for us,’ he said with a shrug. My wolf was a bit of a dick at times, but he was the best wolf I could have ever been paired with.