The chill of the night air seemed to mock the warmth I felt within, a nervous flutter of anticipation and a secret, fervent hope. Tomorrow was my eighteenth birthday, the day every female werewolf found their mate. And as always, my thoughts drifted to Zeke.

“I can’t believe you turn 18 tomorrow. What if you mate with Chris, and I never see you again?” Zeke’s voice, usually laced with playful sarcasm, held a genuine note of concern. I spun away from my vanity, seeing the serious set of his jaw.

“There’s no way the Moon Goddess would be that cruel as to mate me with that tool,” I scoffed, though a part of me echoed his sentiment about Chris. I knelt before him, gripping his hands, staring into his icy blue eyes. “Best friends forever, Zeke. I won’t mate with someone you hate so much and be swept away from you. Plus, you’ll be alpha soon, and you can banish him.”

He rolled his eyes, a familiar gesture that always made me smile. “It’s not that easy, and you know it. Chris and his family are too integral to the pack. I’m stuck with him.”

I sighed, standing up. “I know. I wish he weren’t such a dick.”

“He’s only a dick to you because he knows how much you mean to me. And if he claims you, he’ll keep you away from me to hurt me more.”

I brushed a stray lock of dark blonde hair behind his ear, the only person who dared to touch him. “It’ll be okay, Z. I won’t let him keep me from you. No one could.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

The words hung in the air, a sacred vow. Little did I know, promises could be broken, and the future held a betrayal far more painful than any I could imagine.