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Chapter One
The night was young as I strolled through the crowd of werewolves. Each of them bowed their head as I passed. The sky was clear, showing off the stars and golden moon. Every year, our pack had this week-long party to bring all the packs in the surrounding area together. It had always been my favorite time, especially since I had come of age to find my mate. This year, however, was the first time I had been Alpha.
My father and mother had stepped down reluctantly to allow me to step in. You may wonder why they were reluctant, right? I was the heir, so what was the problem? Well, I had yet to meet my fated mate, and I had just turned twenty-five. No one had ever heard of an Alpha taking over without a Luna. Yet here I am.
Harlen continued as my Beta since his daughter was only seven. I was hopeful that I would meet my mate at this party since I was getting older. Glancing up, I noticed that Sydnie was in her father’s arms as he talked with the Beta from the Obsidian pack. Beside the Beta stood a woman.
At first, I thought she was his mate. Until I realized she shared his same features. Pixie-cut blond hair with a dash of purple color hidden underneath. She hid her face from everyone, and I could tell she wasn’t happy to be where she was. The night was warm, but she shivered every so often.
She intrigued me as I made my way up to my beta. Sydnie spotted me and squealed as she threw herself into my arms. The girl glanced up, and I locked eyes with her. She tore her beautiful hazel eyes from mine as I stopped beside Harlen. When we had locked eyes, I had hoped she was my fated, but there was no pull. “Beta Mark, this is Alpha Fin of Dolostone. Alpha, this is Beta Mark. I was just about to come find you to introduce you.”
“Alpha, thank you for inviting our small pack to enjoy these festivities. Apologies that our Alpha couldn’t make it. His Luna is due any day to have their pup. This is my daughter, Kalila. Kalila?” Beta Mark glanced at his daughter, who kept her head bowed and away from the group. Kalila trembled before she swept her gaze over me. The lights that had been hung shined down on her beautiful face.
“Alpha, it’s a pleasure to meet you. If you will excuse me?” Her voice was soft as she bowed her head and left our group before I could respond. Beta Mark sighed before he turned back to me, his face pale.
“I’m very sorry, Alpha, for her behavior. Please do not be angry with her.” He looked scared now that his daughter had left him there to deal with what he thought would be an angry alpha. I wasn’t angry, just intrigued by this female that didn’t want to be here.
“Don’t be. She is fine to leave when she wants. Does Alpha Cain know what the pup is?” I told him with a grin to try to settle the tension she had caused. Sydnie squirmed in my arms, and I sat her down on her feet. As soon as they hit the ground, she was off into the crowd, and I laughed. The girl couldn’t handle being in one place for very long. She was going to make a great beta someday.
“Thank you, Alpha. She is not herself today. No, they wanted this one to be a surprise since they had lost their first heir fifteen years ago.” The sadness in his voice didn’t go unnoticed. It had to be hard to lose a pup.
I nodded and excused myself from the group. The Obsidian pack had it rough over the years. It had taken their Luna and Alpha years to conceive, only to lose the child. I had often wondered why my parents didn’t try for another. Was I that bad of a pup?
Kalila didn’t talk to anyone as she made her way through the crowd of wolves. I stayed just far enough back to watch her. She wasn’t my mate, but the misery that poured off her hurt my heart. What could have happened to her? I stayed in the crowd staring at her standing at one of the multiple food tables on the patio. Kalila’s arms wrapped around herself as she waited for the red-headed wolf to finish cooking the vegetables in front of her.
Another male approached her, and she shied away from him just as she did with me and Harlen. I didn’t know this wolf, so he had to be from another pack. He continued to push himself onto her until I couldn’t help but intervene. I pushed through the crowd and went up to them. Grabbing the black-haired wolf by his t-shirt collar, I pulled him away from her and stepped in between them as I shoved him backward. “Is there a reason you’re hounding her?”
“Sorry, Alpha. I just wanted to get to know her.” The male bowed his head as he waited for me to dismiss him. Others around us stopped what they had been doing and the wolves from my pack looked on with hopeful eyes. They thought that she was my fated, and that I was protecting her from another male.
“You shouldn’t be apologizing to me. Kalila should be that recipient.” Crossing my arms over my chest as I waited for him to look up. I could be imposing at times even though I didn’t like to use my alpha abilities on others. But it pissed me off when male wolves wouldn’t leave a female alone. That wasn’t how it was in my pack and while the others were here, that’s how they would act in my territory.
He nodded and then stood straight as he glanced around me to Kalila. “I am very sorry. It won’t happen again.”
The whimper behind me spurred me to nod to the male, and he left quickly. Turning to Kalila, I realized she was silently crying. I lifted her chin, bringing her gaze to mine. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes. Thank you for the help.” Her hazel eyes swam with tears as she held my gaze. Something was tearing her apart as she tried to put on a brave face. Glancing behind her, I took the plate the wolf had finished for her. I nodded to him in thanks and ushered her with me. Through the tables in the grass, away from all the others.
“I know you don’t know me. But I can’t help but notice you’re hurting. Is there anything anyone can do to help?” I placed her plate of food on the table and urged her to sit. Plopping down beside her, I watched her pick up her fork and play with the food before her.
“It’s my mate. He rejected me before we came here.” She never met my gaze as she spoke to me. Her soft tone was just barely audible with my wolf hearing. “My father doesn’t know.”
“Why wouldn’t you tell your father? How old are you?” I was curious. It had been years since I stopped searching for mine. All I could take from that is that she was either dead or not born yet. Which wasn’t uncommon for wolves since we could potentially live for a long time. I couldn’t understand why a mate would reject their fated. A fated was a blessing from the Moon Goddess herself. A blessing that I had been waiting for for seven years.
“Because if I told him, I would be weak in his eyes. I’m twenty-two and mateless.” Kalila finally glanced over at me with her hazel eyes. I grinned at her before I took her hand with my large one. She didn’t pull away.
“The male that rejected you is weak. No one should think you’re the weak one.” I told her. I still couldn’t wrap my mind around why someone would reject her. She was gorgeous.
“Not in my little pack. I’m not next in line to take over for my father. He wanted power,” she answered as she took a small bite of her food.
“Well, try to enjoy yourself while you are here.” I stood and kissed the back of her hand. The rush of color that went to her cheeks made me smile. I turned and walked away from her to continue to mingle with the other packs and talk with the other alphas that had come.
After that first night, Kalila and I hit it off. I discovered she was intelligent and fierce as I came to know her. She had everything I wanted in a mate and more. It felt right to be near her. So when the last night of the party arrived, I had to ensure she would stay with me to lead my pack.
When I told my parents what I was doing, they were upset. They were fated and didn’t like that I was choosing my mate. Yes, I was throwing away my chance at true happiness with my mate, but I felt like I would never find her, and Kalila was right here. So why not?
Because you could anger the Moon Goddess with this.Aloysius was always trying to lead me in the right direction. But I was lonely, and I wanted to be with someone. And not just any person. I wanted Kalila. Aloysius rolled his eyes while I strolled down the pack house steps.
I searched for Beta Mark, Kalila’s father, through the crowd of wolves preparing to leave back to their own territory. For this to work, I needed him to be on board with this. But I didn’t know if she had finally told him that her mate had rejected her. Spotting him conversing with my Beta, I hurried over to them. Harlen turned to me, a grin on his face, “Hey, Alpha, what’s wrong?”
