Ch. 121..125: Alpha King’s Lost Luna Chapter 121-125

Chapter 121 Possibilities CAS SANDRA I’d never been down to the palace dungeon before, and as we descended the staircase, a putrid odor reached my nose and I shivered from the cold. Back when my father had been imprisoned in this very same dungeon, I hadn’t even had an opportunity to visit because he’d made me swear not to. My father had encouraged me to stay away, thinking I might be incriminated if I went to visit him. At the time, it seemed like sound logic, but it was one of my biggest regrets. I hadn’t gotten to say goodbye or tell him I loved him, and now… it was too late. My heart pounded against my chest as we walked through the corridors, and when we arrived at the cells and I saw the man behind the iron bars, my temples pulsed. It would be a lite to say I wasn’t afraid. Facing the man who had nearly taken my life was both intimidating and frightening, and part of me wanted to turn around and run away. But I managed to stay calm. “Well, who do we have here?” the imposter remarked as his eyes trailed over me. “I’m surprised to see that I have visitors.” “This isn’t a social visit, Spi ke” Asher growled. “We’re here to talk about something important.” “Then, by all means, go ahead,” the imposter replied with a raised eyebrow. forced back a gulp and then stepped forward and approached the cell. I har ed the imposter the papers through the bars, and he accepted them with a confused look. “I need you to read these,” I said cautiously. “And then tell us if you think this person died from poison.” Spi ke stared at me for a moment and then nodded. 1/5 His dark eyebrows creased together as he read the report, and the entire room grew deadly silent. He took his time examining the papers, and once he reached the third page, his lips parted in surprise. He raised his head up and looked at me. “Where did you find the body?” he asked. “You don’t need to know,” Asher retorted sternly.

Sp ik e sighed. His expression was incredibly serious. “I’m good at poison and sorcery, but I’m not excellent,” he admitted. “In this report, I can see that something found in the corpse of the deceased shares the same elements with the poisons created by the Ewonmiams, but there are subtle differences. I can’t figure it out with absolute certainty just by reading the report. I need to know more.”

His tone told me he was indicating something. “Do you mean that this person died from a poison just like Udosyn?” I asked him directly. Spi k e shrugged. “It’s possible,” he said. “Though I’m not sure. If you want me to determine it for sure, I need something more.” “What else do you need to know?” I asked calmly. Sp ik e’s eyes scanned the report. “This seems to be a chronic sort of poison,” he mused. “Which is much more. difficult to recreate than Udosyn. If I’m correct, the one who created this poison wouldn’t have just used it on one wolf. He would have to test it out on different werewolves in order to be certain of its efficacy. There must be others who have. the same symptoms.” His sharp eyes shot over to us, and I felt a chill run down my spine. 2/5 Spi k e was onto something, I just knew it. The disease and the poison were related. “If I’m on the right track, I would need more devices to carry out a test,” he continued. “And I would need blood samples from those who had the same symptoms as the deceased. I would need samples daily to be able to track their changes.” I quickly thought of the possibility of bringing a patient from Wild Crawler to Anemond for this, but I didn’t know if it could possibly be done. I would have to

discuss the idea with Asher later. For now, I had another question for Spi ke. “Did anything like this ever happen in Dark Abyss?” I wondered, and when Sp ik e and Asher stared at me in confusion, I continued. “I’m only curious because if this poison was subtle and difficult to create, it must have been crafted by an excellent sorcerer. But ever since the war with Yurene, Dark Abyss has been in the shadows. I guess I’m just wondering the timeline of all of this.” Really, I wanted to know if there was a chance that Kaleb’s father had gotten the disease during the war with Dark Abyss. Had this illness stemmed from their war and then spread down to Wegalla? Spi ke considered the idea for a moment. “Dark Abyss had quite a few talented sorcerors before the war,” he said. “Some of them not only recreated the spellwork of the Ewonmiams but also made their ow creations. I heard that they were powerful and horrible, but ultimately, their sc cery had led to the war. Yurene wanted their power for themselves, obviously think it’s possible that this poison was created long ago to combat them, but it’s ju a hunch. I can’t be certain.” I considered what Kaleb had told me and assumed that given this new information, this was why his father had gotten the disease. The only thing I didn’t understand was why it had appeared in Wild Crawler ။ O 3/5 after all of these years. After we finished our conversation with Spi ke, Asher and I returned to his study. “If Spi ke needs to do the test, we need to bring a patient from Wild Crawler to Anemond,” I announced the moment the door was closed. “We can use their blood for our research and hopefully figure out the correlation between the poison and the

disease.” Asher considered the idea for a moment and then shook his head. “That wou cause too much attention. I let Alpha Gareth keep the disease that prevailed in Wil Cralwer a secret. I can’t let anyone in Anemond know about it, or else we could cause mass hysteria.” “I suppose that’s fair,” I murmured. “Do you believe Spi ke?” Asher wondered. “I don’t know,” I admitted. “Bu I don’t want to lose the chance to find out the truth. Spi ke might help us find the answers we need.” The Alpha King nodded, and after a moment of silence, he cleared his throat. “If we need a patient, he can take my blood,” he declared. My eyes widened. “Asher, that would be way too dangerous-” “I know it is,” he cut me off. “But it’s the best way for us to keep a low pr Giving Sp i ke the necessary devices and allowing him to carry out a test is ri enough. We don’t need to draw extra attention to it all. If Spi ke uses my blooL could stay between us.” Though I understood his logic, I wasn’t a fan of this plan. This was too risky. I was about to open my mouth to protest, but Asher stopped me. He took my hand and pulled it to his chest. 4/5 “I just want to get this resolved quickly,” he said gently. “So that we could move on to the next thing. What’s going on between us.” When he smiled at me, I could feel my cheeks begin to flush. A sigh rose up from my chest. “Okay,” I decided. “But we have to take extra care to make sure S pike doesn’t try anything dangerous. We won’t tell him it’s your blood, but we need to be careful anyway. He might be cooperating with us now, but he’s still a criminal.” “Of course,” Asher said.. “We’ll take every precaution, Cas sandra.” “Thank you,” I said quietly, and I smiled at him. “He leaned forward and kissed my forehead gently. “Let’s solve this together so that we can move on.

All I want is for you to be by my side. I don’t care about anything else.” O 5/5

Chapter 122 Need a new plan

As I waited for Anubis to meet me that night on the bridge above Selene’s Tear, anger swelled in my belly, stronger than it ever had before. I’d kept my feelings. submerged in the palace, but now that I was out in the city limits, things were different. I expelled an angry sigh of disappointment and leaned heavily on the railing of the bridge. The sun was a mere sliver on the h o rizon and the sky was an incredibly deep blue. It was beautiful, and normally I would have appreciated the view much more, but tonight, I was in no mood to care. Merliscire had been abuzz with preparations for the return of the Beta of the empire, and I had made it a point to keep myself scarce. My mood was too troubling and I thought it best to maintain distance so my armor would n ‘ t c rack, so to speak. When Anubis finally appeared, he took note of my mood and the moment my guards allowed him passage onto the bridge, he stared me down with fierce. intensity. “What’s wrong, Kaleb?” he asked with a dark raised eyebrow. “You look. irritated.” “She rejected me,” I managed to say, though my words sounded more like at growl than a statement. Much to my surprise, a laugh escaped his mouth. “I don’t understand why you took such a soft approach to this,” he practically mocked me, his dark brown eyes crueler than usual. “You should have kidnapped the girl ages ago-” “No,” I said as I shook my head. “Not again.” 1/5 I had certainly tried but failed at that, hadn’t I? Those fools in the market couldn’t do what I’d paid them to do, so I’d had to kill the useless pawns and pretend to be a hero in front of Cas sandra and her son that day outside of the pet store. From that day on, I’d made it a point to try to earn her trust. Cas sandra wasn’t one you could just tell what to do. She was too strong-willed.

But Anubis was right. I’d failed. My proposal hadn’t been enticing enough to convince her to leave Anemond and come to the North. “The Beta Silas’ returning ceremony is approaching,” Anubis shifted the subject. “I know you’re likely invited to an affair such as that.” Though the mention of the Beta may have seemed random to anyone else, I knew what he meant. We had long heard about the Beta’s conflict with Asher’s old lover. And we also knew some other secrets of the old Beta, Silas’ father, Oliver Moses. “Perhaps you could make a deal with the new Beta,” Anubis continued. “Make an offer he can’t refuse. If he’s a member of the Moses family, he might be willing to work with you and share in our cause.” Though Anubis was often full of meager plans and suggestions when it came to our business, this particular suggestion actually held some merit. “I’ll consider it,” I said, and I actually meant it. Of course, I didn’t like Oliver Moses. The old man was far too crafty and greedy, and he couldn’t be trusted. “There’s not much time,” Anubis spoke again as he stared out at the setting sur beyond us. “You know what will happen if we can’t find the talisman… or if Wegalla were to find out what’s going on.” I nodded. “I know. I know the stakes, Anubis. Trust me.” He nodded back. After he lingered for a moment in silence, he turned around and quickly left. Once he was off the bridge, he disappeared into the night and left 2/5 me alone with my thoughts once again. I stayed there for a little while and took it all into consideration. I stared down at the lake beneath me. I remembered the story of Wegalla that used to be quite famous, even up in Yurene- the love story between the former king and his true Luna, Selene. Even in the North, we had heard all about how much the two had loved one another. Their relationship was one of myth. They were fated mates with a bond like no other. Asher’s father had apparently loved his mother more than anyone in the history of the Wegallan monarchy. They were legendary partners.

But despite everything I’d ever heard, their story seemed to be built on lies. I had heard that the King had married his wife’s maid not long after her death. If they had been such devoted partners, why had he taken another woman to be his wife so quickly? Had he even taken enough time to mourn her loss? Or had Asher’s stepmother been waiting in the wings to swoop in and steal the king of Wegalla the moment he was a widower? I scoffed at the thought and shook my head. Wegalla was good at telling lies. Their great empire seemed to be built on them. I remained in the park for a while longer, and then my guards escorted me back through the markets of Anemond. All around me, people rushed to and fro, flitting from one shop to another like hummingbirds to a field of flowers. The music of street musicians filled my ears, and for a moment, I found myself smiling. I took a bit to admire the fountain in the town square and the way the strings. lights hung across the street poles and tw inkled in the night air. Per the usual, I made sure to smile at everyone I made eye contact with. It was important that I played the role of the gentle foreigner well. No one could suspect that I had ulterior motives for being here, not even some lowly street peasants. 3/5 So, I smiled and waved. I even stopped at a cart and purchased some street food from a little cart for my guards and me. Much to my surprise, it was quite delicious. As toxic and troubled as Wegalla was, there was a great deal of culture and art, as well as food and music. Part of me felt regretful about the things to come, but the other part knew that my plan existed for a reason, and I had to trust in it completely. Once we left the market, I made my way to Cas sandra’s clinic. As it was nearly midnight, the clinic was already closed, but I took a moment to admire the plac was larger than I expected, two stories, and painted a nice, cr eamy ivory that practically glowed in the dark. The lawn was well-manicured, and the landscaping was something to be admired. Rose bushes were

planted out front, and the path leading to the front door was paved with reddish-brown stones. In front of the building was a sign that read “Keller’s”. A smirk formed on my lips as I studied it. Kellers. Clearly, Cas sandra still thought of her late husband tondly, if she was using his name for her clinic. There was no way I could be wrong. The thing Emmett had left must be with Cas sandra, whether she knew it or not. She was the only one who’d been close to Emmett, the only one he would have trusted. I had to take her back to Yurene. I just had to. I ok another long, deep breath. The air of Wegalla smelled sweet. But soon, it wouldn’t be Wegalla anymore. 4/5

 

Chapter 123 Busy day CAS SANDRA The clinic’s first day of opening was far busier than any of us had ever expected. There was a line out the door from the moment opening hours began, and I was shocked. Ours was the first clinic opened by a royal healer, and from what I gathered from conversations in the lobby, some Pack members held my skills in a very high esteem. I was flattered, of course, but surprised that so many wolves wanted to see me. felt sorry for Marley. I’d wanted my friend to get some rest and relaxation after her long trip here to Anemond, but she wasn’t accepting of that plan at all. In fact, she insisted on helping us out with our many new patients. After a while, it started feeling as if we were back in Wild Crawler again. “I’m sorry,” I apologized to her once we had a minute to spare. “I didn’t ask you to come here so you could work-” “Don’t apologize, Cas sy,” she interrupted me with a wave of her hand. “Besides, I couldn’t relax even if I wanted to. It’s better for me to stay busy, anyway. If I were sitting in my room, all I’d be thinking about is my disgusting ex-husband, not to mention worrying about my kids.” “Who are the kids staying with?” I wondered. “Their grandparents,” she answered. “My parents were more than happy to take them. I know they’re perfectly fine, but you know me. Tightly wound as always.” “Well, try to breathe anyway,” I said, and I reached out and touched her shoulder. There was so much more I wanted to say, but before the words could escape my lips, a patient walked into the clinic and Marley rushed over to greet them. I smiled as I watched her escort the patient to a room. Sweet Marley. She was always so willing to help those in need that she hardly worried about herself. 174

The rest of the day was busy. I treated all kinds of ailments- from poison ivy, to some infected cuts, some allergies, sore throats, and even a sprained ankle.

It was nearly midnight when we finally got to sit down and take a moment to breathe. We’d been so busy that even Erika had to help with patients today. I was immensely grateful for all of the assistance. Finnick had been put to bed earlier by Erika, and I felt a little bad that I hadn’t. been able to give him much attention today. My son was more than happy to entertain himself, but I wished he had more friends around to keep him company when I was hard at work. Again, I thought about Kane’s offer to enroll him in the Kane. School. I forced myself to shove away my thoughts of Asher’s older brother. I was far too tired today to sort through the confusing affair of the gifts he’d given me. My entire body ached, and I knew that I probably looked like a complete and total mess after all I’d been through. My suspicions were confirmed when I took a moment to myself in the bathroom upstairs. After I’d used the lavatory, I went to the mirror to splash some water on my face, and when I caught sight of myself in the mirror, my jaw dropped slightly. My skin was flushed, and the whites of my deep green eyes were red and tired-looking. My copper hair had sprang loose from the bun at the top of my head, and long, wavy tendrils fell into my face. I carefully fixed my hair and splashed the cool water on my face. I was visibly exhausted, but this was nothing a good night’s sleep and a hot meal couldn’t fix. I smiled at my reflection. All in all, this hadn’t been a horrible day. I took a few minutes to breathe and get myself in order, and once I was in a calmer state, I made my way downstairs and rejoined my friends in the back room. Hannah prepared us a great meal for dinner, and Marley, Becky, Erika, and I al!

။ 2/4 chatted happily as we scarfed down large bowls of potato and leek soup and loaves. of crusty bread. “You’re seriously going to need some more healers and assistants to help you, Cas sy,” Marley remarked after taking a huge drink of water. She shook her head slowly. “Otherwise, this clinic, and you for that matter, won’t be able to function properly. She was right. When I had first moved out of the palace to start this clinic, I hadn’t thought through all of the logistics. My main goals had been to stay away from Adalyn and Margaret and to protect Erika and Finnick. I hadn’t expected th. clinic to get busy like this. Some of our patients today had been introduced to us by the guards who had gotten bitten in the basement by the vipers in the viper pit. Clearly, word of mouth had gotten around Merliscire, and while I wasn’t going to turn anyone away who needed my help, I hadn’t expected so many ailing people to show up today. “You’re right,” I admitted as I pushed my spoon around in my bowl. “I wasn’t sure how many people we would see today, but it certainly wasn’t this many.” “Maybe we should limit the number of patients,” Becky suggested as she leaned forward. Like me, her eyes were a little bloodshot behind her glasses. “We can’t take all of the people who come here, otherwise we’re going to get burnt out.” “I don’t think that’s the solution,” Marley replied. “No offense to you, Becky. In Wild Cralwer, we always manage to take all of the patients who come to us for help. There’s only one clinic, so we can’t turn anyone away, of course. But I would be worried that it’d be impossible to decide who to reject and who to take on. A new clinic like this needs to show the people of Anemond that Cas sandra is a capable and caring healer.” “I think you bothe good points,” I interjected, and I smiled at both of them. “Those are all ideas that we should take into consideration. But for now, let’s focus of this great food Hannah made for us.” Marley and Becky shared a smile and then nodded their heads.

3/4 I was glad that despite their differences, my friends could find common ground and get along. The subject quickly shifted to the celebration in the palace tomorrow night. It was finally the evening before Silas’ returning party and the whole room was abuzz with excitement. “I can’t believe it’s already time for the celebration,” I noted as I shook my head. “I have so much to get done before then. I haven’t even picked out a dress.” “I don’t think I’m going to go,” Marley mused thoughtfully. “I don’t like celebrations much. The coronation ceremony back in Wild Crawler was more tha enough for me. It was… a little wild to say the least, so I think I’d rather stay in the clinic with Finnick and Erika.” I “Well, I’m certainly excited to go,” Becky said, and her cheeks flushed pink. “I’ve picked out the perfect dress and everything. It’ll be my first big celebration with the Pack, and I’m definitely ready to get dressed up and do some dancing..” Marley’s face lit up, and she grinned at Becky. “Well, you know what, I’m very excited for you!” she said genuinely, and then she winked at my assistant. “Who knows, Becky, this might be your chance to find Mr. Right!” 4/4

Chapter 124 Mate CAS SANDRA When Becky and I arrived at the celebration the next day, I was amazed. The banquet hall was decorated to perfect, and it was already full of guests, many more. than the last time there’d been a celebration. There had been far fewer people here to welcome Kaleb to Wegalla. This was clearly a bigger affair than I’d imagined. The Crescent Pack certainly cared about its own. Becky peered around with widened eyes. Her curiosity was at its peak, and I couldn’t help but smile at her. My assistant looked incredibly gorgeous tonight. She was wearing a sapphire blue dress with billowy sleeves that fell off her freckled shoulders and contrasted beautifully with her fair skin. She wasn’t wearing her round glasses tonight, so her big, reddish-brown eyes seemed brighter than usual. Marley and I had curled her short red hair and applied makeup just before we’d arrived, and her lovely, angular face looked fairy-like and ethereal. Her full, pink-painted lips parted lightly as she took in the sight of the lanterns and candles that glittered in the hall. “Wow,” she breathed. “It looks incredible in here, Cas sy.” “It really does,” I agreed as I glanced around the room. A small orchestra played lightly in the corner, and the banquet table was impeccably dressed with a gold tablecloth and red rose centerpieces. This was the most royal celebration I’d seen in a while. “You look incredible, too,” Becky noted with a warm smile, and she playfully reached for my arm. We dissolved into a mess of giggles when she twirled me around, and my dress flared out around me with the motion. I’d borrowed a dress from Marley, who just so happened to bring it with her from Wild Crawler. “I brought it just in case,” my friend had joked when she’d shown it to me earlier. in the day. “You never know.” 1/5

Luckily, Marley and I were similar sizes, so it fit perfectly. My dress was long, like Becky’s, but the silky fabric was pale lilac instead of blue, and it was sleeveless. It clung to every curve of my body, which usually would have made me uncomfortable, but to be honest, I felt really beautiful. I’d curled my hair as well, and it hung in long waves down my back. I smiled at Becky. “Thank you.” I caught sight of the Moses family immediately. They were at the center of the crowd, but Silas was missing. Perhaps he hadn’t arrived yet. Asher was with them, talking. He was looking incredibly handsome in his black suit. After a moment, he glanced over at me and smiled. I smiled back. He didn’t come over to me, but that was alright. It was better this way. Asher and I had discussed it just the other day in the clinic after a health check. The Alpha King and I needed to pretend not to be so close in public. So, for now, these little smiles and glances were more than enough.

I turned to Becky. “Shall we get a drink?” She nodded, looking both excited and nervous. I took her arm and led her to the refreshment table. On the way there, we ran into Kaleb. “Cas sandra,” the king of Yurene greeted me warmly. “And Becky. You’re hoth looking lovely tonight. How is the clinic going?” “Thank you so much,” I replied with a kind smile of my own. “The clinic is going. great! It’s been very busy, but it’s been nice.” “I’m so happy to hear that, Cas sandra,” Kaleb said, and his navy blue eyes danced in the light of the candles. “I wish you nothing but the best-” Before he could finish his sentence, a few councilors approached. Like Kaleb, they all wore impeccably tailored suits, but their expressions were far more reserved than his. As they swarmed around him, I led Becky away, and once we were at the

2/5 refreshment table, Becky released a long exhale. “I’m not good at these types of things, apparently,” she said as she rubbed her bare shoulder. “I’m so awkward-” “I “Don’t even worry about it,” I assured her. “Trust me, you’re doing fine. It’ll get much easier with time. Besides, if you want to become a royal healer one day, you’l need to get used to talking with werewolves from the upper class.” “You’re right,” she admitted, and her cheeks flushed. “Thanks for the reassurance, Cas sy. I’m so lucky to have you as my friend.” “I feel the same,” I said, and then I gestured at the table. “Now, grab some champagne, and we can find a nice corner to hang out in while we get our bearings.” “That sounds perfect to me,” Becky replied with a grin. We grabbed a couple of flutes of sparkling champagne, and as we sipped at the delicious, crisp, drinks, we meandered to a small area of the banquet hall that allowed us to observe without being in the way. A few familiar faces from the clinic approached and said hello to us. I let Becky handle much of the conversation, and after a while, she started to get the hang of it. “This isn’t too bad,” she admitted to me quietly. “You’re doing great,” I assured her with a smile. “Thank you for bringing me,” Becky replied. “Really, Cas sy, I appreciate it.” I reached out and lightly touched her arm. “It’s no trouble at all. I’m happy to have you with me.” We continued mingling, and after a while, the crowd of people parted, and the chorus of voices in the banquet hall hushed as Silas Moses finally appeared. Becky craned her neck to get a better look as the Beta entered the banquet O 3/5 hall.

“Wow,” she whispered when she spotted him. “He’s… so handsome.” My assistant was correct. Silas was impossibly handsome. Tall, muscular, yet still lean, with the same deeply tanned skin, dark brown hair, and bright amber eyes as Adalyn. His face was just as angular as his sister’s, but there was a seriousness and almost gloominess in his expression that seemed out of place given the circumstances. His golden eyes darted around exhaustively as if he were searching for something. Oliver Moses stepped away from Asher and approached his son. “Silas,” he said with a smile, but when he stepped forward to greet him, Silas made a point to ignore him in front of the whole room. Everyone began to chatter from a distance. Why was the Beta ignoring his father? Before I could speculate on the matter too much, Silas’ golden gaze fell upon us. His full lips parted and his nostrils flared. Before I could react, he suddenly stormed over to us. My heart raced as he grew closer and I froze in place. What was going on? Becky began to shiver, and before she could move out of the way, Silas marched right over to her, grabbed her waist, and pulled her to him. As Becky shook from what had to be sheer panic, he pulled her chin closer to his face. “Mate,” he growled. ||| 4/5 My heart stopped as his words crashed over me, and a gasp escaped my lips I realized what was going on. No. No way. This was impossible.

Becky was Silas Moses’ mate? As the pair stared into each other’s eyes, the entire banquet hall suddenly fell into silence.

Chapter 125 Must be mistake BECKY The moment I stared into Silas Moses’ beautiful golden eyes, I knew something was wrong. I couldn’t explain it, but there was a warmth, an urge in my body that was almost electric. It was an intense yearning unlike anything I’d ever felt before, and the sensation was almost enough to bring me to my knees. What was this primal feeling within me? All was answered, though, when Silas wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me to his chest. The moment the growl came from his mouth, I knew it in my bones. “Mate,” he practically snarled. Mate. Everything was so clear now. My heart raced so quickly that it felt almost as if it was going to leap from my chest at any moment, and that feeling only grew worse when I heard that word. This all felt so unreal. Mates- true, fated mates, were rare. I knew it just as well as anyone in Wegalla. Though I’d always hoped to find my mate, I knew it was s tupid to cling to such an unrealistic dream. But now, it was more than just a dream. It was a reality. My fated mate had finally revealed himself to be Silas Moses, the Beta of the Crescent Pack. III 1/5 < I didn’t know what to do as we stared into each other’s eyes. What could I say to such a gorgeous man

like him? Though I knew realistically, he was a total stranger, it was as if my soul had always known him.

Before I could say a word, he drew me closer to him, and he embraced me tightly. He was quite tall, but as we hugged, it was as if our bodies were made to fit together. His scent was warm, like cin namon and cloves, and as it filled my nose, I felt somehow, like I was home. The tender moment between us was interrupted when I heard someone clear their throat beyond us. Suddenly, my cheeks grew hot, and I began to break out in a nervous sweat. “Can you please let me go?” I requested as politely as possible. Silas took his sweet time, but finally, after a few breaths, he released me. He took a step back, but not a large one, so he was still in close proximity to me. The Alpha King suddenly cut through the crowd and approached us. I bowed in respect as the warmth on my face grew stronger. Surely, I looked like a pink-faced I fool in front of the whole Pack. And at my first celebration, too! I tried to look for Cas sy, but she was nowhere to be seen. The Alpha King smiled at us, and then his serious gray eyes fell on Silas. “Silas,” he greeted his brother-in-law warmly. “How wonderful it is to see you. And even more wonderful that the Pack’s Beta has found his mate.” This time, Silas’ cheeks began to redden, and just as he opened his mouth to speak, his father, Oliver Moses stepped in. His hazel eyes were furious and his nostrils flared in clear agitation. “There must be some mistake,” the older man said sternly, and his sudden glance at me felt so intentionally spiteful that I almost shrank back in fear. We stared at one another, and I couldn’t help but shiver. He was so sullen and angry, but I couldn’t understand why. I’d never spoken to him before, nor had 1

2/5 O anything to do with any of this. I hadn’t planned to be Silas’ mate. Oliver spoke again, this time with more disgust in his tone. “Silas couldn’t have a mate like her.” My heart suddenly felt cold, and I turned to look at Silas. He was staring at me too, yet he didn’t say a word. The silence felt like it lasted an eternity, until finally, Oliver gestured forward. “You will come with me,” he said quietly to his son. Silas lingered for a moment and then gave me one last look before he nodded. and followed his father. The crowd parted to make way for them, and as they disappeared to a different part of the room, my stomach twisted into knots. I felt ashamed somehow. I didn’t understand what I had to feel so bad about, but I couldn’t help but notice how the upper-class werewolves stared at me with condescending eyes. I remained frozen in place and didn’t move until Cas sandra finally appeared. “Becky,” she breathed, and she gently grabbed my hand. “Are you okay?” I nodded and gave her a tiny, panicked smile. “I… I think so.” “I’m so sorry,” she whispered just low enough for us to hear. “Do you want. leave?” I took a few long, deep breaths, and considered her offer for a moment, but I shook my head. “No,” I decided, and I gave her a genuine smile. “I didn’t come here because ! dreamt of finding a mate. I’m here to enjoy the party and get away from my mother and her sickness for an evening. I’m not going to run away. I’m here to have a good time with you. We deserve it.” “Yes we do,” Cas sandra agreed. Her pretty emerald eyes glittered, and she squeezed my hand. “Come on. Let’s have a good night. We can worry about the rest

3/5 later.” “Sounds perfect to me,” I said. The rest of the evening carried on quite splendidly. After another half hour of mingling, we were served an incredible meal of some of the most delicious food I’d ever had before. The music was lovely and I had fun joking and talking with Cas sandra. But, there was part of me that couldn’t focus. My eyes kept following Silas, no matter if I wanted to or not. Luckily, he seemed too distracted by all of the attention being placed on him. He was, of course, the focus of tonight’s celebration. He mingled with the important. people in the Pack, and as he carried on with conversations, it seemed like the whole situation between us had been quickly forgotten by most of the upper-class guests. As I sipped on my champagne, my head began to swim with thoughts. Just like what Oliver had so rudely said earlier, the whole thing could be a mistake, couldn’t it? But just as quickly as the idea entered my mind, I knew it wasn’t true. What Silas and I had both felt was real. But if so, why had Silas listened to his father and walked away from me? Wa rejecting me as his mate? L I suddenly felt suffocated. I needed to leave right now. I didn’t want Cas sandra to worry about me, so I made up an excuse. “I need to run to the bathroom, Cas sy,” I said to her. “I’ll be back in a little bit.” Her eyebrows creased together and she studied me for a moment, but then she nodded. “Okay. I’ll be right here.” 0 4/5 I nodded back and then turned on my heels and left the hall. I quickly rushed to the nearest bathroom, and once I reached the sink, I splashed a little cold water on my face. Not enough to ruin my makeup,

but enough to calm me down. Cold water always brought me peace. I took a little bit to relax. “It’s gonna be okay, Becks,” I assured my reflection. Once my heart rate was under control, I left the bathroom, and just as I wa about to return to the banquet hall, I spotted Silas. He was standing near the entrance of the room, just staring at me. I decided to turn back to avoid him, but before I could get too far, Silas rushed over to my side and gently touched my arm. “We need to talk,” he said.