Chapter 1 Prologue

• The annual Crescent Moon Ball.
• The hall of the Blood Rose Pack was bustling with chatter and laughter of old and new acquaintances. Energetic young wolves and she-wolves from different packs in the region bore infectious smiles and laughter, coupled with high expectations to find their fated mates tonight. Some of them have come to the annual event for a few years in a row now without luck, but none of them have lost hope. A long table was spread with sumptuous food items and various drinks in the middle of the assembly room, and chairs were arranged in a circle, leaving the center vacant for the dance and program later in the night.
• When the future Alphas, Betas, and Gammas arrive like waves, they become the center of attention. Their dominant personalities and imposing auras subconsciously drive the warriors and non-ranked members of the pack to step aside. Meanwhile, Dorothy remains seated dejectedly in a concealed corner of the hall, silently watching with no interest in mingling.
• Today is her eighteenth birthday and the first time she has met her wolf, River. She was not interested in finding her fated mate yet, but her father’s incessant scolding in the past weeks became unbearable. He is the current Beta of the Blood Rose Pack, and he wants Dorothy to secure a mate, regardless of whether fated or chosen, before he steps down. If she didn’t find her fated mate in this year’s ball, her father would arrange to have a ranked member from another pack take her as a chosen mate. She refused several times, but her refusal didn’t change the outcome even once, so she stopped wasting her energy protesting.
• Just as the celebration was about to start, a group of men entered the pack, and a whiff of mint and pine reached Dorothy’s nostrils. Her eyes widened instantly, and she got up straight. Her wolf, River, became alert and restless. It was as if her feet had a mind of their own, tracing the source of the intoxicating scent with calculated footsteps. Until it led her to a handsome young man with a strong Alpha scent. He had shoulder-length hair and golden brown eyes bordering yellowish.
• She halted her steps just a few steps away from him, and as their gazes locked with each other, the Alpha growled loudly, drawing all the attention to them.
• Dorothy instantly regretted coming out from hiding. She didn’t understand what her mate was growling about. The chanting in her head quickly stopped after River heard the growl from her mate. “What’s going on, Dorothy?” she asked. But before she could come up with an explanation, his mate stepped towards her. He roughly grabbed her chin and tilted it upward; his eyes were dark, and his expression unreadable.
• “So… You are my mate?” he asked her without even batting an eyelid. Dorothy reluctantly nods as she fights the urge to scowl. The alpha’s grip was stiff, causing a painful sensation on her jaw. As the rim of her eyes started reddening, he released his hold on her, patted her head twice, and said, “Don’t go far. You are coming with me tonight.”
• The alpha immediately strode past her without accepting the mate bond, and the chatters around them continued as if nothing had happened just then.
• Finding a fated mate is common in this event. After all, the Crescent Moon Ball was designed for shifters to find their Goddess-given mates, but Dorothy never expected her mate to be this cold to her. She was embarrassed. At that moment, she prayed that the ground would open up and swallow her whole.
• Without lifting her gaze, she ran on the empty corridor of the packhouse leading to a flower garden at the back. She dared not look up and see the scornful stares in the eyes of other she-wolves in the hall. She never imagined that finding a mate could be this frustrating and embarrassing.
• She sat in the garden for what felt like hours, her eyes fixed on the moon, which was at its brightest tonight. She felt that it was trying to tell her something, but she couldn’t quite tell what until River started howling in her head with mixed emotions she couldn’t identify.
• Just then, her chest tightened, and she subconsciously rubbed it in circles, trying to ease the growing discomfort. She looked around but saw no one. For a while, she thought she was having a heart attack but remembered that heart attack is very rare among werewolves, let alone for a young one like her.
• “River, what is it?” she asked in panic but didn’t get any response. Her wolf is in pain. As River’s howling ceased, Dorothy heard faint moans and groans not so far from her. She squinted her eyes, and the scrambling became louder. The noise piqued her interest, and it took her focus away from the disappointment of finding her mate. She got up slowly and tiptoed to the source of the noise. Her movements were swift but cautious since her vision depended solely on the moonlight.
• The garden was connected to a hedge maze with a few benches in between, and she was sure that the noise was coming from there. She continued following the source of the sound until it came into view.
• She saw a man and a woman in an intimate, compromising position. Her face heated up instantly with the vulgarity of the scene before her. She decided to leave quietly so as not to disturb the pair. But before she could turn around and leave, the man raised his head, and with the rays of the liquid moon falling on his handsome face, her whole body stiffened with his familiar figure.
• “YOU?”
• Tears rolled down her cheeks instantly. Without wasting time, she squared her shoulders and said, “I, Dorothy Wilson of Blood Rose Pack, reject you as my mate.”
• Deathly silence followed her words, and then, a manic howling rang in her ears. His mate stood there in all his naked glory, sneering at her as the she-wolf quickly put her dress back in silence.
• “Nice try! Your audacity is commendable; I give you that,” he paused for a while to signal the other she-wolf to leave before shifting his gaze back to Dorothy. “Haven’t you heard…… that only an alpha can reject their mate?” He sniffed the air and frowned, “For a Beta blood, you are so brave. Let’s see how far your bravery can take you. Don’t move!” in a few swift moves, he put his clothes on and dragged Dorothy by her arms back to the main hall.
• As Dorothy was trying to keep up with Brohan’s large strides, she felt like a fool. In her heart and mind, she was determined to reject the mate bond. How did she forget that she couldn’t initiate the rejection? This is not how she envisioned finding her mate. They crossed the hall in a hurry without her raising her head, but before she reached the exit, her father grabbed her other arm, nearly twisting it with the sudden impact.
• “Where are you two going?” her father, Beta Julian, asked with furrowed brows.” I heard you found your mate. Is he your mate?
• “Dad, I don’t want to have anything to do with him. I want him to reject the mate bond. Tell Alpha to ask him to reject me." Her voice was trembling, her head was vigorously shaking, and she did not notice the deadly glare Brohan had been throwing at her.
• Beta Julian growled loudly before taking them to the Alpha’s office, nearly tripping several times because of the difference between the two men and her speed.
• Dorothy faced her alpha with a determined look as she recounted her encounter with her mate and tried convincing her alpha that rejecting the mate bond is better. Alpha Jaxson, the alpha of the Blood Rose Pack, always treated her kindly, sometimes gentler than how her father did. But tonight was an exemption. Just as she finished narrating the story, the alpha got up from his chair and walked around his mahogany table. He sat on the edge of his table as his gaze bounced between Brohan and Dorothy, who were seated on his visitor’s chairs, until it settled back on her.
• Alpha Jaxson blinked a couple of times, and his expression softened. “Dorothy, I’m afraid I cannot agree with you today. It is not uncommon for alphas to have a little entertainment sometimes. Brohan is the future alpha of the Golden Summit Pack; he is young and active….” he did not finish his sentence in the end. He clenched his jaw as his eyes darkened to what looked like an internal battle, “You will go with Alpha Brohan tonight, Dorothy. You will acknowledge the mate bond and be their Luna. If you resist, your father will disown you, and I will banish you from the pack,” the alpha declared firmly, leaving no room for negotiation.
• Brohan whistled as the last word fell from Alpha Jaxson’s lips. The side of his mouth quirked upward, and he said, “I think we’re done here. I will inform my father that I have found my mate,” a satisfied grin spread across the faces of the middle-aged alpha and beta.
• In a state of panic, Dorothy quickly glanced at her father to seek support but instead met with his darkened expression before saying, “Are we clear now, Dorothy?”
• Just as the last word fell from her father’s mouth, a firm hand draped around her waist, pulling her against his chest, startling and causing her to squint. But before she could protest, his voice rang near her ears.
• “Are you ready to leave now, mate?”