Chapter 7 Anniversary

• It’s been three years since Dad disowned me. I still remember that day. I got so furious that I relentlessly cursed the Moon Goddess for pairing me with another Alpha as a mate. I have no physical attraction to Nate, but the mate bond messes up my head, and I feel protective of him. I have this whimsical desire for his company.
• When my connection with the Silver Mountain pack snapped, it became clear to me that I had lost everything and everyone dear to me. My chest tightened, and I fought the urge to thrash everything I laid my eyes on. I was enraged, but I couldn’t blame anyone.
• I have a limited time.
• I stepped out of the packhouse and ran through the thick forest, allowing Six to take over. I ran for what felt like an eternity until the breeze suddenly changed. I raised my head to sniff the air. I crossed the border. I was out of Silver Mountain Pack.
• I have never looked back since.
• Today, I prepared a surprise for Nate to remember that fateful day three years ago. I wouldn’t say romantic, but it must be a fancy evening for two inside the former Luna's chamber in the River Bed Pack packhouse.
• It’s cheesy, but since there was a reason to celebrate, I didn’t hold back. Red azaleas and rose petals were scattered across the king-sized bed. I know it looks so gay, but I don’t know any other way. The floor was covered with flower petals, too, mimicking a red carpet that spreads two feet wide from the main door, cleaving to the bed and bathroom door. I imagined doing the same if my mate were a she-wolf instead of Nate.
• I asked myself a lot of questions to reflect on whether the moon goddess had given me a Luna instead of an Alpha as a mate. I never came up with any answer, no matter how much I racked my head. I had a lot of ideas and expectations on the mate bond, but they all crashed down when my reality confronted me with a bang.
• On an ordinary day, Nate would love a wolfberry tea after a day’s work at the Pack company. He says it rejuvenates him, but not today.
• I always loved Luna’s chamber. The room’s lighting is perfect; it is not so bright, but it is not so dark either. The eastern and northern walls of the room are made of one-way, floor-to-ceiling, thick glass; at least, that’s how it looks from the inside. Luna prefers natural light when she reads her books and enjoys watching the training ground from her chamber.
• From the outside, the walls appear like thick brick walls, and there is no way an outsider can see through the nonexistent glass. Honestly, I don’t know how they did it. Perhaps it involves magic or state-of-the-art technology; only the goddess knows.
• Scented candles are arranged in the corners of the room, and a dimly lit spotlight directly falls on a small round coffee table in the west corner of the room. An ice bucket sits in the middle of it with interlaced ribbons of gold, blue, and green. Beside the ice bucket rests a couple's watch, an identical Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon, and a bottle of golden-colored liquid with a pair of short, sturdy shot glasses.
• “It’s time!” I exclaimed excitedly.
• I scanned the room arrangement and secretly admired my handiwork. I checked myself one more time from the floor-length mirror, making sure I looked well.
• As we celebrate our third anniversary as mates, I thank the moon goddess for our companionship and deep connection. We are not gay, and no, I have nothing against it, but no one will believe us if we tell them we have never been intimate. We kissed once, and that was the extent of our bonded intimacy.
• I wore a white button-up shirt and black trousers made of a vicuna fabric, the same kind I gave Nate to wear this morning. Our private designer custom-made our outfits in the past three years, with our initials sewn to tell apart which one is whose.
• I checked the time on my mobile phone; perhaps I could still chug a shot of tequila to calm my nerves. “Why am I acting like a teenager who was about to get laid for the first time?” I scolded myself.
• Our rooms are located on the fifth floor of the pack house. There are five large suites on the floor, each furnished with an individual bar, a large walk-in bath, and an entertainment theater, except for the Luna’s chamber. Instead of a bar, Luna Elaine had a mini library with two reclining lounge chairs with side tables and a round center table.
• The former Luna loves reading. She has a collection of historical books on everything supernatural and other genres, too. She also has a mysterious shelf of unmarked books no one dared touch. They were the only ones kept inside a sliding glass enclosure with locks. It always piqued my interest, but I had to respect the rules of the house.
• The former Alpha and Luna busied themselves traveling abroad after successfully handing the pack over to Nathan at age 22. But they make sure to return every year for the celebration of the Summer solstice.
• Legend has it that because the summer solstice is the longest day and shortest night of the year, it is the time when evil spirits and demons are overly aggressive to attack. That is why werewolves gathered around the fire pit that night to chant away negative energies.
• We collect different herbs and flowers to create a protective circle around the bonfire. Some even wear necklaces made of mixed herbs and flowers. We werewolves have evolved, and many of us no longer believe in superstitious beliefs, but there’s no harm in preparing.
• For the past years, I helped collect the ‘chase evil’ plant, otherwise called Saint John’s wort, from the pack healer’s garden. He has a vast plantation of various herbs and plants, which he dries and preserves to treat injured pack members.
• My thoughts were interrupted by an incoming message notification. I sighed.
• My identity as Nate’s mate was hidden from everyone except the former Alpha and Luna. Not even ranked members know we are fated mates to avoid potential threats and manipulation from members who want to seize power. Although uncommon, a same-sex mate bond is not unheard of.
• But it has a tragic past.
• The Alphas of other packs who were fated with another werewolf were removed from power by ranked members and selected a new Alpha among themselves, since two werewolves cannot produce an heir. Some were banished from the pack and lived as rogues, while a few were killed through whips coated with quicksilver and wolfsbane.
• Nathan agreed with his parents to hire a surrogate who would bear an heir to the pack. I agreed because it would help keep our mate bond secret from prying eyes.
• I impatiently looked at my wristwatch with furrowed brows. I’ve been sitting on the sofa for some time, waiting for Nathan. He was never this late. It is already half past nine in the evening. Of all the days, why today? I wonder.
• I fight the urge to mind-link him as it might spoil the surprise.
• I exited the chamber but immediately wrinkled my brows when I heard the faint sound of moans and groans. The floor is practically a ghost floor.
• No one comes to the fifth floor except Nathan and the members of the Alpha family. The Omegas are only allowed to come once a day at 10 a.m. to clean all the rooms and restock the pantry.
• I looked around, trying to follow where the sound was coming from.
• “The sound comes from Nathaniel’s room? Is he here? When did he come?”
• Too many questions flooded my mind, and I was perplexed.
• As the door was kept ajar, my curiosity got the better of me. I could see some faint light shining through the gap.
• I quietly approached the room to take a peek.
• I gasped, and his name rolled out of my tongue like a silent prayer…
• “Nate.”