Chapter 1

• “What do you mean by you don’t want to go to the ball?”, Kelly questioned knowing how eager I was to attend the mating ceremony. I had changed my mind knowing how slim my chances of getting a mate were. It was a one-in-a-million chance but it wasn’t bad to have faith and hope for the best.
• “I believe I can get a mate but I am afraid of what people would say to me. They all see me as an outcast due to my inability to wolf out. I might not be able to take embarrassment.”, I replied with melancholy ruling over my emotions.
• “So that’s why you are all moody. You are not an outcast Rachael, you are my best friend and I would not let anyone drag my friend to the floor”, Kelly reassured with a smile on her face. She took me in her arms, filling me with the comfort I needed.
• “let's get ready shall we”, she spoke bringing out the new dress she had bought for the ball. It was a mixed Caribbean gown with beautiful colours and stones which would dazzle under any form of light. “How do I look?” she asked looking at herself with the cloth on.
• “You look beautiful Kelly. All the men would catch up on that spark.”, I commented still stunned by her outfit. I could feel an ounce of jealousy popping up in me but I restrained myself.
• “The ceremony starts an hour from now. Let's go get dressed girl”, Kelly reckoned as she moved me from the bed into the shower. I didn’t want it to seem like I was useless but what else could I do? I was interested, and she was interested so why won’t I go?
• After the shower, we headed straight to the hall where the ball was going to take place. All the maidens were at the left end of the room and the males were on the right-hand side of the room. It was a tradition believed to have been given by the moon goddess herself, the best of it all.
• I and Kelly wrapped ourselves with the decorations to stop people from gazing at us. We were well dressed but that didn’t matter when it came to things involving Men. We weren’t allowed to be with a man for more than 30 minutes and intimate touches were forbidden. It was a way of keeping the females Pure till they were mated. A woman without a mate would remain a virgin till she gets one or death takes her away from the pack.
• “We all know what we came here for. Today marks the day you all will be paired up as mates and I just want to make it aware to all of you that not everyone would be getting a mate today. If you don’t get a mate today, you can return here the following year”, Sari, the shaman proclaimed as he walked into the ball. He was in charge of the calling process which allowed everyone to sniff out their mates.
• I was nervous judging from the fact that I had been to the ceremony 3 years in a row and this was my fourth one. Kelly also never got a mate so we were used to being the only ones not getting mated to.
• Everyone in the room was focused on the stage. A white gas suddenly spluttered all around as a fair man with a good physique and all muscles came out of nowhere onto the stage. All the maidens in the room couldn’t help but gasp at his handsomeness and charm. They were all happy, jovial and going all cynical as they watched him sit on a golden throne.
• I brought my head out to see who exactly had made all the maidens go wild and to my utmost surprise it turned out to be him. The Alpha of the Crimson moon pack, the emotionless ruler with the charming smile and my ten years Crush. We all placed our eyes on him, trying to savour the moment. He was to participate in the mating ceremony this year and everyone wanted to be his mate. How glad I would be if I was chosen as his mate.
• I and Kelly couldn’t stop staring at him. He was just so attractive that we forgot what we were here for. The maidens standing right in front of us began to act all promiscuous, showing all their assets with a twirl and blowing kisses that basically wouldn’t even get to him. Just when we all thought he was just a petty figure, he winked. I could feel my soul drowning in its fantasy.
• All the maidens began to hold each other as they lost their breath to his charming eyes. Kelly was also drowning in his charms as she ripped off the decoration while daydreaming about him.
• The sound of the ripped-up decoration brought everyone's gazes onto us. We felt embarrassed looking at each other with a plain face. After some minutes of silence, the ceremony took off. People began to sniff out their partners and a lot of joyful aura roamed the hall. I and Kelly sat on the ripped-off decoration knowing we wouldn’t be picked by the Alpha, Mike.
• More and more ladies sniffed out their mate and a lot of kissing scenes could be played out. We felt oppressed by the various movements in the hall. We could hear moans from the ladies as their male counterparts marked them. We were pissed and happy at the same time.
• “It's time for the Alpha to get a pick of his mate. It won’t be the same as that of the others as you all know. The moon goddess herself will send forth her light to show who will become the Luna of the Crimson moon Pack and become Alpha Mike’s mate.”, Sari made it clear.
• The room became tense all of a sudden. Everyone began to glance at themselves in a bid to spot the next Luna. I could feel the tension in my knees, my heartbeat running faster than a racehorse.
• Sari suddenly pointed at me and Kelly and with a snap he ordered us to come in front of the Alpha. I looked at her and I thought she was also very much confused. Were we in trouble? Would we be sacrificed? I began to think about impossible things.
• “One out of the both of you will become the Alpha’s mate but who will it be?”.