Aylin

I remembered that night well, it haunted my dreams. The day a wolf finds their mate is supposed to be magical, but this night was one I wanted to forget.

It was the night of my shift—celebration. My seventeenth birthday had been last week and I had shifted successfully, my wolf making her appearance after hours of bones snapping and moving, realigning to fit my wolf. Alpha Alcander had thrown a shift—party for me like he does with all newly shifted wolves, everyone in the pack was invited.

I was having so much fun with Damon and my family at the party when Damon's brother pulled up. He had just arrived home from his summer away at Blue Moon territory and the entire pack had wandered to the front yard to greet him, he's the Alpha's son after all, and Crescent Moon's future Alpha. I knew he was coming home that night because Luna Delores had told me and I was feeling excited to see him and show him my wolf.

I had always had a crush on him. Damon and I were joined at the hip, but his brother was the one that had always caught my eye, even at such a young age.

When I had made it to the front yard with Damon, I watched as his brother got out of the truck, his frame larger than it once was. He had packed on muscle this summer while training and he looked good.

That was when it hit me and the world tilted on its axis.

His scent.

It was intoxicating, making my wolf go crazy inside my head, howling and pawing at my mind. My heart rate picked up and right away, I knew.

He was happy.

I was happy it was him.

Everything went quiet, it was just me and him, staring into one another's eyes, taking in all the feelings that had enraptured us. The warm tingling sensations that moved all the way from my legs to my head, buzzing through my fingertips. My head was swimming but in a good way. He would make a great mate.

We were broken out of our reverie by the truck's passenger door slamming shut. A tall, lanky blonde walked around the corner, unsure brown eyes scanning around the pack as curious glances were made her way. I peered over at her then back at him. His smile disappeared, replaced by a look of worry and fear.

That was the moment I felt like something was off about her, but I wasn't sure exactly what it was.

A few wolves asked if the female was his mate, but no one said a word until I walked up to him, closing the space between us, his scent entrapping me.

"Mate," My voice rang out, claiming him with my words, wondering if he felt me. He had to because he had smiled at me, he had a reaction. He knew what I was to him, he had to.

Why did his frown turn upside down so quickly? He had smiled, he was happy. He knew I was his, that much I had been sure of. The air around us seemed to crackle like static and I felt this overwhelming sense inside me, telling me to mark him as my mate. It was my wolf.

The strange female's eyes went wide at my verbal claim and everyone behind us began cheering about my being the future Alpha's mate. "They will make strong pups," They said.

That might have been true, but not now.