Chapter 1

Rachel's POV

Leaves rustled in the breeze and as my brother and I approached the gated estate of the Moon Stone pack in his black Lexus, we could hear the howls of wolves echoing through the trees in the distance. They were most likely the pack's scouts, roaming their territory and keeping an eye out for any potential threats.

"Can't be too careful, huh?" Cole muttered to himself, and I knew that he was referring to the scouts that were patrolling the territory.

At the edge of this pack's territory was a sprawling expanse of forest and wilderness, filled with dense underbrush and towering trees. There were equally clearings and streams scattered throughout. Despite the festivities which I was sure was in full swing inside the estate, if you were just passing by the outskirts, you would've hardly guessed that there were a whole bunch of people living here.

This was my first time attending the annual ceremony that the Alpha of the Moon Stone pack hosted in his mansion, even though I'd heard things about the event and the pack. I'd heard that they were a powerful pack, feared by many in the surrounding areas, led by their Alpha, a powerful and dominant male, who ruled the pack with an iron fist.

As the car slid to a stop at the gates and we waited to be checked in, the sound of more wolves howling was closer, their voices rising up to the heavens in a beautiful and haunting melody. I wasn't too surprised when the gates were quickly opened and we were waved in.

Cole usually came here, sometimes with our father and sometimes without him, either to attend this annual event or for business discussions, so they must have known him very well by now. Sometimes, too, our father came to have business meetings here without bringing him along.

Well, this time around, our father had brought our mother along with him - she attended this event with our father only occasionally - in his own car, while Cole had finally succeeded in persuading me to come along with him this year.

"The Moon Stone estate is nothing like you've ever seen before," Cole had told me. "It's like a small city on its own. And the party that's held there every year is such an experience. Go with me just this once and you might never want to leave." I had giggled at that and he had broken into a grin. "Who knows, you might also meet a few people that will interest you."

Cole and others that had spoken so highly of the Moon Stone estate hadn't been exaggerating at all. I didn't go out much and even when I did, I had never seen such massive property, much less one meant for one pack of werewolves. The whole exterior of the architecture screamed wealth and power.

And when we stepped into the banquet hall, I stood awestruck for a full minute until my brother took hold of my arm and led me to a side table.

The hall was an elegant modern masterpiece with ornate sculptured ceilings, and magnificent tiled pillars. Everyone was drinking champagne, feasting on delicacies, having conversations, and sharing dances underneath glittering chandeliers. Several others hung around the marble staircases leading upstairs to other parts of the Alpha's home.

Some guests sat a table playing illuminated chess. I thought that playing it in low light would look much better, but whatever. A live jazz band was performing, while an elderly-looking man weaved through the crowd amusing people with interesting magic tricks.

Servers passed around with trays of sparkling drinks and delicious-looking finger foods such as grilled shrimp with a cocktail sauce, and mini crab cakes topped with a blend of mango and avocado.

"Stop gawking, Rachel," he whispered into my ear as we approached the table. "You don't want to give these people here any reason to think that we are poor or don't know what it's like to be rich."

I scoffed. "Well, forgive me for simply appreciating the grandeur of this place," I said as he pulled out a chair for me and I sat down.

He walked around the table and sat down opposite me. There were two menus on the table and we both picked each one up. I scanned through it, fighting the urge to let my eyes grow wide as I took note of the fact that the letters were in intricate gold details. And did my nose also detect a hint of vanilla on the cover of the menu, or was it just me?

"This is real fancy," my wolf, Kayla gushed.

Tell me about it.

I glanced over at Cole. His face was impassive. Of course, he must already be used to all this. I sighed and put the menu down. At this point I was too excited to even feel hungry.

Cole looked at me. "Aren't you going to order anything?"

"No." I shook my head. "I'm not hungry."

I saw a server carrying a tray with glasses of champagne in it and Kayla suggested, "One drink can't hurt us, right?"

Right, I agreed.

"But I am thirsty," I said pointedly, getting up and taking a glass of champagne out of the server's tray as he walked past.

I took a sip of my drink and noticed Cole looking at me.

He leaned across the table. "You look like you're just about ready to jump out of your seat. Look, I know those people over there." He nodded in the direction of where a good-looking young man stood talking to a woman who seemed like she could be his aunt or mother. "Maybe we should go say hi."

"Okay." I nodded.

"Right now you look like someone with a bad case of the knee-jerk and I know that it's because you're very excited," he noted as we made our way to the corner where his friends stood. "But try not to trip over your own feet and cause a scene."

I chuckled. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

He grinned. "Hell yeah! I'm sure it'll give people something to talk about until the next party. Although, father and mother would most definitely not be pleased about it."

"Naturally," I said, giving him a lopsided smile.

"Cole," the young man called as soon as we reached them. "It's so good to see you, man."

"You, too, man."

They both hugged and clapped each other on the back.

"Francine." He hugged her and kissed her on the cheek.

"Cole," she returned, with a warm smile.

"This is my sister Rachel. Rachel. Francine, Nathan."

Nathan and I exchanged pleasantries and shook hands, but I wasn't prepared for it when Francine pulled me in for a tight hug, rubbed my back and grinned at me when she released me. I was grateful that the suddenness of her hug hadn't caused my drink to spill. I was a foot taller than her. The hug had felt both strange and nice at the same time. I looked into her eyes and giggled.

"It's so good to finally meet you, Rachel," she said cheerfully, smiling at me. "Cole has told us wonderful things about you."

I blushed. She exuded a vibe of warmth and kindness.

"It's nice to meet you, too, Francine," I said.

"Oh, I forgot to warn you, Francine's a hugger," Cole said and we all shared a laugh. "She's also a caretaker, and Nathan is a hunter for the Moon Stone pack."

"Your pack must feel very lucky to have you," I said to both Francine and Nathan.

"They should," she replied, wagging a finger in the air for emphasis. "Hey, what do you say we ditch these boys and go have a little chat?" she suggested in a playful tone.

I giggled. "Sounds good to me. It was nice meeting you, Nathan," I said over my shoulder, walking off with Francine.

She grabbed a glass of champagne from a server nearby and led me away from the dancing area where a waltz was going on. As we walked past the people dancing, I began to perceive a unique and intriguing scent. Then we stopped a few feet away and stood close to a pillar, facing each other. She took a big sip of her drink, while I took a little sip of mine.

"I love your dress. It's so beautiful. You look stunning in it. It really brings out the color of your eyes."

I smiled at her gratefully. "Thank you. My mother picked it out for me." I let out a low chuckle. "I didn't really want to wear it, but she insisted."

"Well, it's a good thing you listened to her." Francine smiled and winked at me. "Aren't mothers just great?"

"Yeah." I nodded absent-mindedly.

I frowned, watching her lips move but no longer able to concentrate on the words that were coming out of them. The heady scent I had perceived was now getting stronger.

"Mm, what a delicious scent!" Kayla commented, causing me to subconsciously lick my lips.

"Is everything alright, Rachel?" I heard Francine asking me.

I opened my mouth to reply her but before I could do so, a towering figure with broad shoulders, deep hazel eyes and short-cropped black hair came to a halt a few steps behind Francine. This was the person whose scent had rudely invaded my senses. Staring at me with a certain wildness in his eyes, he blurted out, "Mate!"

What the hell? I stared at the man, dumbfounded.