Chapter 1

Eleanor

Eli didn’t have one flaw.

From his short black hair to his wide hazel eyes and strong jawline, to his bare chest and broad shoulders, his body was perfect. Even the small scar over his right eyebrow made him look sexier.

Admiring his looks this way felt so wrong and yet so right.

“Eleanor,” he said in that addictive, deep voice. “I can’t take this…longing anymore. These stolen glances filled with enough heat to set this place on fire are driving me crazy.” He paused, let out a deep sigh, and pushed his shaggy bangs away from his eyes.

My breath caught in my throat. It seemed like he was truly looking at me. Really seeing me for the first time.

Eli strode over to my bed like he couldn’t stand the distance between us.

He knelt before me and took my hand in his. An electric current passed between us at the contact, and I had to bite my lip to keep from moaning out loud.

“Do you want me, Eleanor?” Eli asked and smirked.

I nodded, unable to form actual words.

He cupped my cheeks and drew my face toward his.

His warm hands on my skin made my head spin, and my hands began to shake. Our lips were only an inch apart.

“Why don’t we take a risk, Eleanor?” he whispered, his eyes on my lips. “We don’t have to be good all the time, do we?”

“No, we don’t have to be good…”

We leaned in, finally acting on our forbidden feelings…

Suddenly, someone knocked on my hotel room door, interrupting my dream. In reality, I was lying alone on a shabby bed so thin it was almost the same as lying on the floor. My cheeks heated as I sat up and I tried to slow my breathing. I couldn't face anyone right now.

The knock came again and I gasped.

What if it was him?

I stared at my door as the person knocked again.

“Eleanor! It's Khloe. Can you please open up? The ceremony's about to start.” My best friend Khloe's voice came from the other side of the door.

“Sorry!” I called and rushed to open the door.

A smile bloomed across my face when I saw my best friend. We visited each other almost every day, but this was the first time I had seen her in person in over a month. Khloe was the daughter of Alpha Eli's Beta and studied in the Pack's college but she always made sure to visit me whenever she could.

Khloe and I threw our arms around each other. When she pulled away, she looked at me questioningly

“What took you so long to open the door?” Khloe asked.

I blushed, pulled her into my room, and shut the door.

“Uh, I was brushing my hair,” I lied.

Khloe grinned slyly. “Sure you were,” she teased like she knew exactly what I’d been doing.

I wasn't embarrassed because I'd been daydreaming about a man. I assumed every girl my age did that. It was who I was fantasizing about that made me self-conscious.

I had fantasized about none other than His Royal Highness, Eli RedMoon, Alpha of the RedMoon Pack and the leader of the RedWolves Biker Gang.

“It's so good to see you,” I said. “Thank you for coming all the way here just to help me get ready.”

“Of course, girl. I've missed you and because we have to prepare for the Mating Ceremony or have you forgotten?” Khloe said.

Right. The Mating Ceremony.

Luna Lora, Alpha Eli's mother, had granted permission to a few of the hardworking maids in the castle to attend the Mating Ceremony. I was lucky to be among the chosen few.

“Let's get started!” Khloe said and excitedly clapped her hands together. Her enthusiasm was contagious, and I grinned as I sat down in front of the vanity mirror the Luna had gifted me last year.

“I think we should do your hair first,” she said. “Where's your brush?”

“Hm, probably in my bag.”

Khloe smirked and put her hands on her hips.

“Wasn’t the reason you took so long to open the door because you were brushing your hair?” she reminded me.

I ducked my head in embarrassment.

Once I located my brush, Khloe began to put my hair up into a complicated-looking updo.

“So, tell me about what's been going on with you,” she said. “When we talk, you rarely say anything about what’s going on in your life.”

My heart began to beat rapidly, and I shifted in my seat. Eli’s handsome face floated into my head, but I forced the image out of my mind.

“Uh, nothing’s really happened, honestly,” I said. “I’ve just been busy with my duties. ”

It wasn't a lie. I worked as both a kitchen maid and a server to save up enough money for my upkeep. Oh yeah, and I can’t stop thinking about my pack's Alpha and what it would feel like to kiss him. Is that normal, Khloe? Do you think there’s something wrong with me? I blushed, wondering what my friend would say if I actually said that out loud.

Her deft fingers arranged my long red hair into a braided crown that wrapped around the back of my head.

“Well, something interesting happened to me,” she paused to heighten my curiosity before she continued. “I shifted for the first time last week. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about it. Last week was hectic.”

My face fell but I schooled my features into a smile. “Congratulations, Khloe. You're officially a full-grown wolf now.”

“Thanks.” She smiled.

I didn't.

We shifters first transform into our wolves when we turn 18 or 19, depending on how powerful their wolf is. Every wolf in our pack had shifted. Except me. I was 20 years old and still I haven't shifted. I haven't even felt my wolf's presence before. Sometimes I think I'm human.

Khloe went on. “My birthday was nothing special plus my first shift wasn’t the best experience as most wolves say it is. It was painful.”

“I'm so sorry you experienced that,” I told her “but it's cool that you can transform into your wolf.”

We shared a grin, and she squeezed my shoulder once more, then got back to work finishing my hair.

“That looks so good,” I said when she secured the last bobby pin into place.

She smiled at my compliment, then added. “Thank you. I bet Alpha Eli might even compliment your looks if he sees you at the ceremony.”

When I didn't say anything, she went on to do my makeup.

While she was busy, I looked away from the mirror.

I had spent my entire life living as the most revered Alpha in the realm. But will he ever fall in love with me, a wolfless omega?