CHAPTER 005

Seth doesn't want to be here, he doesn't care if the whole pack wants to see their future alpha shift but Castel won't let go of his wrist till they are stepping into the massive pack house.

"I’m only here for the food, Castel. Don’t expect me to stay long," Seth mumbles.

Castel grins. “You say that now, but just wait, I heard they’re serving roasted deer and garlic-butter potatoes and many more delicious food and that’s a really long sentence you spoke there, keep that up, people will stop thinking you are deaf and dumb,”

Seth resists the urge to roll his eyes.

The pack house booms with excitement. Indeed it's almost like everyone in the pack is here—wolves of different ages, dancing, drinking, even pups running around. Of course, it's Kieran’s birthday, the soon to be alpha of Ashborne pack, the entire pack wants to witness it

"Look who finally crawled out of his cave," someone mutters as Seth walks by.

Castel clenches her jaw, hooking her hand around Seth's arm. “Ignore them, worthless pigs,”

Whispers follows Seth through the crowd and he catches some of their words and blocks the rest out.

“Let's go get some food, it's the second good thing about this party,” Castiel squeals and she drags Seth to the kitchen that's thankfully empty. She finally lets go of his hands and gawks at the delicious food on the large Island.

“This has way more food than Sage's party last year. Alpha Dagon is being biased,” she licks her lips and rubs her hands together. “Let's get our stomach filled,”

Seth silently follows Castiel's actions, slowly grabbing a plate and looking at the food, not knowing what to pick at the sight of grilled meat, baked bread, roasted vegetables and many more.

“You’ve got some nerve showing up here.”

Seth and Castiel freezes at the same time and then sharply reels their head to the entrance, finding Kieran standing there with eyes that puncture a hole through Seth's face.

Kieran matches towards him sharply and grabs the collar of his shirt, yanking him forcefully. “I thought I told you not to come here,”

“Sage invited me,” Seth retorts calmly.

Kieran raises a brow, slightly caught off guard. “You talk?”

“Of course he does. Did you really think he's mute,” Castiel chuckles nervously, keeping the atmosphere light and praying to the goddess things don't escalate.

Seth blinks. “I talk?”

Kieran doesn't let go of his shirt. For a second, Kieran stares at Seth's features. His flawless skin, his perfect nose, brow, sharp jaw and mostly, his lips.

Kieran doesn't realize when his gaze falls on Seth's lips, lingering till he shakes his head and comes back to his senses. What the hell? That's disgusting!

Just when he thinks it can't get worse, something punctures through his nostrils, a scent. Icy rain and musk and it's so strong that he immediately blocks his nose with his hand, pushing Seth back.

“You smell weird, it's gross,” the words leave Kieran before he comprehends them. He smelled Seth. T-that’s new.

Kieran frowns as he looks at the silver hair male. “Why do you suddenly have a scent?” he questions with his hand still over his nose.

Castiel frowns, she leans closer to Seth to take a sniff and a growl rises at the back of Kieran's throat at the closeness.

“Get away from him,” he growls, almost possessively. What the fuck is that?

Castel takes a step back at the growl, raising her hand in surrender and confusion. “He doesn't have a scent. He's still bland,”

“I am pretty sure I can smell him,” Kieran gets closer, yanking Seth forward again and sniffs his neck. The smell of rain flows through his nostrils strongly and goes straight to his groin. What the fuck?!

“What are you-?”

“There you are!”

Lena’s voice slices through the air as she walks in and her eyes suddenly change as she sees the position they are in. “What are you doing?”

Kieran immediately pushes Seth off and steps back, sharply turning. “Nothing,”

“It's almost time for the full moon, everyone is waiting at the field, we have to go,” she says sweetly.

“Come on,” Kieran grabs her hand and drags her out of the kitchen.

“What the hell was that?” Castel wonders out loud.

Seth shrugs.

~

The pack field is alive with celebration.

There’s a large bonfire roaring in the center and the people dancing in a circle around it while traditional drums pound through the night, matching the rhythm of feet and laughter. And the moon? It slowly climbs into the sky.

Seth sits at the far side with Castel, holding a plate in her lap and picking at her food.

“I heard tonight is when Kieran claims Lena,” Castel says, nudging him. Then she moves to his ear as if about to share the world’s deepest and darkest secrets. “I heard Lena might not even be his mate after all, there have been signs of him not being attracted to her. Lena is gonna explode if that happens,” She giggles cheeky.

Seth says nothing, his eyes fixed on the fire and his face unreadable.

Castel shrugs. “I can't wait to shift and find my mate too. I won't care if it's boy or a girl,”

~

On the other side of the fire, Kieran sits with a raised chin. Lena sits beside him, dressed beautifully, she's the one doing all the talking and laughing, Kieran isn't laughing and he isn't looking at her.

His gaze is across the fire, cemented on Seth, intensively, almost as if he's trying to figure something out.

Why the fuck can he suddenly smell him and others can't? The question echoes in his head over and over again.

He only comes back to reality when Lena suddenly grabs his face and forces him to look at her. “Hey, I know you're stressed about tonight but you've got nothing to worry about, I will be right here,” she whispers and slowly leans in to kiss him.

But the moment her lips touch his, something snaps inside him. Kieran immediately pulls back as if he's been burned. The kiss felt revolting.

“What?” Lena asks, shocked.

Kieran stands abruptly. “I— I just need some air. I think the fire is too hot now,”

Without another word, he turns and starts to leave but he doesn't get far when he abruptly stops on his track. His hand slowly goes to his stomach as pain rolls and surges through him like a current.

And then, it hits.

A loud cracking sound echoes through the night like a roar.

Kieran’s back arches as he falls to his knees. At that moment, he doesn't see anything else as everyone forms a circle around him, wanting to watch.

His eyes lose their green color and are replaced with a dark shade of amber. His bones twist and break under his skin, reshaping, his shirt rips apart and fur erupts from his body.

And with a final growl and a roar, Kieran shifts.

Where Kieran once stood is now a massive brown wolf, towering and eyes as wild as the forest. Then he looks up at the moon and he howls.

Cheers ring out in the crowd, claps erupt.

“He did it!”

“He’s so huge!”

“Our future alpha!”

Lena steps forward proudly, hands stretched out, expecting the wolf to walk to her. This is the moment she has been waiting for her whole life! She smiles big, ready to be claimed and they will be bounced for life.

When the howling comes to a stop, the wolf turns his head, but not toward Lena. It looks directly at Seth.

“Kieran, over here, I'm your mate,” Lena calls out loud but despite his sharp senses, her words are deaf to his ears.

In an instant, the brown wolf bounces across the fire, everyone gasping in shock and confusion. Castel barely has time to shoves Seth out of the way before the wolf tackles him to the ground, licking his tongue all over his face, as if staking his claim.

“Seth!” Castel screams.

But it's too late. Before anyone can react, the wolf bites down on Seth's neck.

The mark of a mate.

Seth gasps in pain, eyes wide while Lena screams.

And the entire pack freeze in shock.