Chapter 1

Mira's POV

"You look excited," I said to my mom as she busied herself getting ready to finally meet Alpha REMY, the man she'd been seeing for the past couple of months now.

He'd proposed to her a few months ago and today was their engagement party.

Today was also the day I would finally get to meet him after months of hearing about how wealthy he was.

By now, I was sure I knew exactly what his pack house looked like and maybe how much he had in his bank account and pack treasury considering how much she talked about him.

"I am!". She yelled as she turned to look at me with a big grin on her face.

She looked gorgeous in a blue silk gown that showed off her toned back and accentuated her buttocks.

"It's finally our engagement party, Mira. I cannot tell you enough of how important he is to me and the progress of this pack in general."

I rolled my eyes at her. My mother was so obsessed with being the greatest Alpha in the wolf community.

After my father left her for a human and died years ago, she's been nothing but focused on her pack and it's many people.

"I'm glad you found someone, mom. I was beginning to worry about you."

I told her with a smile, happy she was about to get a huge load off her shoulders.

"Why aren't you ready yet?" She scolded as she finally noticed my half prepared state.

"Because I was helping you get dressed!"

She rolled her eyes but there was a playful smile on her face. "Well, thank you. Now, it's your turn to go get dressed.”

I got up from the queen-size four-post bed she slept in and walked out.

She was practically pushing me out the door.

“Wear the blue dress I got you, it looks good with your skin tone." She called out to me, and I shook my head before disappearing down the long hallway.

I walked back out again to find her still standing there and scoffed. "Do I honestly have to be at the party? It's not like it's the wedding day.”

My mom's eyes widened in shock and controlled panic. “Of course, you have to! This is an opportunity to meet your new stepfather. He's been meaning to meet you too.”

"Why? Does he think I need a father figure because I can tell you now, I'm not interested."

She shook her head and sighed. "Mira … he's my husband-to-be and will be co Alpha of this pack once we are officially married.”

She closed the distance between us. “You need to drop that attitude and at least give him the respect he deserves."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine, whatever. I'm going to go shower and get dressed."

She grinned and ruffled my hair affectionately before I walked off.  

"Hwy, where is mom?" My little sister, Talia asked, almost bumping into me in the hallway.

Unlike me, she was already dressed in a pink cocktail dress. Just like mom, she was looking forward to meeting our new stepfather.

Eww.

"You look great and Mom is in her room," I summarized as I pointed behind mr.

"Thank you." Talia beamed at the praise and twirled, giving me a 360 view of her look.

"All right, now run along. I have to go get dressed," I explained to her and watched as she raced to my mother's room.

A few minutes later, I had showered and was ready.

I stared at my reflection in my floor-to-ceiling mirror that took up the whole wall and smiled at how gorgeous I looked.

My brown curls looked immaculate paired up with my red satin cocktail dress.

The entire back was missing its fabric and the gown draped over my body like a waterfall.

Mum would be mad that it was way too risque but I liked it and I didn't want to match with her anyway

My phone buzzed on my dresser and I made my way over to where it sat ringing and picked it up immediately as soon as I saw the ID.

"Hey! Aren't you excited to finally meet your stepfather!.” Zane, my best friend asked, sounding more excited than I was.

"Not at all, in fact, I'm a little bit underwhelmed," I told her truthfully as I walked back to the middle of the room and checked out my outfit in the mirror once more.

"Why?" She asked in her smooth singsong sounding voice.

I shrugged. "I don't know. I just don't like parties not after what happened last time…" I trailed off but she understood what I didn't say.

"Oh come on Mira.  You went to a lot of parties after that incident and he's locked up in the dungeon now."

I nodded as a shiver ran down my spine. "I know but I just have a bad feeling about tonight. The same thing I felt back then…..”

Her tone softened. "Don't worry, I'm going to protect you and so is Cam."

I rolled my eyes at her attempt to cheer me up even though she wasn't there with me.

"All right. I'm ready. Meet me at the great hall." I gave in finally and she giggled in glee.

I hung up the phone and went downstairs. The great hall was in the back of the pack house.

Even from this distance, I could already hear music coming from there.

I let out a shaky breath before I came out of the house. My phone buzzed in my purse, indicating that I had an incoming text message.

It was my mother.

“Oh my God, I'm coming!” I yelled as I put my phone away and rolled my eyes.

I didn't bother reading the message, already suspecting the details of the text.

I had only spent an hour getting ready, which in my opinion wasn't late at all.

Mom: Where the hell are you, Mira?! Don't fucking embarrass me.

It read when I finally opened the text and I rolled my eyes again.

I loved my mom to bits but sometimes, she was more obsessed with self-image than anything else and it pissed me off most times.

With a sigh, I put my phone back into my purse and continued walking.

I exited the house through the front door and trudged past the guards as I went.

I waved at Kroger, my favorite guard who was always such a sweetheart to me.

He had been the one to help me out on that fateful night that was forever stuck in my mind.

He waved back and mouthed for me to have fun and that he'd be there if I needed help.

His words made me smile just a little bit and I felt a little more confident about the evening knowing he'd be looking out for me.

As I approached the front door of the engagement party, my little sister rushed out.

"There you are! Mom's been looking for you. She wants to introduce us, where the hell have you been?!" Talia asked, looking stressed.

"Dressing up, I told her that, didn't I?"

"Well, you're dressed now so let's go. Come in." She added when I remained fixed to the ground.

"You're only fourteen Talia, don't give a lecture.”

"Whatever, come on." She said as she grabbed my hands and led the way into the party though the front door.

I was greeted by the lights that shone brightly in the room as we entered the hall.

The hall was already slowly getting full and I could see different Alphas with their Lunas from different packs including the ones I used to go visit as a kid.

"Gorgeous, isn't it?" My sister smiled. Her excitement was contagious and I couldn't help but send her a smile back.

Daisies and wine occupied every single table in the hall that had a gold and black theme.

"Come on, Mom's over there waiting for us," Talia pointed.

I followed her hand and found my mom talking to two men.

As I followed my sister past the people, an odd feeling took over my senses, and my wolf who'd been ignoring me for most of the week stood and began to growl like a wild dog in heat.

My eyes widened as it dawned on me.

My mate was close by. Where? I didn't know but I intended to find him.

Suddenly I was looking forward to the party after all. It was the first time since I came back from school that I felt remotely excited.

His scent was so strong and intoxicating that I could feel my entire body shake in anticipation and lust.

I looked around, trying to find him. I glanced over at my mother and her eyes narrowed at me.

She left the men she had been talking to and walked over to me, an annoyed expression on her face.

"What the hell, Mira?" She whisper-yelled at me.

"Sorry, Mom. I was getting ready."

"For two hours?!" She yelled again but this time in a louder tone of voice that attracted some attention.

I stomped my foot. "Mom, relax! Besides, I think my mate is at this party."

That made her forget her anger and she grinned. "Really? Found him yet?" She asked, excitement dancing in her eyes.

She'd always been obsessed with me finding a mate because she didn't want me to experience the things she'd experienced with my father.

She'd loved him so much but he wasn't her true mate and as soon as he found his, he dropped her like a hot potato.

"No, I haven't but I can feel it…"

"Honey," I heard a sultry and yet deep voice coming from behind and felt the intoxicating pull I was feeling grow ten times stronger. My mate was behind me.

"Babe." My mom said with a big smile and I turned around to find an older man staring down at me intently. Just then my mother went to hug him.

"Mira, this is Alpha Remy Darkclaw. Alpha of the Grim moon pack and my husband-to-be."

“Hey Aunt Freya,” a much younger yet still good-looking version of Alpha Remy walked up to us just then with a big grin on his face.

“Hey Kayden.” Mum greeted him with a big grin. “This is my first daughter Mira.” Then she turned to me. “Mira, this is Kayden, he's Alpha Rwmy’s son and your soon-to-be stepbrother.”

He turned to look at me and when our eyes met, my heart sank to the pit of my stomach.

I gasped as if I had just been punched in the gut. Oh, no, no, no,no.

This couldn't be, my stepbrother was my fucking mate!