CHAPTER ONE

Rosie’s POV

I did something bad.

Okay, not that bad, but I was throwing a party for my uncle, Nicolas Hickman, the Alpha of the Midnight Pack, and he hated parties.

“Do you think my uncle will find a second mate tonight?” I asked, checking my makeup as I spoke to my best friend, Chris. She was struggling to get into a tight, red dress. 

"I wonder if the two of us could find mates tonight." Her face brightened with the thought. 

Tonight marked the tenth anniversary of my uncle, Nicolas, the 35-year-old Alpha, taking power. I sighed, though I let my mouth quirk up a bit on one side. "It's not really about that for me, Chris."

When I was 10, my father, Mason Blake, Beta at the time, died in a war while saving the Alpha. My father entrusted me to him, and I was raised in the palace, calling him “Uncle.”

Now at 17, although I once hated his domineering nature, I’d learned that his mate had passed away.

I've tried to be a good girl ever since, feeling that I must help him find a second mate before I find my own and leave him.

"I know. You don't want to leave your uncle all alone when you find a mate." Chris patted me on the head, and I rolled my eyes at her.

“He’s done a lot for me. You know that,” I argued, pushing past her and toward the door. Electronic music was drifting up from the party already. I bet some guests were arriving by now.

Chris followed me, tousling her blonde hair in that sensual way that drove all the pack boys crazy. “I know he has. But I’m more interested to see if your little party loosens him up for a change.”

I hooked my arm in hers as we made our way downstairs, the music now pumping in our ears. I hoped Uncle would appreciate the attempt either way.

As my heels touched the wood flooring at the base of the stairs, I gripped Chris harder.

What was supposed to be a small party had turned into a full-blown pack celebration. "My Goddess! He's going to murder me," I leaned over to whisper, but Chris was already letting go and heading to mingle with the dozens of others flooding in.

I hurried to catch up as she approached another one of our friends, Tyler, whom she said on multiple occasions was one of the hottest wolves in the pack.

He did have those green eyes going for him, but I didn’t see what the fuss was all about otherwise.

"This is going to be one wild party," he said, making me grit my teeth at the prospect.

"That's not what it was supposed to be," I hissed.

Tyler reached out past Chris and placed a hand on my shoulder. Chris had been trying to tell me Tyler had a crush on me, but I had ignored it. Though now, as he tried to give me a reassuring rub, I began to wonder if it was true.

"It turns out everyone wants a shot at finding their mate."

Was that disappointment I detected in his voice?

I didn't have time to think too hard on it as I spotted the door through the crowd. My gut dropped as I watched my sworn rival, Vivian, walk in with her group.

I shrugged Tyler off as politely as I could to head towards her. Maybe I could get rid of her before she made this any more of a disaster.

Vivian arrogantly greeted me, her nose in the air as usual. "Look, if it isn't the little, ugly one. This is your party, right? Shouldn't you be serving me?"

I shook my head, anger rising and coloring my cheeks. Mia, my wolf, growled softly in my head. "I'm no less than you. Serve yourself."

She laughed and looked at her crew to back her up. They always did what she wanted. "That will most certainly change when I'm Luna. Isn’t this all about your uncle finding a mate?"

"Don't even dream it, Viv," I spat with as much vitriol as both my wolf and I could muster. I would never see her as Luna.

Vivian could never be Uncle Nicolas' mate. Never.

Chris slid up next to me like my own personal knight as Vivian rolled her eyes and walked away. I sagged. "I hate her."

"I know, but she's just trying to get under your skin."

I straightened up, knowing I needed to make this party a success. I planned it, and now I needed to own it.

"Okay, can you start greeting guests and being a good co-host? I need to check in with Marco."

Chris winked at me and sashayed to the door as I found a spot off to the side to mind-link to the Beta I had entrusted with getting the Alpha to the party.

'Hi! Is the Alpha done with his patrol yet?' I asked, popping into Beta Marco's thoughts. I could feel his hesitation, though.

Marco, like a brother to me, always listened to what I said. But when I’d told him about the party, he believed it wasn’t a good idea. He had warned, "Listen, Pumpkin, I get what you’re trying to do. It’s just that Alpha doesn’t even celebrate his birthday.”

I had begged him to bring Alpha to the party despite this.

‘Almost,’ Marco responded, a little clipped.

‘Is something wrong?’ I asked through the link.

‘I've heard a lot more people are there than should be. Word has gotten around, and everyone wants to find a mate there. You know that if the Alpha gets angry, I'll claim I knew nothing about this.’

‘It'll be fine. Just make sure he gets here.’ With that, I cut Marco off.

Uncle hadn’t seen me in two months due to work; he wouldn’t be mad, right? Plus, I had gotten my wolf, Mia, last month—he’d be happy to hear that. Proud, even.

I could feel Mia getting excited at the prospect of meeting and pleasing her Alpha.

"See, it'll be great," I told her, more confidence than I'd had in the last fifteen minutes coursing through me.

Just then, a refreshing scent of cedar and cypress filled the air, making Mia and me both excited. It was like nothing I'd ever smelled but reminded Mia of a good run.

‘Mate!’ Mia shouted in my mind.

Mate!?

My world had shifted, but the party seemed to stay exactly the same. Nobody could feel the change in energy but me.

I looked toward the door just as Uncle stepped in.

Our gazes met, and for a moment, we both froze.