Chapter 2 - Gala

Cole POV

                  “Go ahead without us; we will meet you there,” my Alpha, Carson, stated through our mind-link.  I chuckled at the Alpha, knowing he was taking advantage of private time with his Luna, Marly.  I was excited about attending the spring Gala, and more importantly, looking forward to the possibility of finding my second chance mate.

                  I had avoided the galas for a few years now.  Having been rejected by my fated mate who was wanting to mate with an Alpha, I had buried the pain and kept it to myself that I had been rejected.  Marly, being a healer, had stumbled upon my secret during a healing session.

                  I had not wanted anyone to know as I was humiliated at being rejected.  At the time I was a Gamma.  I had recently been promoted to Beta for our pack, the Full Moon Pack.  I was proud of the promotion and hoped it would be a step in the right direction for my second chance mate … provided I got lucky enough to be given one.

                  As we arrived at the hotel and got everyone checked in, I smiled at the excited chatter among all the pack members.  Everyone who was attending was single, with the exception of the Alpha and Luna.  The Alpha would be present to conduct the appropriate ceremonies either accepting new members into our pack or wishing the best to those who would be leaving our pack to be with their mates from other regions.

                  I felt the stirrings of my wolf, Gunner.  “What is it?” I asked, immediately going on alert.  I had not identified any threat, but I trusted Gunner’s instincts.  “Something is off,” he mumbled, as he yawned having just woken from a nap.  We had trained hard this morning, and he was taking advantage of the down time.

                  “What do you mean?” I asked.  “I have a feeling our mate is here,” he replied, as excited as Gunner could be.  He was a low-key wolf, always calm and sure of himself and his abilities.  “Is she in this hotel?” I asked, trying to contain my excitement.  “No; but she is attending the Gala,” he murmured as he slipped to the back of my mind.

                  I felt a stir of excitement in my belly.  This is what I had been hoping for but now that it was close, I was uncertain once again of what to expect.  I moved towards the elevator and went up to my room.  I hung up my suit, before moving further into the spacious area.

                  It was laid out nicely.  A room off to the side was for the bedroom.  I had a sitting area, and a bathroom off to the other side.  I noticed snacks on the table and moved forward to enjoy them.  I knew this was Marly’s touch and I suspected all pack members had snacks in their rooms.

                  I moved towards the window and saw she-wolves walking out in the courtyard.  Could one of them be mine, I wondered.  No.  I would feel the bond more intensely.  I sighed and accepted that I would have to wait until tonight to find my mate. 

                  I looked at my watch.  Only a few more hours and I would be holding her in my arms.  As I sat there staring outside, taking in the sights, I heard Carson through our mind-link.  “We have arrived,” he shared, before asking, “Any clues yet?”.  I shook my head, “I have not scented anybody, but Gunner believes she is here,” I shared.

                  “Oh, that is sooo exciting!” Marly exclaimed, joining our mind-link.  I smiled at my Luna’s response.  She was so hoping I would find my mate.  For her and me.  She wanted a Beta female to share secrets with and to plan pack events.  I chuckled, “You just want her for yourself,” I teased.

                  “Of course I do.  You two are always ganging up on me,” she teased right back.  “Hurry and get ready!  I want to be the first to arrive so we can watch for your mate,” Marly encouraged, as I closed the mind-link and realized the time.  We would be leaving in an hour, and I still needed to shower and get ready.  I moved towards the washroom, as the pending evening loomed in my mind.

                  Would I be luckier with my second chance mate?  As I moved towards the washroom, I heard a light tap on my door.  I moved to open it, and sighed when I saw Christine standing there in a very skimpy dress.  “I told you I was not interested, Christine,” I said with a bit of annoyance.

                  “I know what you said, but I do not believe you.  I think you are just holding out on me,” she responded, moving to step inside my room.  I gently turned her around and nudged her out of the door.  “I will see you when we head to the Gala,” I said, shutting the door before she could say anything else.

                  The last thing I needed was a distraction from tonight’s events.