Chapter 1

LORRAINE'S POV

I woke up on the morning of my eighteenth birthday with a huge smile on my face. I couldn't explain the flutter of excitement in my heart.

Today was a significant day. It wasn't just my birthday. It was a day that marked my transition into adulthood. Now, I'm a woman in the eyes of the werewolf community.

Turning eighteen meant that I was now of age to sense my mate. This was the part that made me excited. I always wanted to find my mate. The thought of finally finding my soul mate filled me with a mixture of excitement and nervousness.

I always wondered what he would be like.

Would he be nice to me? This was the most important thing. Physical looks never really mattered to me. I was more bothered about what people had inside their hearts. That would determine if we would have a happy life or not.

I sat up on my bed and took a deep breath. I closed my eyes, sending a silent prayer to the moon goddess.

"Dear moon goddess" I said "I ask for your guidance and blessing in helping me find my mate. I pray he's kind to me"

I longed for that soul-deep connection that so many of my older friends and relatives had already found. I couldn't bear the thought of waiting for years, like some women in our pack. Waiting for a long time would be pure torture. I wished I could find my mate as soon as possible.

I got up and blasted some music from my speakers. As the music played, I danced round the room. I got ready in the process. It was my birthday. I had to do something fun today.

A knock sounded on my door. I raised my eyebrow in confusion. I wondered who it could be.

"Come in" I said.

The door opened, revealing my best friend; Molly. She held a beautifully decorated cake in her hands. She had a wide grin on her face.

She walked towards me as she sang "Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear Lorraine! Happy birthday to you!" she exclaimed.

Her excitenent was contagious. I couldn't help but smile at her thoughtfulness. It filled my heart with a sense of warmth.

"Aww" I cooed "Come here"

She dropped the cake on my bed before coming closer to me. I wrapped my arms tightly around her. Mollu and I had been inseparable since childhood. She was the best friend a girl could ever ask for.

We flopped on the bed. The scent of the cake filled the air.

"Sooo...." she started. "What's the plan for today"

I licked some icing off the cake "First things first. I have to find my mate"

Molly rolled her eyes "You just turned eighteen. Surely, it has to take some time"

"Why do you think so? A lot of people found their mates on their eighteenth birthday. I'm going to stay positive"

"If you find your mate today, it means it's most likely someone you've known"

"True"

"Who do you think it could be?"

I thought about it. Could it be a friend of mine? I didn't talk to too many guys like Molly did. I was more of a loner. If my mate was someone I knew already, I'd be surprised.

I shrugged "I don't know"

"What if he's not in this pack?"

I bent my head and groaned "Stop it, Molly. Don't be so negative"

She giggled "I'm just saying"

I didn't want to talk too much about finding my mate because I knew it would make Molly feel bad. She's nineteen and she hasn't found her mate yet. She acts like it doesn't bother her but I always noticed the hint of sadness in her eyes any time she spoke about it.

I diverted to another topic. Gossip and laughter flowed freely between us. We ate the cake with our hands as we spoke. I was glad Molly was here. Being in her company was always fun. She had nothing but positive vibes and I was all here for it.

"I have an idea" Molly said.

I licked my hundredth serving of icing.

"What is it?" I asked her.

"Do you know where Wes' credit card is?"

Wes is my older brother.

"Maybe..." I trailed "Why?"

She smirked "Let's go shopping"

*

As soon as I grabbed Wes' credit card, we set off to the boutique. On our way, I rolled down the window and brought my head out. The music blared loudly from the speakers.

"It's my birthday!" I screamed.

Molly and I laughed. I got a few weird stares from people who were outside. I didn't blame them. I'd look at me with surprise if I were them too.

Molly and I hopped inside when we got to the boutique. Thepromise of new clothes ways got me excited. As we browsed through the racks of clothing, my eyes lit up with delight at the options before me.

Molly handed me a red dress "This would look hot on you"

I held it up to my body and looked in the mirror. Red was really my colour. It would suit me.

The next few hours, Molly and I spent it by trying on all sorts of outfits, laughing and joking as we twirled in front of the mirrors. We picked out a few pieces that caught our eye. When it was finally time to pay, I hesitated for a moment. I felt a twinge of guilt at the idea of using Wes' credit card without his permission.

"You only live once" Molly said "What's the worst he's gonna do?"

To be honest, Wes was a good brother. He wouldn't mind if I spent a couple hundred dollars without his permission, right?

We paid with the credit card and left. On our way home, I got a text message from Wes.

Wes: I can see the alerts, Lori. I am so gonna kill you.

"Uh oh" I said "Wes is mad"

"Chill out" Molly laughed "Tell him that we won't do it again. A girl turns eighteen only once"

By the time I got home, it was a few minutes past six. I had a feeling Wes would be home. I silently opened the door and tiptoes through the living room. I had almost made it to the stairs until a voice stopped me.

"You're holding shopping bags" Wes said "How cute. How did you pay for those again?"

I looked to my left and came face to face with Wes. I was sure that I looked like a deer caught in head lights.

I sighed "I'm sorry"

I put on the cutest puppy dog face I could muster. It got Wes every time. He couldn't stay mad at me for long.

He shook his head "You're lucky you're cute. Happy birthday, sis"

I stretched my arms out. He came closer to me and hugged me.

"I'm sorry I used your card" I said "But it was just tempting"

"It's fine. You don't do it all the time"

"So, what did you get me?"

"Close your eyes and stretch out your hands"

I closed my eyes and stretched out my hands like he said. I was shaking in excitement.

"Open up" he said.

I opened my eyes and to my surprise, I saw a small envelope in my palm. I opened it. Inside was a sort of invitation for a special tour of the palace.

"A palace tour?" I asked in disbelief "Really?"

He raised his eyebrow "What? You don't like it?"

"I would like a new pair of shoes. What am I gonna do with this?"

"I get you material things every year. I thought this would do you some good. You should take a tour of the palace and learn more about your pack. You're eighteen now which means you're now a full member. You can't keep living in the dark. Besides, do you know how much this thing cost? And it was really hard to get"

He wasn't joking. People came from different parts of the world to see the palace of 'Wolferius'; our pack. The palace grounds were tourist attractions.

Maybe Wes was right. I should go there to learn more about our pack. I would prefer a designer bag or new shoes but this was important too.

"Fine" I scoffed "I'll go"

Wes pinched my cheek "Cheer up. It'll be fun"

I gave him a tight lipped smile.

I tried to tell myself that a tour at the palace wouldn't be such a bad idea.

After all, what could possibly go wrong?