Chapter 1

“What do you mean by you don’t want to go to the ball?” Kelly's voice rose high and it was sharp in disbelief. Her brows stared at me. She knew how I dreamed of this.

My chest clenched at the thought of standing alone in the crowd again. I looked away, twisting the hem of the bedspread.

It was a one-in-a-million chance but it wasn’t bad to have faith and hope for the best.

“I want to go,” I whispered. “But I can't stand the stares. The whispers.”

“What if I am the only one left again?” I asked, staring into her eyes.

“So that’s why you are all moody. You are not an outcast Rachael, you are my best friend and I would not let anyone drag my friend to the floor” 

Kelly reassured with a smile on her face. She wrapped her hands around me tightly, the hug broke something in me, my breath hitched for a while and before I stopped them tears already blurred through my vision.

“Let's get ready, shall we?” she asked, bringing out the new dress she had bought for the ball. 

She spun, holding the gown up against her. It was shimmering like sunlight.

“How do I look?” she asked, looking at herself with the cloth on.

“You look beautiful Kelly. All the men would catch up on that spark.” I commented, still stunned by her outfit.  

“The ceremony starts an hour from now. Let's go get dressed girl,” Kelly reckoned as she moved me from the bed into the shower. 

I didn’t want to seem useless. So I went in.

After the shower, we headed straight to the hall where the ball was going to take place. All the maidens were at the left end of the room and the males were on the right-hand side of the room. It was a tradition believed to have been given by the moon goddess herself, the best of it all. 

I and Kelly wrapped ourselves with the decorations to stop people from gazing at us. Even though we were wrapped in silk and shimmer, we might as well be invisible once the Alphas entered the room.

Kelly yanks her hand away when it brushes a guy.

“You know the rules” she hissed.

“30 mins max- and don't think of touching.” 

I nodded. The laws of purity weren't kind to unmated girls like us.

It was a way of keeping the females Pure till they were mated. A woman without a mate would remain a virgin till she gets one or death takes her away from the pack. 

“We all know what we came here for. Today marks the day you all will be paired up as mates and I just want to make it aware to all of you that not everyone would be getting a mate today. If you don’t get a mate today, you can return here the following year” Sari, the shaman proclaimed as he walked into the ball. He was in charge of the calling process which allowed everyone to sniff out their mates. 

My finger twitched at my side. Fourth year. Fourth chance. I couldn't hope for any more. But my heart hadn't learned that lesson.

Kelly also never got a mate so we were used to being the only ones not getting mated to.

Everyone in the room was focused on the stage. A white gas suddenly spluttered all around as a fair man with a good physique and all muscles came out of nowhere onto the stage. All the maidens in the room couldn’t help but gasp at his handsomeness and charm. They were all happy, jovial and going all cynical as they watched him sit on a golden throne. 

I brought my head out to see who exactly had made all the maidens go wild and to my utmost surprise it turned out to be him. The Alpha of the Crimson Moon moon Pack, the emotionless ruler with the charming smile and my ten years crush. 

We all placed our eyes on him, trying to savour the moment. He was to participate in the mating ceremony this year and everyone wanted to be his mate. How glad I would be if I was chosen as his mate. 

The moment he stepped into the room, everything else vanished. The music, the ceremony, the fear - they all dissolved as his presence was felt.

 The maidens standing right in front of us began to act all promiscuous, showing all their assets with a twirl and blowing kisses that basically wouldn’t even get to him. 

He winked. My breath hitched. I hated how fast my heart jumped.

All the maidens began to hold each other as they lost their breath to his charming eyes. Kelly was also drowning in his charms as she ripped off the decoration while daydreaming about him.

The sound of the ripped-up decoration brought everyone's gazes into us. Heat cramped up my neck as the whispers ripped around us. Kelly couldn't meet my eyes, and I stared at the floor, wishing I could be swallowed by it.

After some minutes of silence, the ceremony took off. People began to sniff out their partners and a lot of joyful aura roamed the hall.

I and Kelly sat on the ripped-off decoration knowing we wouldn’t be picked by the Alpha, Mike.

More and more ladies sniffed out their mate and a lot of kissing scenes could be played out. We felt oppressed by the various movements in the hall. 

I laughed bitterly. Every kiss around me carved emptiness in my chest.

“It's time for the Alpha to get a pick of his mate. It won’t be the same as that of the others as you all know. The moon goddess herself will send forth her light to show who will become the Luna of the Crimson Moon Pack and become Alpha Mike’s mate.”, Sari made it clear.  

The room became tense all of a sudden. 

Everyone began to glance at themselves in a bid to spot the next Luna. I could feel the tension in my knees, my heartbeat running faster than a racehorse. 

Sari suddenly pointed at me and Kelly and with a snap he ordered us to come in front of the Alpha. I looked at her and I thought she was also very confused. Were we in trouble? Would we be sacrificed? I began to think about impossible things. 

“One of you” Sari said, his voice like iron.

“Will be chosen by the moon goddess herself to become Alpha Mike's luna”

My knees weaken, I was barely catching myself as Kelly's finger crutched mine-cold and shaking. We looked at each other, terrified and hoping it was a mistake.