Imma preface this by clearing up a little confusion! Some fabulous humans have asked about the name of Kaleb's Pack. Long story short, there are multiple names because the Pack is so famous (as it's the mediator Pack between wolves and humans). Mainly, I refer to them as The Prowlers in the rest of the book.

The first thing Kaia was met with as Kaleb heaved the enormous double doors open was noise. It was a constant thrum, buzzing and vibrating in her ears, leaking in through her pores and filling her chest cavity. They were whispers, sometimes rising to soft mumbles. 

"Come," Kaleb said, gesturing in front of him. Ah. So Kaia was meant to go first. She hesitated a moment before Kaleb's eyes teetered on the edge of frustration once again. She gave in before she let that happen. 

She stepped in front of him, taking in a breath of his calming scent as she passed him for courage. Kaia tried not to let it show on her face, but she wasn't used to having many eyes on her at once; the most she'd ever had was probably the five people at The Neighborhood during busy hours. It was a small town, and she lived a modest life. She took comfort in the fact that she didn't need to say or do anything; there wasn't any opportunity for embarrassment or humiliation.

Her anxiety at being seen must have sneaked out of her in a twitch or a sideways glance because Kaleb noticed and gently let his hand rest between her shoulder blades. His touch urged her forward, a slight pressure guiding her. 

Kaia was grateful for the contact he offered her because it was just about the only thing that steadied her once she'd arrived at their destination. They stood on a balcony of sorts with large flights of stairs spiraling down on either side of them. A goliath of a chandelier hung in front of them, the crystals arranged so that it looked almost like glittering rain was falling from above. 

Down below, in the enormous foyer-like space in front of them, was a mass of people. They bunched together, speaking in hushed tones in groups of anywhere between two and ten. They filled the room, bodies churning below Kaia and Kaleb, a sea of life. Kaia was grateful for the elegant golden guard rail between her and the crowd below; it was like a metal wall, there to protect her. She clung to it. It felt like way more than a hundred people despite what Lionel had told her.

At first, the whispers continued as if Kaia and Kaleb were invisible. The stir in the air caused by their presence went unnoticed; the already humming atmosphere obscured the small change. Kaleb glanced at Kaia, approaching the railing so that he was standing beside her. Kaia wanted to hide away behind him but forced herself to remain by his side. She was here for a reason, and she was determined to hang on to the bravery that she'd discovered in herself. 

"Day Walkers!" Kaleb bellowed. His voice shocked Kaia, and she flinched away. She hadn't been prepared for Kaleb to raise his voice; it was a wonder to behold. The moment he spoke, the whispers stopped. Kaia could have heard a mouse tiptoe across the shining marble floors. 

Heads turned, bodies rotated, and suddenly every neck in the room was craned, every set of eyes staring at them. Every inch of Kaia told her to shrink away, every inch but the part of her that was there for Kaleb; she couldn't go, not if it meant leaving him. He continued, uttering names that one by one brought more shouts of pride. "Watchers!" More shouts. The uneasiness in the room subsided as the whispers faded into memory, replaced by the overwhelming noise of the crowd. 

"Messengers and Guardians!" The names continued. Kaia struggled to understand what they were as Kaleb proceeded to list them. But Kaleb looked confident and powerful as he said them; his eyes were mirrors, reflecting the pride that the group offered him. Then it clicked. 

"My Prowlers!" he said finally, this name inciting the loudest cheer yet. Kaleb was naming his Pack, addressing them, bringing them together for one purpose. And that purpose was...

"I wanted to show you that I have found my mate," he said, his voice strong and loud, sending shockwaves throughout the room. There was a moment of suspended silence as eyes flicked between Kaleb and his mate. Kaia fought to look regal; she felt that the situation called for some decorum. But she was wearing oversized clothes and hadn't showered. She felt tiny next to Kaleb, and her nerves made her feel even smaller. So her attempt at regality came across more like a stubborn stab at dignity. 

Nevertheless, there were still shouts of approval. Most of those below were joyful, celebrating the arrival of a new member of their Pack. But others were less ecstatic. The ones that stared in eerie silence, still amongst their rioting kin, had realized what few already knew. There was something different about Kaia, whether it be her strange scent or her appearance. Something was missing. 

Kaleb held up his hand, quieting the crowd. The other, still flat against Kaia's back, practically holding her upright, pressed even harder against her shoulder blades. Kaia's skin prickled. Something was wrong. She looked up at him; his jaw was set, a muscle twitching on the side of his face. "There's something else I must tell you," he said, the steely presence in his voice doing away with the last of the cheers. 

The mass below waited, watched. Kaia felt eyes on her yet, but one by one they turned to their Alpha, wondering why he was no longer speaking. Kaia looked up at Kaleb again, wondering just the same. 

What she saw jarred her. Kaleb was slipping. The unbreakable mask he always seemed to wear, his hiding behind anger, suddenly made sense; he wore it for his Pack, to show them his strength, his authority. The soft part of Kaleb, the one that Kaia had to dig for, was too weak to be an Alpha. Alphas, Kaia realized, must be perfect, and, in the world of lycanthropy, perfection meant firm, unbreakable backbone. Kaia's tender wolf would not suit this stage. 

And yet it was her wolf that was starting to appear. Kaleb's eyes were downcast, hiding from the dozens of stares that pierced him. His shoulders were lower than they'd been a moment earlier, his lips pressed together roughly. There was a tiny line of concern between his eyebrows. Kaia had realized the importance of this moment as they'd walked out, emerged as the center of attention to people below them. Kaleb was a leader, and whatever he was trying to tell his Pack was making that burden heavier than it already was; Kaleb was losing his composure. 

So Kaia did the only thing she could to save him. She took her hand from the railing and slipped it into Kaleb's, hidden from their onlookers. And she held it tightly, willing her touch to comfort him, to put some of that strength back in his posture for the eyes of his people. This moment was important. She had to help him. 

Kaleb looked down at her for a moment, understanding painting his expression gentle for a precious, silent second. He took a deep breath, looking into Kaia's eyes. She felt calm, not sure if the quiet in her heart was hers or Kaleb's; she hoped it was his and that she'd helped assuage whatever his worries were. 

Kaleb's beautiful gold eyes turned back to the crowd, the strength flooding back into his appearance. He was tall again, dominant, an Alpha over his Pack. "My mate-"

"Is a human!" shouted a voice. The worst kind of silence followed that outcry. It was the kind fraught with suspense, tinged with fear, filled with unsaid affronts and impending knives of anger, destined to fall if one so much as breathed. 

Kaia didn't understand how three small words could hush so many people. Perhaps it was because of the venom infused in the offending words. Kaia would have liked to think that. But she knew better. It was that last word, dreadful in its finality, that stole the crowds' voices. Human. 

"Is that what you were going to say?" called a voice up to Kaleb. The crowd parted a bit, yielding to reveal Grayson alone on his little island, standing out in the sea of faces. 

There were some disbelieving looks shot Grayson's way, as if such an accusation was preposterous. Lycanthrope didn't mate with humans, especially not Alphas. A human could not be an Alpha's mate. 

Other faces were solemn. Kaia could have sworn that she saw pity in some of their eyes as if they already knew it was true and such a thing was a crying shame in and of itself. Or perhaps it was instead pity for Kaia because she had so quickly gone from the pride of the Pack to a disgraced victim of prejudice. And it had just been a few words. 

"She is a disgrace, boy," Grayson said. Kaia bristled at the way Grayson said the word 'boy' as if it were an insult, an attack on Kaleb's youth; Grayson was trying to knock Kaleb down. "This," Grayson said, gesturing to the balcony where Kaia stood but looking around at his fellow lycanthrope, "Is an abomination. Humans are weak and ignorant." He uttered those words as if it were a mere reminder. Hello, lycanthrope. We are superior! Or had you forgotten?

Grayson turned back to Kaleb, looking up at him with his arms crossed over his broad chest. His eyes were defiant. "You are just as weak if you would bow to their level and take one as your mate," Grayson growled, "And a weak Alpha is not an Alpha at all." 

Kaia recoiled internally, feeling weak suddenly. She hadn't realized how out of her element she'd been this entire time; the comfort she felt with Kaleb, with Rosy, and with Lionel had hidden the truth from her. But perhaps the reality was different. Maybe she would not be as readily accepted as she'd expected. She was a human, and this alone made her different, didn't it?

"I agree," Kaleb said, his voice not betraying any emotion. Kaia jolted, looking up at him desperately. Was he admitting defeat? Did he agree that Kaia was weak, that she didn't belong? The worst of scenarios spun through Kaia's mind...until she saw his eyes. They were dark, angry. Kaleb was furious at Grayson, even if he hid it from his voice. "An Alpha must be strong," Kaleb said, his voice lowering, his words fading into an animalistic growl. Kaia watched in admiration; compared to how he appeared now, the power he'd displayed earlier was as the moon is to the sun.

If before he was a king, now he was a god. 

Kaia's heart surged with pride and desire as he reached forward, taking his hand from hers and swinging his body lithely over the railing on one arm. Kaia pressed herself against the metal instantly so that she could watch him slice through the air, landing on the marble with a thud. He'd fallen twenty feet and stood again, unhurt. Kaia clutched her chest, her heart pounding as she observed the scene in front of her. 

The crowd parted in front of Kaleb as he advanced, some bowing their heads in reverence; despite the doubts that Grayson had sowed in them, they still respected Kaleb as their Alpha. Some of them, however, stared angrily at Kaleb like he'd wronged them somehow. Kaleb ignored them and stalked towards Grayson, slowly and surely, each step thunder in the silent room. Grayson stood tall as Kaleb approached him, but his presence was a candle next to Kaleb's bonfire. 

"My mother, beloved Luna," Kaleb finally started as he came to stand in front of Grayson. There were some whispers of reverence as Kaleb invoked his mother's name. Even the rebelliously angry Pack members bowed their heads at the mention of Kaleb's mother. 

Kaleb's eyes never left Grayson as he continued, "She once told me that the true test of strength is not fighting or proficiency in battle. It is not what rank you hold. We are truly strong if we find the courage to follow our hearts, our morals, even when the rest of the world pushes against us." 

There was a murmur in the crowd. Kaleb's words had struck a chord with them. "My parents made this Pack what it is today," Kaleb said, looking around him to address the others, "We do not harm humans. We are Guardians." Kaleb turned back to Grayson, staring him down, "They would be ashamed to see such hatred for humans brimming in you, protected by the name that they built."

Kaia's heart was light. She wanted to go to Kaleb, take him into her arms and thank him for showing everyone the truth. Kaia was human. She was different. But why should that mean that she was to be hated? To be treated as less? 

She'd been privileged, sheltered enough not to have to experience blind hatred before. She knew it wasn't uncommon in the human world, either. Now she knew that it felt terrible. She was glad that most of the Pack, that Kaleb, knew that it was wrong. 

Grayson looked like he'd taken a blow to the stomach. He was bursting with anger, a vein appearing in the center of his forehead. "Your parents were both lycanthrope," Grayson argued, but he was a declawed kitten now, pawing uselessly at Kaleb. Despite his size and his age, Grayson was, at that moment, weaker than Kaleb. The man hated his feebleness. Kaia relished it. 

"My parents," Kaleb said, his voice harsh as if he were scolding Grayson for attempting to use his parents against him, "Loved each other. And there is nothing braver than that. The girl standing above you is my mate, and I wouldn't change that fact even if I could. She is one of us now, no different from the humans we speak to at the Accords; you are to show her only respect." 

Their eyes were on her again, but Kaia felt calm this time, confident. The number of disapproving eyes had declined. She wondered if she and Kaleb could win them all over. Kaleb was strong, even if some of those in his presence might doubt him because of his youth or his inexperience, his loss, and, now, his human mate. Kaleb was not an ordinary Alpha, but, Kaia thought, maybe that wasn't a bad thing. She had faith in him. And besides, the Prowlers weren't an ordinary Pack, either. 

"She is to be your Luna," Kaleb said. There was no indication that anyone else had detected it, but Kaia heard his voice catch with feather-soft sentiment at those words. 

It was all Kaia could do not to melt right there in front of the crowd, to pool at the ground near her feet and drip off of the balcony to the floor below. She felt like collapsing to her knees under the emotions that ran through her. She knew in her heart that she would remember this moment for years, the moment that Kaleb accepted her, gave her a place to belong, a purpose. 

The ghosts that haunted Kaia drifted up into the sky; loneliness, her old enemy, was but a shadow in the darkest hour of the night. 

Kaia exhaled, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Kaleb glanced up at her briefly. The world faded around them for a moment, the speck of gold below was the only thing that Kaia could see. The look was more than just a meeting of eyes. It was an agreement, a shared understanding that whatever happened would happen to the both of them...together. Wherever one went, the other would be there, too. 

Kaleb looked away, turning back to Grayson who had seemed to accept his defeat in roiling agitation, an evident lack of grace. "You may remain in this Pack only if you abide by its rules and respect its Luna. If you disobey, you will receive exile as punishment. Lion, help him out." 

And with that, the moment was over. The scene broke, and people began to flow out of the hall. Some lycanthrope climbed the stairs behind Kaleb--those with a manner around them that implied higher rank--to make Kaia's acquaintance. But Kaleb ushered them away, said that it was for another time as Kaia was still wounded. 

They disappeared once again behind the double doors. 

So that was a rather long update for you guys. Very dramatic, right? Let me know what you thought and don't forget to vote if you can find it in your heart. Thanks for reading!