^ Picture of Kai Ambrose

"And everything went from wrong to right, and the stars came out to fill up the sky. The music you were playin' really blew my mind. It was love at first sight."
~Kylie Minogue, 'Love At First Sight'

~~~

*Ryland's POV*

"I can't believe I'm really going to a fancy party!" Kai squeals excitedly in the back seat.

"Remember, it's not just a party," I tell him with a raised brow, looking at him through the rear view mirror. "It's a coronation. Meaning you have to be on your best behavior."

Kai sticks out his bottom lip in a pout. "I'm always on my best behavior!"

I can't help the snort that escapes me. "Sure, sure, whatever you say. I mean it though, Kai. You need to stay close to us. You're an unmarked Omega. If anything were to happen, Ronnie needs to be close enough to help. Promise me you'll stay next to us."

"I can take care of myself," Kai grumbles.

"Promise me," I repeat sternly. Kai casts me a glare, which I return tenfold. He holds my glare for a new more seconds before signing and slumping into his seat.

"I promise," he mumbles nearly inaudibly. I accept in nonetheless, knowing that's the best I'll get out of him.

"Where the hell am I supposed to park?" Ronnie asks aloud. Her eyes scan the roads, but there's not a clear parking lot in sight. With a frustrated groan, she pulls to the side of the road and parks. Her eyes glaze over for a moment before refocusing. "Lyn says there's an empty field behind the pack house. We should be okay to park there."

We pull around and park behind the enormous building before climbing out of the car and walking inside. I straighten the jacket to my navy blue suit, smoothing out any wrinkles that resulted from the car ride. Kai whines as I fuss about him, fixing his clothing and making sure he looks presentable in his dusty rose pink suit. His suit jacket is open, revealing the crisp white button-up shirt underneath. I lick my fingertips and smooth down his fluffy hair as Kai attempts to swat my hands away. Ronnie watches us in amusement. Her silk black dress, which is shorter in the front and much longer in the back, has intricate lace that extends two inches up from the sweetheart neckline, down to the long sheer sleeves. Her silky hair is twisted up and held in place by a obsidian clip, decorated with large jewels. No doubt a gift from Lyn, as Ronnie tends to shy away from anything too expensive.

We step into the house, the first floor resembling a lobby to some fancy hotel. There's a young lady seated behind a desk, like a receptionist. Her chestnut brown hair barely brushes against her shoulders, and she's wearing a proper yet plain cream colored dress that comes to her knees.

"Hi," I say awkwardly, and the girl looks up at us. "We're here for the coronation... we're Lyn's friends." The girl cocks her head to the side and her brows pull together in confusion. "Roselyn, sorry. Roselyn Garcia," I clarify.

"Oh!" The girl smiles brightly. "Yes, Leon gave me a list of Roselyn's guests, let me see here..." she pulls a slip of paper from a stack of documents on the desk and squints as she reads it. "You must be Ryland Ambrose, Veronica Vega, and Kai Ambrose?"

Ronnie grunts, making me grin. Leave it to Lyn to use Ronnie's full name to annoy her from afar.

"Yes, that's us," I smile politely. The girl nods and gestures towards the elevator.

"The coronation will be held on the fourth floor. You're a tad early, but feel free to look around the Hall of Alphas while you're up there. I'll contact Roselyn and let her know you're here."

"No need," Ronnie waves her off. "She still has access to our mind link. We'll let her know we're here."

I thank the girl before we head to the elevator and up to the fourth floor. Ronnie's eyes glaze over as she reaches out to Lyn, letting her know that we're here. Lyn may be joining the Silver Woods Pack today, but the blood of the Crescent Sun Pack still runs through her veins. Her connection to us, to her family still in the pack, will never be severed.

The doors open to the large ballroom. My eyes widen as I look around, taking in the extravagant room. The walls are covered in gold accents that lead up to the high ceiling, with a crystal chandelier hanging down. My jaw drops as I take in my surroundings. Holy shit, how rich is this pack? I'm too wrapped up in gaping at everything around me, that I don't even notice Ronnie and Kai walking ahead without me. I finally tear my eyes away and look at the tables placed around the ballroom. There are a few people here, but for the most part it seems we were early enough to beat everyone else here.

"Ry!" Kai calls out, waving me over. I jog over to where him and Ronnie are standing. "The Hall of Alphas is down here. Can we take a look? We have some time to kill."

I shrug my shoulders. "Sure, I don't see why not."

Kai grins gleefully and we head down the hall. We walk slowly, taking our time to look at each photo and reading the corresponding plaques. I slow my steps as I reach the second to last photo. The man in the portrait reminds me a lot of Leon, at least what I've seen from the photos Lyn has shown me. They both have the same heavy set brows and chiseled facial features. But while Leon's hair is dark red, this man's hair is closer to a light orange. I read his plaque and find out this is Silas, Leon's dad. I furrow my brows in confusion, since there was still another photo. But that doesn't make sense, because Silas is the current Alpha. How would there be someone between Silas and Leon?

"Who is that?" I question, studying the photo of the young man with the same light red hair as Silas. His features are softer, accented by the light stubble on his cheeks. His green eyes hold so much light that it makes the corners of my lips twitch up into a small smile.

"Easton Butler," Kai reads the plaque aloud. Ronnie's head snaps in our direction.

"Holy shit," she breathes out. "It's him."

I tilt my head to the side. "Who is he?"

"Lyn told me about him," she murmurs. "That's Leon's older brother."

I turn my head back to the portrait, feeling more confused than before. If Leon has an older brother, why is Leon becoming Alpha? I read the plaque, noticing he was Alpha for four years, up until five years ago.

"Why isn't he the Alpha anymore?" I ask Ronnie. She bites her bottom lip, eyes filling with sadness and pity.

"He took his life five years ago. Lyn said he was kidnapped by a rival pack and tortured. According to Leon, Easton would never open up to them about what happened, although they deducted he was beaten and raped. At the very least," she tacks on, face twisting in disgust. Kai's wide eyes return to the photo, looking like he was going to be sick.

"Why didn't we hear about that?"

"Lyn said the family wanted to keep the information from the public," Ronnie answers me. "They didn't want their pack knowing what happened to their Alpha. They wanted them to remember him as the strong leader he was, not for what cruel things happened to him. I guess they told the pack that Easton died in an accident or something."

I slowly nod my head, turning my gaze back to the portrait. Something on the plaque beneath the photo catches my eye, and I frown. I brush my fingers over the scratched out lettering.

"And this?" I murmur as I try to read the damaged inscription. "Do you know what happened here?"

Ronnie hums thoughtfully. "Lyn said the previous Luna was wrongfully blamed for Easton's death and banished from the pack. Someone must've taken it upon themselves to scratch his name off, further erasing him from the pack's history."

A heavy sadness fills my chest. This guy... the former Luna... he lost his mate to suicide, and then his own pack turned their backs on him? True, I don't know the full story there, but my heart can't help but ache for this unknown man. From what Ronnie's told me, it doesn't sound like it was the Luna's fault. How could it have been?

"Anyway, we should go find out seats," Ronnie suggests. "It sounds like more people are showing up and we want to secure a table before they're all taken." I nod my head in agreement, tugging on Kai's sleeve to pull him away from the portraits. He reluctantly tears his gaze away and follows behind us to an open table. I barely sit down when a magnetic pull tugs at me. I look up in the direction of the pull, searching for the source. The elevator is closing, but I can't see beyond through the crowd. Murmurs and whispers fill the room, all directed at the source of that invisible pull. I frown, craning my neck but still unable to see anything.

"What are you doing?" Kai questions with a raised brow. I shake my head, not actually knowing why I was so keen on seeing past the crowd, or what this unseen pull was. Kai shrugs and starts asking Ronnie about her latest gadgets, which she is all too happy to divulge. The two talk animatedly, Ronnie being excited that someone is interested in her work, and Kai with eyes full of wonder as he's always been fascinated with science.

The ramblings continue until the man I recognize as Silas walks onto the stage. The room falls silent as Silas begins his introduction. "Welcome all. What an honor it is to have such esteemed members of our pack here tonight, as well as some special guests from the Crescent Sun Pack."

I release a loud 'whoop!' at the mention of our pack. Ronnie shushes me with a glare as Kai giggles. I grin cheekily but quiet down nonetheless. Lyn is standing at the back of the stage, looking radiant in her floor-length light pink dress, suppressing a smile as she looks over at our group.

Silas welcomes Leon to the stage, and my eyes slightly bulge. Hot damn, way to go, Lyn! Leon is way more attractive than the photos Lyn had shown me, photos that were randomly taken while Leon wasn't paying attention. They begin the ceremony, and I wince as Silas cuts both their palms with a sharp blade, blood dripping down. Goddess, do these ceremonies really have to be this gross? Luckily, it's over fairly soon, and Lyn is stepping up with Leon's mom.

I watch with pride and a smile on my face as the Luna passes on her blessing to Lyn. Lyn is glowing with a smile bright enough for anyone to feel her joy.

"Roselyn Garcia," Leon's mother starts, and I nearly squeal. "May the Moon Goddess shine upon you for all your days as Luna of the Silver Woods Pack. I cannot think of anyone better suited to be my Leon's mate, nor can I think of anyone more worthy of being this pack's Luna."

My hands are clasped together, and the overwhelming desire to jump up and cheer floods through me. That's my best friend! She's now the Luna of the Silver Woods Pack! I want to shout it out for everyone to hear, and I nearly do, but an eerie feeling falls over the silent room, sending goosebumps up my arms. The room is strangely quiet as heads turn towards the opposite side of the room. Again, I strain to see what's happening, but I can't over the crowd.

A loud clatter of a chair scrapping across the floor helps me pinpoint the source of attention. A man with dirty blonde hair stands up, and that invisible pull grows ten times stronger. I can't see his face, but I can somehow feel his anger.

Who is he?

I don't have a chance to figure it out before he's storming out of the room. There's an awkward silence before Leon's mom clears her throat and continues with her blessing. Lyn smiles again, but it's shaky and forced. Whoever that was obviously affected Lyn, and suddenly I feel very annoyed. Who does he think he is to ruin this moment for Lyn?

The blessing concludes, and Silas signals for the wait staff to bring out trays of dessert for everyone to celebrate the coronation of his son. Lyn sits at a table with the head family, her face stricken with worry.

'Lyn?' I reach out to her through our pack link, making sure Ronnie and Kai can hear. 'What's the matter?' Lyn chews on her bottom lip nervously, seeming hesitant to answer. 'Come on, you can trust us. What's going on?'

'Leon says he senses a wolf hunting in the area,' she reluctantly answers. 'He says he smells blood, most likely deer.'

'Does he know who is it?' Ronnie asks.

Lyn discreetly shakes her head. 'He says the scent is familiar, but he can't place it. It might be a rogue. He wants to scope it out, but I really don't want him leaving his own coronation. This is his day. He shouldn't have to be the one to do this.'

'I can go,' Ronnie offers. 'I'm one of the strongest wolves in our pack, I should be fine.'

Lyn's relief floods our link. 'Thank you so much, Ronnie. Keep me updated.'

Ronnie nods her head and turns back to us. She freezes in her slot, eyes going wide.

"What?" I ask aloud.

"Uhh..." Ronnie's eyes are focused on the spot next to me. "Where's Kai?"

My head whips around to the empty seat beside me, and I mentally curse. Shit! We were too focused on Lyn that we weren't paying close enough attention to Kai!

"Dammit!" I growl, jumping out of my seat and rushing towards the stairs with Ronnie close behind. I follow his scent and groan when I realize he headed into the woods.

'Kai!' I mentally snap at him. 'What the fuck do you think you're doing?'

'You guys always say I can't handle myself, that I can't do anything on my own!' He responds, sounding way too worked up. 'I'll prove to you that I'm not just a weak omega!'

'Dammit, Kai!' I growl, finding his articles of clothing strewn across the ground. He must've thrown his clothes off as he was running. 'This isn't a game! You can't just run after rogue wolves, especially in unknown territory!'

'We'll be fine,' the voice of Kieran speaks up, indicating Kai just shifted and gave control to his wolf. Kieran's voice is similar to Kai's, only slightly deeper. Still, not as deep or intimidating as the average wolf.

"I'll get him back," Ronnie promises, already slipping out of her clothing, letting her dress pool at her feet. I gather up her clothes along with Kai's, not even flinching at the sight of her naked body. Ronnie may be one of the two most gorgeous girls I've ever seen, but she's my best friend. Practically my sister. I don't see her that way.

Plus, in case I haven't already mentioned, I'm gay as hell.

The chilling sound of bones cracking fills my ears, making me wince. As it's been five years since I've shifted, I'm no longer used to the sounds of others shifting. The sound, which used to feel normal to me, now makes my stomach feel queasy.

Luckily for me, Ronnie shifts a lot and is able to do it fairly quickly. Valeria stands before me now, dark grey fur blowing in the cool night breeze. She looks at me and nods, which I return, before taking off into the woods. I run after her, although I'm not nearly as fast. I lose sight of her and have to rely on tracking her scent. Snarls and growls encourage me to run faster until I'm finally able to catch up. As I get closer, I notice that invisible pull from before has returned and is growing in strength.

Valeria is standing in front of Kai, who is currently in the light brown wolf form of Kieran. She's staring down an unknown wolf, giving him a warning growl. My brother is on the ground, and panic constricts my chest.

"Kai!" I call out frantically. All three heads snap in my direction, but my focus locks on the unknown wolf with gorgeous silver fur, reflecting the light of the moon above.

My eyes meet his glowing blue ones, and I nearly fall to my knees. He does though, as his knees buckle and he stumbles to the ground. That invisible rope is tethered straight to him, tugging forcefully at my heart. River whimpers, which is much more than the animalistic growls I usually get. He still can't speak, but he doesn't need to for me to know what's going through his head.

Mate.

This is.... my mate.

A choked sob escapes me, and I cover my mouth with a shaking hand. Kai shifts back, rushing to my side with a worried expression. Ronnie stays in her wolf form as Valeria, standing between us and the silver wolf, but she continues to glance back at me in concern.

The wolf releases a pained howl, his bones cracking agonizingly slowly as he shifts back. Hot tears fall freely down my cheeks as I watch him, his pain hurting me as well. I desperately want to scoop him in my arms and protect him from the pain, but I hold myself back. I don't know him, I can't just rush over to him. I don't want to scare him off. Once he's fully shifted back into his human form and Valeria has decided he's no longer a threat, she shifts back and Ronnie comes to stand by my side. She bends over to pick her clothing off the ground; clothing I didn't even realize had slipped out of my hands.

The silver wolf has shifted into a man — a stunningly gorgeous man — and he's cowering on the ground in fear and disbelief. His wide eyes are no longer glowing, but they're still a striking blue that makes my heart yearn to hold him in my arms.

His hair is dirty blonde and messy, sticking up in every direction. I recognize him as the man who left the coronation during the blessing, and it becomes clear why I felt such a strong connection to him.

My feet move on their own, carrying me closer to him as the worried words of my friend and brother go in one ear and out the other. The man trembles as I approach him, so I move slowly. I reach down, gently grabbing his upper arms and pulling him up to his feet. The contact makes my skin tingle with pleasure, and sends goosebumps over his skin. I can't seem to tear my gaze away from his oceanic blue eyes, feeling completely lost in their endless depth. He stares back at me, searching my eyes in the same way.

His scent hits me — pine and lavender — and it's overwhelming because I haven't experienced a scent this strong since Roman.

Roman.

But...
Roman is— was my mate.
How... how is this possible?

This isn't supposed to be possible. I already had a mate. I was rejected. If Roman wasn't truly my mate, River wouldn't have gone feral. But... my connection to the man in front of me in undeniable. Whatever the Moon Goddess mixed up, this man is without a doubt my mate.

I step closer to him, drawing my nose closer to the crook of his neck, where his intoxicating scent is the strongest. Closing my eyes, I breathe him in. Everything wrong suddenly feels right now that I'm holding him close. He trembles in my arms, his breath hitching as my nose brushes his bare skin. When my eyes reopen, I catch something that makes me freeze in my spot.

Is that....?

"You're marked," I blurt out, looking back up at his piercing blue eyes. This seems to snap him out of his trance as his eyes harden and he roughly shoves me away. The action hurts more emotionally than it does physically.

"I already have a mate," he growls sharply. The wind gets knocked out of me, and I can only stare back at him with wide eyes, my body shaking as River switches back and forth between growling and whimpering.

What the hell is happening to me?

~~~

oof
poor Ryland
I hope things work out for him

hehe

Sorry this took a bit! I was solidifying the other couples, as I'm planning on writing more books and making a little series!
BUT — I need help coming up with a series name. Any suggestions?

Remember to comment and vote!

Thanks, loves!
-Gumbie