Part 1
Part 1
A BALON
“A mate will love you, and only you. No other can compare, and he or she will treasure you above all else in the world,” my mother said, kissing my forehead.
I sighed, lost in a dream. I couldn’t wait to find my mate. He would be perfect – handsome, funny, smart, brave, beautiful. He would love me… only me… and… and…
Present
The pain was a crushing weight. To see him, to hear him, to *know* my mate – the one who was supposed to love me above all others – loved someone else. It felt like a betrayal carved into bone.
I would hate him if I could.
I would reject him, if I only could. I wished I could.
“Hop on, I’ll give you a piggyback,” Javier offered, bending slightly for Ivan to climb onto his back.
I glared at them, fury rising in my chest. My feet were screaming with exhaustion! Shouldn’t he be carrying *me*, treating me like a princess?
Of course, I didn’t voice the thought. I’d be insane to. Ivan *was* our Luna, our second Alpha, and Javier, my mate, was our Beta. It was a power dynamic I couldn’t afford to challenge.
Slowing my pace, I deliberately fell behind, staring at the forest floor.
We were heading to the Elders’ Council Palace, a ten-mile hike. Since the path was inaccessible to vehicles, we walked.
We reached the Palace before dark, and all ten of us were assigned rooms to clean up before dinner and discussions. Ivan wanted to propose that Javier’s younger cousin, Yanamarie, and her mate, Jarell, leave our territory and venture into the city to study medicine and weaponry. It would benefit us greatly, given the hunters’ increasing use of strange poisons and advanced weapons.
We were werewolves, seemingly one of the last four packs still alive. Hunters had decimated our numbers, and we’d seen a disturbing trend: wolves of age were being paired with gifted humans.
I would rather be paired with a gifted human than this callous jackass.
I sighed as the warm water washed away sweat and soreness. Javier knocked on the shower glass.
“Yes, Javier?” I called.
“I’ll be getting dressed in Luna’s room and escorting him to dinner,” he said, then was gone before I could respond. My chest ached with a familiar, agonizing emptiness.
Why couldn’t he escort *me* to dinner?
Why couldn’t he love me like he loves Ivan?
I shuddered at the futility of the thought. He would never do those things for me. I forced a smile, tilting my lips up at my reflection. Was this a performance? Could I even fool myself?
Dinner was pleasant, filled with polite conversation until it was time for the serious discussions. All the lower-ranking wolves were dismissed to their rooms, leaving only Javier, Ivan, and me present for the talks.
“Speak, Luna,” Alaric, the head of the Council, said after the servants cleared the table.
“Thank you, Elder. I propose that Healer Yanamarie, Javier’s cousin, be sent to the human world for three years to study their advancements in medicine, along with her mate, Jarell, who will study their weaponry. I believe understanding and familiarizing ourselves with the progress human hunters have made in perfecting their techniques for capturing and murdering our kind will greatly benefit us all,” Ivan said, meeting each Elder’s gaze for a moment.
Silence descended as the Elders considered Ivan’s words. Finally, Head Councilor Alaric spoke.
“Your proposal has merit, Luna. We will grant your request, but no longer than three years.” Alaric waited for Ivan’s nod.
“Good. You may rest tonight and return to your territory in the morning. The Elders and I will join the Alphas for their conference, so we will not be in your company. We bid you all a good night and a safe journey home.” Alaric stood, followed by the other four Elders.
As soon as they left, Luna squealed with delight, and my mate looked at him as if the sun shone from his ass.
I was sure he wasn’t even aware of me slipping out of the room. The indifference was a physical ache.