Chapter 1

Every two years, the packs all over North, South, East and West, gather for the Mating Ceremony held in our pack located in the North, The Loropoulus pack. Considering we are the biggest of all the packs and holds the Northern Territory, the Ceremony is a big deal. Our pack get to host the event for everyone else. We have a huge arena that spans the whole of our territory, with plenty enough space for the crowd, a great meal and entertainment facilities for the wolves, a place to groom themselves and a place where they can meet people that they like.

Everyone looks excited as different packs arrived, The Everinel pack of the South, Omigordion pack of the East, Silverius pack of West. These are all smaller packs, compare to our thousands of pack members, the count of the other packs are less than two hundred. Once their mate is found and united, the mates from other packs who are mated to ours can choose to stay in our pack or leave with their mates, sometimes it takes them days to decide if they will leave or stay.

Gathered in the huge clearing of the forest, the females who turned eighteen are all waiting in anticipation to show of their wolf and of course, to find their mate. Everyone is dress in white, including the male ones, today is the big day for the pack members that turned eighteen to change into their wolf. EVEN though they are all aware their wolf is with them, it's not the first time for them to change into their wolves, but it's the first time for some to meet their mates.

Everybody shifted, in that clearing, big enough to cater hundreds of them.

Everybody, but me.

A Loropoulus pack member who is mateless and lives with her grandma. I missed my opportunity to shift 4 years ago.

Yes, that's me. The one and only Callista.

What a lonely sad life, right.

With no parents, no one is really going to shame me but myself. My grandma and I owns the pack's local bakery, that sells the best bread and pastries. I bake along with her from time to time. When I say from time to time, that is 6 am everyday so we can prepare the packs favorite pastries and breads.

I turned twenty-two a month ago, and I still have no wolf. I'm basically an ordinary pack member in human form, I guess I'm not a shifter, and I'm weaker than a normal pack member that can shift, I'm basically more human-It happens, it's never unheard of. We had history of werewolves that can't shift, and yet they live a normal life.

Sometimes the Moon Goddess just don't give you one, I guess I'm one of those that she don't like.

The pack don't bully me because of it, instead they pity me. Some who knows me, looks at me as if I got a disease that nobody encountered before, they would throw me sympathetic looks, feeling bad for my weak ass who can't even shift at my age, and newsflash, I'm the only one in the pack who can't shift, of course along with the elderly pack members who don't have the strength to shift anymore specially when they reach the peak of their age.

But who cares, I know I don't.

Really, I don't.

Well, a little bit.

Just a little.

Maybe too little-

Ugh.

It sucks really, I feel like an outcast. Like I don't belong, I can't even run with the pack during fullmoon, all I do is watch and hear the howl of the group from afar. For a werewolf like me, if you can even call me one, it's - sad.

Yeah, A little because moon goddess decided to skip me when she sprinkled the wolf spirit in our pack.

Being a none shifter, once I turned eighteen and discovered how I don't have a wolf, I lost interest attending events of the pack, that includes the mating ceremony, but this year I decided to see the event, since my grandma and I are supplying the pastries for this event.

Since I'm not going to be mated this year, might be as well useful part of the pack, I can only be mated unless someone without a mate chooses to mate with me, but I don't want that. Like some left over for someone who can't find their mate.

Right.

I don't want any of that.

Mates.

Being mated?

They might want it, but not me...

Yes, not me.

Ah, the good o'l mates. It's nice watch how the pack united and bonded with their mates, the Alphas of each pack commanded their members to shift, everybody shifted into their beautiful wolf, I watch in awe as the mates found their way into each others arms- nuzzling, licking and a'las shifted back to their human form, hugging and kissing.

The scent in the air reeks of their lust for each other, which mates enjoyed. Even in human form, and without my wolf, I can still smell their desire for each other.

Good for them, I don't think I'll be looking for a mate at this point, nobody would want to be with a wolfless werewolf. For a moment I felt sadness inside me, but I managed to brush that off. Who needs a mate? They are just a pain in the ass.

I can grow old alone for all I care. Or maybe find a human who will not know I'm a werewolf since I won't shift anyway, I might as well have a normal life as a human...For that, I would have to go to the city, to the human world. There are some humans in our pack, but they are mated with our pack members, and they had long accepted our existence, so it's no longer a big deal.

For the last time, I scan the crowd of finally mated wolves, my gaze went to our Alpha.

Alpha Cepheus Leventi.

I rarely see the Alpha, he only comes out in public during events, he's a very busy man, since he leads the pack council of all Alphas. He's basically the leader of the leaders. If that makes any sense, that's how powerful and influential he is.

I watched as he scanned the crowd, as if looking for something. While others bond and unite with their mates, Alpha Cepheus watched from the distance. There is a stage placed in center, where all the Alphas are sitting and talking to each other, except Alpha Cepheus.

He was standing, literally standing.

I mean, He really do stands out with his imposing presence among other Alphas in that stage-with his towering six foot five he made the other alphas look small, his broad muscled shoulders, sharp jawline, striking blue eyes that holds so much piercness in them, looking at him feels so intense, and a commanding aura, and not to mention that fitted black shirt that he's wearing, it hugs all his muscles in the right places- but despite his attractiveness, I know better than to be drawn to him.

But Damn that Alpha is so attractive.

I can't help myself but admire him.

How can a man be so good looking in someone's eyes?

Maybe it's just a preference. That oozing sex appeal, it makes women throw themselves at him. I continued admiring the Alpha, it's not bad, after all I'm mateless.

Atleast from afar, I'm pretty sure as Moon Goddess that he don't even know me. Handling thousands of pack member doesn't mean he has to know everybody, he probably knows his members by scent, but not all their names.

Alpha Cepheus runs our pack with an iron fist, feared by neighboring packs. At thirty, he's a mateless alpha, yet he commands respect and holds the largest territory. Thanks to him, our pack thrives, trading goods and maintaining strict borders.

Our pack is in peace, no one really messes with us because of him, and I - oh well. I prefer to live my life in peace, unnoticed and just minding my own business.

The ceremony progressed, I noticed Alpha Cepheus seemed more restless than usual. His piercing blue eyes scanned the crowd a couple of times, repeatedly, almost desperately. It was strange, seeing him so agitated, so unlike his usual composed self. Still I watch him with curiosity, I don't understand how am I so interested to know what he was looking for.

Maybe he is hoping to find his mate from the other packs, even for a strong willed and ruthless man like him, he probably wants to have an Alpha Female, after all, moon goddess gives everyone a chance regardless of their background.

My gaze landed to the newly mated again, they looked so happy. Finally, the wolves from each pack howled in excitement, marking the union of new mates official. I watched as couples embraced once again, the spark of their connection evident in their glowing eyes. The crowd slowly dissipated, the mates walked hand in hand as they are given the choice to either stay in the pack or leave with their mates, they have a few days to decide. My heart ached slightly at the sight, a reminder of what I lacked.

But then, I remind myself how I don't need one.

I am happy being alone. Yes, I'll keep telling myself that.

I stood by the edge of the clearing, trying to blend into the background. The less attention I drew, the better. I didn't want pity or curious glances. Just as I was about to retreat back into the forest, I felt an unusual pull, a tingling sensation that started at my fingertips and traveled up my spine.

Instinctively, I looked up and found Alpha Cepheus gaze fixed on me. His eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that made me catch my breath. For a moment, everything around us faded away-the noise, the crowd, the ceremony. It was just him and me, in a silent, electric connection.

Then, as quickly as it started, the moment ended. The Alpha broke the gaze, a look of confusion and something else-was it recognition?-flickered across his face before he turned away.

My heart pounded in my chest.

What... was.... that?

Oh Moon Goddess.

'I shouldn't have looked at him like that. What if he finds me and kills me?' - I panicked. Suddenly feeling worried.

The very thought of the alpha staring at me like that sent shiver down my spine. He had been looking right at me, Alpha Cepheus, as if he saw through me, beyond my physical form. Like he could see right through the fabric of reality. Into the soul behind the flesh.

My fingers twitched as goosebumps rippled over my skin. I tried to push those thoughts out of my mind, but they wouldn't budge. A deep sense of unease settled in the pit of my stomach. Had I imagined it? But no, there had been something strange about his expression. Something more than simple recognition.

That strange pull lingered since he'd looked at me. As if there was a new energy coursing through my veins. I glanced around again, but couldn't spot him anywhere.

A sighed of relief escape my lips.

Good Goddess.

Alright...

That's my que to leave.

Author's Note:

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