1. Introduction

Eva Silver

Count down started on screen. Once Zero displayed loud music banged and everyone started moving their bodies in full swing.

"Happy Birthday Eva", April, my best friend yelled and trapped me in a tight hug.

"Happy Birthday", Rain, the other piece of the Trio appeared with shots. These two idiots organized this crazy party. It's good but that count-down thing was too much.

"Thank you", I said. Clinked the glasses and that sour liquid burned our throats.

"I will leave", I informed.

"It's your birthday and the party barely started", April whined.

"It's a full moon", I pouted.

"You should grow up", Rain scoffed.

"I will, from next morning", I winked and they rolled their eyes in unison. I gave them a quick hug and came out of the club.

I got into my car and drove towards the forest. Well, the club was in town which was a neutral territory for all species. Forest had boundaries of packs. Especially, this part was under our pack. I halted the car near the lake. I checked my mobile and my chat box was filled with messages already. I didn't bother replying to them and switched off the phone.

Quickly, I removed my navy blue cocktail dress which I wore for the party, and all other accessories I had. I left them in the car and walked near the lake. I shifted into my wolf. It's completely white with little grey dust on the back which was almost negligible. After four generations, I was the only white wolf, well almost white wolf in my family. Most wolves from my clan were white-patched with different colors at a few spots. My pack was renowned for white wolves. There was a legend behind that white fur.

Long long back there was a pack named Sky Wolves. Moon goddess blessed that pack with the power to maintain the balance between species. By passing generations, Sky wolves became proud of their heritage and started bullying other packs and many other unethical practices. It eventually led to wars. Goddess angered and cursed the pack. They lost their strengths and abilities including shifting. Still, they didn't stop their atrocities.

Between all these, innocent pack wolves suffered because of their power-hunger high rankers. Once they united and went to their alpha requesting peace, but the alpha didn't agree. Their sufferings became never ending. Many wolves were losing their lives and the pack was becoming weak with the passing days.

A young wolf named Arthur, who lost his whole family challenged the alpha. They fought for two days without a break. At the end of the second-day alpha died and Arthur was barely alive with blood all over him. He lost his balance and fell into the lake beside him. The remaining pack wolves sat at the beach waiting for him to walk out of the lake. At midnight when the full moon was high on the head, the water of the lake started turning into a glowing grey shade which made the moon's reflection shine bright.

Slowly Arthur walked out of the lake with shining white fur like silver rather than his blood-tinted light brown one. He shifted into his handsome human form. All other wolves bowed before him and accepted him as their alpha. After that, all wolves got into the lake and returned with white fur. They vowed their loyalty to the moon goddess. She lifted the curse and they got their shifting ability but no other powers. They resided beside the lake and named their pack as Grey Lake pack and Arthur got his last name as Silver.

Now, this lake was just a normal lake with no grey shade. Every year, we celebrate our traditional ceremonies beside this lake showing our gratitude towards the moon goddess. There was a belief, that whoever could see the real grey lake they were blessed. Many claimed that they had seen the grey lake but no real proof.

There were many other fake beliefs about the lake. You could see the grey lake only if you were a real wolf or only if you were blessed or you couldn't see it with your human eyes or you could see it only on full moon nights in wolf form or the grey lake appears only if the pack was at the edge of destruction and many more. Among them most believed and happened one was, one could see the grey lake on a blue moon night in wolf form.

From the first time I listened to this story as a kid, I wanted to see the real Grey Lake hidden in this lake. As growing up I realized there was no such color-changing chameleon grey lake and it existed only in our pack legends and bedtime stories. But there was one part of me, that little kid inside me still believes that grey lake. I tried to ignore that part but I couldn't. My friends and my brothers laughed when I said this.

Every blue moon night I used to come to this lake when I was a kid. I had stopped coming here almost all my teenage years. Later I realized what would I lose if I spent a night peacefully in this forest and my wolf agreed. So here I was in my wolf form sitting on the beach of the lake and the bright full moon shining on my head. It coincidentally happened to be my birthday.

After a few minutes, I observed a change in the reflection of the moon. It became more bright and spread shine all over the place. Was I dreaming or was it happening in reality? The water was slowly changing its color to grey. I was expecting grey that's why I was seeing that color. Maybe it's my mind tricks. Or maybe because of night and moon I felt it. I everted my eyes somewhere else and looked back to the lake. It's completely grey and never before had I seen this.

'It's real', my wolf said. It started jumping with joy.

It's real. It's real. I saw the real grey lake. It's more beautiful than my imagination and the images I had seen in books. My wolf howled in joy looking at the moon.

After a few minutes, I saw pair of shining green eyes looking at me from another side of the lake. With my wolf vision, I could see it was a wolf. It's too far as I couldn't smell. Rouge wolf? It looked at me with that piercing eyes for some time and retreated into the woods. I spent a little more time near the lake. I shifted to my human form and that grey shade disappeared immediately. Maybe it would visible to wolf eyes only.

I went to my car and wore my sweatshirt and pants. I sat in the car checking my mobile and answering the inbox. Probably my family assume that I was partying with my friends and my friends may assume I was celebrating with my family. Simply it described my world.

My father Robert Silver was the gamma of Grey Lake. My brother Ryan Silver took over his place five years back. My uncle James Silver was the alpha of the pack and his elder son, my cousin more like my brother Evan Silver took his position seven years back. Evan's brother Luca and I joined as pack warriors. I turned twenty-two today. I had everything I ever asked for. I don't know how it would feel to have a mate. All I listened to and witnessed from my childhood was Mate completes you. I believed it. It felt good, somewhere someone waiting for me, just for me without even knowing me.

Jake Smith

My mobile was ringing again and I didn't want to answer it. She should understand that I wasn't in the mood to talk to her. It's ridiculous, calling again and again. I gulped down my drink. Again my mobile rang. Argh.

"Tell me Lisa", I said immediately after I answer the call. She was my girlfriend and my acting Luna.

"Where are you baby?" she asked in a usual sweet tone.

"Loading", I said.

"I thought you were coming home", she said.

"No, I was a bit busy lately", I said.

"You sound stressed. You need my help?" she asked dropping her tone to a husky manner.

"No, thank you. I will call you later", I said and cut the call.

I liked her a lot. She was strong, beautiful, and perfect for the Luna position. Manipulative but it's fine as long as she was self-conscious. She was already proved herself a good Luna. Even my pack accepted her. My wolf was very particular to pack. Even though he liked Lisa, he suggested taking some more time. He wasn't ready to take her as his mate and I didn't push him.

I was in the private lounge of Loading Club. It belonged to my friend Auston Greece and I had a small share in it. Whenever I felt distressed I came here and spent alone time. The Town night view from the balcony was amazing. Usually, this place was calm but not today. Music booming from the 2nd floor VIP lounge. The first floor was a general nightclub. Second floor for pre-reserved private parties. The third floor was restricted for outers.

I rested my elbow on the steel railing and looked down to the second floor. Bunch of people dancing on the floor. I understood it was a birthday party from the caps most people wore. They were all wolves from some other pack. Due to the heavy smells of liquor and smoke, I couldn't pick any particular scents.

Between loud music and dim lights, I saw a beautiful smile and I could imagine her voice near my ear. Large blue eyes, a sharp nose, long dark hair, and a pale skin tone, and she wore a navy blue dress.

'She is beautiful ', my wolf said. My wolf was the best part of me. We shared a strong bond.

I spent some more time looking at her beautiful moves. Who's this wolf? I never saw her here before. I used to have one-night stands but never into women. Something in her attracted my wolf and made me want to feel her under my touch. Suddenly the music stopped and the countdown started on the screen. When it was done everyone echoed their birthday wish. Everyone wished her. 'Oh, Birthday girl '

'Time to wish her', my wolf said. I agreed with a smirk.

I was taking slow steps down the stairs looking at her. She was doing shots with two other girls. I was at the last step and I smelt the most delicious smell ever. Rose and Rain. My wolf started jumping and involuntarily I took two steps following the smell. It's from that girl. I wanted to stop myself but I couldn't.

'Mate', my wolf said.

'It's my mate', he was trying to take control over me.

I knew what should I do in situations like this. I forced myself back and ran out as far as possible. Being an animal, I could sense forests near. I got into my car and drove towards the forest. My wolf was quiet and blocked me. I knew it was hard for him. I felt proud of him as he was not complaining.

I walked into the forest and tried to shift but my wolf didn't respond to me. That beautiful smile was constantly flashing in my mind. I spent some time walking deep into the forest. It wasn't my pack borders but we are allowed in this forest. Most of these forest lands were held by four large packs of country. Many years back few packs made negotiations to share the forest area in return for some other favors. So those packs were allowed to roam in the forest even if it's under other packs but not allowed to cross the inner pack borders of other packs.

My pack was one in that negotiation in return for neutral relationships with other packs. North Mountain was a small pack with nearly 200 wolves but no one dared to mess with my pack. We had different rules and systems. Even the Alpha kings were never involved in our pack business.

No mate was the basic rule of my pack. Mates were weakness and we couldn't lead a strong pack with weakness. There were ground rules in my pack. Hate your mate, if not reject your mate, if not kill your mate. I respect the rules and systems of my pack. For me, the pack was before everything even before my own life.

I had a perfect life. Loving family, loyal pack, respectful position, a perfect Luna, and personal business. What more a mate could bring to my life? Nothing. I never wanted a mate and I never wanted to meet her. We were all trained to control wolves in hard times especially times like meeting mates. We were taught that it was an irresistible bond and needed a strong will to resist it.

It was stronger than I expected. Just a whiff of scent made my wolf block me. It's the second time my wolf blocking me. When I was 19, we hunted down a few rouges. I left a teen wolf alive as she was only 17 and pregnant. At that time I felt it right and my wolf wasn't. He was pissed and blocked me for 2hours. But it's a different situation now. He would need time to process this unexpected situation.

After some time I felt my wolf and he was asking for control. I let him take over and in seconds I shifted to my large thick brown wolf. He sprinted to his full potential. This cold air of the forest helps us to calm ourselves. After some time I listened to the howl of a wolf. It's not any warning or mourning howl. A calm and joyful howl. I listened a few more. My wolf ran towards that wolf. If it's any rouge wolf, I should catch it and handover to the respective pack.

I saw a pure white wolf on the other side of the lake. Immediately I recognized it was a Grey Lake pack she-wolf. I couldn't smell the wolf as she was far away but Grey Lake is known for white wolves. I had never seen such a beautiful wolf before. It's completely white and shining like the moon. Blue eyes were most attractive and she was looking at me. This side of the lake came under Grey Lake but it's common territory. Another side of the lake comes under their inner borders. Others weren't allowed without permission. So I dropped the idea of going that side and leaped back into the forest.