Chapter 1

Keva-

Today was the day. I could officially be with my boyfriend, not only as his mate but as the Luna of our Pack, the Stark Growlers. We have kept our relationship a secret for the past two years, but it wasn’t all Ethan’s fault. I had been the one to suggest it.

Two and a half years ago, when I met Ethan, he had been an Omega. I saved him from a gang of rogues trying to kill him. I instantly fell in love with him. We weren’t fated mates, but I decided he was the one I wanted to be with.

I was only seventeen at the time, so I never knew if I had a fated mate out there, but I didn’t care. I had gone to Stark Growlers to aid the pack under my father's orders. Even at seventeen, I was a skilled warrior. Ultimately, I didn’t keep my appointment because I decided after meeting Ethan I wanted to keep my identity a secret.

Not because I didn’t trust him, but because I could see he was prideful. After saving him, he admitted he was weak and shouldn’t have left the pack territory alone. He had wanted to prove himself so he could rise in the pack's hierarchy.

The more we talked, the more I saw potential and admirable ambition in him. I decided to help him prove himself, but I did it secretly. I wanted him to be able to stand on his own two feet and believe in the man I knew he was.

Thinking about our relationship when we first got together still gave me goosebumps. Things changed a year into our relationship, but I knew he was under a lot of pressure. Between training him and connecting him to the resources I could still access, he managed to grow into a man worthy of being an Alpha.

Tonight, he would be officially announced as the pack Alpha, and he said he would announce who his Luna would be. I didn’t care for the title but wanted to stand next to him proudly. Some might think my life was grand, but this life came with a few sacrifices and regrets.

When I returned home and begged my brother to go instead of me, my father was not happy. After I told my father I was in love with Ethan, he agreed to send my older brother in my place. I had thought everything would work out because my family loved me, but I had been wrong.

Shortly after my brother returned, my father refused to let me be with Ethan. I am stubborn, so I fought with my father over it. Ultimately, I lost my identity as the Alpha King's daughter, the Lycan Princess. I gave up my family, wealth, friends, possessions, and life to be with Ethan.

The thing I regret is that I walked away from my family. I loved my family, but I was determined to prove to them that my choice was the correct one. After tonight, I will be able to stand proudly in front of my family and let them see the man I chose as my mate.

It hasn’t been easy, but I have grown significantly over these last two years. I have faced hardship, ridicule, and abuse, but I still believed it was worth it. I knew that after Ethan was the Alpha and we could make our relationship public, I wouldn’t have to endure everything I have.

With a smile, I continued getting ready for the ceremony. I had to use a little more concealer than usual, as I had dark circles under my eyes. Six months ago, I lost the child I had been pregnant with, and ever since then, I haven’t been well.

After applying the concealer under my eyes, I looked at my reflection. After covering the dark circles and adding a little color to my face, I almost returned to being the beautiful woman I once was. My beauty was unnatural, and many either envied me or hated me for it.

I have had to let myself go during these two years because Ethan worried I would attract too much attention and everyone would find out I had helped him rise through the ranks. He had me eat less, which made me lose a lot of weight.

I had always been thin, but now I looked too thin and unhealthy. Not only has my body suffered, but my hair, skin, and nails have as well. My cherry-brown hair now lacked the shine it once had. My nails were brittle and always broke. My skin no longer glowed, and now I looked pale and dry.

Despite that, I was still the most beautiful female in the pack. After tonight, though, I could return to my former glory. Tonight was the first step, so even if I couldn’t fix everything right now, I could hide my flaws with a face mask, hair mask, body oil, and makeup.

Finished with my appearance, I stood up and smoothed my hands over my silky silver dress. It was a little loose on me since I have lost a bit of weight since I bought it. Since this was the only dress I had, and I had kept it since moving away from home, I had to make do with it. Thankfully, I had been allowed to take a few clothes with me. I had kept it hidden this entire time, as I wanted to save it for this occasion.

Satisfied with my appearance, I moved away from the vanity in my room. The house I lived in wasn’t very large, but it was all I could afford when I moved to the pack. Ethan moved in with me after I bought it, and we have made it our home.  

It held many good and painful memories, but it was still home. Not wanting to think about the past any longer, I walked over to the bed and picked up my phone. As soon as I did, it vibrated in my hand. Glancing at the screen, my jaw went slack.

I have had the same number since leaving home, but this was the first time my brother or anyone in my family has called me. I was a little afraid to answer because I thought that if someone was calling, it must be bad news. My heart skipped a beat as I slid my thumb over the screen to connect the call.

“Silas?” I sucked in a sharp breath.

“It's me.” Silas’s tone seemed slightly relieved, not like he was about to deliver me bad news.

“I never thought I would hear from any of you again.” I muttered as my eyes burned with unshed tears.

“I would have contacted you sooner, but Father said that he wouldn’t be able to return if I did. I thought the best thing for you was to stay by Father’s side and convince him to give Ethan a chance.”

“I don’t blame you.” I walked to the vanity again and grabbed a tissue to pat my eyes dry. “But if Father forbids you from contacting me, why are you calling?”

“After two years, I have finally convinced our father to let you come home. He has agreed to give Ethan a chance. We have heard that he will be named Alpha tonight, so Father wants me to make a grand entrance to recognize Ethan as the son-in-law. He has also invited Ethan to attend a ceremony in a month to have the Stark Growlers pack become a recognized pack in the community.”

“Are you serious?” I gasped, and the tissue in my hand floated to the ground.

“I am. We have all missed you and hoped that you would come home on your own. We realize that you are serious about Ethan, so we will accept him. You are, after all, our beloved Princess, and it is time for you to return and reclaim your identity.”

“Thank you!” I cried as I dropped onto the bed and squeezed my hand around the phone. “Thank you!”

“Hey, don’t cry. You know I hate it when you cry.”

“I am just happy. I have missed all of you so much. I have been praying that one day you will be able to accept the man I love.” I paused as I gulped too much air from my sobs. “I was starting to lose hope after two years.”

“Don’t worry. I will make up for the pain you have suffered. I am on my way to bring the gifts we have prepared for the ceremony. Once I get there, I want to announce to everyone that you are the only daughter of the Alpha King, and from here on out, we will stand behind you and help your pack build until Stark Growlers are within the top five packs in the world.”

“Don’t!” I blurted, a little too loud.

“Why not?” Silas sounded slightly alarmed.

“I have kept my identity a secret for over two years. If my identity is revealed in front of the entire pack, he might not be happy. Ethan is a proud man. I believe he will accept my identity, but I think it is better to tell him in private. After the ceremony, I will tell him who I am.”

“Okay.” Silas sighed. “Then how about you bring Ethan home this weekend so we can officially meet him?”

“That should give him a few days to digest everything. After I talk to him, I will let you know.”

“As long as you are happy.” I could hear the smile in his voice. “You are happy, right?”

My hesitation seemed to be noticed by him. “You are happy, right?” He asked.

I have two brothers. One is Silas, who is the oldest and the next in line to inherit the title of Alpha King. My other brother, Carter, is also older than me, making me the youngest. Silas is roughly six years older than me, while Carter is two years older than me.

Of my two brothers, I was closest to Silas because he practically raised me. When I was younger, I used to follow him and his friends around. I never cared if they found me annoying or not because Silas never let anyone bully me, including his friends.

I was treasured by everyone in my family, which might have caused me to be a little spoiled and stubborn. However, with Silas, I was never able to lie to him. It wasn’t that I wasn’t happy with Ethan, but at the same time, I believed I could be happier.

The first eight months we were together were great, but around the time I had a miscarriage, he seemed to become distant with me. Ethan had told me he was busy with pack-related things, so I understood, but that didn’t make it any easier. Also, in the last six months since my miscarriage, he hasn’t touched me or slept in the same room with me.

As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t tell Silas I was happy, so I chose my words carefully. “I am very happy right now.”

Since I was happy at this moment, it wasn’t a lie. I silently prayed that Silas didn’t catch my play of words and convince me to tell him what was on my mind. Holding my breath, I didn’t release it until he spoke.

“Good. In that case, I will hang up and talk to you later. If you need anything, let me know.” Silas’s voice was filled with the brotherly I cherished and missed.

“Don’t worry, I will.” I smiled as I lowered the phone to my lap and sighed.

Now I had to find a way to stall meeting my family this weekend. As eager as I wanted to see them, I couldn’t let them see what I looked like now. They will likely put the blame on Ethan, and I didn’t want that.

Checking to make sure Silas hung up, I stood up and went to fix my makeup, which was slightly messed up from my tears. My eyes were a little red and swollen, so I went to the kitchen and pulled an ice pack out of the freezer to rest against them. After fifteen minutes, my eyes no longer showed any signs of crying.

With one last look at my appearance, I left the house and made my way to the backyard of the pack house, where the ceremony was. The decorations set up around the massive layout of the yard, was breathtaking. Lights, flowers, and candles brought light and life to the yard.

“You made it.” Ethan rushed toward me, sneaking a kiss on my cheek like he used to do in the past.

“I told you I would be here on time.” I smiled up at him and spun around. “What do you think?”

“You look stunning. Where did you get the dress?” Ethan’s brows slanted slightly, and his smile faded.

“I bought it before we met but haven’t had a reason to wear it until now.”

The way he looked at me seemed a little off, but it disappeared quickly. “Well, the ceremony is starting; don’t go too far. I have a surprise for you later.”

“I will be front and center.” My smile widened.

After Ethan left my side, he walked to the front of the crowd, and I followed. Instead of continuing to follow him as he went to stand next to the Alpha, who would be stepping down, I stopped once I reached the front. Clapping my hands together, I tried to ignore the jittery feeling in my stomach. If I was nervous, I imagined Ethan would be twice as nervous.

For the next hour, I smiled continuously as I watched the Alpha of the pack officially step down and name Ethan his successor. Once Ethan took the stage, it took a lot of control not to squeal with delight.

“Thank you all for the support you have given me these last two years. Because of all of you, I wanted to do my best to prove myself to protect everyone and bring Stark Growlers to new heights.” Ethan spoke, his eyes moving over the crowd.

“Now that I have succeeded, there is someone special I need to thank. This someone is also the one I have chosen to stand beside me as my Luna. Until I met her, I didn’t know what love was. Without her, I wouldn’t be the man I am today. Although this is my day, I want to bring my Luna to come stand with me.”

This was it. I was finally going to be able to join Ethan and help him build up the pack. I could give him so much more now that I had my family back. Before, I could only depend on the connections I had built for myself. Now, I could use my connections that were under my family.

“Please shine the light on my love, my Luna…” Ethan’s eyes locked with mine, but as the spotlight moved past me, his eyes moved.