1| The coronation.

 

"The rest of our lives start now," Harry says to me with a smile, and I mirror his expression.

 

After all our years of being together, it's finally happening. We graduate from high school today, and this is where our real journey starts.

 

Everyone around us is engaged in conversations of their own, leaving Harry and I in our own world. It's always been this way, ever since we were kids.

 

Even though the differences in our ranks are far apart, we couldn't care less about them. We've been friends for as long as I can remember. Though I can't really pinpoint the exact time when that friendship turned into something more, but I can say that I love it.

 

Harry's coronation into the Alpha position takes place tonight. His father, Alpha Smith, decided that it was high time for Harry to take his position now that he was a grown man.

 

I just can't wait. After Harry becomes Alpha, everything will be settled.

 

"Yes, you're right." I tell him as I link our fingers together.

 

Nothing can ruin this for us.

 

 

***

 

 

The ceremony is about to start. All the unmated females in the pack are wearing their fanciest dresses, including me. I have to look good as well. The unmated males are also trying their best to look appealing.

 

It's not every day that the pack is gathered together, so this opportunity shouldn't be wasted. A person's mate can be within reach; you never know. So it's good to be prepared.

 

I look around the ballroom in search of any familiar faces, but I find none. Though I do find a luxurious buffet that takes up a large space in the right corner of the enormous ballroom,

 

My legs seem to have a mind of their own as they take me there. Less than five feet away, my eyes immediately catch the heap of scones on a platter. I rush there and start to munch on the delicious pastries. A few seconds into my second bite, a being clouds my view of the ceremony.

 

It's Lauren Will.

 

The daughter of Council Will. The head of our pack's council. And just because she's that, she thinks she has the right to be rude to everyone. Some more than others, me being one of them.

 

"What are you doing here?" She bites out, and I wince as I take a step backward.

 

I can badmouth her all I want in my head, but I can't really do anything to her in reality. Her father is the head of the council, whereas my mother died as a maid. She's ranked above me.

 

"I'm here for the coronation of our alpha." I stutter all the way, looking to the ground. My explanation doesn't seem reasonable to her, as she hisses after my sentence.

 

"You must be—"

 

"What is going on here?" A familiar voice cuts into the conversation, and I let out a sigh of relief.

 

It's Oliver. Harry's best friend and the soon-to-be Beta of our pack. Oliver and I are good friends. He's nice and charming, but nothing compared to Harry.

 

"Nothing," I immediately answered. I can't tell him the truth and blame Lauren; that would just cause more problems for me with Lauren in the future.

 

"Really?" He asks in an uncertain tone as he searches my eyes before turning to Lauren and giving her a scrutinizing gaze.

 

"Yes, Isla and I were just catching up." Lauren says this with a fake smile on her pretty face.

 

"I'll go now." She adds before walking away, not forgetting to glare at me.

 

"What was that all about?" Oliver asks me when Lauren is completely out of view.

 

"As I said, nothing." I lie, faking an innocent smile. I know that he knows that I'm lying. I'm a horrible liar, but at least he doesn't call me out for it. He just nods his head and smiles.

 

"So, are you excited for tonight?" I ask him, changing the subject entirely, and he beams up.

 

"Yeah, everything is going to change after tonight. There's going to be a whole lot of responsibilities and duties towards the pack from me." He says, and I nod.

 

Harry and Oliver have been looking towards this all their lives. I'm a hundred percent sure that they'll make good leaders.

 

"Will you—"

 

The sound of trumpets, signifying the arrival of the Alpha family, cuts my sentence midway.

 

"They're here," Oliver says, more to himself than me.

 

"I have to go; I'll see you later." He says this in a hurry before walking towards the front of the ballroom, which is a bit more elevated than the other areas.

 

My eyes first catch Harry's figure before I even notice the other members of his family. Harry looks different tonight. His traditional attire holds him tight. He seems much more powerful. His hair is slicked back, and his aura screams Alpha.

 

I suddenly feel so small; the weight of his power weighs me down. In the presence of Alphas, lower wolves are prone to feel suffocated, but this is different than anything I've ever felt from Alpha Smith.

 

I look around the room to see that I'm not the only one. All the lower wolves seem to be slouching and have this weak look on their faces.

 

Is that how I look as well?

 

The Alpha family finally gets to their seats, which are at the front of the ballroom, where high chairs are placed.

 

The current Alpha and Luna—Harry's parents—take their seats, leaving Harry to stand. The last member of their family, Jeremy, is currently not around. He's in the neighboring pack, gaining more knowledge about combat.

 

The ceremony picks up as Harry is made to kneel in front of us and make vows concerning the pack. I watch him in awe, as do the other people in the room.

 

When he is finally done, Alpha Smith stands up to remove the diamond-encrusted golden crown from his head and walk over to where Harry is on his knees.

 

"By the power vested in me by the Moon Goddess, I crown you Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack." Ex-alpha Smith says as he places the crown on Harry's head.

 

The room stills as Harry stands up to face his father, eye-to-eye.

 

"Thank you, Father." He says this before turning to us, the audience.

 

The overwhelming urge to obey slams through me as I drop to one knee, bowing to Harry. It takes me a few seconds to realize that everyone else is doing it as well.

 

"Rise." Harry's commanding voice tears through the ballroom, and we all obey.

 

I look up to our new Alpha, and as his eyes clashes with mine, only one thing is on my mind as I stare at him.

 

He is not the same.

He didn’t look like the person I had sex with just before the coronation. He was much stronger, much more powerful!

 

He walks down from the elevated area and through the ballroom, greeting council members along the way.

 

I'm tempted to go over and talk to him, but I can't quite put my finger on why that idea seems wrong. I dust the pastry particles from my hands and wipe my mouth. I take deep breaths, straighten my gown, and raise my chin.

 

He's currently in a conversion with our new beta—Oliver—when I tap his shoulders from behind. He turns to face me in a swift second, and I jerk back in shock. I regained my composure a second later and put on a polite smile.

 

"I just wanted to tell you congratulations, Alpha Harry." I say this in a cheery tone as I take a small bow.

 

Once I'm done, I raise my head to see that he is scowling.

 

"Is that why you touched me?" He asks in an irritated tone, and I veer back as confusion washes all over my features.

 

"Uhm..." I find myself at a loss for words due to Harry's strange behavior.

 

I turn to Oliver to see what he makes of the situation, but his attention seems to be elsewhere.

 

"Harry, I don't understand." I say, reaching for his cheeks, but he flings my hand away like it's a piece of garbage.

 

"It's Alpha Harry to you. And don't ever try to touch me, you lowly she-wolf." He spits out in disgust before walking away, leaving me dumbfounded.

 

My vision blurs as tears cloud my eyes. What just happened? Why was he so mean to me? I look around me and see a few people staring at me in irritation. I can't seem to suck back in my tears, so I do the first thing that comes to mind—I run out of the ballroom.