Chapter One

The Mate's Ball.

Where all mateless wolves dress to impress and hope to catch the scent of the one. When a young wolf fully matures at the age of seventeen, they are supposed to find their mate. But sometimes, barriers prevent this. For instance, if their mate is in another pack.

That's why the Mate's Ball was created. An annual get-together of all four packs within the Crimson Forest and Luna Valley area. Where they join together as one in the Valley Pack's territory. It has been held on the first night of every year for thousands of years. All mateless wolves are required to join so they have a higher chance of finding their mate, in case they are in another pack. Which is almost always successful.

Nick Rawlins is one of these mateless wolves and has been for eight years...and going as it seems.

He shuffled where he stood, in a corner. Staring awkwardly at all of the once mateless wolves running into each other's arms. Mate bonding with one another.

He looked at the floor and fixed his suit tie once again, tightening it against his neck before looking back up.

He gave himself excuses.

The only reason why he couldn't smell his mate was there was just something wrong with his nose. It could be the only explanation. He did get into a lot of fights during his early youth. Well, before being declared the heir of the Valley's Beta position. He was punched and clawed in the face so many times, so what else could be the reason?

He couldn't actually be mateless.

That was bullshit and he knew it. He could smell all the others in the room just fine.

His stomach sunk and a bile taste rose in the back of his throat.

He didn't want to be alone. He didn't want to be mateless. Let alone a mateless Beta.

The idea scared him. Most of the mateless wolves in the packs have died earlier than others or have become one of the exiled for crimes against the packs. He didn't want to become one of them or die so soon. There is so much he hasn't done.

So his plan? Just sit in the corner and hope someone has caught his scent, since for some reason, he couldn't catch theirs...and also hope they wouldn't reject them.

Staring at the floor once again, he heard the voice of a female at his side.

His head snapped toward the direction.

A young female wolf was standing just a couple of feet away from him, staring in his direction with widened eyes. She looked from maybe River Bed. Her vibrant blue dress with swirls and decorated with jewelry made from river glass and stone.

He straightened his posture, anticipating her.

Could this be it? His mate?

He didn't feel anything staring at her or even a strong scent but he heard when your mate touches you, it's like it releases electricity throughout your body.

And he couldn't wait to hug her.

She took a couple of steps forward.

He sucked in a breath, taking a step forward.

She then ran full force past him and into the arms of another male. Another that looked to be from Crimson Forest with his green color choices.

He winced and palmed his chest.

The male wrapped his arms tightly around the smaller female, pulling her close and they took in each other's scents. Then they pull away, gazing lovingly into each other's eyes.

Nick ripped his eyes away from them, looking around at the couples filling the room.

"You're- you're so beautiful..." He could hear the male say to his newfound mate.

"You're beautiful."

He cringed as he could hear them loving on one another, kissing and hugging.

After a couple more minutes pass, Barnabas, the Alpha of Luna Valley walked onto the stage, and the entire room is silenced. Their Luna, Snow followed him, along with Luna Valley's future Alpha, their son (and Nick's best friend) Lucas. His mate, Rosalyn, followed closely behind him, not letting her hand off his.

A twinge in his stomach and he realized, it was already midnight and all of the wolves had found their mates. All of them...except him.

He walked over to a single chair in the back of the auditorium and sat.

Tears prick the corners of his eyes, threatening to spill and his Alpha begins to speak. Knowing his time is now up.

"Thank you, River Bed, Crimson Forest, and High Summit." Barnabas looked at the area offstage where the other Alphas and Lunas sat.

They sat against the wall of the auditorium the whole night, observing the event.

"...for joining us and joining together..."

He sighed and began to tune it out as he looks around the room, leaning his head back against the wall. He had already heard this same speech for the past eight years and he could probably recite it by memory.

His eyes met Lucas's, who stared at him with pity.

Lucas turned to Rosalyn and discreetly said something under his breath and with that, she looked at him with pity as well.

He growled and pulled his gaze away from the both of them, staring at a single tile on the floor.

A couple more minutes pass, and the Alpha's speech is finally over.

But Nick still couldn't leave the ball, as it wasn't technically over yet. He wanted to. So, so bad. Just go to his room and hide underneath his covers. From everyone and the world. For the rest of eternity.

"Hey, man, how's it holdin' up?"

He turned to face Lucas, who had the same pitied look on his face as earlier.

He shrugged and looked away from his friend.

"I just wanna leave now," He grumbled.

"Ya know...maybe she is-"

"Just stop." He cut Lucas off, glaring at him. "I really don't wanna hear it right now."

"I'm just-"

"Lucas..." He sighed, another twinge in his chest. "Please." He looked at him with sad eyes.

Lucas nodded, finally getting it. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry." He let the silence between them linger for a bit then took a deep breath. "If you wanna get out of here faster, we can leave out the back?"

"And go...?" Nick questioned, raising a brow at him.

"Anywhere? It's better than here, right?"

Nick looked around, at everyone and their mates snogging each other.

"Yep, you're right." He looked at Lucas. "Let's go."

Lucas gave a glance to Rosalyn and she gave a small nod, turning the other way to the Alphas and Lunas.

Both of them made their way through the back corridors of the building and to the back door that led to the entrance of the Crimson Forest.

Nick slipped out first and looked at the forest in front of him. Deep and dark. You could barely see through it. Even with the light snow everywhere that reflected the moonlight.

He shuffled out of the way of the door for Lucas to come through and his formal shoes slipped and slid in the mud and ice beneath his feet. He couldn't help but growl from the frustration. He hated wearing formal. It was tight in all the wrong places and restricted movement. And. So. Fucking. Hot.

He huffed as he pulled his suit tie. It hung loosely against his outfit. He pulled at the buttons of his suit coat and a few on his dress shirt then ripped off his shoes, letting the soles of his bare feet touch the ice.

A wave of relief fell over him as the cool midnight air nipped at his skin, cooling it almost instantly.

"You done?"

He looked at Lucas who had been staring at him for a couple of minutes and his face went hot. Yet he made himself keep a cool posture and tone.

"Yes."

Lucas led Nick around the building to the road and they began to walk side by side.

It was nearly pitch black outside. The only lights were the lights from inside the buildings and houses scattered throughout the town.

"So...how are you feelin'?" Lucas managed to cough up in the silence.

Nick sighed and shrugged. "Fine."

Lucas could only manage a scoff at his response.

He looked at Lucas with a glare.

"What?" Lucas shrugged. "You're always lyin' about how you feel about everythin'."

"Why does it matter how I feel?" He looked away, staring at the road they walked on.

He focused on the burning chill on the bottom of his feet. His arm that carried his shoes felt heavier now.

"Because it does?" Lucas broke the silence.

Lucas was staring intently at him. He didn't even have to look at him to tell, he could feel it. The imprinting between them doesn't help either. He could feel the worry and sorrow coming from Lucas all at once.

Lucas spoke softly, "You're my best friend, man. I don't-" He sighed, trailing off. "I know how- well, I don't know. But I have an idea of how it feels. And you know how some mateless wolves are...They bottle everythin' up and they tend to act out 'cause of it."

Nick scoffed at that.

'Act out'.

"I mean, c'mon, man.: Lucas shrugged. "You're supposed to be my Beta. My right-hand man. I don't wanna have to exile you just 'cause you won't talk about your feelin's."

This caught Nick's attention.

His head snapped to Lucas.

"Oh? You're gonna exile me?"

He cracked a smirk. "Well, actually, I don't think I would need to." He shrugged, looking off into the distance.

He started to get a bit agitated with Lucas's antics. "Why's that?" He snapped, getting defensive.

"'Cause you..." Lucas poked Nick's shoulder with his finger. Hard enough to move it. "...fight like a little bitch." He pulled away and shrugged with a smug smile. "It'll just take one hit and you're done."

"Oh, really?" He narrowed his eyes at him, playfully.

"Yeah." He stated as a matter of factly. "You're weak. That's how it's been since we were pups."

He put on a smug smile, "Wanna test that theory out now? 'Cause I'm pretty sure I can take you down. Easily."

"I'd like to see you try."

Lucas had challenged him.

Nick forcefully tackled him to the ground.

For a couple of minutes straight, they both ended up lightly punching each other and pushing each other around. And for those minutes, Nick's problems seemed nonexistent.

Soon they were out of breath and worn out.

They sat on the side of the road for a moment to catch their breath. Sitting in the dirt, mud, and snow they rolled around in.

They stood and began to walk again.

"You know..." Nick paused for a moment, breaking the silence this time. He looked over at Lucas to make sure he had gotten his attention. "...Carter is out leading a hunt right now."

Lucas smiled.

Nick opened the front door and looked around the living room.

The scent was faint.

Carter hadn't been there for a couple of hours and there was only a strong scent of the plants he kept around the house. Small plants of onions, tomatoes, and so on, and a few flowers.

He walked inside and turned on the light, followed by Lucas who closed the door behind him.

He dropped formal shoes, caked with a bit of mud, in the shoe pile next to the front door.

The first room in the house was big and was a combination of the living room, kitchen, and dining room.

The living room had a decently sized couch with a matching loveseat and chair. In between it all was a wooden coffee table that Carter had built himself on top of a fur rug. In front of all of it was a fireplace with a TV mounted above. Behind it was just an empty area. A stand to hold a few plants and a coat rack next to the front door.

He made a detour between the couch and coffee table, dragging his feet against the fur as he walked.

He passed through into the kitchen.

Lucas dropped onto the loveseat. He slipped off his shoes and propped his feet on the seat next to him, taking up both seats.

The kitchen didn't have a lot of space to move around but enough to work. A couple of counters and cabinets across the one wall with the fridge and a sink installed in the middle. A couple of feet away from those counters was an island counter. Pass that was the dining room table and a couple of chairs around it.

All of it was neatly put except for the spaces Nick had been in that morning. A cup that was half full of orange juice and a bowl with a little bit of dried-up milk in the middle of the dining table.

Nick paused, thinking he should probably clean it up. He did tell himself earlier that he'd do it later and now it is later. Standing there for a moment...he figured he could just do it later.

He turned to the upper cabinets and dug through to pull out a pair of clear glasses. He scooted out from between the counters, his eyes on the prize.

Right next to the table was a large wine cabinet built into the wall which was exactly what he was aiming for.

He tried to open the door but it wouldn't budge.

He tried the knob.

Nothing.

Carter had locked it on him again.

He growled, heat rising in his face and throat.

He shook it off and patted down the sides, top, and bottom of the cabinet to find the key but it wasn't there. Where could he have hidden it this time?

There's only one way now.

He grabbed the door and the side, struggling for a moment. There was a loud pop from the cabinet and the door swung open.

He reached in and searched through the bottle before settling on a large bottle of Gin.

Trying to close it, it just swung back open.

He stared.

"You know Carter's gonna be pissed about that?"

He looked over at Lucas, peeking over the couch from the loveseat.

He shrugged, "I'll fix it later."

"Mhm..." Lucas nodded. "Sure."

"I will!"

Lucas huffed. "Well, hurry and bring it over. I want some."

He cracked open the bottle and pressed his lips against it and swung his head back, taking a slug or two. He pulled away and stifled back some coughs as the liquid burned the back of his throat. He turned his head to the side, hacking into his elbow to get that itch out.

His eyes flickered up at his reflection in the glass doors and the outdoors behind it.

Well, plexiglass considering how many times he shattered the glass, whether from falling into it or slamming it closed in a fit of rage.

He stood upright, trying to forget all those times, then walked over to Lucas.

Lucas grabbed the bottle from Nick's hand and took a slug out of it as well.

Nick put down the glasses on the coffee table. He ripped off his coat and threw it somewhere. He propped himself on the armrest of the couch and let himself fall backward on it.

He stared at the ceiling for a while, counting the single boards that made it.

He sighed and looked at Lucas. Then the bottle. Then the glasses he had filled.

He twisted and turned to sit upright once again. He grabbed the glass with the gin and downed the bottle. He turned to Lucas and did the grabby-hands for the bottle back.

Lucas took another swig before handing it over then turned back to the TV, watching what show he put on.

He took the bottle and drank some as he ran his bare feet through the fur rug.

It was soft and thick. It made his feet warm. Bear's fur.

The first kill Carter made as the Valley's Beta. This bear had tormented the wolves for a long time, killed some, and injured many. He did it all by himself too. Now all the wolves had to worry about outside of their towns were the exiled and rogue wolves.

And soon it would be Nick's turn as soon as Carter decides to step down.

Will he be as great as the Beta as his uncle was?

He leaned back on the couch and let out a long breath while squeezing his eyes shut.

Too much to worry about.

He took another couple of slugs from the bottle. He could already feel himself getting buzzed and a bit drowsy.

"Enjoyin' that?" The deep voice made him jump.

Lucas and Nick turned around in their seats.

Carter was standing right behind the couch, looming over Nick. He hadn't even heard him come into the house, let alone smelled him.

"I- uh-" Nick hesitated, looking at Lucas.

Lucas looked back at Nick with the same 'oh shit' expression and turned off the TV.

"Ya know...I just bought the damn thing yesterday."

Carter reached for the bottle that Nick reluctantly gave him. he looked disappointedly at the bottle, which had a little less than a quarter left.

Maybe if he was just chill then Carter would go a little easier on him?

Carter twisted the cap on, walked over to the open cabinet, and placed the bottle back inside. He grabbed the door and shut it but it slowly swung back open.

He let out an audible sigh.

He rubbed his face and turned back to Nick with a distinct look on his face.

A look that Nick knew all too well. One that is followed by some lecture and yelling coming from both of them.

"Lucas..." Carter looked at him. "...I think I heard that Rosalyn was lookin' for you."

Lucas put his shoes back on and looked at Nick with sympathy before getting up and leaving out the front door.

Nick let out a slow breath, trying to prepare for what was to come.

"Nick..." Carter started with disappointment laced in his voice, even with just speaking his name. "...you know you can't keep actin' like this once you're the Beta."

Nick could feel a heat rising inside of him.

Beta. Beta. Beta. Beta this. Beta that. That's all it was with Carter.

"There's no point," He mumbled under his breath, but he knew Carter could hear him anyway.

"No point? For what?" Carter had already begun to raise his voice. "For you to stop actin' like the world revolves around you? For you to stop actin' like a child? For you to grow the fuck up and actually be a man for once?"

"For me to be the Beta!" Nick retorted, his anger finally getting the best of him. His voice echoed throughout Carter's house.

"Yes, there is," Carter spoke with a determined voice like there was some way to convince him with just those words.

"No, Carter," His voice was more calm and now sad. "I'm never gonna get a mate. There's no point."

"Your point is your sense of duty to the pack!"

He growled out in frustration, finally standing up to face him directly.

"You don't understand, Carter. I'm gonna be mateless...forever. I have no one to fill in my shoes when I'm gone."

"So am I. But that didn't change my sense of duty to the pack."

But of course, speaking to Carter always seemed like talking to a brick wall.

"No. You had a mate and she rejected you. That's different," He shrugged, rolling his eyes.

Carter growled, obviously getting defensive over him bringing up these old wounds.

You still had Mom with you. But here's the thing, she only gave you me and I don't have any nephews to unload my responsibility on!" He narrowed his eyes at Carter.

He growled back, inching his way toward him slowly.

Nick knew Carter took this as a challenge. His once-brown eyes flashed bright amber.

But he stood his ground, taking a deep breath in.

Even though Nick was a good couple of inches taller than Carter, it still didn't take away the intimidation he had as he came face to face. Especially with the scars of past wars across his face that you could only see close up, especially the claw mark across his left eye. That was the most noticeable one. Even from afar.

Before Carter could say anything, the mind link between the pack members activated. A deep, rough voice rang out in their heads. Their Alpha's voice, Barnabas.

"There has been an attack on Luna Valley."