Book 1: Chapter: 04

Aiden Parties. God, did I hate parties. Don‘t get me wrong. I knew how important they were. Gi ving the Pack a chance to meet their leader? To know and respect and fear their Alpha?

It was essential.

But, normally, we had to worry about only two events per year. The Yule Ball and the Su mmer Solstice.

This dinner was my beta Josh‘s idea.

And, while I loved the blond spiky-haired bastard, the last thing I was in the mood for was extra party planning.

“So do we want the raised platform or not?” Josh asked, pacing, looking over his clipboard. “On one hand, giving y ou a seat above the commoners will further cement your superiority. On the other, being level with them, will make your more relata—”

“Josh, please,” I growled, shaking my head. “Can we talk about anything other than seat ing arrangements?”

Josh stopped, put down the clipboard, and looked me squarely in the eye.

He was probably the only werewolf in the whole pack who had balls enough to make dir ect eye contact with his Alpha.

But that was because, when Josh gave me a look, it wasn‘t as a challenger.

It was as my best friend. I knew the difference.

“Normally, you want to go over every single detail.”

It was true. I sweat the details. I wasn‘t a micro–manager, but if you‘re the Alpha, you have to be decisive at all times. About everything But right now?

“I‘m just not feeling it, Josh,” I said. “That all right?”

“Of course. It‘s just... I think tonight will be good for you. For the morale of the pack. And , who knows, maybe for some lucky lady…” He grinned mischievously.

“You‘re playing matchmaker on me, really? Or was that Jocelyn‘s idea?”

I noticed Josh‘s body stiffen at the mention of his current partner. She‘d been mine the previous Season, but there were no hard feelings. We were both adults.

And Eskimo brothers, I supposed.

Josh sat down across from me, and I knew from the crossed arms, I was in for one of hi s trademark “pep talks.” Great.

“Look, Aiden,” he said, waving his arms animatedly. “I know you‘ve been through a lot la tely, man. The East Coast Pack has faced a lot of challenges the past few months. Now you‘re in another Season with no mate. Hell, you haven‘t even picked a partner to shac k up with.”

I felt my lip curl. Josh must have noticed because he looked down and quickly changed the subject.

“The point is,” Josh continued, “you haven‘t been yourself lately. I‘m saying this not just as your beta but as your friend, man. I‘m worried about you. If you don‘t find a mate soon…if your love life‘s off– balance, then—”

I looked aside. Josh was right to be worried.

When alphas didn‘t have a partner during the Haze—even just a reliable fuck– buddy their leadership suffered.

But eventually, all alphas had to find their mate or else their powers would slowly weaken and they‘d be replaced by a stronger alpha.

But Josh didn‘t know everything.

I had a secret worth keeping this Season. A reason to wait.

“Your concern is noted, Josh,” I said, turning back to him. “But don‘t butt your nose into my private life, understand? I‘m speaking now as you r Alpha.”

Now, I stared Josh down. There was palpable tension between us. For a second, his ga ze lingered.

And not just as my friend.

Did he dare challenge my dominance?

But, finally, Josh looked down and nodded.

“Of course, my Alpha,” he said quietly.

“Good,” I said, already feeling better.

I stood up and stepped around the table to consider Josh‘s clipboard, taking a look at th e seating arrangements, an idea beginning to take form.

“If we‘re talking details, there is one small adjustment I‘d like to make.”

Sienna Okay guys.

Sienna Confession time Michelle u got invited to the pack house, everybody knows Sienna What??? How???

Michelle sorry, babe. u know i can‘t keep a secret Sienna You are the worst, Michelle, Sienna WHAAAATTT?!?

Michelle Michelle congrats girl! (totes saw it coming)

Sienna So happy for you, Mia!!! Erica yay mia!

Erica why am i the only one ever with no news Mia but. si. u better send us updates tonite.

Michelle especially if it‘s about our sexy alpha...

Sienna No promises Sienna I know I should have probably been distracted with the event at the pack house tonight, but all I could think about was Mia and Harry. I couldn‘t believe it.

Mia mated with Harry–fucking–Milton.

For years, the two had been best friends. One hundred percent platonic.

The fact that now, all of a sudden, the two were not only hooking up...but actually mated ?

It was almost unheard of.

I Usually mates knew the first time they looked into each other‘s eyes. They recognized the connection on some deeper, animal level.

This was true of my parents, of Jeremy and Selene, of almost everyone I knew.

Even people who turned out to be mates after years of being lovers were more common than what had happened to Mia and Harry Lucky bitch, I thought.

I admit I was a little jealous. It was a dream, finding a mate who already knew everythin g about you, who you trusted. It sounded so beautifully simple.

Unlike my no–sex, no–mate, all–haze situation.

I opened my closet and searched for something to wear to the dinner. I didn‘t have anyt hing nearly elegant enough.

A knock at my bedroom door grabbed my attention “I knew you were hopeless, Sis,” Selene said, stepping inside. “Which is why I came prepared...”

In her hands was a beautiful evening dress, made of light green silk, so long it seemed to never end. I only needed a glance to know it was p erfect “How did you…” I stated.

“I bought it for a ball two years ago, but with my complexion? It just didn‘t work. I never even wore it. So I saved it for a rainy day.”

I could see why it wouldn‘t have worked. Selene was a platinum blonde. Green called for red hair. Like mine.

“Well,” Selene pushed, “are you going to stare all day or try it on?”

I didn‘t hesitate. Never shy about being naked around my sister, I stripped my clothes off and slipped into the dress. It felt like it had been made for me.

Even though Selene and I were different sizes. She was tall and waifish, whereas I was more curvac eous.

So how was it that this dress made me look as if my body was poured into it?

“I tailored it, just for you,” Selene said, winking, as if reading my mind.

I took a look in the mirror and couldn‘t believe the reflection that stared back at me.

The dress ended gracefully at my ankles, with the generously open back tapering just above my butt and the front accentuating my cleavage I was right about the color. My red hair and bright blue eyes made the green positively p op.

“Dad‘s going to have a heart attack.” Selene laughed. “You look amazing. But...”

Yeah. I could see what Selene was saying. The dress was undeniably sexy. But right no w, I didn‘t care.

Nothing had ever felt more right in the world.

“It‘s perfect,” I said.

Selene beamed and gave me a hug.

“C‘mon, let‘s show Mom.”

It didn‘t take long for both Mom and Dad to have their predictable reactions, “You. Look. DELECTABLE!” Mom said.

I grimaced. That word choice could not be worse.

“Uh, yes,” Dad said, looking anywhere but at me directly. “Very...beautiful. I just…”

“That‘s all right, Dad.” I laughed.

“You know,” Mom said, stepping toward me, “looking at you in this, I can almost forget f or a second that you‘re only nineteen. It makes me wonder...if a certain Alpha would feel the same.”

“Mom,” I said, rolling my eyes. “This is just a chance for locals to meet their leadership.

Can we move on?”

Again, my conversational sway over the family seemed to be working.

They were already asking Selene what she would be wearing. But then my mother G sh ook it off, remembering her favorite ton gossip.

“Sienna,” she said, “your meddling mother did hear a little rumor, though. That the reaso n our beloved Alpha is inviting all these strangers into his Pack House? It‘s to find himse lf a lover for the season.”

And just like that my happy bubble burst.

The last thing in the world I needed was Aiden Norwood looking for a lover tonight and settling on me.

Especially after our chance meeting by the riverbank.

I wasn‘t going to be any wolf‘s side piece, alpha or not. I wanted a lifetime mate.

I scowled at my mother. “Really, Mom? Just for once, could you not—”.

“I‘m just saying!” she said, hands up, defensive. “He doesn‘t have a partner for this Season. Is it so wrong to fantasize a little, Sienna?”

Yes, Mom. It was wrong. And it wasn‘t a fantasy. The idea of me and the Alpha was ridi culous. We‘d already made eye contact, and nothing had happened. So there was no w ay he was my mate. If anything, he just wanted to FUCK. Now, I was thinking about us fucking Just the idea alone was enough to spark my haze again. It had been dormant until now, exactly as I‘d hoped to keep it for the whole evening.

I couldn‘t show up to a Pack House full of Scanned with CamScanner hungry wolves like... like this.

“I need to go change,” I stammered, turning and running out of the room.

“Wait, Sienna,” my mom called after me. “I was just teasing!”

I ran into my room and slammed the door, trying to take off the dress. But it was so tight . And I needed to be unzipped.

And And—

“Sienna.” I heard Selene‘s voice on the other side of the door. “Don‘t let Mom get into yo ur head. Just be yourself. It‘s going to be great. Like you said, it‘s perfect. Right?”

“...right.” I said, calming my breathing. “Thanks, Selene.”

I grabbed a shawl, to cover my shoulders at the very least and minimize the dress‘s sexi ness.

I only hoped that by the time we arrived at the Pack House the Haze would be subsiding ...

As we drove up to the enormous mansion, far from the activity of our town, the sole source of illumination in the quiet countryside, and my family chatted busily, buzzing with excitement, it happened again.

The Haze pulsed and prodded and penetrated every corner of my being. As if it knew, ju st from the seeing the Pack House, that what awaited within...was worth waking up for.

Please don‘t do this, I begged my body Please not here. Not now.

But as I was about to discover, my body had other plans...