Circle

RORY

Everett is already long gone to the alpha council by the time I start getting ready for the prom on Friday evening.

Mama pins my hair up into a low, swirled bun, with a few loose curls left behind to frame my face.

I swipe on a slick of glossy pink lipstick and then slip into my dress: the same shiny, pale blue one that I was supposed to wear to my mating ceremony.

~Oh Goddess!~

It fits even better than I remember.

It has been hidden away in my closet, begging to be worn on a special occasion, and this is the perfect one.

I just wish that Everett was here to see it…

I’m excited to go to the prom with Freya, but I still can’t get over the fact that I won’t get to slow dance with my mate and sneak kisses under the disco ball.

~Duty calls, and Everett answers.~

“Let’s take some pictures of you,” Mama says. “You can show them to him later.”

I pose on the stairwell and smile as big as I can muster.

But when Mama shows me the picture, I can see the twinge of sadness in my eyes.

“Just try your best to have a good time,” Mama says.

“Freya won’t give me a choice,” I say with a laugh.

~Speak of the devil…~

In that instant, my phone starts buzzing with messages from my best friend.

Freya

I’m heading over there now!

Freya

Don’t be late

Freya

It’ll be totally awk if I have to walk in alone.

Rory

I’m leaving now too

Rory

See you soon, date ;)

I grab my clutch bag and head out the door, resolving to make the best of the situation and enjoy myself as much as I can.

EVERETT

The journey to the Red Moon Pack isn’t a long one, but I spend the entire time bracing myself for what is to come.

I will soon be in the company of twelve alphas from the northern region, and I wouldn’t say any of them are exactly ~easy~ to get along with.

They are all the strongest men in their respective packs and constantly feel the need to prove it.

We don’t often gather together, so when we do, everyone takes the opportunity to brag about how well everything is going under their leadership.

And right now, I don’t feel like I have much to brag about. I mean, my council barely trusts my decision-making ability, and I can hardly get through a conversation with my luna without disappointing her.

But I can’t disclose any of these issues to the other alphas. They will just play on my weakness and try to find a way to use it to their own advantage.

So, I decide it’s best to keep a straight face and a low profile. After all, the only thing that really matters tonight is making sure that the new alpha is ~nothing~ like Nickolas, the previous alpha of the pack.

I park my car just outside of the pack border and see the other alphas from the region filing in through the gate.

Alpha Garth of the Blue Stone Pack and Alpha Alex of the River Rider Pack arrive at the same time as I do.

We puff up our chests and nod at each other in silence—the unofficial but ubiquitous greeting between alphas.

~This is exactly why alphas need lunas,~ I think to myself. ~Otherwise it’d be all chest puffing and head nodding and nothing would ever get done.~

We continue walking into the woods on the outskirts of the pack, following the distinct smell of burning wood.

Finally, we reach the sight of the inauguration, which is always held around a blazing fire. There are twelve tree stumps arranged in a circle around it.

All of them have names etched into the side of the various alphas that will be in attendance tonight, my own included.

All except for one, which has no name etched into it. At least not yet. Tonight, the new guy will assume his title and get an official seat in the Circle of Alphas.

I take my place and wait until all the remaining seats get filled with familiar faces.

~Puff chest.~

~Nod head.~

~Lather, rinse, repeat.~

And then I see someone walk into the circle who I have never seen before.

This must be him. He’s not as tall or bulky as I expected, but I am relieved to see that he has a kind-looking face—compared to Nick’s unpleasant one.

After a moment, he raises his hands in the air and claps three times. On cue, we all give him our attention.

“Hello, everyone,” he says. “My name is Stefan and I’d like to thank you for joining me tonight, marking my first official day as alpha of the Red Moon Pack.”

His gaze flits around to each of us and I can sense that he’s nervous. I don’t blame him. I remember how scared ~I~ was when I had to address the Circle of Alphas for the first time.

Only a sociopath wouldn’t be a little uneasy doing something like this, so I don’t perceive it as a weakness, but actually as a point in his favor.

“I am honored to have been selected by the Red Moon council to take on this role, as the former Alpha Nickolas and Luna Victoria left no known heirs,” he says.

“However, they did leave behind a lot of damage to our pack in their wake.”

His tone darkens and his expression looks deadly serious.

“Alpha Nickolas and Luna Victoria committed atrocious sins that we are aware of, and sins that only the Goddess knows,” he says.

For a moment his gaze lingers on me, and I feel as though he is speaking directly to me.

“But their kind of behavior will no longer be tolerated in the Red Moon Pack,” he says. “From this day forth, I will work tirelessly to change our collective values. To create a society of tolerance toward all the werewolves ~and~ humans in the surrounding area. A society in which humans and wolves can thrive, side by side.”

I can sense that some of the alphas are a little wary that Stefan dared to mention humans in his inauguration vows. But it was exactly what I needed to hear to know that he is nothing like his predecessors.

I beat my hand on the base of my seat in approval, and several of the other alphas join in the applause with me.

Then, Stefan whips a knife out of his pocket and offers it to the group, waiting for someone to perform the inauguration ritual.

“I would like to do the honor,” I say, rising to my feet.

I walk over to him slowly while the rest of the alphas eye me closely. The elder, more traditional alphas look wary of me and I know why.

They also disapprove of my choice of luna, but I’m not even going to pretend like I care what they think.

When I reach Stefan, I take the knife out of his hand and hold it to the fire. The blade burns black for an instant, before returning to its silver color.

Stefan holds out his hand to me, and I pierce his palm with the blade, drawing a thin stream of blood. He allows it to drip into the fire.

I reach my hand out and pat him on the back.

“Congratulations, Alpha,” I say. “Welcome to the Circle.”

He smiles widely at my words.

“Thank you, Alpha Everett,” he says. “And I just want to say congratulations to you and your new mate. Your acceptance of humans and their culture has set such a powerful example for me and my pack.”

I maintain a smile on my face and thank him for his kind words. But I know deep in my heart that I have failed to truly embrace the human side of Aurora, time and time again.

Even tonight, she is at the prom and I am here.

We can’t go on living separate lives like this or our relationship will fall apart at the seams.

Suddenly, an idea dawns on me. I know what I need to do.

“Good luck, buddy,” I say to Stefan, and then make a run for it back through the woods.

RORY

So far, prom has been a rollercoaster of emotions.

When pop music is playing, Freya and I venture out to the floor and dance our hearts out. But when the music gets slow and romantic, the melancholy kicks in.

For the fifth time tonight, the D.J. plays a sweet love song and all the couples find each other and hold each other close.

l lean up against the wall, drinking my fifth glass of punch, day-dreaming about my mate.

~My Goddess, I miss Everett…~

~I miss his touch.~

~I miss his scent.~

~I miss everything.~

I wanted one perfect high school moment, but I know now that it could never be perfect without him.

I close my eyes and conjure a vivid image of him in my head. I let myself imagine that he’s here, his arms wrapped around me tightly as we sway to the music.

And when I open my eyes, a gasp escapes my lips.

He’s walked right out of my dreams and into my reality.

Everett’s here.