Breathtaking Discoveries

Sky

I was a sucker for a good party. The whole shebang, from primping beforehand to scrolling through the photos the next day.

I’d styled my blonde hair into loose curls that bounced with every move. I was also rocking a new pair of wedges, a must-have for a petite girl like me.

Now, Harper, Zara, and I were chilling by the makeshift bar: a line of stools facing a long dining room table. The table was decked out with bottles of top-shelf liquor.

We had a good stock of mixers, beer, and wine, too. It was an open bar, meaning you could just wander over and mix up whatever cocktail you fancied.

This was a far cry from our usual formal ballroom parties. It was more relaxed, more fun.

I whipped up a strong margarita. Strong, because I had no clue how many shots were supposed to go into a margarita.

The only thing missing was one of those cute little paper umbrellas.

Feeling the tequila kick in, I was happily people-watching. Guys and girls from the other packs were mixing and mingling, enjoying the live music.

Everyone was so attractive. So shiny and interesting and unique.

~Every person in the world is completely unique~, I thought.

I loved that.

“Don’t you think it’s kind of cool that we don’t have mates yet?” I asked the girls.

They looked at me, their eyebrows shooting up in unison. Zara was sitting next to me with a glass of red wine. Harper was leaning against the bar, nursing a whiskey-based drink.

“I mean, it lets us play the field and figure out what we like and don’t like. We can date around and explore, always wondering who might be the one. It's so thrilling!“

I always wondered: when you met The One, did you just know it, without a doubt? Or, was it something that crept up on you? A friendship that slowly, over time, turned into something more?

I’d heard stories from both camps.

What would my mate’s story be?

~Romantic or platonic? Slow burn or love at first sight?~

“I’ll be honest. I kind of have a thing for bad boys,” I said, taking a sip of my drink.

Harper snorted. “Oh God, here we go.”

Ignoring her, I continued with my fantasy. “Someone I have to keep in check, but who will protect and look out for me, you know? Not in a sexist, old-fashioned way. I wouldn’t be cooking dinner and baking cookies in return. We’d do it together. And then pig out.”

“So you want a grumpy guy you have to drag into the kitchen?” Harper said, clearly not impressed. “Sounds romantic.”

“No, stop it. Not a grumpy guy. Just someone tough. And maybe, in some way, kind of…forbidden,” I giggled, looking down at my cup. The liquid swirled around.

Sure, it sounded silly. But the heart wanted what the heart wanted, right?

I looked up to see their reactions. Zara seemed unimpressed and indifferent, but unlike Harper, she kept her thoughts to herself.

“So, what are you two looking for in a mate?” I asked.

Harper found this hilarious. “What are we looking for in a mate? Are you trying to start a Shadow Moon dating service or something?”

“No, I’m just curious! It’s fun. Harper. What’s your ideal mate like?”

My friend looked away, suddenly shy. “Uh, I don’t know exactly. I don’t really think about it much.”

~Yeah, right.~

We were practically raised on the concept of mates. Every werewolf schoolgirl dreamed of one day becoming Luna to a handsome Alpha.

Sketching pictures of your mystery man in a secret diary, surrounded by hearts pierced with arrows.

From then on, you'd aspire to that vision. A big, strong man. A beautiful mating ceremony.

At least, that’s what I did.

“Oh, please!” I said. “Come on, Harps, just think fast, right off the top of your head. You wake up in the morning next to your mate. What do they look like?”

Harper shook her head, dismissing me as she took a sip. She usually thought my questions were frivolous and childish.

But, surprisingly, she answered me. “Um, probably blonde. Not too tall or intimidating. I like being the scary one in the relationship.”

Even though she sounded like she was joking, I knew she was serious. That girl loved being in charge.

“And...bright, sparkling eyes. They’re like the window to the soul or whatever.”

~Window to the soul?~

~Wow.~

Harper rarely let her tough-girl guard down. For her, that was an incredibly poetic thing to say.

Her own eyes were a warm chocolate brown, so dark that the irises sometimes blended right in with her pupils. If they were windows, they were definitely closed—maybe even boarded up.

~Or maybe, just maybe, they’re more like deep caves~, I thought, sipping my fruity drink.

~You just have to dig deep to find the soul inside.~

I turned to Zara, so she wouldn’t feel left out of the conversation. “What do you think? Eyes as shiny as gems. Golden hair, soft and flowing like a wheat field. Short. Maybe one of those sweet teddy bear types, so that Harper can feel like a giant in comparison.”

Harper scoffed at me.

But I continued, my words starting to slur, “Do you know anyone like that, Zara? Any hot single dads who come by the nursery that might be a good match for our Harps?”

Caught off guard, Zara looked back and forth between us. “Oh, um…”

Harper tipped back her glass.

With a small smirk directed at Harper, Zara said, “Well, it sounds to me like Sky might be your perfect match.”

Harper

I choked on my scotch.

~What the hell did Zara just say?~

My chest tightened with nerves and the harsh liquor, which I’d accidentally swallowed down the wrong pipe. It was burning my damn throat.

Sky was at a loss for words, a rare occurrence indeed. But then, she burst into laughter.

Tossing her long, wavy hair back, she said, “That’s hilarious. Zara, you’re a riot. You’re quiet, but you’re funny.”

Zara replied, “So I’ve been told.”

“Sky, you should put that on Zara’s dating profile,” I joked, trying to lighten the mood despite the heartburn that was still bothering me.

“And I guess I don’t need to make one for you anymore, Harper. You’ve already found your perfect match right here!” Sky struck a pose, hand on her hip.

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Might as well start the mating ritual right now. Zara, you want to officiate?”

Just then, the band took a break, saving us from having to continue the joke.

Raphael climbed onto a nearby chair.

“Hey everyone, are we having a good time so far tonight?” he asked, sounding like a game show host. The crowd around him cheered and hollered. They were eating it up.

I, on the other hand, was feeling anxious. Sure, parties were fun. I enjoyed a bit of chaos as much as the next girl.

~But is chaos really what Shadow Moon needs right now?~

“I just wanted to announce that dinner is about to be served,” Raphael said. “But before that, I think we should acknowledge the man who made tonight possible.”

He gestured towards Alex, who blushed under the spotlight.

“Let’s give it up for our current Alpha!” Raphael shouted. “Alpha Alex!”

Everyone cheered.

Alex’s blush faded, replaced by a warm smile.

“Alright, we’ll do this buffet style. Dig in and enjoy!”

Alex raised his cup. “Let’s party!”

Sky raised her margarita. Hesitantly, I joined the toast.

We clinked glasses, and I finished off my scotch.

I had a feeling this was going to be a long night.

Quinn

Jax and I stood in silence, processing everything that had just happened.

His confession. And then Carl’s invitation.

Finally, Jaxon said, “Okay. How about we set aside our argument for a little while? Please? I promise I'll explain more. I'm so, so sorry, Quinn.”

I sighed. “It’s okay. I mean, you’re right. You can’t help your…hallucinations, or whatever they are. And right now, this is more important.”

After all, this was the mission we set out to accomplish. Finding Jodie and Vulpes.

As Carl said, we were so, so close.

We followed his instructions: a half-hour walk along the mountain. We did so quietly, and overcome with nerves.

I had no idea what to expect.

But sure enough, we soon arrived at precisely the place Carl described. A gap at the base of two giant mountains jutting up high into the sky.

A curtain of vines draped down over the entrance.

Jax nodded at me. “After you.”

I reached out with trembling hands and parted the curtain, leading the way through, and…

I stepped into the most breathtaking place I’d ever seen in my life.

It was a woodland mountain kingdom.

I saw treehouses connected by rope bridges and pulleys.

Rooms carved directly into the rock walls of the canyon.

Strings of flickering paper lanterns.

People hustling and bustling around some sort of main street, carrying handwoven baskets of fresh fruits and vegetables.

I could hardly believe my eyes. It looked like something out of the Swiss Family Robinson.

One cavern at the end of the canyon was adorned with special decorations. Flaming torches and intricate stone engravings. That had to be the rogues' headquarters. The cave system inside the mountains probably stretched for miles.

At the entrance, stood a girl. She looked very… Familiar?

I squinted, trying to make out her features.

And then it hit me.

~Oh my God.~

The girl from Zara’s photograph!

My mate’s ex-lover.

Not a ghost.

In the flesh.

~Katherine.~