Chapter 1 1

Lylah POV:

"I can't wait for you to turn 18," Thane said to me, a smile polished on his face as we sat by the waterfall, a quiet and serene place that belonged to only the two of us.

He held my hand in his, and I beheld his eyes.

Even without the mate bond, I felt it in my heart that he was my mate; it was a sensation I knew every time I saw him.

"I can't wait either," I responded, my heart leaping with joy over the big day.

We had only nine hours left before the breaking of dawn, and then we would be consummated.

Our bodies entwined together as we made love under the full moon.

I was to be his, and he was to be mine.

"Close your eyes, Lylah." I immediately closed my eyes, eager for what he might do.

"Now, open them."

When I opened my eyes, he was down on one knee, a ring in his hand.

"Lylah Summer, would you be my chosen mate for the rest of your life, to love me and me alone till death do us part?"

"Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!" Unable to hold my excitement, I leapt into his arms, almost toppling us both to the ground.

He took my hand and slipped the ring onto my finger.

"My father gave this ring to my mother, and now I'm giving you this ring.

I love you, Lylah Summer, I always will."

"I love you, too, Thane Anthra." I squealed, wrapping myself in his arms while admiring the ring that had caught my eye for years.

I wish the moment could last forever, but it was cut short by the sound of an unknown bell.

"What is that?" I asked, having never heard such a bell before.

It rang three times, followed by black smoke billowing into the sky.

"The Alpha is dead," he added, leaving me completely dumbfounded.

"What do you mean dead?"

Alpha Damon was still in his forties and had many years ahead to rule.

Many had presumed he would die seven years ago after losing his Luna.

Yet, he survived so long without her, practically raising his daughter on his own.

What could possibly cause his death now?

Thane pulled me up, "We have to go now, there will be a curfew in an hour to pay respect for his death."

I stared at him, troubled by how he had so much information about this.

It only made sense because his father was once the Beta of the pack, before he got overthrown during a duel by his brother.

The moment we arrived back at my home, a special announcement went around.

"All men are summoned to the pack house at first light tomorrow, for the new Luna to choose the new Alpha."

"She must be desperate to take over the throne to find an Alpha the next day after her father's death." I pondered.

"The new Alpha..." I heard Thane whisper, and I lifted my head to meet his gaze.

"You are not seriously considering going, right?" I prompted, trying not to get his head in the clouds.

The chances of the new Luna picking him were one in a thousand.

Besides, in all the years that I knew him, he had never looked at another woman before.

"Nothing is going to stand in the way between us," he assured me, planting a kiss on my lips and gently caressing my hair.

It's already nine in the morning, and there was no sign of Thane, I couldn't help but think that he was at the ceremony.

I stepped out of the house to find the streets wiped clean, not a single soul was present in their homes.

Making my way to the pack house, it was my first time entering there.

No one was allowed into the pack house except on official business; the walls were painted in pure white and fancy pillars.

I walked past the steel brown brass door to find a crowd in the hall.

It was a two-story building for ceremonies like this.

The top floor was filled, and so was the ground floor, but what caught my attention was the thousand men in front of the hall, assembled in rows.

I began searching for Thane among the crowd.

There was no way he was among the men lined up in front; he was engaged to me and therefore was proclaimed as 'not single'.

"I can't believe my husband is there!"

I heard a woman say as I walked past her.

Tears were pouring down her eyes as she held onto a 3-month-old baby, trying her possible best to stop him from crying.

It dawned on me that most of the men out there probably had partners; they had broken their loyalty to their partners just to be there.

"Not my Thane," I told myself.

He had promised that he wanted nothing to do with that.

I was on my way to the stairs when a name being called out caught my attention.

"Thane Anthra, number 7." I paused in my tracks, unable to look back.

I told myself it must be a coincidence, and there was someone else with the same name as him.

"Son of former Beta Anthra."

That confirmed my disbelief.

"Yes, Sir." I heard his voice, and my heart almost stopped.

I slowly turned back, my body already shaking from the reality.

There he was in the second row; the numbers were based on the time they had registered themselves to be chosen for the title of the Alpha.

If he were number seven, then he must have...

He left right after putting me to sleep.

Did he do all that just so he could sign up?

I shook my head, refusing to believe it.

He must have been forced by his father to retrieve the glory he had once lost.

Thane would never make that decision on his own.

It had his father's doing written all over it.

Soon, all the names were called out, and the doors to the front opened.

"All bow!" the commander said, and we all bowed our heads as the Luna heir walked in.

Once I lifted my head, I was caught in a trance.

It was my first time of seeing her, long black hair, blue eyes and skin like fresh milk.

She was beautiful; her beauty alone left the men in front of her sunken in admiration.

It made them realize that they made the right choice signing up, and whoever was lucky enough to be picked by her was indeed blessed.

It didn't matter what age the men were; they ranged from the oldest to the youngest (the age of 18).

Men who had already met their wolves at the well-endowed.

"The Luna heir will now choose who will be the next Alpha."

I felt my heart racing once again as she began walking past them.

I saw the way Thane corrected his posture; his hair was combed backwards, and not the usual messy style he always had and I always loved.

He wore a brown shirt and black pants, the outfit I bought for him on his previous birthday.

I spent months working different part-time jobs just to get him that outfit.

He promised to cherish it and wear it only on special occasions, occasions for us.

My heart heaved a bit in relief when she walked past him.

I could see his countenance change, and his confidence shattered; his shoulders slouched back as he watched her walk away from him.

She was finally done scanning the men.

It would be normal if she found no one to her taste, but then she had two more days to find an Alpha.

Otherwise, she would be stripped off her title and the Beta and his mate would be the new Alpha and Luna of the pack.

It was forbidden for her to pick an Alpha who wasn't part of the pack.

We were cursed and segregated from the rest of the Eleanor City; no other pack wanted anything to do with the cursed pack.

She walked back to the front of the line, and my heart skipped once again only for her to point at Thane.

"I want him," she announced.