All lycans and wolves had to arrive at the ball in the castle ballroom at around seven pm that evening. Rissa and I were going to spend the day pampering ourselves and getting ready. After breakfast that day the two of us went into town to get manicures done. I got a medium coffin-shaped set of matte red nails to match my dress. We also got both our hair and makeup done to match our dresses. Back in my room at the castle, Rissa brought her dress with her so we can get ready together and put the final touches on our looks.

"That dress looks amazing on you," I said to Rissa who was wearing a blush pink ball gown.

"Back at you" she replied.

It had been our little routine that we would hook arms with each other while we walked. It had been a long time since I had a female friend. Of course, I love Aiden and Xavier who are both like my brothers, but I missed talking about the things I could never talk to them about like boys or clothes. Rissa quickly replaced the spot Lily had in my heart before she had betrayed me as my best friend.

Together we walked to the boys and I's suite's common room to find them waiting for us there. Both of my best friends are here including Adonis, Leo, Darius, and Sin. Unhooking our arms, Rissa and I both walked over to our dates for the evening. Sin was wearing an all-black suit that was hugging tightly around his muscles. Realizing that I was standing there just staring at him, I looked back up to his face where he had an eyebrow raised at me.

"Done admiring me sweetheart?" he asked smirking.

"Hmm. I don't think so, mind if I take a second more."

After that, I dragged my eyes down his body once more before replying "Ok. Done."

"Cheeky little thing."

"Hey, I am not little, just a bit shorter than the average."

"You're tiny to me, like a cute little bunny." Sin said as he was towering over me with a 6'1 figure.

Rolling my eyes at his statement I followed his eyes as he looked at me in the ballgown.

"Sweetheart you look absolutely stunning. I think red might be my favorite color."

Laughing, we spent the walk over to the ballroom bantering and flirting with each other as we trailed to the group.

Before we entered Sinclair offered me his hand, "Shall we?"

Taking his hand, we walked into the ballroom together with all eyes on us. Quickly removing all expressions from my face I trained it to look neutral. This was a trick I learned two years ago to never show my weakness around others. I just had to be the cold-hearted bitch the rest of the werewolf world knows me as other than my friends and family. When I first became beta they undermined me because of my gender. To top it all of my ex-mate had called me weak and unworthy of a high position so my self-esteem wasn't so high up. Quickly learning to mask my emotions I became one of the most well-known betas in the werewolf world.

Holding onto Sinclair's arm as we walked through the masses of lycans greeting him. He greeted them back and chatted with the multiple talking to him. The waiter around the room carried champagne that Sin grabbed two glasses of. Giving me a glass and took a small sip enjoying the bubbly drink.

One of the women in the crowd wearing the shortest emerald dress came up to us and said "Hello King Sinclair, might I just say you look dashing tonight."

"Thank you Jade for the compliment."

"Well once you're done with your new toy you know where to find me," Jade said as winked and moved in to give Sin a peck on his cheek.

Once she had left I turned to Sin and asked "Ex-girlfriend?"

"More like ex-fling" he replied, taking me to the side of the ballroom for more privacy from others..

"So do you have multiple one-night stands?" I asked with curiosity.

"I have been alive for 625 years, I have had many nights with beautiful women throughout the centuries."

"Not judging you I can't say anything when I have done the same" I replied to him.

"Have you had many men in your bed throughout the years?"

"Just the past two years. After my ex-mate rejected me I felt like I had nothing left to lose. Sleeping around kind of filled the void of being denied by my supposed soulmate."

"You were rejected?" Sinclair asked me.

"Before becoming the beta of Midnight, I was just a normal pack member in Dark Moon. On my eighteenth birthday, I was rejected by my mate who was the alpha of my pack. He said I wasn't strong enough to rule by his side."

The one thing I hated once people found out about my rejection is the pity that comes after. The usual "sorry" and "you'll find someone better" also followed the pity. I have hidden my emotions well in the past two years sleeping around the first year I arrived at Midnight. Being with other men just felt like the biggest fuck you to Axel. Later realizing it wasn't affecting him and I wasn't really getting back at him I put all my energy into being a good beta.

Sinclair looked at me thoughtfully before answering "How about we take this outside."

Nodding my head I took his offered hand as we walked outside to the courtyard. We got outside to see it lightly snowing as we walked into the gazebo. Shivering slightly at the cold Sinclair offered me his suit jacket.

Resisting at first he put the jacket around me and said "Lycans have an internal body heater so we can't feel the cold, that's why we can live in these snowy mountains throughout the year."

Nodding at him I replied, "So you must feel like you need to suck up to me after hearing my tragic story."

"The opposite actually, you suffered the loss of your mate before your twenties before most who lose them to old age."

I scoffed and said "Yeah but that's dying not rejection."

"Is it not the same thing? After he is dead to you isn't he, you have to heal the loss of your future life with your mate."

Sinclair did have a point. In the beginning, I had hoped for Axel to come and get me from Midnight and that he had made a big mistake by rejecting me. After I realized he wasn't coming I fell fast into the darkness and gave away my innocence to some random man I had met in town that year. Once the anger and sadness lessened I saw the path of destruction I was taking and redirected myself to become stronger than Axel had ever been.

"I can see the wheels in your head spinning, sweetheart. I'm guessing you are putting my opinion to the test?" Sin asked.

"You're right. I probably went through the five stages of grief without even realizing it."

Sin chuckled a little before I asked "Did you have a mate or do lycans even have one?"

Sin had a faraway look before answering "We do have mates but we don't have a specific age that you meet your other half unlike werewolves who meet them at eighteen. I met my mate over two centuries ago, she was a human and died of old age after we lived a married human life together."

After moments of silence, Sin said "Well aren't we two peas in a pod since we both have no mates."

Smiling I asked, "Do you miss having a mate?"

"Sometimes. I mean I miss the connection we had and how nobody knew me better than her. But I always knew that I was going to outlive her and I am keeping my final promise to her to live the fullest life possible."

"How about you, do you wish your mate hadn't rejected you?" he asked.

"I mean I wished I got the connection that mates have but not the rejection. I always used to depend on someone to save me and help me from situations before. After the rejection, I had to learn to fend for myself and be there for myself before anyone else. Sure I want to have a mate but I would never want to be mated to that misogynistic asshole the Moon goddess paired me with. I mean what the hell was she thinking when she made that choice."

Sinclair brought his hand up to palm my cheek "Well I for one am glad he rejected you. At least now I have a chance with the extraordinary Analise Kade."

"I think extraordinary is way out there for me but I will take the compliment anyway."

"No extraordinary isn't as high as it should be you gorgeous, strong, independent woman."

My heart beating wildly when Sinclair brought his face close to mine as he continued "And god do you make me want to slam you against the nearest wall."

And with that, he slammed his lips against mine.