My mouth hung open, as I tried to process the new piece of information. Every and the other wolf whose name I had just learnt was Naomi gave Talon accusing looks.

"So I'm not his first mate?" I asked slowly, dreading the answer, an answer I already knew.

"No" Naomi answered.

But why? Why didn't he tell me? I'm not even sure how I'm supposed to feel. I mean it was the way his life was supposed to go right?

"But he hasn't had a mate in more than three centuries, so he hasn't aged or gone into the water fall." Every tried to comfort me. "I'm guessing that's how long you've been alive right?"

I nodded, shaken by the news.

"Look, it's pretty complicated and the story isn't just black and white. But you should ask Ma- I mean Alpha Malik yourself." Talon sighed "we can't do that right now, you have to get ready."

I was too distracted by the news that I didn't even notice Talon's little mistake, or even get to suspect anything. Not that it mattered the truth was already going to reveal itself and it was closer than I could imagine.

So I shut out all doubts and focused on the task at hand, I needed to get it over with the crazy traditions and this mating ceremony. A bond was long overdue to be broken and we couldn't take anymore chances with it.

So the atmosphere fell quiet as everyone fell into their own thoughts.

Until the dress for the ceremony came on and the zipper refused to move further than my lower back.

"This is a problem," Naomi sighed. The dress was beautiful, it was an extremely elegant and stylish design.

It was so long that it carpeted the floor and stretched out wide. From the ground it came up in ruffles and feathers that were so soft to touch. With lace dancing and separate them to expose skin here and there. It covered me thighs well and hugged every inch of me. The black dress melted into a silk and embroidered pattern around my upper thighs and stretched into a full bodice around my waist, cupping my breasts lightly. The dress began just below my collar bone and stretched around my arms in the same features from the flay.

But it wouldn't budge. The dress was too small, why oh why did this group of wolves have to do this? Not only did they provide me with information to doubt my entire relationship with my mate, now they're telling me that I'm fat? Such subtle mannerisms and I felt like I was an ogre. Just great.

"What do we do?" Every sounded worried.

"Who picked out the dress" I asked, if it was Malik I was going to explode right now.

"The she-wolves made it." Talon responded, trying to find a solution.

Instantly, relief flooded me and I nodded. "It's truly a beautiful dress, you all did a great job."

"Well... not really." Naomi whined "you can't even wear it."

"How ignorant could we have been?" Every muttered.

"It's not you fault, and don't worry I can fix it." I tried to assure them, but the two wolves just looked at me helplessly.

I smiled and muttered a spell. "Try it now" Every eyed me skeptically before tugging at the zip again. It went up smoothly.

"You did something didn't you?" Talon smirked. I shrugged.

"You're amazing." Naomi smiled.

After the heels came on, they finally allowed me look at my reflection.

I smiled at the mirror, they certainly did justice. It was perfection.

The three she-wolves supported me as I walked out of the room and down the stairs. The pack house was like it was before yesterday. Quiet and empty.

"They're all in the pack decagon, waiting for you" Naomi informed me, noticing my curiosity.

"The decagon?"

"It's close to the water fall" I nodded.

As we were about to step out, madam Louise called out from behind us.

"Don't forget the jewelry, it's from us grandmas" she gestured to a few more older she-wolves.

A smile touched my face as I glanced at them, in comparison to me they might as well be babes, but it still warmed my heart their kind motherly gesture.

I gasped when I saw the earrings, they were simple but extremely beautiful. It was perfect. She put them one for me a kissed my powdered covered cheeks. Giving me a silent go ahead I touched my naked neck and smiled. As I stepped out, Absalom waited for me with a startling look on his face.

"You look absolutely stunning Luna." He leaned in to kiss the back of my hand.

"Why thank you Absalom." He nodded, extending his hands and leading me to the hexagon.

The walk was long, but worth it. Each step taken corresponds with each increasing heart beat. I was alone now, Absalom had left me to walk down the aisle on my own. The little wolves helping with my immensely long dress had arranged it behind me and let me guide it my self. I maneuvered just okay with the long skirts and ensured my walk was as close to graceful as I could manage. Suddenly extremely thankful to all the etiquette lessons mother gave me, well us.

She wished us to be as far away from wolves as we could. Those were the happy times. Times before puberty, living in childish innocence, times when I really had a family. For the first time I felt bad about my unfortunate destiny. I mean I've not had the best relationship with my sisters, well neither of us have but do they deserve to die for a fight that has lasted for so long? I pushed the thought to the back of my head and focused on my mate. He was wearing a white suit, I suspect it's to match the colour of my wolf, just as I adorned black to match his. It did make my wolf pleased.

When I reached the end, the moment we locked eyes, I suddenly felt extremely shy and nervous. What is this feeling? My stomach is doing flip flops and I am struggling to keep my knees straight. He took my hands in his and had the most cocky look.

"You look beautiful" he whispered in my ears and we turned to face the pack, my dress forming a carpet in front of us.

I cleared my throat and tried to ignore the tingling sensation where his hands held mine. "So what now?"

"You become part of the pack" he said matter of factly.

I pursed my lips and gave him a questioning look, "uh... I think I got that much, isn't someone supposed to like officiate?"

His brow went up "I'm the highest rank and authority in this pack, so no. You're going to be doing a lot of bleeding." He smiled down at me.

Say what?

"You're joking right?" I laughed.

"No, Iris, it's a two way process, you drink the blood of the pack through my veins and they drink yours."

"And I'm hearing this now? Can't you just drink it for them? What are we, vampires?" I scoffed grabbing my hands away from his.

"It's tradition Iris" his gaze becoming dangerously dark.

"Oh tradition?" I laughed "you seem to have a lot of traditions in this pack huh"

"So you're saying you won't do it?" He asked.

I bit my lower lip and looked at the pack, "how much blood are we talking?"

"Like a bucket full" he shrugged.

"A bucket full! Are you Kidding me? What do you want to do with a bucket full? Swim in it?" I whisper yelled.

"There are a lot of wolves, Iris" he folded his arms "this is the tradition, are you still interested?"

"Why didn't you tell me earlier? You can't just spring this up on a girl" I glared at him. Who did he think I was, a blood bank?

"Should it matter?" He asked.

"Yes it should!" I stomped my heeled foot on the ground.

"So you're not going to do it?" He had a playful smirk on his face, I struggled to find the joke and since I could not see what was so funny it made me mad.

I clenched my teeth and sighed "I never said that, fine just get it over with." I let my canines come out, making my eyes purple. Lifting my wrist to my mouth to dip my teeth in and draw blood. Malik's hand wrapped around my wrist and he pulled me to him, slamming me against his chest, looking down into my eyes, he smiled.

"I wasn't serious, little witch" He grinned.

I frowned "I don't understand, what am I supposed to do?"

"Mark me and drink blood. That and the water from the water fall is enough for you to create your connection."

"That I can do" I smiled, grabbing his purple shirt and ripping a few buttons to expose his neck. Thank goodness for the heels, I would've been too short otherwise. I dug my teeth into the dip in his collar bone and sucked in the blood that flowed freely. It all came rushing in, all the thoughts and the emotions. At first it was too much, filling me head with all these connections I wasn't used to, but Malik's grip on me, his hand on my naked shoulders calmed me.

I stepped away and stared at him, stared at the pack. So this is what it feels like to be in the subconscious of a pack?

The power within, the authority and the dominance radiating from everyone was visible to me now. I looked up at Malik, he was smiling down at me with such affection and love and while I wanted to revel in it, the thought gnawing at me since I heard the truth pushed into my head. Is that how he looked at his other mates?

Gosh I wished for the days of him being a baby daddy. At least then, I was not also afraid of the affection and bond. Now I had to live with the fact that he wasn't infact my second half, at least not exclusively. While I was born for him, he wasn't born for just me.

The moon goddess just made it that way for her revenge. Gee I wish I never pryed for the answers, goodness knows I am not ready for this.

"Iris, honey are you okay?" Malik asked me. I nodded quickly.

After a few more stuff, we walked to the water fall together, hand in hand.

"Now it's time to build a connection with the moon goddess and me." He smiled.

This was it. This would definitely break mother's hold on my mind, but why was I wary. I wasn't completely sure of anything anymore.

"Just open yourself to the experience, it shouldn't be hard. While we are in the water, you'll see your truest self, you'll see your deepest memories and desires." I looked up at him.

"Ready?" I nodded.

No I'm not ready, I don't know if I'm making the right decision. I just hope that this experience clarifies my ambitions and purpose. Because right now I wasn't sure who the villain in my story was anymore, it's all just too confusing.

I grabbed Malik's hands tighter as we ran towards the fall. Jumping into the water the only thing that engulfed my cerebrum was the internal struggle within myself.

Who is the true villain in my story? Who is the true victim in my story?

Was it mother? Or was it the moon goddess?

If only I knew at that moment, it was either and it also wasn't neither. The end wouldn't have been as painful as it was. The real villain of the story not even in my struggle.

This I could be certain was a battle, a battle without good or evil, a battle that could never have been black or white.