"Sometimes when I look at you, I feel I'm gazing at a distant star. It's dazzling, but the light is from tens of thousands of years ago. Maybe the star doesn't exist any more. Yet sometimes that light seems more real to me than anything." - Haruki Murakami,

North-Moon pack once again fell in preparation for the arrival of the Lycan princess. As conveyed in the letter, she arrived two days later in a black car with surprisingly much less protection than I had imagined.

Dressed in a yellow, knitted turtleneck dress with her icy blonde hair pulled up in an elegant bun, Leia stepped out of the car. A petite, young lady, with tanned skin and long, dark hair that fell in waves - most probably her chambermaid - followed close behind.

Two bulky guards flanked both of her sides, each one of them holding her suitcases.

“She sure packed a lot for a two day trip,” My wolf observed.

"Hello Princess," I offered her my hand, "I never thought I'd see you this soon. It was quite the surprise."

Her gloved hand gently shook mine, "Hopefully, a good surprise."

"Only the best," I smiled at her and saw her curious gaze flickering towards someone behind me. "You didn't get the chance to meet my parents last time; let me introduce them."

With a bright smile that would make even the sun pale in comparison, she greeted my parents who were standing together arm-in-arm. Father had made a shockingly fast recovery and got back on his feet within a day. His wolf was still resting but compared to before, his human-self appeared healthier and stronger.

After the introductions and greetings were done, we escorted Leia to her room so she could freshen up, with a promise that I would personally give her a tour of the pack later. Her guards were to alternate their duties so one room was assigned to them as well.

As promised, an hour later, I showed Leia around the pack. She looked at everything with bright, flashing eyes – like a child who had met Santa Claus for the first time. There was something in her icy, blue eyes that wasn't there before; her joy unfolding like a blooming flower.

When we made it towards the training grounds, she audibly gasped when a pack member ruthlessly slammed another one on the ground. Her feet took her towards the boundary of the ring; her guards following us close behind.

She was completely awe-struck, rubbing her hands with glee and not removing her eyes from the spectacle in front of her for even a second. When the fight ended, she hopped on her feet and clapped causing everyone to look at her. It looked as if she was bursting with liquid sunshine from within.

"That was amazing!" She gushed, her face pink with excitement, "I don't get to go outside a lot so this is the first time I've seen a fight - an actual fight."

I gave her a small smile which soon turned into a frown when she looked away. Her reaction could only mean that she had been kept imprisoned for so long that she had completely lost faith in a world beyond the walls of her castle.

It hurt to think how she never got the chance to stretch the bars of her gilded cage, thus, never coming to know of her true worth.

"Leia, do you remember Josh?"

"Is he your friend who asked a lot of questions during our dinner?"

"Yes," I laughed at the way she described him. "He is throwing a party in your honour tonight. He thought it would be a great way for you to meet our packs."

Her eyes twinkled in the sunlight as she beamed at me, "I would love to go."

----

The night was soon upon us. Leia walked down the pack house stairs, dressed in a midnight blue, sequin gown which sparkled whenever light shined on it. Her dress fit her perfectly; accentuating her hips and small waist impeccably but in a way that she still appeared modest. Her straight, icy hair, separated in a middle part, was flowing down to her hips.

When she walked closer to me, my eyes fell on the opal necklace she was wearing.

"You look beautiful," I complimented her, my eyes falling back on her neck.

"Thank you,” she grinned, “but definitely not as much as you."

"Oh, please." I sheepishly replied back, awkwardly adjusting the sides of my burgundy, satin slip dress. I felt quite uncomfortable wearing it as the dress felt like second skin and left nothing for the imagination but Ashlee had forced me to wear it; my words of protest falling on deaf ears.

Once the small group of members who were attending the party had gathered outside, we made our way to the East-Moon pack in cars and arrived at our destination in fifteen minutes.

It was a sight to behold. Everything was grand and magnificient. People in clusters were sitting around, dancing on the floor, or just drinking and talking. Dainty fairy lights were strung on the trees, flickering across the faces of people as they danced and talked animatedly. There were fire acrobats, jugglers, ventriloquists and even a trapeze act happening at the center of the party.

Loud, thumping music filled the entire area; tables lined with an overwhelming amount of food and beverages could be found in every corner.

"It's a party thrown by Josh, did you expect anything less?" My wolf commented, eyeing the piece of steak on the table.

Josh immediately caught us entering and eagerly weaved his way through the hordes of people to welcome us. He was dressed in a striped, short-sleeved shirt, his top buttons open. The multi-layered silver necklaces resting on top of his broad chest were gleaming under the moonlight.

"Welcome to my humble abode, Princess." He bowed in an exaggerated manner, which could only be achieved by someone like Josh, and then politely kissed the back of her gloved hand. "It seems like the moon itself abandoned the sky to honour my party tonight."

Leia tilted her head to the side, a hint of a smile playing at her lips, "How many other girls got to hear the same compliment tonight?"

"Only the ones with icy white hair and blue dress," He winked then turned towards me.

"Ah, Alpha Vivian." Taking my hand, he twirled me around, his eyes taking in my outfit. "You never disappoint, do you?"

I shrugged, the corners of my lips curling upwards, "Couldn't let you take the 'best dressed' title, now could I?"

He stepped forward and kissed my cheek, "I'd happily step down if you're the one who gets to be crowned the winner."

I rolled my eyes even though my heart was swooning on the inside, "You should save some of your charm for your mate, Josh."

He arched a sly brow, a mischievous smirk tugging at the corner of his lip as he stood straighter.

"Don't worry, Vivian. There are many other things that I've got saved for her," he winked.

"You're incorrigible."

He grinned, and then turned around to call one of his pack members who could show Leia around, leaving the two of us alone.

"I always thought you were exaggerating when you said your pack knew how to throw a party. But this… this is insane."

An honest smile came on his face as he observed the party and his pack members, "Means a lot, Viv. It certainly takes a village."

A waiter with a tray of champagne passed by and I grabbed two flutes, drinking both of them down in one go to calm my nerves down.

I don’t know why but I felt a little uneasy tonight. A cold shiver raced up and down my spine as my hands grew clammy.

My eyes darted around the room, "Did the other two arrive yet?"

He nodded, "Ethan did."

My heartbeat picked up at the mention of his name.

"Tyler still has to. Probably preparing himself for the big night and all."

I nodded in agreement, “It is a big night for him.”

"Easy there, sunshine." Josh grabbed my hand which reached for a third glass, "My drinks are not as sober as your fruity, Northern ones."

I scrunched my nose in annoyance, "Have you thought of an idea on how to get the gloves off?"

There was a gleam in his eye as his lip began to curl up ever so slightly, "Yep."

"And...?"

"That's for me to know and for you to find out." He lightly tapped my nose with his index finger and then turned around, disappearing in the sea of crowd.

----

Two hours later, Josh climbed up on an elevated stage and clinked his glass with a spoon, "May I have your attention everybody."

His gaze passed over the crowd, making sure that every eye was on him. When he found an unsuspecting man facing the other way, he threw the spoon in his direction. It hit him on the back of his head, and I stifled a giggle.

"I thought I said everybody."

Judging by the way the man bowed his head; it was obvious that he was a pack member. Another pack's member would've never bowed down and would've offered a polite apology since Josh was not an Alpha yet but his own pack members had to respect their future Alpha.

"So, as I was saying... it's time for a friendly competition! All of us are going to play a game called 'It Takes Two to Tango'."

A round of excited cheers broke through the area.

"The rules of the game are simple. Each person will be paired with another, and the couple will then have to dance on top of a paper without stepping off. When the music stops, the paper will be folded and the game will continue. The pair who manages to stay till the end without stepping off the paper will be crowned the winner.” He pointed towards the side of the dance floor, “Your pairs have already been decided and are written on the board near the dance floor. Please find your partners because we will begin in exactly ten minutes."

The place was brimming with excitement as everyone eagerly rushed towards the board to find who they were paired with. My eyes fell on a smiling Leia who was standing next to the stage, observing the crowd with keen eyes. I moved towards her to ask if she would accompany me to the board but stopped when Josh shook his head at me.

Instead, he stepped off the stage and approached Leia. She had a smile on her face as they conversed. Josh put a hand on her shoulder and unbeknownst to her, waved his fingers at someone behind her.

Then he said something which caused her to turn, making her bump into the same person Josh was signaling too; the drink in her hand effectively spilling on her right glove.

Ah! The oldest trick in the book.

"Oh my, Goddess! I am so sorry, Princess. I didn't-," the man muttered out a string of apologies.

"You don't do anything right, now do you Jasper?" Josh scolded, eyes blazing with fire.

His anger looked so real that I felt pretty bad for Jasper. Acting or not, public humiliation was always embarrassing.

Leia took off the tainted glove and Josh grabbed it from her instantly, "Don't worry, I'll get it washed in no more than ten minutes."

He passed the glove to Jasper and cocked his head to the side, signaling him to leave immediately. He wasted no time and vanished in a blink of an eye.

Fortunately, Leia didn't protest. She was slowly lowering her guard and learning to trust Josh which worked in our favour.

"Do you wish to wash your hands?"

She flipped her hand to see if it was sticky, "My hand seems fine; it didn't penetrate through the glove."

Josh raised an eyebrow, "That's what she said...."

Leia laughed, "Tell me, Josh... Do I have to spend the entire night next to you or do I also get to participate in this competition of yours?"

"Thought you'd never ask, Princess." He offered her his arm and escorted her towards the board.

Step one was done - the glove was off. Now Tyler had to somehow touch her hand to show her that they were mates.

Speaking off, I had yet to find my own mate.

As I walked towards the board, my eyes scanned the crowd to search for Ethan but instead, I ended up bumping into Tyler who was walking in the opposite direction.

“Took you long enough… and I can surely see why,” I teased him as he blushed scarlet under my scrutinizing gaze. He looked very handsome - dressed in a leather jacket and ripped jeans, his obsidian black hair pushed back, pulling all of his attention to his structured face and chocolaty brown eyes.

“I am so fucking nervous.”

“That makes two of us… who’s your partner for the game?”

He gave me a look, “Who do you think?”

“Oh...” His partner was Leia and since the game required the pair to be extremely close to each other, their hands would definitely touch each other’s, “Josh is clever.”

Somebody put an arm around my shoulder and pulled me to their side, “Always with the tone of surprise, Vivian.” My eyes fell on a grinning Josh who turned to face Tyler, “Flynn Ryder, go to your Rapunzel before somebody else whisks her away.”

Tyler eyes widened at the thought and he made a beeline for the dance floor.

“As for you, go get your partner.” Josh pushed me in the direction of the board and walked away.

I scoured the board for my name and when I did find it; my eyes fell on the name next to mine.

"I take it you're Vivian?" came a voice from behind; a lazy finger trailing down my arm, leaving sparks in its wake.

A smile crept on my face as his familiar woodsy scent surrounded me, "Hmm, and you must be... Keaton?"

He scoffed in amusement and took a step forward to stand next to me, "I'm anything you want me to be."

A slow smile spread across my face. He was wearing his comfort colour – black pants and a black button up with the top buttons undone to give a peek of his strong chest.

He mirrored my expression and then gave me his hand, "Shall we?"

We soon found ourselves in one of the secluded corners of the floor, away from the prying eyes but with an easy view of the rest of the crowd.

"Every time the song changes; the paper will be folded. The catch is that you cannot stop dancing until the music stops." The judge of the competition announced.

Josh had paired himself with Ashlee who couldn't maintain eye contact with him or stop blushing. Noticing his effect, he winked at her, a promise of adventure and recklessness on his lips. Poor Ashlee almost passed out on the floor.

Next to them were Tyler and Leia - both very hesitant to approach each other as they stood on the paper but giving each other the occasional side glances and smiles.

The music began and all of us started to sway to the beat. I turned my attention towards my own partner whose eyes were fixated only on my face.

Stormy grey clashed against caramel brown and I felt my heart swell. Those heavy, grey eyes which were always so fervid in their gaze were staring right into mine, as if they could see right through me. His thick, midnight black hair was tousled, as if he had run his hand through them multiple times.

He was always a sight to behold, a vision which could leave anyone dead in their tracks. When he walked in a room, the raw and intense sexual appeal that oozed out of him commanded attention; heads would turn everywhere just to catch a glimpse of this Adonic beauty.

The hushed whispers and giggles coming from the girls at our side was further proof of his irresistible allure. But it didn’t matter to me because he only had eyes for one person.

And that was me.

He gave me a grin which was heartbreaking in its beauty, and forced me to look away because I couldn't risk myself getting lost in them. Tonight, I couldn't succumb to the absolute electricity that was present between us as Tyler and Leia were our main focus.

The first three rounds were simple as there was enough paper for both of us to stand at a safe distance. However, the game took a turn by the fourth round. There was not a lot of space left anymore for us to stand without touching each other.

My skin began to heat up when Ethan placed his hands on my waist, and pulled me close to him – his chest crushed against mine in primal desire. The awareness of his proximity was smothering and the only thing that kept me standing was his hands holding me up.

Ethan lowered his head until his mouth traced the outline of my ear. My breathing became harsher and I bit down the small whimper that threatened to escape my lips.

"How come you leave me breathless but are the oxygen to my lungs all at once?”

He retracted his head and looked at me with his dark, stormy eyes. My breath hitched and I felt my heart almost leap out of my chest.

Don’t lose control, Vivian.

I fell back in his touch, marveling at the fact how my heart calmed and mind swirled just by merely being in his presence.

In order to keep myself focused, I turned my attention towards Tyler who was holding Leia’s hands but had a distant look on his face – as if he was not present in the moment – which was strange because usually when mates meet, all they can do is be lost in each other, Ethan and I being exhibit A, but what I was witnessing was the exact opposite.

"Something is wrong," I whispered to Ethan who followed my eyes to the dancing pair.

Almost as if he could feel our eyes on him, Tyler’s foot stepped out of the paper, successfully eliminating him and Leia. It was obvious to us that it was done intentionally.

With a nod of his head towards Leia, Tyler dismissed himself and began to walk towards the exit.

My eyes connected with Ethan, then with Josh, and all three of us stepped off our paper in a discreet manner.

To avoid suspicion, we all took turns to exit and then got together once outside. But before I left, I made sure Leia was preoccupied with something and found her talking to Jasper who had returned with her glove.

"What's wrong, Tyler?"

We found him sitting alone under a tree which was at quite a distance from the party.

"I didn't feel it," he whispered loud enough for us to hear it.

"Feel what?” Ethan prompted.

"The bond... when I touched her-,” he looked at me, sadness dancing on the outer edges of his irises. “It wasn't there."

"What?" Josh and I spoke at the same time, shock lacing our voices.

"She's not my mate."

"How is that possible?" Ethan crossed his arms, and I felt my mouth dry at the movement.

What is wrong with you, Vivian? Now’s not the time or place.

Josh sat down next to him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, "But didn’t your wolf call hers out when you met her the first time?"

"Yes, that's what I don't understand. She didn't show any signs of recognition either.”

"What if she's still pretending or something?”

"No, Josh. Even if she was pretending, I didn't feel the bond from my side. Something was wrong. It was an odd feeling; as if my mate was close to me, but not quite enough. I don’t know to explain it.” His let his head fall in his hands.

“Don’t worry, man. We’ll figure it out.” Josh pulled him up and then gave him a much-needed hug.

At the same time, a horrible feeling whirled in the depths of my gut. Josh looked my way and raised his eyebrows to ask if everything was alright and I nodded at him.