I never liked going to parties. But tonight, I made an exception.

My best friend pulled me through the crowded room with astonishing determination, navigating through the sea of party-goers. I, on the other hand, threw my head back in unattractive laughter and enjoyed the ride. Eventually, we reached our destination: the refreshment table.

Lizzie and I had already visited the booze-station thrice before, and there was no end in sight. A variety of bubbling wines and dark-colored liquor lined the table, an impressive display that promised intoxication. But no one seemed to mind. Not even the lightest of light-weights. We were werewolves, after all.

Werewolves supposedly possessed immunity to the effects of alcohol, at least to some degree. But, at the moment, I seriously doubted the fact. My best friend, Lizzie, swayed drunkenly as she reached for another glass.

It was the Summer Solstice. The only night of the year when all four werewolf packs of our region came together to celebrate the beginning of the packs. Only adults pack members have access to the celebrations, and Lizzie and I each turned eighteen a few months ago. We passed the final examinations and graduated just in time to join the rest of our pack members.

Most werewolves regarded The Summer Solstice as a formal event, a time for the packs to mingle in peace. But that did not stop Lizzie and I from fully indulging in our newfound freedom.

My red-haired best friend downed another glass of champagne, burped, and offered me a sly grin, "Look Charlie, some boys from the Celestial Pack are checking us out! Can we please go talk to them?"

I glanced over my shoulder, hazel eyes scanning the crowds to find the boys in question. I could easily separate the packs based on their clothing-- each dressed in their own pack's colors. Finally, I spotted the boys watching us from a distance.

I wrinkled my nose in unashamed distaste, "You can go talk to them. I'll stay here and laugh at you."

The boys looked our age. Their silvery-blonde hair sleeked back against their heads, a bit too greasy for my taste. But the polished appearance and airy color pallet of their clothing came with membership with the Celestial Pack. I shouldn't reject the boys based on their appearance...

Lizzie pouted, her lower lip jutting out. She knew I couldn't say no to her.

I groaned, "Fine! Lead the way."

Lizzie squealed and clapped her hands in quiet celebration before painting an award-winning smile on her pink lips. Once again, she practically dragged me over to the Celestial boys, whose eyes traveled up and down our bodies. I fought the urge to gag.

"Hello ladies," One of them stepped forward, although his eyes were glued on Lizzie. "You both look gorgeous tonight."

Lizzie rolled her eyes, activating whatever obscene powers the Moon Goddess had gifted her for talking to boys. "Ugh, gods no. These dresses that they make us wear...The oranges and yellows do not work with my skin tone."

I looked down at my own dress, considering her words. Our pack, the Golden Walkers, traditionally dressed in golden yellows and oranges, an array of colors that resembled the sunset. Truthfully, the warm colors had always brought me joy. I liked them.

The boys laughed and the same one smiled, flashing a row of hyper-polished teeth. "No, I like your dresses. But you would look even better in Celestial silver."

Lizzie giggled, taking on the personality of an air-headed bimbo to gain their attentions. I'd have to have a talk with her later that evening about changing for a boy... Nonetheless, I couldn't help the blush that crept onto my cheeks at their forwardness.

I dared to open my mouth, intent on trying my hand at a bit of flirting, but a sudden hush overtook the room. My eyes immediately flickered toward the ball room's massive entry-way, where at least two dozen men and women now stood. They exclusively wore variations of black, and every soul in the room tensed. The Black Lupis Pack had arrived to the party.

Their arrival visibly dampened the care-free celebrations, probably because the Black Lupis Pack had been pushing boundaries lately. I'd heard rumors of violent border fights and brawls between Alphas. A few werewolves growled, confirming my suspicions. Even I found myself wanting to snarl at the sight of them.

A voice from across the room laughed loudly, an obvious effort to diffuse the sudden tension, "Why am I not surprised that you are late?"

I stood on my tippy-toes to see over the crowds, as the Celestial Alpha walked over to greet the newcomers. The male's smile could have charmed anyone-- except, perhaps, the Black Lupis Alpha.

I could only see the back of the infamous Alpha's head as the two males shook hands and muttered greetings. After a few long moments, the rest of the room seemed to let out a collective sigh of relief. Thank the Moon Goddess...

So occupied in my own thoughts, I didn't catch that the Celestial boys offered to take Lizzie and I dancing. When I snapped back into reality, I realized that the trio were already pushing through the crowd toward the dance floor. Not a single one looked back to see if I was following, but I supposed I didn't mind. Lizzie had always been the better dancer.

Having been abandoned by my best friend, I began to wander aimlessly around the huge room. I stuck to the outskirts, admiring the tall ceilings and various archways that decorated any entrances. Massive windows allowed the moonlight to shine into the room, and I leaned against the wall to admire the splendor of night.

Behind me, a group of adults reclined in their seats, leisurely discussing the new arrival of the Black Lupis Pack. Their voices mingled with the upbeat melodies of a distant orchestra, creating a pleasant background noise.

"It's such a shame that she is gone. She was so young and bright... only twenty!" One of the older werewolves stated, and her words piqued my interest.

"Alpha Nolan hasn't been the same-- not since she died," A man's voice agreed solemnly.

A pang of sorrow struck my chest. Everyone knew the story of the Black Lupis Alpha's mate. Except she was not just his mate. She was his Fate Mate.

Fate Mates were an extremely rare phenomena. Typically, two werewolves fell in love and then decided to declare themselves mates, either through marriage or another means. But the love bond of a Fate Mate gives the werewolves no choice in the matter. I'd heard it described in stories and fairytales. When you find your fate mate, and you look at the person for the first time, the entire world stops. The one thing that keeps you alive is that person. And separation from that person would mean losing a part of yourself.

Apparently, after a few months of blissful love, something went terribly wrong with Alpha Nolan's mate. Nobody outside of the Black Lupis Pack knew exactly what happened, but the young woman died.

Every pack felt the impact of her death, but none of us could begin to imagine the despair that Alpha Nolan felt. I'd heard stories that he went away for months, secluding himself from the rest of his pack. A girl in my graduating class claimed that the Alpha tried to kill himself multiple times, but his body had healed too quickly.

Eventually, after months of being in the dark, Alpha Nolan emerged again. And his pack became a menace-- a force to be reckoned with.

In an effort to retreat from the dark, gloomy topic of death, I wandered away from the table of elders. But I couldn't shake the chills that coursed down my back at the thought of the Black Lupis Pack. They'd become legendary across our continent for their brutality, and the idea that I now shared a ballroom with some of them had my heartbeat racing. And not in a good way!

Utterly entranced in my own thoughts, I didn't realize that my absent-minded feet drifted toward a crowd of Black Lupis warriors. I blinked, taken aback by how far I'd traveled in the crowds, and instantly took a step backwards to retreat.

But my breath was nearly knocked out of my lungs when my back struck a hard wall. No, not a wall. A man. I quickly turned around to apologize to the werewolf from the Broken Valley Pack, but in the process, ran in to another body behind me. Moon Goddess above! I mentally cursed myself, and hurriedly went to apologize to both men.

"I'm so sor-..." I trailed off as soon as I turned around to apologize to the second man. An immediate chill swept across my body, and my blood turned to ice as I realized who I had disrupted.

Alpha Nolan of the Black Lupis Pack. Waves of power coursed off of the male's massive body as he turned around to face me. My insides flipped in one hundred different directions, and I silently backed away from his towering figure. I didn't want to be too close to him when he realized that I, a petty first-year werewolf, had disrupted him.

The further I moved from him, the more of his body came into my view. And I couldn't resist the urge to sweep my gaze from his feet to his face. His legs were long and powerful, standing wide to accentuate the size of him. Next, I raced to study his lean torso and broad chest, covered by a nice shirt and jacket. The fabric did nothing to hide the curves and crevice of every muscle that adorned his chest and abdomen, all the way toward his boulder-sized shoulders. Finally, I reached his face.

His piercing blue eyes locked onto my hazel orbs, and, in an instant, a great power swept almost knocked me to my knees. The world stopped and so did my heart, as adrenaline coursed through my veins. What is happening? I managed to think, because I didn't think I could form any words at the moment. I could scarcely remember to inhale and exhale!

A few people from nearby stopped to look at us, but they had no idea what happened. I didn't know either!

Alpha Nolan's gaze intensified, and he took a staggering step toward me. I could physically feel the distance between us closing, like a piece of elastic that relaxed after being stretched for far too long. I felt drawn to this male, and it terrified me! I wanted to run but couldn't imagine ripping my eyes from his.

When he finally closed the entire distance between us, he grabbed both of my arms, as if unable to fight the primal need to connect. The moment that our bodies touched, I felt a new type of warmth seep into me like melting honey. It filled me to the brim, and I felt the sense of satisfaction even in my toes.

He inhaled, moving his head closer to my skin and hair as he took in my scent. I was too scared to move or pull away from him, and frankly, I did not want to. After a few seconds, he pulled away and stared at me with still slightly shocked eyes, but now, possession filled his gaze as he ran his gaze down my body in a way that had to mean one thing.

Mine.