It was a fine evening at the Jensen residence. Everyone in the house was pretty excited about tomorrow. Blake's elder sister was back in the pack for his only little brother's birthday.

Brianna Jensen was a really pretty woman. Being born to the alpha couple she was obligated to carry on her activities of the pack as an alpha but, who knew going to Canada for studies, at the age of seventeen, would get her a mate. After getting married to her mate, Juan, Brianna left the pack to get settled down with her human mate in Latin America. Hence that did double the excitement about the new alpha who would finally inherit their father's place after all this time.

"You excited?" Brianna peaked into Blake's room. His room was just like any other teenager's. Clothes spattered some on the floor and others on the chair, an overflowing trash can, his study table covered all the food he stole from the fridge in the middle of the night and the bed with one cleaner side to sleep whereas the other side was packed with books which he barely ever touched.

"I am! I will finally be the alpha of the pack. I have been dreaming about this for all my life, Brianna." Blake replied to his sister with all honesty.

Brianna was older than Blake by seven years. Blake was nothing but a kid when she got married and let go of the position. Since then the passion to inherit the legacy was engraved in Blake's mind.

"I can see that" a soft smile made her way to her lips as she sat right next to Blake. "Aren't you nervous though?"

"That I am" a chuckle escapes Blake's mouth. "I will finally meet her, Brianna. My mate, my love, my wife, she would be my everything" Blake was more nervous to meet his lady love than the coronation. Sure, he slept around but he couldn't anymore. More like, he wouldn't anymore.

The Moon goddess would send him the most beautiful girl as his mate and they would be madly in love with each other. Just like how his parents used to be, just like his sister and her mate are now. He would never leave her. "B-but what if she rejects me?"

Rejection. A choice that could destroy two lives. A choice that makes each of them suffer the other one's pain. A choice made, willing, to eliminate your life with your own hands.

"They wouldn't, Blake. My baby brother is the finest piece of meat they will ever find" Brianna adored her brother would be an understatement. She loved him with everything she got. She could go against the world for him to get him what he wanted. But then again, only the right ones.

Just like now, Brianna was aware of the possibilities of Blake's mate not being a "she". But, she would keep quiet and not ruin her brother's happiness.

"Now that is right. She would be doomed if she rejects someone like me" Blake puffed out his chest and straightened his shoulders. He had a typical built of an alpha, which means a full chest, broad shoulders, toned muscles but they were just there. They weren't enough. So much more would be changed after tomorrow. His body would develop the instincts of a perfect alpha which would make him a bit more toned with more muscles. Or not.

"Right" the pair burst into laughter as the conversation went on for the rest of the night.

Tomorrow's gonna be a big day.

On the other hand, Duncan was pacing in front of Knights' at eleven in the night. It was barely his fifth time to be here in the last three years especially from the front door and all those times he made sure not to face Ezra somehow. He either came when Ezra was out for school or after he made sure that Ezra was asleep, to only look at his sleeping face, that too from the back door. But, now there was no escaping it. He was in fact here to meet his mate at the order of his mate's brother and his alpha. He couldn't possibly avoid this without being killed.

"Breath in, breath out. It's not a biggie, Duncan. You just have to go and talk to him about this classmate of his and then go back home. Simple" It was that simple. He would've never thought that going into the house, he almost every day grew up in, would be this difficult. "Breath in, -"

"Breath out" Duncan could feel the ground slipping away under his feet as he heard the voice. "You've been pacing here for the past one hour and creating an annoying disturbance to my car showcase program" Elias yells placing his hands on the hips. Duncan releases the breath he didn't know he was holding "Every time the host announces a new car model your mumbling takes over. Sometimes I hate my special listening powers. What do you want, Duncan?"

"Eli, is Ezra asleep?" Duncan whispers peaking inside the house to look for his mate. It was now almost eleven-thirty and according to Duncan's "Ezra stalking record", Ezra would be all ready for bed. Duncan would feel his lips stretching at the thought of Ezra being all curled in the blanket.

"Number one, don't smile like that. You are giving me creeps" Duncan's lips immediately drop, forming a frown. "Two, don't call me "Eli"" Elias's face crumples in distaste. "Three, you want to know if Ezra's asleep? Why? You are staying over again? Bro, I'm not giving my blanket to you this time. Go sleep in big brother's bed" It was Duncan's regular doing to sneak in the house in the middle of the night after Ezra's asleep and leave the house before he wakes up. And the fact that Mr. Perfectionist, Ezra Knight, wakes at 5:30 in the morning for a run, makes Duncan run for his life every single time.

"I'm not staying over, Elias. I need to talk to Ezra" Duncan could feel his ears getting hot confessing the fact that he would talk to Ezra.

"T-talk to Ezra?" Elias's mouth hung wide and low.

"Uh-huh," no other words slip from his mouth and nerves take over his talking power.

"You?"

Duncan only nods in response. This wasn't any normal boy talk that he used to have with Ezra for hours and hours. This was him, confronting his mate for the first time. Many questions could be asked, many answers can be wronged, hearts could break, voices could shatter, anything could happen but now or never. This was it.

This is it.

Elias moves away from the doorway without uttering a single word. Of course, he was shocked. He wasn't too old but he could still remember Duncan and Ezra being the best buddies in the whole pack. Then all of a sudden after Duncan's eighteenth birthday, he stopped coming, stopped hanging out with anyone but Easton, and stopped talking to Ezra. The Knight thought he might have found his mate. But, the answer was no.

Duncan was all set to go and talk to his mate. He stood at the footstep of the stairs and made his imagination run wild. What now?

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Ezra was all set to get under the blankets. He was tired enough to doze off but his mind had other plans. Like every other night, it took its time to remember all the decisions he made in his life and the decisions, life made for him. For example, Duncan. He still couldn't understand the mistake he made but, he knew he was the one to blame. He believed, he must have done something stupid to make Duncan distance himself from him.

He turned on his other side, took a sip of water, set his whole head under the blanket, and did everything in hand to get rid of thoughts of Duncan. And every single thing made him think about his best friend more and more.

Though Duncan was older than Ezra, it never mattered to them. Sure, Easton was over-protective in the start that Duncan could hurt his little brother. But, he eventually got over it when he saw Ezra happy and true to himself. Ezra found peace in Duncan's presence, they would just talk to each other once and everything would fall in place. But, not anymore. Not when he lost his best friend.

Ezra finally decided to shut his brain and sleep for real. He takes a deep breath and tucks inside the sheets. His brows pull together as whispers and mumble surround his ears. He for once relaxed thinking his little brother finally decided to shut down the television and get to bed. But, when the air carried the smell of strawberries, he knew it wasn't his brother.

"Shut up, Arion. I know he's our mate. Don't shout. It hurts" Duncan holds his head for a good ten seconds before his wolf starts talking again.

Go talk to him.

"Oh yes, Sherlocks. That is why we are here"

Then why are you not going inside? Let me come out. I will talk to him.

"Talk to him? More like pounce on him, you horny bastard"

But I want mate. My mate. Mate.

"Yes, I know, Arion" Duncan yells out loud with no patient left.

"Know what?"

"Mate!"

Oh no.

Oh yes!

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