"Mate?"

Duncan stood there frozen. He could feel Arion scratching to let free and claim his mate. His human self was intoxicated from the smell coming from his mate who was dressed in loose pajamas while his brown long hair was tied in a bun. Now that he looked closely Ezra looked more attractive than before, his hair grew out till his shoulders, his brown eyes possessed more depth, and his plump red lips were waiting to be claimed. Duncan's heart ached alongside his body to take Ezra in his embrace. To claim his lips, to untie his knot and stroke his hair.

Mate...Mate...Mate...

Duncan was losing his mind with Arion in it and the scent was too much to handle. He took a deep breath to calm down but that made things worse.

Mate...Mate...Mate...

"Shut up!" Duncan yells out taking Ezra by surprise.

"Huh?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to. It's just that Arion won't shut up" Duncan let out with a nervous chuckle. Ezra was confused to hear the name of someone unknown then it strikes the intelligent one that it might be Duncan's wolf. "How have you been?" Duncan manages to control his wolf and lets the words out.

"Don't you think that is too early for you to ask?" Note the sarcasm. Though Ezra blamed himself for goddess knows what mistake but he was still upset that Duncan didn't try to make any contact in all these years.

"I'm sorry" Duncan scratched his head in shame.

"No, I'm sorry" Ezra smiles apologetically. Does Mr. Perfectionist remember?

There was an awkward silence in between but then Ezra invited Duncan into his room. The room was shared between Ezra and Elias. Sure, Ezra would get his room when he turns eighteen but now he had to stay with his annoying little brother. The room was divided into two halves one side for the elder and the other for the younger one.

Ezra's side was neat to every edge while Elias's was disturbed. Books and clothes were thrown in directions, bed shattered, the walls covered in photos of the latest cars. Ezra's side of the walls had no pictures on them. His table was neatly arranged with books and timetables pinned on the board.

Ezra sat on his bed as he pulled a chair for Duncan. They stayed in silence before Ezra chose to speak.

"You found your mate?" Ezra asked the question putting his anxiety aside. This was too big for him. He hasn't met this man for three years and now he shows up at his door but talks about a mate. Did he find his mate? Who are they? Was it Susan, Duncan's ex-girlfriend who was still mateless? But why now? Duncan has his coronation three years ago when he turned eighteen. That eliminates Susan. Then who is it?

"I have..." Duncan retorts. He has made up his mind. He won't run anymore. He would confess and admit his love.

"Oh" is all that comes out of Ezra's lips. "G-great. What brings you here?" Ezra avoided the topic altogether and made as little eye contact as possible. Duncan could sense the hurt in his mate's voice.

Duncan are you in the pack? Easton speaks through the mind link.

"Yes, I am" Duncan signals Ezra about the mind link and continues the talk with his Alpha.

Come meet me in my office now, it's kind of urgent. And if you are with Ezra tell him he'll be required to go to the coronation tomorrow. With that Easton blocks away the link.

"Easton said you'll have to attend the coronation of Blake Jensen tomorrow" Duncan informs as soon as the link dies.

"What? Why? I'm not even close to him. Why me?"

"You are not close to him?"

"No"

"Then you don't know a perfect gift for him?"

"What? Of course not"

"Wow"

---------------------

"May I get in, Alpha?" Duncan gets to the pack office after an hour of the link call.

"Yes," Easton had his eyes in the pile of files. "You look happy" he mutters without removing his head from the files. All Duncan could do was blush. He was indeed happy. He spent a whole hour with his mate. Just like old times. "Did you tell him?"

"I told him that I found a mate but I couldn't tell him who it is" Duncan mumbles in a sad tone. He was very disappointed with the sudden call but now he can't blame Alpha for his duties.

"Hmm... But, I was actually asking about the coronation thing" Easton smirked while Duncan coughed his lungs out.

"He said he would go if it's an order from you and he isn't close with Blake Jensen so he couldn't suggest a gift" Duncan declared in a monotone.

"Hmm... So as planned a bouquet would be enough" Easton typed something on his phone.

"Planned?"

"Yeah. You think I wouldn't know that Ezra isn't close to that guy? He isn't close to anyone, Duncan. Brains" Duncan cursed the day he was born. Of course, he knew it. Duncan was lost in his thoughts that Easton played dirty here and set up Duncan and Ezra to talk. He wanted to thank his friend but also scold him for giving him an anxiety attack.

"......ck up from the shop"

Oh no. He fucked up. He missed the instructions. "I'm sorry, Alpha. But could you please repeat it? I'm very sorry" he apologized and bowed in front of his alpha.

Easton sighed and repeated nevertheless. "I said, pick Ezra from the house and attend the ceremony. I couldn't go 'cause I have this pile of files to report. Do I make myself clear?"

Duncan was again excited to spend time tomorrow that he replied with a "yes" and exited the office in a hurry.

"I'm sure this kid will mess up tomorrow"

---------------

Hey, kid, it's morning.

"Woah" Blake shoots up the bed from the voice that just whispered in his mind. He looked to his sides to find someone talking but no one was there. "Oh" he calms down when he understands the situation.

It was his wolf.

He sits up straight and nervously greets his wolf. "Hi, I'm Blake". It was a new thing for him to talk to no one in person yet talk to someone. Those stupid humans will probably take him to a psychiatrist if they find him talking to himself.

I know. Kai.

Kai introduces himself in a monotone. The answer was straight and required no emotions involved.

"So you are my wolf. My other half" Blake excitedly gets down the bed and walks to the washroom. He picks out the brush and applies the toothpaste to it. He stares into the mirror with an evident shock. His features which were soft and way on the cuter side were now all grown hard and manlier.

Precisely so...

his wolf replies. Blake notices the lack of vocabulary in his speech. He smiles to himself thinking that he was enough to talk for both of them which Kai replies with a chuckle. After brushing his teeth, Blake takes a shower, blocking Kai in the line with the help of Kai. Whereas Blake was extremely comfortable taking a shower while talking to Kai but Kai was not.

"Hey, do you know who our mate will be?" Blake asks coming out of the shower and searching his wardrobe for his coronation suit. He picks out the suit and starts finding his shoes. Once he finds them he puts all of the looks for the day together in a place and starts getting ready.

I have no idea.

"Will it be Claire? She was amazing last time" Blake mentions wearing his white button-up shirt followed by the tie, blue trousers, and undercoat.

Sex doesn't determine a mate, Kid. Kai states firmly. Having sex and fooling around was like the second nature of Blake Jensen.

"Yeah, sorry. Hehe," Blake apologetically scratches his head. "But I bet she'll be the prettiest girl"

Yeah, she'll be

Blake chucked in his shoes and walked downstairs. The whole Jensen family including his uncles, aunts, their kids, his grandparents from his mother's side were present to greet him.

"Happy Birthday, son" his father, Christopher patted on his back and pulled him in a hug "And congratulations, I'm looking forward to the coronation" Blake smiles and withdraws from the hug.

"So am I, father" Christopher's face dropped a bit but he smiled nevertheless.

"Father" was the way Blake greeted his parent. He was still not used to calling him "dad" or more like still don't want to.

"Blake..." Brianna pulls the boy into her embrace. "Happy Birthday" he plants a kiss on her baby brother's cheek. Her eyes shimmered with tears as she looked up at him like he was an angel. "You've grown up" her voice broke making Blake scoop her in his arms. "If only mom was here...."

"Shh... It's okay. I got you" kissing her on the temple he withdraws from the hug. "I love you"

The next hour went on with the greetings and gifts coming in. It was about eleven in the morning when everyone was ready to leave for the coronation ceremony which was held in the space in between the forest.

Decorations were made, the stage was set, chairs and sofas were arranged. The crowd and pack came flooding in which made Blake more nervous. His eyes along with his wolf's kept searching for that one person who would make their heart rise and stop at the same time.

The council authorities came in, followed by the elders, the alphas of other packs with their betas, and countless and mateless girls in the pack or from the other pack. As Blake mentioned, Clarie did come and greet Blake and she wasn't the one. This made Blake more and more curious.

Zander congratulated Blake and stood to his side. "Found yet?" he asked his friend aka his Alpha, who was all sweaty and nervous.

"No" Blake's voice dragged. "You?" Blake asked the question to his Beta, Zander who still hasn't found his mate. "You had to delay your ceremony by a week 'cause of me. I'll be doomed if you couldn't find your mate"

Zander licked his dry lips and pondered upon his Alpha's words. True that Zander turned eighteen a week ago but he hasn't disclosed the fact he found his mate to anyone. But today was the ceremony and he should pay all his loyalty to his Alpha. And disclose his secrets to his best friend.

"I did" Blake's head turned in a flash to look at his beta. His eyes went wide and a beautiful smile appeared on his face.

"You did? Who is she? Do I know her? Is she here now?" Blake showered Zander with questions which made him almost shit himself. He was nervous that what his best friend would think of him if he finds who his mate was.

But, it would be worse than a rejection not to recognize your mate. "He is here"

"Yeah? Where is he-?" Blake stopped in his words to get a proper look at his friend's face. "He?" He asked with pulled brows. He must have heard it wrong. How can-

"Yeah. He is here" Zander was not known to be the one to back down. He knew what he was and he was proud to be the one. And now he knew who his mate was and he was proud to have him as one.

"Okay.... this is new" Blake didn't let out a word for a minute. "But, it's cool" Zander's head shot up to look at his best friend who still had the same beautiful smile. "Whoever it is. They are still your mate" he smiled and patted his brother-like friend on the back. "Introduce me"

Zander nodded a 'yes'. "You already know him"

"I do?" Zander nods again in answer.

"There he is" he points out a finger in the direction of the crowd. Blake follows the line of sight and finds Jaxon talking to his Alpha.

"Jaxon!?" a smile with red cheeks followed on Zander's face as he nodded a "yes". "No way! You guys fight like cats and dogs. How? The Moon Goddess is playing games and enjoying it" Blake still couldn't believe his eyes. He just witnessed a beta have a male mate, now what about him? "Well... Does he know?" Blake questioned 'cause Jaxon still didn't have his awakening.

"He does"

"And...?" Zander's face dropped at the mention of his mate knowing.

"It's complicated. He wants me when there's no one around but he hates to even breathe in my presence when there are people. This is killing me" Both of them now sat on a pair of empty chairs and Blake placed a hand on Zander's shoulder.

"He'll come along. You know how stubborn he is" he rubbed on his friend's shoulder in reassurance.

"I hope so" Zander was afraid to be rejected. Everyone knew rejection comes with a lot of dangers. You would lose your life to the worst. It scared him like any teenager.

Blake pulls Zander close in his embrace by the shoulder he was holding. "He'll come along" he repeats. A shiver runs down his spine when he feels eyes on him. He turns to directions and finds Jaxon burning holes through his eyes.

"Oops" he withdraws his touch and stands. "The ceremony is going to start. Come on" he walks ahead of Zander and throws an innocent grin towards Jaxon, who was still glaring daggers.

Tough one.

The stage was set and Blake was called upon the stage by his father. They stood next to each other at almost the same height. Christopher was taller than Blake by three or four inches. His build was manlier than his son's. He was an ideal alpha. Blake did look up to his father but only as an Alpha.

"Good afternoon, everyone" Christopher began the speech with pride swelling his chest. He was so proud to stand next to his son and announce him as the next alpha of his precious pack. "Today, we have gathered here for the coronation ceremony of my son, Blake Jensen"

Cheers, claps, and howls followed his words making Blake giddy happy. He watched his whole pack mirth for him. He loved the pack as his own family and vice versa. His brows shoot up when he watches Ezra Knight and Duncan Long walk into the crowd.

"I'm so proud as a father and as an alpha of the pack to announce that my son, Blake Jensen would be inheriting my position as the Alpha of the pack" Christopher pats Blake on the back with a smile. "Now, I request the elders to hold the awakening ceremony"

The elders took over the stage and started the coronation. They had the book of laws and chants that they read from. "The Alpha can now pass on the powers" Christopher took a step ahead and held his son's hand. Blake bowed before his father one last time with a smile.

"I'm so proud of you," he said with teary eyes as the rays of powers started to flow from his body to Blake's. Blake was shaken at the sudden change in movement in his body but sustained until he took everything his father was offering.

Howls filled up the forest area with Blake gaining what he deserved. His mind link was filled with good wishes and howls that for an Alpha. He smiled at his father and watched his sister crying on her husband, Juan's shoulder.

He took a step ahead and raised his hand to silence the crowd. "I, Blake Jensen promise to protect the pack with everything I got for the rest of my life. I promise to be there for you in happy and sad moments. I promise to be the alpha, the pack wants me to be. Hereby, the pack will be my family" Cheers filled the venue with claps and howls.

"Now we will take it to forward the beta's coronation ceremony" the elders announced and Zander took his place beside Blake. Zander father's and the beta of the pack, Emmanuel Caballero took over the ceremony.

The crowd dispersed after the ceremony and were now requested to have their lunch. The lunch went on with everyone gifting the new alpha and wishing him a great life. Zander stood beside Blake the whole time. "Zander I couldn't find my mate yet. Do you think I am mateless?" Blake whispered to his best friend.

"Don't be stupid, Blake. You'll find them"

"Yeah?" Blake was now worse than nervous.

"Yeah"

A loud screech of a car tire halts his movement to eat. His ears perk up to the sound as his eyes scan the area. His alpha instincts take over to search down any danger. His breath hitch when the smell of wine hits him. His throat went dry while his palms sweat.

"Mate"

His heartbeat picks up while he stands up from the table where he was having his lunch. He takes long strides towards the smell. His legs don't stop while his hand keeps pushing whoever was in the way.

Mate... Mate... Mate... Mate...

Kai howled in joy and pain to be near his mate. He keeps pushing forward to run in their embrace. Blake doesn't stop walking until he reaches the entrance of the venue. Zander speeds up to his side and stands right beside him.

"Easton Knight...?"

"My mate"

-------------------------