When the side door opened they finally shut up with their screeching, my ears were ringing and I felt like I needed to wash them out from the vulgar language that was used. I could feel the panic, but also the lust in the room, all of their eyes fixated on the side door.

I could smell him, I knew it was him, the Alpha.

I turned my head a bit, seeing him in my peripheral, standing with a slightly shorter but just as muscular man with fiery red hair. He smelt of power and importance as well, but not as much as the Alpha, he must be of high rank though, maybe his Beta?

I was tense with nerves as the Alpha came closer, he was going to sit next to me, I didn't know if I could take being that close to him. The closer he got the stronger his scent became, the heavier his presence, it took everything I had not to melt into my seat, his dominance trying to liquefy my insides.

He sat down, not having spoken a word yet, his eyes scanned the table, his nose twitching minutely.

His attire was more causal than last night, but he still looked sharp, his hair was still braided down his back, but now I could see how long it was and beads were woven into the braid. The thickly braided hair ended just before the small of his back, I could imagine how heavy it was but he carried it as if it was weightless.

I bared my neck, whispering "Alpha" in a respectful greeting, it just came out naturally, like me kneeling before him last night, my body's instincts ruled me, and I'd let them.

The other four glared at me, quickly following suit.

I didn't do it to undermine them, I wasn't like that, I wouldn't trample on others to get what I want. If I was going to become Luna, which I highly doubt, I'd want to have done it honestly, cheating and winning compared to winning legitimately, well there was no comparison. If I won legitimately it meant I was worthy, I was good enough, if I won by cheating it didn't count for much, just that I was good at scheming, I was a fraud if I won that way, he wouldn't have chosen me for me, I'd tricked him, that wouldn't sit well with me, it would weigh on my conscious.

The Alpha turned to look at the cold-eyed contender on his other side, his long braid sliding across his back and towards me, and I got a closer look at the many different plaits and braids, his scent getting even stronger as his movement moved the air towards me.

I shivered, my eyes fluttering, trying to close, my body wanted to get lower, so his would tower over me, complete submission.

The contender smiled seductively, his cold blue eyes watching the Alpha avidly, wantonly.

I felt jealousy and some defeat, which made me annoyed at myself, of course, he'd be more interested in the gorgeous male than me, I was stupid to think otherwise.

The contender made a whimpering sound when the Alpha leaned over him, running his nose along his neck and throat, taking in his scent.

He pulled away quite soon though, his body subtly tensing, his aura sharpening a tiny bit, he was angry. His intense silver eyes turned to look over at the redhead, an unspoken conversation going on between them. The man stood coming to stand by his Alpha, who waved his hand at the contender. "Take this impure, mendacious mutt out of my sight," he ordered.

I heard collective gasps around the room, I refrained from sounding my surprise but my breathing did hitch, I was indeed shocked. To try and partake in the Luna Choosing when you've been defiled by another is no little matter, and by the accused pallor he knew that all too well.

The redhead promptly took the contender away through the side door, stepping back in and taking his seat wordlessly, and then there were four.

Breakfast was strange, not what I'd expected, although I didn't really know what to expect in the first place. The Alpha wasn't the talkative type that was for sure, he just observed as he devoured a considerable breakfast, sipping syrup-like coffee, the cup looking small and very breakable in his sizeable hand.

I picked my food as my mother would, I knew how much of what I could eat, I had to concentrate to keep my hands from shaking. The hairs on my neck stood up, my skin prickling from his presence, his masculine musk was all I could smell, I could practically taste it, it was like he bathed in pheromones, he smelled of virility, strength, power, he smelled good.

After we'd all finished eating the Alpha stood, the redhead following suit. "Follow me," he commanded, not looking at any one of us, just walking around the table and heading down the red carpet laid down the middle of the expansive room, the redhead following at his side. We all got up, some hurrying to catch up, glaring at each other when others tried to get closer to the Alpha, knocking shoulders, and swiping feet.

I stood but made my way down the strip of carpet in an unhurried manner, my mother always told me hurrying was unattractive, and even if she hadn't I would have never acted like some of them were. I kept a few paces behind the other contenders, wanting to say out of whatever that was.

We left the large hall and the Alpha led us across the entrance way and through a door to the left, beside one of the staircases. It was a sitting room of sorts, a large fireplace sat in the heart of the room, and many comfortable-looking sofas and chairs were scattered about with small tables placed between, it was a social room, one for conversing.

To my surprise there were already some people in the room, not that I should be surprised there were people around, it was a large castle for an immense and powerful pack, that's without all the visitors, it was the people in question that surprised me. My parents were seated, along with what I assume to be the other contender's parents, plus the Alpha's, I recognised them from dinner yesterday, they'd sat beside him.

The Alpha didn't stay though, he headed through some doors on the other side of the room wordlessly, the redhead did speak up though. "Please be seated with your parents, you'll be talked to one at a time," he informed before walking brusquely in the direction the Alpha had gone.

I went over to my parents, sitting down in the space they'd left between them on a velvet blue wicker bench. Their presence was comforting and it allowed me to relax mostly. "How did it go dear?" mother asked me.

"Loud and then quiet, one was found to be un-pure and was escorted out, not many words were spoken," I replied and she frowned.

"You didn't speak to him?" she sounded disappointed in me, her features pinched and drawn.

"I couldn't, I was sitting right next to him, his presence pinned me down. No one else spoke to him either." I defended and she sighed quietly.

"You sat next to him?" father repeated my words and I nodded. "Anyone else?"

"The one who was chosen first sat on his other side, he was the un-pure one though, he left a few minutes after the Alpha's arrival," I explained and he gave my mother a look.

"So you were the only one to sit beside him." he surmised, well I guess so. "See dear, you worry too much," he told her, she grumbled a little but seemed pleased, her eyes lighting up and a small smile tugging at her lips.

"Who sat you beside him?" she prodded and dad let out an exhale, sitting back a little more, he'd given up, he'd tried, my mother was a hard woman to please.

"The lady who escorted me, she told me the Alpha had decided who sat where, and that he'd wanted me there." I relayed what the she-wolf had told me, my voice soft and low, I wasn't confident that it was the truth, not that I believed she was lying, it's just I couldn't comprehend my being chosen to sit beside him.

My mum looked like she wanted to squeal but controlled herself, but she did fidget a bit beside me, squirming with glee, well she was happy, guess that mattered whether the statement was true or not.

The redhead opened the door he'd disappeared down, nodding at the Alpha's parents, who stood and headed over to one of the lithe blonde and his parents, asking for them to join them. They got up and followed after the redhead, the door closing silently behind them.

Slowly the other contenders went into that room, leaving this part of the castle entirely afterwards, heading back through the entrance way, either back to their rooms or somewhere else. Last but not least it was my turn, I stood with my parents and we all walked through that door, finding a room that was smaller than the previous one but quite similar. The only difference was the dark wood desk that dominated half the room, the Alpha sat behind it, his parents sitting beside him, it looked like his office, it may be. More chairs were located, a long velvet bench, red this time in line with the desk, a few other chairs located along the walls, cabinets and bookcases behind the Alpha, a large hearth built into the wall, crackling softly.

My parents and I sat down on the red velvet bench, me in the middle again, somehow facing him felt more intrusive than sitting at his side, facing him head-on, his intense silver eyes in my direction. I kept my eyes on a button of his red shirt, unable to meet his gaze.

His parents beside him looked a little aged but still strong wolves, our lifespan was long, much longer than humans. The previous Alpha was almost as big as his son, the same braid down his back, but it was lighter and much longer, grey hairs also starting to show. Their features were similar and very masculine, the mountain wolves have broad features and the weather darkens their skin. His mother was petite, not small or thin, maybe she wasn't that short but beside the Alpha and his father, she was dwarfed. She had the Alpha's darker hair, long but un-braided. She didn't have his silver eyes, hers were a soft green, but they looked similar, you could tell she was his mother.

They too had a strong presence, but nothing like the Alpha, they were retired and had passed down their power, but you couldn't deny their standing, you could feel what they had been, how strong they still were.

Files were in front of the Alpha, it looked like they'd been read recently, others neatly placed in a pile to the side. He glanced down at the papers and then back up.