Dinner was fast approaching and all my pack members were busy making the last of the preparations for the final part of the Luna Choosing.

I was however sat in my room and being commanded by my mother, she'd put me in a chair and was braiding my hair, all the old ones had been taken out and the hair brushed.

The braids had to be special on the night I mated my Luna, it was normal for Alphas to have long hair, it was a status symbol, once you become Alpha you don't cut your hair and it stays uncut until you abdicate the title or lose it to a competitor, or until you die.

Special beads were woven into the braids, an Alpha showed his accomplishments by how many braids they had, each one meant something. It would be the last time my mother did my braids, it was a Luna's job, she'd step down after tonight and Carnet would take over.

An example would be my years so far as an Alpha, I had a braid for that and every year another bead was added, certain milestones were signified by coloured beads rather than the carved wooden ones.

I had another braid for my years with my Luna, today that braid would be made, and after I'd declared who my Luna was at the dinner ceremony Carnet would add the first bead, one that signified the start of our time together, the day I became a true Alpha.

Another would be the number of wolves I'd killed, up here in the mountains there weren't many rogues, the air was thin and it got very cold during winter unless you had a warm shelter to stay in mother nature would be very unkind to you. I'd killed a few, during summer a few rogues were around, they were wolves kicked out of packs for breaking laws, they often sought out other packs in the hopes of joining them or stealing an impregnable wolf to mate with, some had previously been in the pack and wanted revenge. The latter was those I had killed and a few challengers for my position.

I was bored sitting here, my mother wouldn't let me move so I just stared out the open balcony doors at the setting sun, sighing on occasion.

Jan knocked and entered just as my mother was finishing, it meant everything was ready, the time had come for everyone to go downstairs and get seated.

I was already dressed, I couldn't wear my boots, unfortunately, my feet were bare as tradition. Many different people speculated the reasoning, some packs only made their Luna walk barefoot but our pack had always had both Luna and Alpha. Our pack believed the tradition was so Luna and Alpha could start a relationship by bearing ourselves, it began with honesty and transparency, it made us equal tonight, on equal footing if you will.

As an Alpha my colour was brown, I wore a fabric robe that tied at the waist, leaving some of my chest exposed. The robe had slightly billowing sleeves and they'd already become annoying, the robe went to the floor and I was naked underneath.

There was a running joke with the more dominant wolves of the pack about why that was tradition; for ease of excess when my Luna would share my bed tonight. I'd gotten a few ribbings on the way to my bedroom earlier from some wolves I was familiar with, I wouldn't exactly call them friends, they were under my command, I told them what to do and they respected that, but we all had the same drive to keep this pack safe and prosperous.

Some were bolder than others, knowing they couldn't act so informal with me but some tested their luck, I found admiration in their audacity, so I let it slide. They all knew better than to ask who I'd chosen, they knew the limits of my patience and leniency, they had to wait like everyone else.

My mother finally finished the last braid and I stood from the chair, my ass felt numb from sitting so long. I hate to admit it but I was nervous, I'd been fighting to not bounce my leg when I was sitting and my mother had to chide me to keep still more than once. It was just because it was Carnet, with anyone else it would just be another dinner, another pretty boy I took to my bed who was naive enough to think he could handle me.

Carnet was different, and not just because he'd be my Luna, my partner in everything for the rest of my life, he was different, he stirred emotions in me I didn't think I was capable of feeling, brought out a side of me I never knew existed.

My mother's cool fingers on my face brought me out of my thoughts and I ducked my head so she could press a kiss to my forehead. "Good luck sweetheart, I'm proud of you, you picked well, I know the both of you together will be great leaders for this pack."

I did not doubt that Carnet would be a good Luna, and mate, it wasn't what was making me nervous, the doubts and nerves were for myself. I wanted to be a good mate for Carnet, an Alpha he would be proud of, I wanted him to grow to love me, and be happy with me.

He would be my responsibility, I didn't just have to protect the pack now but him too, I was scared I'd fail, he'd be a target for my challengers, they saw him as my weakness, my way of producing offspring, without him I would be the last Stentorian Alpha, I would be weak without him and so easy to beat. It made me angry, how dare they, how dare they even think of harming something so precious and adorable, my mate, my Luna, my love...

"Thank you, mother," I murmured and she took her leave.

I looked up and over at Jan, seeing him leaning against a wall with his hands in his pockets, he grinned when he saw me looking, coming over and clapping me on the shoulder, giving me a one-armed hug and leaning heavily on me.

I scowled and shoved him off. "You look more excited than I am."

"Hey now, this is a big day for you Satish, come on, it's go time."