"Settle down everyone! Settle down, I know we are all excited to greet this year's packs for the annual mate gathering." Alpha Philip's baritone voice boomed across the banquet hall collecting everyone's attention.

Everyone sat down ceasing their conversations out of respect for their alpha. They all bowed their head mine included regardless of the fact I had no wolf to feel the dominating aura he exuded; I still have my submission.

There was an unsettling pause, and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise as I dared to see what had the alpha's undivided attention. Flicking my eyes up I instantly regretted it when my own eyes connected with his own. I was the thing that prolonged this now eerie pause.

Though he said nothing his eyes spoke a thousand different words all with detestation and repulsion. I snapped my eyes back to my hands in my lap grimacing at my stupidity, I just couldn't keep my eyes to myself.

Clearing his throat Alpha Philip rose his hand high gesturing to the door and for all to rise. Mara gave me a questioning look when she noticed my panicked face, I tried to shake it off, but it was no use as I jumped when alpha Philip spoke up once again.

"Let us waste no more time by keeping our most honorable guests waiting. Beta Henry open the doors and let the first pack, Crescent Moon pack!"

The large 15-foot doors creaked open as a towering dark man appeared. His stoic disposition left no doubt he was an alpha himself, a mate-less alpha, the way he scanned the room eyeing every female that looked his way.

I stole my peek before he could turn to face me darting my eyes to the expensive bronze plated utensils when he began to gaze in my direction. My thudding heart was relentless against my caged ribs daring to pound straight out of my chest.

Mara graciously cupped my sweaty trembling hands in hers as she smiled while the rest of the packs filed in. Each one of them sat at their designated tables, the colors and emblem of their pack making it clear where each of them was to be sat. Once the last pack filed in music began as servers scurried out of flap doors with trays placed high on their shoulders.

My nose twitched at all the smells, the steak smelled delectable, the garlic chicken was mouth-watering and to top it all the pork loin had me practically drooling. Someone tapped my arm snapping me out of my daydream of food.

"Ignore the Alpha, he's stuck in his ways," Mara whispered bringing back to my earlier fit of panicked. I shushed her darted my eyes around frantic that a pack member would hear her and get us both in loads of trouble. "Don't shush me it's the truth. You're the daughter of the most prolific warrior to ever be seen." She stated looking around to see if anyone heard us, they were all busy laughing and carrying on with one another.

"The least he could do is be civil with you." She said finding our alphas antics childish, she wasn't the only one that thought this, I too found it useless as did my parents.

My father had mentioned having some sort of conversation with Alpha Philip and Beta Henry, but our alpha took my father's words lightly batting an eyelash at his concerns. Henry on the other hand would keep his comments about me to himself the same as Lana. I think it was purely out of not wanting to upset Mara rather than my father's wishes but none the less they were decent towards me.

The banquet hall was noisy and busy with hundreds of different conversations and the clanking of utensils and glasses. I took it all in overwhelmed a little by all the different people I had never seen before. There were several alphas here, more than I thought, I wondered how so many could be in the same room without a dominating fight breaking out. I made a mental note to ask Mara about it later.

"You shouldn't let your food get cold. It'll taste stale." Andy's voice broke my observations, I hadn't noticed I was pushing around my food with my fork.

He looked concerned at my less than enthusiastic appearance, I just wanted to go home. As I looked around now, I finally noticed the tens of pies of eyes that glowered with loathing. I didn't belong here, clearly.

"Ignore them," Andy told me placing his hand on my wrist making my half my jittery fork movement. "You look stunning they are all just jealous."

I scoffed, leaving it to Andy to not understand that they were all glaring because I was a poor excuse of a werewolf. I'm sure that if we weren't hosting other packs here Alpha Philip would have dragged me out of this hall himself.

Andy frowned when I dropped my fork offering him a forced smile. "Thank you," I muttered.

He was about to say something when I loud bell rang out across the hall silencing everyone and bringing their attention to Alpha Philip at the head of the room. With a beaming smile, he scanned over the audience averting his gaze from my direction. I was thankful for his avoidance, finding his stare intimidating.

"Now that everyone's had their fill let us start the actual fun." He nodded at a nearby member of the pack and with his cue the lights cut off and were replaced by swirling strobe lights and loud music.

Everyone was laughing and carrying on pulling at one another to the dance floor. Before I knew it Mara was yanking me to my feet, I had to catch my footing with the speed to which he pulled me.

"Wait, Mara. I- I don't want to dance." I told her nervously looking around at all the beautiful women and handsome men that dance. They were passing each other around like a hot potato no doubt trying to find their mate's connection in the mix of all the bodies. I gulped as Mara came to a halt grabbing my face to turn me to face her.

"That's why I'm getting a couple of drinks in you. Then we are going to dance." She chimed grabbing my hand again and tugging me to a bar in the corner of the room.

My heart was beating hard against my chest the more I scanned the room. This was all too much for me, I don't regret staying home through all the previous mating gatherings.

Zoning out, Mara pushed a shot glass in my hand clanking her glass against mine. "May we both find our mates tonight." She yelled over the blaring music. Tilting her head back I watched her down the shot without a grimace or crinkle of her nose. "Drink Sera, do you want me to grab Andy and have him take a shot with us?"

I shook my head throwing my head back and downing the alcohol. My throat burned like I had swallowed a lit match, I pursed my lips licking the excess that dropped on my bottom lip.

"What the hell was that?"

"Tequila, now here, one more for you, my alcohol virgin." She shoved another shot glass in my hand a smirk plastered on her face.

I down it's before I could give myself second thoughts needed something to take the edge of the glares that I could still feel on my skin. It didn't take long for my head to start feeling fuzzy, and my eyes became a little bit blurry. I could care less though as Mara and I danced together on the dance floor.

During all or dance I had ended up getting myself a mixed drink sipping the contents to keep my buzz going. Darting my eyes around I finally felt more at ease when I noticed that no one was really paying attention to me any longer. That didn't mean I didn't feel anything because just when I thought I was settling in the hairs on the back of my neck rose.

I clutched Mara's arm and she instantly looked down at me with worry in her eyes. "Hey, hey you alright?"

I nodded my head through my head was now throbbing, there was a sense of urgency that overcame me and I found myself flicking my eyes from person to person. There was this need to look for something but there was nothing there, nothing that I could put my tongue as to why I was searching for the crowd. My chest suddenly grew tight, and I gasped trying to fill my lungs with much-needed oxygen.

"Hey, you don't look so good you're heating up." Mara said fanning my face with her hand.

"Y-yea maybe I should go home." I tried to play off my weird behavior not feeling the energy to explain myself to Mara bad she noticed. My handheld tightly to her forearm leaning into her side for support.

Along the way, I felt another body press to my other side and when I willed my head to look up at the person, I was relieved to see Andy. Thoughts of what my pack would think of me stumbling and sweating at this gathering had my stomach coiling. I was going to have a ton of remarks and comments tomorrow no doubt.

Andy pushed open one of the doors that led into the hallway and once we exited the banquet hall, I finally felt like I could breathe.

Mara brushed back my hair that was stuck to my forehead from sweating. "Hey, you alright?"

I nodded my head leaning against the wall for support, Andy was quick to grab my waist hoisting me back up when my one leg gave out. Falling into him I let my head rest against his chest calming my racing heart and deprived lungs. My head still throbbed with an inch to go back into the banquet hall if I wasn't so afraid of everyone in my pack I would have.

"Andy why don't you take her home." Mara ordered to which Andy nodded slowly moving away from the wall and to the front door.

We didn't get far though as a voice bellowed down the hallways, it was sinister and dropped with toxic masculinity. Andy came to a halt careful spinning us around to face the voice, Mara was a few feet in front of us and she blocked my view of the person, but I already knew who it was.

"Where do you think you're going?" Alpha Philip questioned his eyes dark with anger, I averted my eyes to the floor unable to lookup. I wanted to go home.

I looked up at Andy with a silent pled as I clutched his button down for support. "Can we please go."

Andy gave me a pitiful expression bringing me tighter against his body, almost in a protective way. It did little to soothe me knowing damn well that a human was no match for a werewolf and alpha at that.

"Alpha Philip we were just leaving. Seraphina wasn't feeling well." Andy spoke up his voice leveled and calm, it was everything I could tell he wasn't feeling. With my head against his chest, I could clearly hear his pounding heart, I wouldn't be surprised if Alpha Philip could hear it too.

"She shouldn't be here, to begin with. I don't know why you chose to be friends with a broken wolf Mara. You should hang out with Natalie, she is strong and beautiful, everything Seraphina isn't." Alpha Philip declared bewildered how the beta female that Mara was would want a friend to like me.

Mara curled up her lip in disgust that he declared she hang out with his daughter, Natalie was rude, entitled, and above all shallow. In what world was she better than me, oh that's right, she had a wolf.

I was weak.

"I'm going to pretend you didn't come up with the worst advice I've ever heard and leave with my best friend. With all due respect Alpha-"

"How dare you defend such a scrawny mutant!" That alpha marched over to Mara, I was panicked as I grew scared, he was about to unleash his wrath on her, but as he shoved her aside, I soon realized I was the prey.

Andy and I both took a few steps back and as the alpha approached my heel got caught on the rug and I was losing my balance. Andy tried to grab me but as the alpha approached, he chose instead to step in front of me.

There was a thunderous growl that echoed down the hallways, and I audibly gulped at the volume.

"Move, boy." He demanded his fists were clenched in solid fists.

Andy was playing a dangerous game and the look Mara had on her face she was thinking the same thing.

"No. We are leaving and you're going to let us leave."

If someone had a pin and dropped it you would have been able to hear it, that is how dead quiet it became. My head still throbbed, and my vision was still slightly blurred but I could hear everything perfectly clear. The itch on the back of my mind still scratched at me to get to my feet and rush back into the banquet, too bad my feet were uncoordinated at the moment.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion as I watched our Alpha grab Andy's neck lifting him high off the ground. Andy was not a small person by any means, but it wasn't comparable to an Alpha's height and brute strength. He had picked him up effortlessly pinning him to the wall.

Mara cried out rushing to pull the Alpha off the human, if he killed him, it would unleash a hurricane of problems for the pack. They were the sole reason we could live in such a densely populated town undetected.

"Alpha Philip, please let's calm down and not do anything you'll regret," Mara warned grabbing his forearm to release Andy, his face was beginning to turn red as he strained to break free.

I struggled to pick myself up from the floor as Mara and Alpha Philip yelled at one another. With blurry vision and a pounding heart I swore I heard another set of voices, but they were faint and far off.

"You weren't invited!" Someone yelled.

"Like I give a damn. Get your fucking hands off me before I break them." Another more threatening voice spoke. They spoke with intent like there was no question as to what they meant and what they would do.

"Osiris, are you sure this was the best course of action? This could start issues we don't need right now." Another, more timid voice echoed down the hallway, and he sounded concerned for whatever his fellow companion was doing.

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just try and change my mind. I expect better from you Desmond as my beta." There was disappointment in the male's voice and soon they rounded the corner of the hallway.

Their forms were blurry, but I could make out at least five or six figures all dressed in black suits. I tried to strain my eyes to make out more detail, but it was useless especially when I was roughly hoisted to my feet with a whimper.

"Get moving, I don't need any more guests seeing a weak member of my pack such as yourself." Alpha Philip seethed in my ear. I shuddered at his demand nodding my head as I kept my head down.

He looked away from me, finding my nod satisfactory as he looked at the figures that had approached us. They were much more important it seemed than the punishment he was about to inflict on me.

"Gentlemen, I'm surprised to see you here." He said in an overly excited voice, anyone could have easily noticed how fake he sounded. "I may be mistaken, but I don't believe you were invited-" He looked at one man in particular. "Osiris."

Trying to calm my racing heart I finally looked up to see the men Alpha Philip was less than pleased to see. If I hadn't been already out of breath, I would have had it taken away with the handsome man before me.

He was tall, with a perfect tan and dark shadowy eyes. I couldn't help as my eyes trailed to his full lips, finding myself swallowing hard when I realized he had caught me gawking. He didn't seem fazed though as he snapped his eyes back to my Alpha with a glare that was sharp enough to cut.

Had he been staring at me too? No, I thought reminding myself I wasn't of much importance to anyone.

"I didn't think I'd have to come uninvited seeing as an invitation should have been mailed to me. You know better than anyone how important it is to include all neighboring packs to a mate gathering." The mouth-watering man informed Alpha Philip, his voice was full of distaste as he took a step forward. His eyes flicked to me for a moment before training back to Philip. "You did make the rules, did you not?"

Alpha Philip growled furiously at the group of men that arrived unannounced.

"I'd rather us discuss this matter privately not in front of my pack members." Philip insisted hatred in his voice as he turned to me with a deathly glare.

I gulped scurrying back to Mara who was helping Andy who was rubbing vigorously at his sore neck. There was a clear red and angry handprint that wrapped around his neck. I worried what his family will think of Alpha Philip now that he attacked him.

Us three walked briskly down the hallway past the tension of the men, the hairs on the back of my neck sat on end as I passed Osiris. I could feel his intense stare on me as we passed, and I quickened my steps desperate for serenity. Just as we passed, I was stopped, tugged back,, and spun around. I came face to face with my alpha and gulped, flinching when his finger rose to my face.

"Seraphina, I'll deal with you later." He growled shoving me back in the direction of Mara and Andy.

My stomach coiled as I ran a million scenarios in my head of what he had in store for me.

Was it too late to run away?

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