Eternal Wolves

“Hey Sally! That decor looks amazing! I love how you’re decorating!” I say in passing to one of the many omegas tasked with maintaining our packhouse, better known by many as the Black Claw Estate, as I head to my bedroom. The media likes to call it a palace, but I don’t see it that way. It is where our pack lives. It is the central hub for all packs and we have so many people come and go all the time, that it really is more like an estate with smaller cottages and houses throughout the area for mated pack members and their families to live. I honestly think the packhouse itself is better compared to a giant luxurious hotel resort because only visiting packs and unmated pack members typically stay in the actual packhouse.

Everyone is busy hurriedly decorating and setting up for the event of the year, the Annual Mates Ball. For every unmated wolf across all packs, every year, a ball is thrown to launch the week-long festivities of finding our mates, meeting new people, making and maintaining alliances, and claiming our mates. Each year the ball is hosted by a different pack, and this year, to be sure I meet my mate, my father is hosting it. Not that I mind, since the last three years of Mates Balls other packs have hosted and resulted in complete disasters for me because I’ve never actually made it to the ball. My dad just wants to be sure nothing gets in the way of m y ability to attend this year.

Everyone calls him Alpha King Harmon, but I call him dad. I am the apple of his eye being that I am his only child and heir to the throne since my mother, his mate, died giving me life. It has been lonely at times, just dad and I, but 1 have my friends and they keep me busy. Without a male heir, my dad was pressured to step down, abdicate, or let another take over as Alpha King that could carry on the lineage, but I knew that didn’t matter to dad. He knew our bloodline was powerful enough to shut everyone up. And for many years, it did.

Growing up, I didn’t really pay attention to the way I was treated in comparison to other kids my age. I didn’t think I was any different from the other kids. It wasn't until the year before high school that kids really started to make me feel different. Jealousy and envy were the reasons I had a target on my back. I didn’t care though. I gave them a taste of their own medicine when they tried to dish out put-downs or do things to pick on me. I never let them get the last laugh though and I always exacted my revenge. That’s also about the time when my dad formally announced that his successor and heir to the throne would without a doubt be me.

“Oh Lilly, I love that! It’s so pretty!” I smiled complimenting another omega’s placement of decor as I climbed the stairs to my room on the sixth floor. I hated climbing the stairs, but dad refused to install an elevator. With as many guests as we receive, you would have thought he would have been more considerate to everyone, but he is a firm believer in always keeping in top physical fitness. Dad seems to think that having an elevator would make us soft.

This year was the year. I knew it was going to happen and I wasn’t going to let anything stand in my way! This year, I was finally going to actually attend the Mates Ball! Ever since I was a little girl, I have dreamed of one day finding my mate, claiming him, and riding off into the sunset to live happily ever after. But, I’m almost 21, and it hasn’t happened yet.

As I reach my bedroom, my phone rings. I pull it out of my back pocket and answer. “Hey Ani! What's up?” I say as I open the door to my room and walk-in.

“OH. MY. GOSH. ARI! You are NOT going to believe who is coming to the Mates Ball this year!” My best friend Anika squeals into the phone.

I have to hold the phone away from my ear for a second to protect my eardrums from any damage before responding, “No, but I’ve got a feeling you're going to tell me,” I laugh going to my closet to grab a fresh change of clothes. I just came back from the afternoon training session with the pack and needed a shower.

“Ugh! Arianna, you take the fun out of the guesswork.” She huffs, the excitement in her voice clearly deflated.

“Sorry - you know I don’t pay attention to guest lists and the news. People do have lives and important things to do other than checking the gossip magazines.” I giggle teasing her as I walk to my bathroom to turn the shower on.

“Oh, just because not everyone is as devoted as you to training and school doesn’t mean we don’t have anything better to do Ari.SOME of us have to keep on our toes to make sure we get into the largest and hottest events of the season so we can find our mates.SOME of us don’t have an Alpha King daddy to throw us our own balls and social events to find our mates you know?” She laughs taunting me back.

touche,” I laugh, “So are you ever going to tell me?” I aska $

this year’s Mates Ball! Even the Alpha, Beta and their sons from the Freedom Ridge Pack have committed

hands full keeping everyone’s tempers in check and we need to order a LOT more booze?” I joke as I put my phone on speaker so I can continue getting ready for

have the absolute highest probable chance than EVER before to actually meet our mates..and it could be an Alpha or Beta!” She squeals. “I still can’t believe that even Alpha Lucian has committed to coming with his son, Ares! Doesn’t your dad like...despise that pack or something?” I literally don’t care about alpha or beta status since I am technically the

exciting. So... Alphas and a Beta will be attending then right?” I tease her some more just to add

thunder,” She laughs, “and don’t get too excited

to fight like the best of them, if not better. Being a female Alpha is virtually unheard of and

through the male, not the female, but my dad didn’t care. See, our bloodline is the last pure bloodline that connects directly to the Moon Goddess. We are direct descendants of the Moon Goddess’s bloodline. Everyone else’s bloodlines have been “watered down” through mating with humans and other subspecies. My family bloodline has only mated with pure blood descendants and they have kept it that way, always. What this means is that because our bloodline is the purest, we are also the most powerful and some of us have even been blessed with special abilities like mind reading, levitation, premonition,

advantage of my position, or taking my position for granted. I want them to see that I AM the best person for the job and no one else can

friend for as long as I can remember. We've been through everything together, from the boyfriend breakups, and jealous classmates to the death of her mom last year.

getting ready to take a shower. I just got back from

Makes sense... Of course, only Arianna Erickson, daughter to the Alpha King, would be training on the day of her first MATES BALL!" I could hear her eyes roll to the back of her head when she spoke exasperatedly at my dedication to my training. I will admit my dedication to my training could be viewed by some as overzealous,

and watch over all the packs one day...and last I checked, it was going to be me. I can’t have people thinking I’m a slacker, undeserving, or weak.

over here to get ready, or do you want me

You know, brush my hair, throw on a nice

Really? C’mon...be

leave from here. I made hair appointments for us this afternoon. The makeup artist should be here by the time we are back from getting our hair done, with just enough time to primp, throw on

I guess I’ll see you in a

call Alexia and let her know. We’re going to be late now thanks to this long

her and let