I heaved the backpack onto my side and rolled both bags to the elevator of the packhouse. On the first floor, an Omega ran over to me and took my bags.

“Is my car ready?” I asked him.

“Yes, Erica, shining like a diamond, fully loaded with snacks and blankets,” he grinned. “Liza made sure you won’t starve on your way.”

“The Beta organized a full tank and a maintenance checkup for the entire car. All good,” he assured me.

Once again, I felt the love for my pack. I was so proud of our legacy. All wolves here were treated with respect, regardless of their rank.

Omegas were supposed to be the weakest of a werewolf pack.

In most packs, they were treated badly, being abused and enslaved. But my strong Alpha-dad ensured the safety of everyone here. No one was discriminated against or abused in this pack because we functioned as a big family where each member held value. We were a chain that kept this pack running and guaranteed our safety.

Discrimination was punished severely; my Alpha made sure of that by law. Also, all kinds of sexual orientations were welcome at the Moonlight pack. Not that you’d find a lot of gays or transgender people here, but it was widely known within the werewolf community that they were accepted with open arms at Moonlight Pack.

All well, so now I stood there in the hallway, knocking on the office door of Alpha Florian.

“Enter!!” the impressive voice of my Alpha sounded.

He already knew that it was me knocking. Of course, he’d sensed my presence. Werewolves had an advanced sense of smell, and each one of us had a distinct scent.

“Alpha, the time has come for me to leave,” I voiced out, excited.

A low growl could be heard from the desk in front of me. No, the Alpha was also supportive but yet not very happy with me traveling on my own. We had discussed this several times. I was a highly experienced and well-trained warrior.

After the Alpha and Luna adopted me at the age of ten, they immediately began training me. Surprisingly, I appeared to be very talented, and now I was a pro in martial arts. Even the Beta had a hard time getting me down. Only the Alpha himself was a match for me.

Alpha still struggled with the idea of me traveling alone without guards.

But given how protective he was of me, I was pretty sure he’d send some warriors to secretly keep an eye on me. After lengthy deliberations earlier, we were able to come to an agreement whereby Alpha would consistently track my location and whereabouts.

‘Guess I’ll never grow up,’ I mentally noted.

“Erica, don’t forget the conditions we agreed upon for your leaving,” Alpha started his lecture.

I bowed my head and rolled my eyes. Here he went again. I was twenty-four, for God’s sake.

“Contact me or your mother every five hours, no stopping for whatever or whoever along the way, don't converse with strangers, keep your car locked at all times, and have GPS on," he summarized while peering above his reading glasses. Impatiently, I fiddled with my fingers. We’d been over this several times before.

My Luna-mom, Adel, sensed my mood and tried to soften the tone of her mate.

“Sweetie, we deeply care about you. We want to make sure not a single hair on your beautiful head is harmed,” she soothed.

“Please, take our feelings into consideration. What will we explain to the pack if they ask us about your doings and we can’t update them? I may lose my position at once,” the Alpha asserted.

That did it!!

I jumped out of my seat and ran to my Alpha. Luna stood up and joined us in a loving family hug. Tears kept running from my eyes as I wrapped my arms around the two most wonderful people on earth, who saved me when I needed them the most.

No tricky stepmom here. The Luna loved me like her own pup, she had always been there for me.

The Alpha filled the fatherly role in my life perfectly. He led by example, both as an Alpha and mate to the Luna. Never one word of disappointment or judgment, always there with good advice. Two strong personalities that contributed to who I was today, the woman that I became.

I was so blessed.

“Thank you both for what you’ve done for me,” I acknowledged them through tears. "I am forever indebted to you, and I will never forget you. When I find my mate, I promise that we will come back to visit.”

"No, my child. No," Alpha hurried to assure me. "We did what everyone would have done. You're so easy to love and never give us a moment of regret. There are no debts here." Luna aggressively nodded, emphasizing her mate's words.

“You’re always welcome here, whether you find him or not. We want you to keep that in mind,” Luna urged. “Your room will always be tidy, waiting for you, whenever you want to use it or not.”

Thank you, Moon Goddess, for placing me in the arms of these two wonderful people. They embody the true meaning of love.

Still with our arms wrapped around each other’s waists, with me in the middle, we started walking toward the entrance of the packhouse.

My eyes snapped wide open when we arrived at the porch. There was a small crowd standing there; many pack members had walked out to send me off. I was a crying mess right now. What had I done to deserve so much love!

This pack was beyond awesome.

They were waving to me, throwing kisses my way, and sending good wishes. The Alpha and Luna escorted me to the car where Ezra and Richel were waiting. The redness of my friend's eyes suggested that she had cried her heart out but tried to manage a smile despite my tears.

"Erica, will I ever see you again?" she stammered. "Will you forget about me and our friendship?"

Richel held his mate in his arms, trying to console her.

“Babe, don’t stress yourself. The friendship between you and Erica is sealed in heaven. If she doesn’t come, we’ll go meet her,” he promised her. I cast him a grateful nod. Then I took out the necklace my parents gifted me on my first birthday. I knew Ezra had one too.

"Ezra, this necklace will be the symbol of our bond of friendship," I pleaded with her. "We were born on the same day, at the exact same time, in the very same delivery room. We are inseparable." As soon as she heard these words and saw my sincerity reflected in my eyes, a big smile lit up her face.

“ERICA,” she yelled and yanked me into a bear hug. “Here is mine. I wanted to do the same thing. Goddess! What a coincidence!” She placed her necklace on me as I put mine on her. We fell onto our knees, hugging each other.

Moon Goddess, I’ll never stop thanking you for all the blessings you showered upon me.

The Alpha and Luna helped us back on our feet again, leading me to the waiting car.

And when we neared the vehicle, my eyes widened like saucers...

My parents really made sure that I'd be arriving in style at the guest packs.

Before me stood a pitch-black, shiny Tahoe SUV with dark-tinted windows, the latest model, fully loaded. My bags were already in the back. On the passenger seat was a food bridge packed with snacks, as well as a cooler holding various brands of drinks.

The pack knew I loved our own brewed Parbo Radler or Parbo Chiller, they were better than all those international brands that humans made.

Mom opened the car door, and the Alpha just picked me up like I weighed nothing and dropped my giggling self in the driver’s seat. I loved VIP treatment and they knew it. Dad digitally started the car before handing me the key. I shifted to Drive, slowly exiting from the packhouse entrance with one hand dipping into a bag of rose petals.

As I left, I tossed the roses into the air as a token of my deep love for my pack family. As I looked in the mirror, I saw them all smiling and waving at me. I cherished them so much, this was not the last they’d see of me.

I was driving on the hard road now, still within pack territory.

My mood was lifting. I rummaged through the car's dashboard, looking for some CDs that matched my current state of mind. Ah, here we go! Michael Bolton would do perfectly. Yes! I inserted the CD and in no time, the love song began playing. I sang my lungs out along with it.

As this was an old song, I knew the lyrics by heart. I never imagined how these words would perfectly describe my life and emotions in the past.

<You are the candle, love’s the flame>

<A fire that burned through wind and rain>

<Shine your light on this heart of mine>

“You are the one, you are the oneeeeeeee,” I screamed at the top of my lungs with one hand lively stretched out of the car window. Michael Bolton, do you know where my mate is?

It would take me at least half an hour to get to the border of the pack land. No, I wouldn’t go rogue. The Alpha had demanded that I stay connected to the pack until I really found my mate. Only then could I join his pack. Therefore, after crossing the border, I would not sever ties with Moonlight.

I took in the woods on both sides of the road. Every tree and bush, no matter how small, was crucial to us werewolves as we needed them to let our wolves run free and reunite our beastly and human halves. Our wolf represented the other half of our being.

Moonlight was one of the most feared packs on this side of the world.

We consisted of more than two thousand members and were continuously expanding our numbers. Both men and women underwent training to ensure that we were capable of defending ourselves from frequent rogue attacks. Our steady growth could also be the result of our fierce intimacy. Yes, werewolves tended to be passionate creatures, possibly explaining why we produced a lot of pups. We were also known for our cases of multiple births.

Most interesting, though, was our love life in total. Once mated, we were monogamous.

We didn’t have multiple pups with different fathers; rather, we remained faithful to our destined partner until death. Males could only impregnate their mates, and if one died, the other could become insane or even suicidal and eventually be killed for their own good. Weird, but true. For that reason, every mate had the responsibility to keep their other half happy and healthy.

Therefore, to ensure that mates were compliant with this obligation, the Moon Goddess had created a mate bond. It was a strong emotional and physical connection. Mates would constantly crave their partner. We could do the deed for hours, nonstop. Our ‘instruments’ were custom-made. Unlike humans, after hours of use, the flower settled back to the same tightness that our mate enjoyed. We didn’t need steam or hot herbal baths as a fix to get ready for the next round.

It was no surprise that lots of packs had steady population growth. Yes, of course, there must have been a lot of mates finding each other. As for pack members like me who couldn’t find their fated, it was a no-go.

Getting close to the border at present, I sensed someone watching me.

I exhaled deeply. I wasn’t afraid of rogues; they were scared of me. Pretty sure it must have been a pack warrior on surveillance. I took some speed off, just to make sure I had a positive guess of my stalker.

Yeah, there he was.

Johnston was the most wanted hottie in the pack. Adonis by sight, strong as Delilah’s Samson, and an amazing romantic lover. But he was not my fated. Surely, we tried hard to force a mate bond to no avail. We were the proof that the Moon Goddess couldn’t be persuaded in this matter. The Almighty God gave her the ultimate permission to forge the mate bond for her own good purpose and match up whoever she wanted.

Johnston and I, how outstanding it would have been! The pack's sexiest with the unrivaled beautiful girl. Our potential mating had already prompted people to start guessing what our pups would look like.

Johnston had white blonde hair with forest green eyes and a fair coffee-colored skin tone as if he had just enjoyed the Caribbean sun. On the other hand, I had fair skin along with red hair and unique gray eyes. People were really busy mixing up our physics to portray the many pups that Johnston and I would produce. But on his eighteenth birthday, this dream was shattered. Well, all were disappointed. No mates, no pups. Sorry.

“Jooooohnston,” I stretched his name to Michael Bolton's rhythm. With a smirk on his face, he closed the gap to my car.

“What’s up, Johnston?" I inquired, tilting my eyebrows at his sheepish grin.

“I just wanted to say goodbye in private once more,” he explained.

"Do you really want to do this, love?” he inquired with a straight face. “We could become chosen mates. Your fated may not be alive anymore or might already be committed to some other girl. Pursuing him would simply lead you down the path of being a homewrecker, then."

"We can make it work, hon," he almost begged as he tenderly took my hand.

Johnston is two years younger than me and has not found his mate either. To be precise, he never made any effort to look for her. For as long as I can recall, he only had eyes for me, and all of his emotional investments were in our relationship. We bumped into each other in kindergarten, and after that encounter, he never left my side. When I took a tumble and scraped my knees, he helped me up with care before planting a gentle kiss on them and cleaned my dirty hands like a real gentleman. At the age of four, he had already decided to make me his mate and made sure everyone was aware of this fact. His father held an important position within our pack as Gamma, which only added fuel to the speculation regarding the possibility of us becoming mates one day.

Negative.

“Johnston,” I sighed, eyeing him displeased. “We’ve already been there and done this. You're aware of that."

I am tempted to succumb to his pleas, believe me. Nothing is more certain than that accepting this man would lead me to a safe and fulfilling life. But this is not about me only; I have to consider my fated when making a radical decision like this.

“I really love you, babe. But it's hard for me to overlook the possibility that there could be someone out there who is meant just for me and waiting patiently. Additionally, consider the trouble we would face if he shows up in the future, after we have completed the mating process,” I reminded him. "It would cause immense pain for all three of us."

However, there is no sign of resignation on his face.

“Or your own mate may appear. Don’t forget that you also haven’t yet found your other half. What if...” I attempted to illustrate to him all the potential risks associated with defying our traditions and making choices on behalf of ourselves.

Similar cases had occurred frequently in other packs before. Werewolves who couldn’t wait any longer gave up on finding their fated mates. Once they went through the mating ritual with another partner of their choice, destiny intervened and presented them with the long-awaited true mate. Although rejecting your fated is an option and may seem like a viable choice, it is easier said than done. When the bond between fated mates is potent or one party is not willing to accept the rejection, that is when trouble in paradise starts. The chosen one will have to keep a distance, watching the pull go all out and accept being the third wheel in the relationship. Such catastrophes could result in suicide on the side of the one left behind or even pack wars.

In my case with Johnston, no drama is expected as we are from the same pack and no one has shown up yet to claim one of us. Moreover, our age is close to the point where werewolves believe that one had better accept they will never find their fated mate anymore.

“I have to do this, Johnston. Please don't make this difficult for me," I pleaded earnestly. “Since he hasn’t shown up, I feel obligated to go out looking for him. He may be detained or stressed out wondering why I haven't reached out to him.” I tried to make sense. “I’m on my own. It is me who has to step out of my comfort zone since he seems not to be able to come to me. Please understand.”

As we maintained eye contact, I discerned the thoughts racing through his mind. Johnston is an amazing person; we began our official relationship when I turned eighteen, while he was only sixteen. It was passionate kisses and eager touches, and I know his body like no other. But we kept drawing the line there, wanting to keep our relationship pure until our mating ceremony.

When I turned eighteen and didn't experience the same emotions Ezra described, I already knew it was hopeless. Johnston and I were not fated, all the plans we had for our future would have to involve other people. Nonetheless, there was one last glimmer of hope, so we stubbornly continued the relationship until he turned eighteen himself two years later.

It came as no surprise to me when even with him, the mate bond did not activate. Not with me, nor with any other she-wolf. This provided a small consolation since it only delayed the inevitable outcome. We were very attached, and saying goodbye and going our separate ways was not an option. As a result, we continued with our relationship. But now, two years later, I realize that something needs to be done. We cannot keep burying our heads in the sand and ignoring the situation.

Last night we said our goodbyes; I wanted to shield him from having a total breakdown when he saw me leave. But this stubborn guy persisted and even trailed after me.

My heart is now hammering against my ribs. What if I really do meet my destined mate in one of these packs and Johnston has to witness him running up to me, kissing and holding me against his body? My desire is to spare him from such agony, the ache and devastation that comes with losing me forever.

But this scenario also applies to me. Johnston may find his own other half, and I could be left empty-handed. A sudden sharp sting at the thought of that cuts off my breath. Johnston with another woman!

No, that's not possible!