Four days ago

Observing them drive into the pack territory in their luxurious latest model Audi, Rosalie was perched atop a mountainside. Her fated mate and her sister. Alternatively, it may be said that she let go of her fated mate to ensure her sister's happiness. Everyone was meant to meet their fated mates at eighteen and when Rosalie turned eighteen, her mate turned out to be Tristan, the Alpha of the Blue River Pack and her sister's childhood boyfriend.

It was only out of respect for the Alpha that they went to the Silver Moon Pack.

About three years had passed since Tristan departed from that place, bringing her sister along to become the Luna of his pack. After that day, the pair never went to see her parents again. That was undoubtedly Kristine's choice; she was willing to go to tremendous measures to keep her mate and Rosalie apart. Nevertheless, the two were at a loss for an excuse when the pack resolved to make their Alpha's birthday the most unforgettable occasion ever. Kristine's only option was to confront her sister once more—her younger sister, whom she views as her most dangerous adversary.

Rosalie waited patiently for a peek at him for approximately an hour. Seeing them together still caused her pain since it brought back memories of her past losses. It was difficult for regular lycans to be rejected, much less elite ones. Because Rosalie and Tristan were both descended from Alphas, breaking the predetermined tie between the Alpha and Luna affected them profoundly. It hurt more and took longer to recover from the pain.

The anguish she endured during the mating ritual was unbearable, especially when Tristan gave her a quick glimpse before sinking his canines into her sister's neck. There was no going back after that. Ho now completely belonged to her. Tristan didn't even fight for her or show her any love. He was an Alpha and the effect was supposed to be stronger.

Now, her gaze followed the vehicle as it headed toward the pack house on the gravel road.

To her utter amazement, when she turned on her enhanced sense of hearing, she heard them arguing inside the car. Kristine's piercing voice was so loud, that she wondered how Tristan could withstand it. Though she couldn't quite make out what was being argued about, she heard her name spoken multiple times. Thus, she was the focus of their argument once more. It didn't surprise her at all.

She felt a tinge of the mate bond even though she and Tristan rejected each other. Sometimes she could tell what was in his mind about her. He no longer felt the same level of sex drive with his mate, her sister, and occasionally, during the night, she could hear him calling out to her. In their mate bond, her sister must have also sensed his mood. The result was clear-cut: Tristan was not entirely Kristine's, and a slight part of their bond remained active. Kristine was undoubtedly jealous and felt insecure as a result of this.

Rosalie sprang from the hill, changed into her stunning brown and white lycan, and bolted toward the packhouse, out of their line of sight. Her sister and ex-mate had made their way to the opulently adorned Silver Moon vicinity. Tristan had to notify her father of his presence immediately, just like any other Alpha of every other pack.

She saw her parents showing up to greet the pair on the porch. She observed Tristan as he got out of the car, looking first behind her parents and then around. With a storm-clouded expression, her sister followed his eyes; she knew who he was searching for. He had anticipated meeting Rosalie with her parents.

Rosalie ensured that she was completely out of sight behind the trees.

Tristan was compelled to turn to face his in-laws when her father stood up.

He stepped over to the Alpha and Luna and greeted them cheerfully, his hand extended.

"Alpha Nolan," he uttered in his well-known, husky, and deep tone. "I send you my warmest regards for the new year. It had been a while since we chatted. He apologized, saying, "I've been so busy with pack business lately, I hardly even find time for myself." Kristine was taken in to her mother's arms.

"You don't ever call your parents, my dear child? I've missed you. Do you know how long we have been expecting you?" She gestured a little sadly. "I really hope you visit us here at the Silver Moon more often from now on my child." She also gave a quick hug to Tristan.

Before they could enter the pack house together, she noticed her sister glaring around threateningly, as though she thought she might show up at any moment.

After all went inside, she turned around and went into the forest to let her wolf out and let out her frustration. 'Reign, we are about to experience the most difficult days of our lives. It will be necessary for us to be very careful and avoid Tristan in particular.' Her wolf whimpered sadly and said nothing.

While she did not agree with Rosalie's rejection, she recognized that she had no other option at the moment and was therefore perplexed. She was unsure about how to handle her emotions, though. The rejection should have severed the mate bond entirely, but it doesn't seem to be the case.

There was still a sliver of a connection between them, an inexplicable pull that pulled her toward him.

That didn't surprise her at all, to be sincere.

For every female, Tristan was the ideal male. Sharp, icy blue eyes to linger in, short, thick black hair, and muscles any female would want to run their hands over all day. Since Kristine was fourteen years old, he had been in a passionate relationship with her. They shared the same majors, participated in the same extracurricular activities, and attended the same schools.

The two packs naturally believed that they would also be destined at eighteen. However, nothing came of it; There was no pull, no bond. Their wolves kept looking at each other quietly as they celebrated their eighteenth birthday without any sparks. Nothing.

When Rosalie turned eighteen and it was time to for her to shift for the first time, three years later, it was shocking. The entire family was there, as was customary, to support her at that difficult time.

And to everyone's shock, Reign raced right to Tristan, starting the whole ordeal. She said the word, "MATE!" in tandem with his wolf, Bruce.

Rosalie had only confided in Zeila about her love for Tristan.

Three weeks after Rosalie's birthday, she turned eighteen, but she hasn't yet met her mate. Zeila and Rosalie grew up together, and there was no secret between them. They knew everything about one another. Zeila's was Beta Maddox, Alpha Nolan's Beta.

In lycan form, Rosalie arrived at the cave where they frequently camped during school breaks.

Her wolf, Reign, flung herself onto the warm concrete and put her paws in the air to rub her back delightfully against the large stone. Her wolf could lie out there in the sun like that for hours because she loved being outside.

She knew Zeila had arrived when she noticed movements in the bushes. They hugged each other as they transformed back into humans. The last time she had seen her was a few days ago. Zeila was part of the team responsible for setting the scene for the birthday ball that was being hosted tonight in the ballroom.

She said, "He is here, Zeila," stating what she already knew. Zeila immediately deduced what was going through her head, as usual.

Zeila took a seat next to Rosalie on the stone, and the two of them gazed up at the light blue sky. "I noticed him smoking one cigarette after another while standing by himself on the patio, looking almost unhappy." Zeila said calmly, "His eyes scanned all over the whole place several times, I knew he was looking for you."

"Rosa, are you certain that the mate bond is actually broken? You two still appear to be infatuated with one another. You realize that even though he is your sister's boyfriend, it's okay to declare that you are his fated. Everyone submits to the Moon Goddess' judgment: Stan is not the right one for Kris. Rosa, you are his Luna," she emphasized.

Rosalie gave a heavy sigh.

"At the moment, I'm not sure what I feel for him. Stan marked Kris after we rejected each other, thus I should view him as my brother-in-law or the Alpha of Blue River. But it isn't even happening that way. Our continued attraction to each other refuses to fade away." She said in desperation, "And Kristine believes there is a relationship between her mate and me."

"They will be here for the whole week. Since they'll be hanging around in the main building at the pack house, avoiding him will be harder. But then, if I avoid family gatherings, people will notice and the stories will start up again. This will not go well. I don't know how to prevent this."

"Zeila, there's no way I would mate with my sister's boyfriend. I can't base my happiness on Kristine's misery; it just doesn't feel right. She gestured to her, "Imagine how embarrassing it will be for my family when I come home with Stan as a mate."

"Kris would also never accept and the peace would be ruined right away. On the other hand, Tristan was invited into my parents' home for years as Kristine's mate, and we shared dinner together at the table where they were both incredibly romantic. Stan even had more overstays. Come on, Zeila, switching his attention abruptly between the two daughters would be quite embarrassing." Rosalie reasoned.

Zeila approved after taking Rosalie's point of view.

"Of course, it would make me feel nauseous as well. Definitely feels wrong, not good," Zeila muttered in disapproval, gripping her throat to show how disgusted she was."

She was curious, "So what are you going to do now? You'll have to deal with them, you know. You can't avoid them for too long. And I worry that tonight, Rose will already be the time for you to face them. The event plan says that you will all approach the stage as a family, walking hand in hand. I did succeed in making arrangements for you to hold your father's hand while Kris and her mate walk beside your mother." She paused.

Then she continued, "However, you will still need to welcome both of them as a family in the sitting room before that can happen." Zeila said in a soothing, soft manner, obviously feeling sorry for her.

"Yes, I'm getting ready for the meeting psychologically. Thankfully, Reign concurs with me; she is eager for the Stan moment to come to a finish. There is no use in thinking about the past because he has marked Kris and is now out of our grasp." She answered as Zeila got up and grabbed her arm.

"Ok, here's what's going to happen, I'll help you prepare for the ball by joining you in the packhouse. Next, we will help one another with our makeup and dresses." Zeila said, "I'm sure it will help you de-stress and get ready to meet Tristan and your sister."

Rosalie, ecstatic, threw her arms around the neck. She said, "Really? You, baby, are the best friend anyone could ever have," with gratitude. "I'm grateful, Zeila. I am so thankful that the Moon Goddess sent me you as a lovely companion. What the hell would I do without you?!"

"Oh please, Rosa, you would have probably chosen a mate or found your second chance mate. It would definitely be another alpha because our pack has produced the majority of all the Lunas in this region. An Alpha's daughter would be no less." She laughed and undressed. Before they ran back, she packed them up so her wolf could carry them with her mouth. Rosalie pushed her amiably from behind.

Once more, Rosalie teased her bestie. "Don't even think about it. I'll be stuck to you in this pack forever. I'll always be here with you, no matter what," She gave her a wink. Both of them turned and ran in the direction of the pack house.

There would be no getting away from her ex-mate and sister tonight. Every pack in the vicinity was aware of the odd mating of the Alpha's daughters, so all eyes would be on her. While some were merely holding out for a great juicy story to come along, others were sincerely worried about the Alpha family's welfare.

In addition to telling her sister that her place next to Tristan was certain, she had to affirm the Silver Moon Pack that she and Tristan were absolutely fine.

Rosalie sauntered into the spacious living room where her family had assembled.

Rosalie caught a glimpse of Tristan getting up right away, which caused his mate to give him a stern look. For an instant, she disregarded the couple and faced her father instead. "A very wonderful birthday, my lovely father and Alpha," she grinned broadly.

She approached him, arms extended, and he gave her a nice, tight hug. "Thank you, my child. The presence of both my daughters here with me makes me the happiest man already; that is a priceless gift," he murmured in her ear. "And you, my daughter, look amazing."

"My dear father, you too are incredibly handsome." She said, "Mom should take care not to lose you tonight; you could get abducted by some ambitious females." She approached her mother and spent a considerable amount of time congratulating her on her mate's birthday.

In reality, she was buying herself some extra time before she had to deal with her sister and her former mate. She also acted as though she wasn't very excited to meet them, Tristan in particular, given the lengthy wait. However, she was positive that everyone in the room sensed her sister's hateful gaze. Finally, she turned to the couple to greet them.

"Hey, Kristine! It has been a while! I'm so happy you managed to free yourself up to attend Dad's birthday celebration," she fiercely remarked. "Both you and your mate are welcome to Silver Moon once again. After all this time, I'm sure the pack is glad to see you again." Rosalie kissed Kristine on both cheeks and took her by the shoulders before bringing her close to her.

After a few moments to process the shock, Kristine pulled her away with just enough force to avoid her falling, to prevent her from falling into the arms of her mate.

"Rosalie," she said rigidly in greeting. "Good to see you once more. Also, I think my long absence from the pack should be a little expected. I'm a Luna and I have so many responsibilities, therefore, I'm always so busy. My Alpha is also quite clingy. He doesn't let me leave his sight." She leaned close to her mate to emphasize her deep meaning. She could no longer neglect the fact that Tristan was present.

"That's fantastic," Rosalie grinned in response.

"Stan, hi, it's good to have you here. I hope all is well with you and your pack." She held out her hand for a handshake, asking in a courteous but distant manner. However, he grabbed her hand to draw her up against his chest rather than taking it. She could still feel the sparks at their point of contact, but they dissipated fast.

"Rosalie! You've come a long way! Look at how much more gorgeous and womanly you've grown in just the last three years since I last saw you," he said foolishly. Behind him, there was a deep growl, and her eyes fell on Kristine, whose face was flushed with rage. Rosalie could completely understand how her mate's remarks had sparked her jealousy. No female would like to hear her mate compliment another woman, saying she is beautiful. Kristine did not take her eyes off the both of them and kept fuming.

Rosalie and Reign both braced themselves to avoid the physical touch.

She replied calmly now, refusing to allow any lingering connection or attraction to overcome her. Taking three steps out of Tristan's arms, she gave him a small smile. "Many thanks, Stan. Both Kristine and you look amazing. I wish I had unlimited time to work out at the gym. However, you two look amazing as one."

She sensed her father's presence behind her.

It was obvious that he was attempting to diffuse the awkward situation Tristan had created with what he said. "How about we wait outside the door for Beta Maddox to summon us to the stage? He says, "I can hear the music, they're about to call us in."

Rosalie was the youngest daughter and was positioned at the hand of her father, who was standing next to her mother, as they all lined up as directed. Kristine stood with her mate's hand in hers, to her mother's right.

They immediately heard the beta announce their presence.

All five of them entered the passageway that ended at the podium. She nodded to her pack members and expressed her gratitude to them for coming, a broad smile plastered across her face. The pack sang the customary "happy birthday" song as they made their way down the red carpet to the podium as a family, with the customary background music playing.

Her gaze swept across the first three rows of guests' seats. Every Alpha, along with his Luna, and perhaps the Beta as well. Nearly every pack in the vicinity were their allies. When it came to facing off against opposing packs, her father was a ruthless and ferocious fighter but he was also quite friendly with other Alphas who shared his views.

Luckily, there weren't as many vicious ones as there used to be, so practically every Alpha in that sector was there.

Everyone was staring at them when they went on stage and the song stopped.

Naturally, her father was the focus of interest, being the celebrant. However, she was aware that events such as this were utilized by single Alphas to search for their mates. Inquisitive gazes studied her neck, finding with satisfaction that the mate's mark was absent.

Rosalie spotted several misty eyes; the Alphas were debating whether or not she was their destined mate with their wolf. They expressed disappointment on their faces after learning that their quest would not be fruitful this time too, and they accepted this reality. Nevertheless, some persisted. They were still attracted to her and now regarded her as their chosen mate.

She then communicated to the unmated that she was unavailable by releasing a small amount of her Alpha energy. She was shocked to hear a terrifying growl emanate from her mother's other side. It was Tristan

She scowled, displeased.

She was certain that this would start another round of rumors, as the visitors and pack had undoubtedly heard it too. Being associated with Tristan in that manner was the last thing she wanted at that moment.

For crying out loud, he was her sister's mate! It was time for him to give up and fight the remaining remnants of his affection for her. As an Alpha and a mature man, Tristan was aware of the potential consequences of conflict within the Alpha family better than anybody else.

Except he had something else in mind and was doing all these intentionally. She pondered.