Clearing her throat, she smiled expectantly.

"Oh, my apologies, girls!" Alpha Oliver said. "Let me introduce you. King James, Prince Edmond, these are Beta Ethan's daughters, Eleanor and Ava."

We curtsied to the two men as they looked us over.

"Happy birthday," King James said. "It's a pleasure to meet you both."

That's when I felt it - a faint, indescribable sensation. I glanced up at the prince and found him staring at me once again. Jayden, noticing, stepped in front of him and began speaking. Eleanor and I excused ourselves and returned to the dance floor. As we danced, I couldn't shake the feeling that the prince's eyes were still on me. I wasn't sure what to make of it, but it was a strange and unsettling sensation. Despite this, I continued to enjoy the rest of the party with my sister and our friends, grateful for the love and support of our pack.

...

"Alright, everyone! It's time!" my mother announced with enthusiasm. "It's the moment our new wolves have been waiting for. Men, you will gather in the northern gardens, while ladies, we're heading to the southern gardens."

I observed as Jayden entered through the front doors, joining Alpha Oliver, the king, and the other high-ranking men.

"Come on, weirdo," Eleanor urged, seizing my hand and leading me toward the patio doors that opened into our flower garden. "Oh, wait a second!"

Eleanor glanced around the room, her eyes landing on Sebastian. She smiled and waved at him.

"I just want to say goodbye real quick," she explained.

"We'll be right back," I chuckled.

"I know. But I'll be returning as a woman," she giggled.

I watched as she skipped across the room and into Sebastian's arms. He spun her around, kissing her passionately. She whispered something in his ear, and a grin stretched across his face.

Eleanor hurried back to my side as we walked to the center of the circle formed by the ladies. I reached out for my sister's hands and held them tightly.

The moonflowers that adorned the garden were in full bloom as we took our positions.

Our mother approached us, wearing a hopeful smile. "Alright, girls. It's time. The moon is nearly at its zenith. Benjamin herself is watching over you both. The first shift may sting a bit, but don't worry about it. It's just your body adapting to the change. I love you both, and I am immensely proud of you!"

"Thanks, Mom," I said softly, hugging her.

"Love you, Mom," Eleanor chimed in, joining the embrace.

"Together?" I asked.

"Always," she replied.

A tingling sensation began in my toes and fingertips, swiftly spreading throughout my entire body. I watched as Eleanor's body sprouted long, blonde fur. Her facial features contorted as her nose vanished, replaced by a snout. Glistening fangs caught the moonlight as her grip on me weakened. Glancing down, I saw that both of our hands had transformed into paws.

A searing pain surged from deep within me. I felt as though my body might ignite into flames. The agony seemed to emanate from my bones, accompanied by a nauseating crunch and snap, forcing me to my knees. A scream escaped my lips as the moon shone brighter and brighter, its brilliance enveloping me until I saw nothing else.

Just as suddenly as the pain began, it ceased. However, I was no longer in the circle, nor on my family's grounds. It was emptiness, a complete void.

"Dear child."

I looked around as best I could with my wolf-like neck.

"Do not be afraid. I have waited for this day for a long time."

Who's there?

A magnificent young woman materialized before me, surrounded by the radiance of the moon.

Who is that?

"I am Benjamin. Goddess of the moon. Goddess of the woodlands. And your mother."

You can hear me? I thought in my mind.

"Of course, my beloved daughter."

Daughter? What do you mean?

"You are my child, a wolf born under the light of the full moon. It is your destiny to protect the balance of nature, defend the weak, and uphold the ancient ways."

"But how? I don't know anything about being a wolf."

"You will learn. You possess strength and courage, and you have the love and support of your mate. I will always be with you, guiding you on your journey."

"I still don't understand. Why is this happening?" Panic began to grip me. This was too much, too unreal.

"Eighteen years ago, when your earthly mother was pregnant with your earthly sister, I used her body as a vessel to give physical form to myself. You."

"Wait. What?"

"In my divine form, I cannot birth an earthly child. There is something approaching my beloved wolves that will require one with god-like abilities to assist."

"The feeling I've been having?" I inquired.

"Yes, my dearest. It is approaching, and you will need to aid the king in saving your kind."

What is it?

She shook her head. "I do not know, my darling. I only sense its impending threat."

"Why me?"

"Because, sweet Ava, you are my child, a part of me."

"That cannot be, Goddess. I was born. I have lived with my mother and father all these years. If I am your daughter, why did you not come for me sooner?"

"To protect you. If others knew of your existence, it would have placed you in peril, along with all the packs."

"How can I help? I am not a warrior. I am small, and I have never fought before."

"You will discover more. Now go, my child. Embrace your true nature and fulfill your destiny." She kissed my cheek, and the bright moonlight enveloped her before darkness reclaimed the void.

The emptiness around me began to recede, and I felt myself being drawn back to the physical world. I opened my eyes to see Eleanor standing before me, her expression filled with concern.

Queen Aurora took a step closer. "Child, are you alright?"

I nodded, my chest heaving with each breath.

"Uh, what is that?" Eleanor asked, staring at my face.

"What?" I queried.

"On your forehead, right below your hairline. What is that?"

I reached up and ran my fingers along my forehead, feeling nothing unusual. I shrugged.

"Ava, what happened?" my mother inquired, rushing toward me.

"Um, I don't know. What is the first shift supposed to be like?" I asked.

"Well, not quite like that."

"What happened?" I asked again.

"You shifted and then collapsed."

"Oh."

I rose and looked around, steadying myself. "I'm fine."

"Honey?" my mother asked.

"Yeah?"

"Eleanor is right. What's on your forehead?"

"I don't know? Nothing? I don't feel anything. What does it look like?"

"It looks like a moon with a bow in it."

"Odd."

"What truly happened during your shift?" she pressed.

"Can we discuss it when we're not in front of such a large audience?" I requested softly.

She nodded in agreement.

"Alright, everyone, let's return to the party and give the girls some space," Alpha Oliver suggested.

"Are you alright?" my mother asked me.

"I think so," I replied, still trying to process everything that had just occurred.

"Come on, let's explore our new forms," I urged.

Eleanor grinned and dashed off, her wolf form sleek and agile. I followed after her, a growing sense of excitement and purpose filling me. This marked the beginning of our journey as werewolves, and I was eager to embrace my destiny. After some time of enjoying the freedom our wolf forms offered, we returned to the gardens and shifted back into our human forms. We quickly dressed in our gowns and headed back to the grand ballroom, where the men had already gathered. I scanned the crowded room for Jayden.

The spark. It should be time.

Desperation and despair gripped me as each second ticked by.

Where is he? Where is Jayden?

Then, I spotted him. He stood near King James and his father, Alpha Oliver, but there was no sign of Prince Edmond. My heart skipped a beat, and I began making my way toward him. But before I could take more than a few steps, I saw him sniff the air and turn around. Suddenly, I felt a spark in my stomach, and a peculiar scent overwhelmed all others.

Is this it? Is this the moment I've been waiting for?

But as Jayden approached, confusion and uncertainty clouded his face. He furrowed his brow and sniffed the air again before shaking his head.

"This is wrong. This is not right," he muttered, pushing me aside and walking directly toward Eleanor.

I stood there in shock, tears welling up in my eyes, as I watched Jayden approach Eleanor. He wrapped his arms around my sister and kissed her passionately. The entire room fell into an eerie silence as they gazed at the two of them, and then at me. My cheeks burned with embarrassment, and my throat tightened with emotion.

"He's not going to do what I think he's going to do, is he?" Abigail whispered from behind me.

"I-I don't know. It's public. He would never do something so tacky and taboo, right?" I looked at her, tears streaming down my face.

My mouth hung open, my cheeks aflame, and my stomach churned as I felt bile rising in my throat.

But as I watched, my worst fears materialized. Jayden nuzzled Eleanor and then bit her, marking her as his mate in front of everyone.

"Holy... He marked her in public," Abigail gasped.

My face felt ablaze as the eyes of those around me shifted between the newly marked pair and me.

"Jayden! What have you done?" Alpha Oliver bellowed, storming toward his son.

"Oh, my God!" Abigail whispered loudly. "There's some serious drama llama going on here tonight."

"Ash!" I looked at her, tears streaming down my cheeks.

"Girl, you dodged a bullet here. I'm sorry, but if that had been you, you deserve way better than this hot mess."

King James murmured loudly, and Queen Aurora looked utterly disgusted. I briefly locked eyes with Sebastian. He appeared shocked and furious.

"Eleanor!" he finally screamed.

"I can't watch this anymore. I refuse to allow it!" Abigail grabbed my hand and briskly led me across the ballroom toward the stairs.

As we stormed past Jayden and Eleanor, she glowered at them. "You two are awful for doing that in such a public manner."

I glanced back as they stood, nuzzling each other. No one else, aside from Alpha Oliver, had even dared to move. Not even our utterly mortified parents.

Abigail held my hand firmly as she pulled me up the stairs and all the way to my bedroom. "Okay, you stay. I'll be right back."

I nodded as she shut the door behind her. I sat on the floor, sobbing, and hugged my knees.

A soft knock on the door followed by a voice calling out, "Can I come in?"

"Abigail?" I sniffled, recognizing my friend's voice.

"Yeah, it's me. Can I come in?"

I stood up and opened the door a crack, allowing Abigail to poke her head in.

"Hey there," she said gently.

I looked at her and sniffled.

Abigail nodded sympathetically. "I know this is really tough, but I brought something that might help. I bribed the bartender and got us this bottle of champagne and some glasses. Want to try to drown your sorrows a little?"

She held up the bottle and glasses, and I reached out my hand to take one.

"Maybe not everyone saw what happened," Abigail said, attempting to comfort me.

"Everyone saw!" I wailed, collapsing back onto the bed. "I can't believe this. Why would he do something like this in public? I loved him, Abigail. I can't understand why he would humiliate me like this."

"I know it's hard to understand, but the whole concept of a mate bond can be really confusing. Maybe he just couldn't control himself," Abigail suggested.

"But what about Eleanor? She's my sister. She could have at least told him to wait until the marking ceremony. I was so sure he was my mate," I said, feeling hopeless.

"I know," Abigail said, handing me a glass of champagne. "It sucks that this happened, but if he couldn't even wait to mark his mate privately, maybe you dodged a bullet by not being with him. You deserve someone who will treat you with respect and love."

"I know, but it still hurts. Why couldn't he wait like a normal wolf? How am I supposed to go back to school and face everyone after this?" I asked, feeling overwhelmed.

"It's not as bad as you think."

I rolled my eyes while chugging the bubbly in my glass. "It's worse than bad. It's utterly humiliating."

"Yeah, that is pretty bad. I doubt anyone's going to care."

"Abigail, they're going to care. They're going to talk about it. The future alpha marked his girlfriend's sister. In public. At their birthday party. This is the biggest news to hit the pack in years."

She sat next to me and put an arm around my shoulders. "If anyone says anything, you want me to beat them up? I can do that."

I let out a small chuckle. "No. Just give me more champagne."

"I don't think anyone would really blame you if you took a few days off of school. Since we are graduating in just a few short months, maybe there's a way that you could rework your entire schedule to not go to class."

"How would that be possible?"

"So, you know I work in the office as an office aide."

"Yeah," I said.

"I happen to know some rules when it comes to senior wolves and their schedules."

"What kind of rules?" I queried.

"A rule that says the wolf with the highest grades, who is eighteen and desires to run for the local council after graduation, can work closely with the head of the strategy department and not go to class."

"I do like strategy," I mumbled. "And Council President Andrew is knowledgeable and nice."

"Indeed."

"Yeah, that can work. I can do that. But I am definitely taking like two weeks off from going back to that place. I don't want to see anyone."

As we sat on the bed, the door flew open. Eleanor jumped up and down in the doorway.

"What do you want?" I growled.

"Oh my god! Can you believe it, Ava? The future alpha mated with me!"

"Yeah, I know. My boyfriend. Get out. I don't want to see you."

"What? You're not happy for me?"

"Are you dense? Happy for you? No, I'm not happy for you! You humiliated me in front of everybody. Why would you mark each other in public? I never want to speak to you or him ever again! Get out!"

Her smile vanished as she stood staring at me. "But, you're my sister."

"Was."

"I was hoping you could help me when the time came to become Luna."

"Are you out of your absolutely ditzy, airheaded, idiotic mind? I'm not helping you. I'm doing nothing for you! Go away!"

She pouted and stared for a minute.

"Uh, you heard Ava, right?" Abigail asked, glaring at my sister. "Shoo."

"Oh, okay."

She shut the door and was gone.

"Was I too mean?" I asked, staring at the wood.

"Too mean? Hell no! You have every right to be pissed!"

"It's not really their fault though. I mean they can't help that they were mated. That's something that's determined before we're born."

"They didn't have to rub it in the way they did. They could have done it privately like you're supposed to. I mean we're wolves, we're not uncultured animals. Some things are meant to be done in private."

"I guess."