Chapter 1.

The Spring Festival was approaching too fast, and Megan couldn’t get her head around the fact that soon, she might meet her mate.

Don’t get ahead of yourself.

“How’s it going, Terry?” She nodded at one of the Betas as he passed by, and he gave her a stiff smile.

A sigh wove through her vocal cords, and her shoulders drooped. So many of the wolves didn’t know how to act around her, which was one of the main reasons she loved spending time with her family.

They didn’t give her stiff replies and sideways glances. But of course, they were all Alphas or Alpha mates, and no one was above them in the hierarchy.

She turned left to walk along the path she’d been aiming for, and stepped up to Grayson and Reagan’s new front door. She liked this one better than the first.

Her brother-in-law should be home, and she needed a level head to talk to. She lifted her hand and knocked. Footsteps sounded, and the pretty new door swung open.

“Megan!”

“Reagan.” Relief and happiness flowed over her as she stepped forward and gave him a hug. The young doctor, who had joined their pack last year, returned her embrace with vigour.

“How’s Marie doing?” she asked, stepping inside the lovely little home.

“Great. Five months now, and the baby is doing really well.”

She smiled as they stepped into the bright kitchen, the scent of muffins or bread filling the air and making her stomach growl. “I still can’t believe I’m going to have a niece or nephew soon. Are you sure you don’t know what it is?”

A smirk at the corner of Reagan’s mouth gave him away, and she gaped at him. “You do know! Tell me!”

He grinned and put the coffee machine on.

She pointed at the machine. May as well have a drink while she chatted. “Hot chocolate for me, please.”

He grabbed the milk from the fridge and put a chocolate pod into the machine.

Reagan continued to ignore her request, and she jiggled on the bar stool she sat upon.

“Come on, Reagan. Spill.”

He chuckled. “It’s not fair if I tell you. Marie and Grayson don’t know.”

“You know I can keep a secret! Please!”

Reagan heaved a huge sigh, heating the milk.

“Well… let’s just say that there will definitely be a new Alpha for the next generation.”

An excited squeal rose in her throat. “Really? Oh, my God. Mum and Dad are going to be so happy!”

She clapped her hands and jumped up and down. A boy! Her brother was having a boy!

“But remember…” Reagan’s tone dropped to be serious.

She took the mug he offered and made a zipper motion over her mouth. “Lips are sealed. I promise. That is so exciting, though!”

Reagan made himself a coffee and sat at the table with her, dark smudges beneath his eyes the only indication that he was tired.

“Another long shift, huh?”

He nodded, taking a drink of his coffee. “Yeah. I don’t think we really need to be manning the hospital 24/7, but the Alphas are still insisting on it.”

Seven months ago, their pack had been attacked by a group of Betas gone Rogue. They had killed many of the Borough’s men, Betas and Gammas. Ever since then, the medical staff had been patching people up, dealing with the widows and mates of the deceased, and waiting on tenterhooks for any possible threats.

“I know. It’s strange. The Rogues are gone, so why do you have to do such stupid shifts?”

Reagan shrugged and stretched his back. “No idea. But I’ll keep working them with Sarah until they tell me to stop.”

“You’re still coming to the Spring Festival though, aren’t you, Reagan?”

He nodded, his eyes lighting up with mischief. “Of course. I wanna meet this mate of yours.”

She waved her hand in dismissal.

“Oh, shut up. He may not even be a member of those northern packs.”

Even as she shrugged off Reagan’s assumption, her belly did a flip of anticipation.

“Yeah… but he could be. Or she.”

“She? Shit, never thought of that.”

Reagan chuckled and drank more of his coffee while Megan’s head did a whirligig. A female mate? She’d never even considered that. She wanted a male. An Alpha, preferably, but then again. Had Grayson wanted a male mate? Hell, no. Was it the best thing for him? Absolutely.

Best to trust Fate to send her what she needed.

“How’s Grayson dealing with this whole super-Alpha thing?” she asked Reagan. Her brother, Aaron, and Brad had all discovered they had some special quality after they fought the Rogues.

The whole pack knew that it had something to do with them being all male-mated, but they weren’t sure exactly why it had happened. It was still hard to digest, but she loved that her brother was so powerful.

“Not sure, really. Grayson, Aaron, and Brad meet each day. They discuss pack business and train together. They believe that they have fulfilled some sort of legend, but that it also means that the pack may run into danger in the future, so they’re being cautious. I think they want to stay here when we go to the Festival.”

“What? They’ve never stayed behind before.” She’d never travelled away without Grayson. She couldn’t imagine leaving him here.

“I know. But like I said, they worry that there is another threat coming. But don’t stress—I’ll be there to keep you company.”

Megan laughed, picking up a biscuit that Reagan offered her. “Yeah, I can imagine. You’re almost as intimidating as my brother now.”

“What? Me?” Reagan gestured down to his frame, slightly smaller than Grayson’s. He was over six feet tall now, and so cut you could see the outline of each muscle through his t-shirt.

He may have been an average human size when she’d first met him, but after a year of being mated to her brother, he was almost as strong as any Alpha wolf she’d met.

“Ah, yeah. You, Reagan.”

She finished the hot, sweet drink he’d made her, and walked over to the dishwasher, cleaning up after herself.

“I’m… a little afraid of all this, Reagan,” she finally admitted out loud, her back still to her brother-in-law. She wasn’t sure she could face him for this conversation.

“Of what, Megan?”

It was hard to put it all into words. “Of what it will mean. Of the change…” Of the sex.

Reagan cleared his throat in an awkward way and Megan forced herself to turn around. She’d come here for a reason—to get help from her brother-in-law. No point being scared to face him now.

“Have you ever dated anyone, or… been with anyone, Megan?”

“Ah...” She looked down at the floor. The boys kept their house so shiny.

“I’ll take that as a no?”

She nodded, forcing herself to lift her head again. “I’m only twenty-two, and my mark came up a year ago. I’m an Alpha-born, and well… me. So, my options aren’t exactly many. Mum always said I should wait for my mate, so I have.”

Not that she really had an option. No boy had even tried to kiss her, let alone do anything else with her.

She wasn’t embarrassed or upset by the choices she’d made, but as she approached the day she might meet her mate, she was realising that she had little to offer.

“Do you think I should have? You know… tried it all out before now?”

“No. That’s not what I meant, and as a gay male, I’m probably the wrong one to comment on this, but your virginity is special… and to an Alpha, it will be a prize indeed. They’re such jealous buggers. I think you’ve done the right thing, Megan. Definitely.”

Megan’s shoulders and chest relaxed. She hadn’t even realised she’d been tense until the relief flooded in.

“Good. Well then, I suppose I’m ready.”

She walked over to hug Reagan, and he squeezed her tightly. “Whoever he is, he is the luckiest guy on Earth to have you as his mate, Megan. You’re awesome.”

She squeezed Reagan back tighter, the warmth of his body pressing into hers. “So are you. My brother’s very lucky.”

“Yes. I am.” Grayson’s deep voice broke into their little hug, and Megan pulled away with a smile.

“Hey, big brother. Heard you aren’t coming with us to the festival.”

Grayson walked forward, pulling Reagan into him for a kiss that made Megan look away.

The heat that sizzled between those two was unbelievable.

She walked to the front door, pulled it open, and waited for them to stop snogging. She had to pack. They were leaving tomorrow.

Grayson finally broke away from sucking Reagan’s face, holding his mate tight as he turned to speak to her. “Yeah. I want to stay. But Reagan wants to go, so against my better judgment, I’m letting him go with you.”

Reagan elbowed his mate in the ribs and Grayson didn’t flinch.

“Well, someone has to room with me.” Megan winked at her brother and waved.

She walked back into the sunshine and took some deep breaths.

Something magical told her that this was it. That this next step she would take would bring her to her destiny.

She reached under her t-shirt and touched the mark that had shown itself the day she turned twenty-one. A crescent-moon shape that circled around her belly button.

A fearful, self-preserving part of her wanted her to stay calm. Not get excited. So she wouldn’t be disappointed if she didn’t meet her mate at this gathering.

Yet, the happiness was there inside of her, fluttering like a new butterfly. Frantic, new, and strong. Unfortunately, she knew she would be utterly devastated if she met the members of three more packs, and her mate wasn’t among them.

****

They were all up early the next day, and Megan jumped in the car with Reagan and her parents. It was a five-hour drive to the Spring Festival, and they spent the time chatting about nothing in particular, listening to music along the way.

“We’re here,” her dad said, as the car began to slow down.

Megan looked up from her book and glanced out the window. Tents were going up everywhere, and the space already buzzed with dozens of wolves and their mates. “Wow. So many people are here already.” There were cars and people everywhere. “Where are we staying, Dad?”

“As one of the Alpha families, we got a two-bedroom cabin. You and Reagan can stay in the other room.”

“Great. Thanks.” She grinned at her brother-in-law and took a short breath, then exhaled slowly. She could feel the weight of her mother’s gaze, though she didn’t say anything.

They’d both been looking forward to this weekend for a long time.

Her father turned off the car and stepped out into the fresh air. “Let’s go, then.”

They got out of the car, the buzz of the wolves around her making her lips lift in a smile. The energy wove through her, the excitement that she had been pushing down rising to the surface.

They grabbed their bags, unpacked in the small room they’d been given, then Reagan grabbed her hand. “You wanna go look around?”

“Definitely.”

She wrinkled her nose as Reagan pressed closer. He had the oddest smell. She’d sensed something in the car, but the windows had been down and he’d been a couple of feet away from her. This close, he smelled funky.

“Do you need a shower, or is it just me?”

Reagan’s handsome face turned crimson, like a brush fire spreading up his cheeks. “Ah. Maybe I should before we go out.”

She waited. But he didn’t move.

“What’s going on?”

“Ah, Grayson made me promise not to wash for a day or so. He… ah… said the smell would keep all the other wolves away.”

It didn’t smell that bad. “Really? Well, it’s just a little odd, nothing off-putting to me. Let’s go, then. Don’t want to upset big brother.”

They walked out into the fray, hands linked.

“Our pack has most of this east accommodation, and food is being set up at the centre. If you want something to eat, we’re going there now,” her mum said with a relaxed smile.

She nodded. Why not? Breakfast had been a long time ago. “I could eat.”

As though on cue, Reagan’s stomach grumbled. “Me too. Definitely.”

They made their way through the crowds of people. Old and young. Male and female. Such a good mix of the packs had been sent.

As they walked through the throngs, several of the bigger men turned towards Reagan and frowned as though he annoyed them in some way.

Megan gripped his hand tighter as they moved. What had Grayson done to him? Trust her brother to send his mate off to a Festival with a ‘stay away, he’s mine’ sign stuck to his forehead.

When they made it into the centre of the tents, they saw dozens of tables set up and rows of barbeque grills. They’d arranged it so you could help yourselves, by the looks of things.

Her stomach rolled and grumbled. “I’m starving. Let’s go.”

They all walked over to the tables and grabbed plates, serving themselves as they would at home.

Megan glanced over at her parents who were similarly helping themselves to the meat and salads. “Is this okay, Mum? Who’s paying for all this?”

“Each pack has provided money and food for the festival, so it’s all taken care of.”

Megan nodded and grabbed her plate, piled high with steak and salad. She so wanted to go to the dessert table straight away, but didn’t want to look like a pig.

“Main meal first, Megan,” her mother said, and she laughed.

Caught wanting to cheat again.

“Yeah, yeah. Where are we sitting?”

Her dad had settled into a small empty table, so they moved to his side, sat down, and dove into their lunch.

“This is really good. Who’s been cooking it?”

Her dad shrugged. “They have a roster, and someone coordinating it, so all the Gammas should be organised.”

Megan rolled her eyes and grabbed her plate. “I’m off for some dessert. You coming, Reagan?”

He sat back and patted his belly. “Not yet. Ate way too much already.”

She winked at him. “There’s always room for dessert.” She headed off, putting her dinner plate where the dirty dishes went, and walking over to the dessert table.

She didn’t like how little her father knew about the complexities of the pack.

That was why she was so proud to see the changes that the super-Alphas were making. Grayson, Aaron, and Brad were making their pack better.

“Excuse me.” A young man pushed past her, causing her to stumble and trip. Her knees hit the ground, and she caught herself with her hands as pain thudded into her wrists.

“Ow.”

“Shit. Are you okay?” The guy came back, or it sounded like the same guy—she could only hear his voice, not see him.

“Let me help you up.”

He crouched beside her and offered her his hand.

Her brain was beginning to calm down as the pain receded into the back of her mind. She hadn’t fallen over since she was a child, and she was surprised how much the shock affected her.

“No, I’m fine.”

She got her balance back and pushed herself to her feet, her gaze suddenly caught by his silvery blue eyes. Her breath caught in her throat as his scent filled her nostrils.

Warm bread and butter. That was what he smelled like.

So, strange. Was he a baker?

“I… ah.”

“I’m so sorry.” He took a step back as he surveyed her height, his eyes flicking up and down her.

“It’s okay.”

His eyes were wide, looking almost frightened of her. “I didn’t mean to trip you. Please accept my apologies.”

“Where were you going?” She wanted to keep talking to him for some reason.

“Just to a festival meeting. I’m running the kitchen. I need to keep moving… ah…”

“Megan. I’m Megan.”

He bobbed his head in a strange, submissive gesture. “An Alpha-born female. You must be from the Greensborough pack.”

She nodded, disappointment flaring in her gut. She hated how she affected the Beta males in her own pack, and that effect obviously was widespread.

“And you must be a Beta, because you’re backing away from me like I’m about to bite your head off.”

She clenched her teeth and spun on her foot, marching over to the dessert table as anger poured through her like hot rain.

An unreasonable amount of anger, considering the small incident, but she couldn’t seem to control her response.

She forced herself to take a deep breath, then exhaled very slowly. She’d been too hard on him, she knew that. It wasn’t his fault that she was sick of the sort of treatment he had given her. The packs were taught to revere the Alphas, which unfortunately meant her also.

Her height alone gave her away as an Alpha-born, and she hated it. She was a woman, flesh and blood. Not a princess in a castle who should be ignored and bowed down to.

She wanted to be loved, not feared.

“Hey, look… I’m sorry…” She turned back around, but he was gone, and the coldness that crept into her gut surprised her with its intensity.

“Megan, you okay?” Reagan asked as he walked over to her, his keen gaze doing a once-over of her dirty knees.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just got a bit of a shock.”

She searched the crowd and Reagan tapped her on the arm. “Who are you looking for?”

“Oh, the guy who tripped me over. I kinda bitched at him, and I feel bad. Shouldn’t have done that.”

Reagan twisted around to peruse the desserts, though they had now lost their appeal to her. Which was strange as well.

“I think it’s him that should apologise, not the other way around,” Reagan said as he began scooping up desserts for his plate. “He knocked you over. We saw it from over there.”

She wasn’t sure what had happened exactly, but the whole experience of meeting the Beta had been very strange.

“Yeah… I suppose.”

She wandered over to the table and grabbed a bowl of chocolate mousse, dipping the spoon in and sucking the confection off the spoon. She waited for the normal buzz she’d usually experience with such a high-sugar treat to hit her. It was also missing.

“You okay?” Reagan asked again as they walked back to their table.

“Yeah. Thanks.”

But she wasn’t, and she couldn’t pinpoint what the problem was. Something had shifted inside of her, and she was uncomfortable, unsettled in a strange way.

Had the fall rattled her that much? Or had she somehow met her mate already? She’d heard that was what came with meeting your mate. An ache, a strange feeling that couldn’t be assuaged with food or other comforts.

She forced her attention back to the conversation with Reagan, and tried not to think about what was happening inside her.