Chapter 3

Chloe watched as guests trooped into the pack house for the red moon ceremony. She stood beside Liam who was welcoming the Alphas from different packs. As expected, she had to offer warm greetings to them as well. There were over seventy packs present and about a hundred people who had arrived. Chloe had never seen so many werewolves gather for a ceremony like that in her life. After all, the red moon ceremony happened once in a while. Although she felt important for the first time in her life, she couldn't help but feel different. Everything in the pack house screamed elegance and she knew she didn't belong. Everyone present was either royalty or mated to one. She was the only half-breed and rejected mate in the room. From the corner of her eyes, she observed Liam. He didn't pay any attention to her and often flashed her a fake smile to maintain their plan. She watched as he interacted with other Alphas and leaders. He looked dashing in his tuxedo, while deep in conversation with a group of young men. She should have been overjoyed that she was present as his mate for the ceremony. But as she stared across the room at him, she realized she couldn't be happy. Her hands were trembling and beads of sweat were forming on her forehead. She had a lot of questions running through her mind at the same time. What if the seer saw through them? What if she could tell that they were not mated? What would be the consequences of their lie? "Very fancy ceremony," Emily said behind her before frowning. "But, Chloe, why is your mate not with you? Doesn't he care at all if you look pretty tonight?" She mocked her and her friend, Anne, who was mated to the future Beta giggled beside her. "He is speaking with guests," Chloe replied straightening her dress which suddenly felt too heavy for her. "I don't think he has the time to be by my side tonight." "Oh, why would he?" Anne chipped in. "It hurts my eyes to see you in that dress. Ughh." "I should—" Chloe was interrupted by the loud sound of a trumpet. Silence settled in the room and all heads including her turned to the entrance of the hall. "The Lycan King and all the members of the lycan royals have arrived!!!" The trumpeter announced. Liam signaled Chloe to come to him and she obeyed him swiftly. It was time for their biggest act. The seer was accompanying the Lycan royals. Chloe stood beside Liam as they welcomed the Lycan royals. One by one, they entered the hall and the other Alpha paid them respect. The Lycan king was the ruler of the supernatural world. He was more powerful than everyone present in the hall and so was his family. "Welcome to our pack. I am Alpha Fletch, the leader of this great pack. And this is my son, Liam Fletch, and his mate, Chloe," Liam said, bowing to the lycan king. "I hope you have a great time here with us." "Thank you for the warm welcome." The Lycan king replied. Chloe plastered a broad smile on her face as she bowed and greeted the lycan king. She did the same for the queen and they walked by. As she lifted her head to greet the next member of the lycan royals, her gaze met deep blue electric eyes staring at her fiercely. For a moment, she forgot to breathe. The man standing before her was the most handsome man she had ever seen. Despite her attempt to regain her composure, she was thunderstruck. His hair was raven black and fell across his face with perfection. His eyes which bore the same clarity as the deep sea were entrancing. It was like his eyes could bewitch anyone who fell under his seeking gaze. He had a hawkish nose which highlighted his dishy looks. His cheekbones held by firm jaws looked like they were chiseled by the finest master. He seemed molded from a different cast as he did not look like every other man in the room. There was something about him that Chloe could not quite shake off. Her eyes ran slowly from his tuxedo which screamed power down to his shoes. His only blemish was that he radiated too much energy and charm that was intoxicating. Liam coughed slightly, snapping Chloe out of her thoughts. She looked embarrassed as she tried to compose herself. "Welcome to our pack," she voiced, almost in a whisper. It was like her voice had suddenly seized. "I trust you will have a good time." He smiled faintly before giving her a small bow. As he walked by, she took in his scent and her stomach fluttered. The seer did not wait for any formal greeting but walked by swiftly. She didn't even glance at Chloe but that made her feel even better. Walking back to the middle of the throne room, Chloe took her seat beside Liam. Every Alpha and expected guest had arrived and the ceremony was about to begin. Alpha Fletch rose to address the guests. "I thank you all for honoring the invitation. It is an honor to host the red moon ceremony this time—," As he spoke, Chloe tried to avoid staring at the lycan prince but she couldn't resist the urge. Her eyes scanned the room until they fell on him. She almost let out a gasp when she saw that he was staring at her again. She could feel the heat from the intensity of his gaze. His eyes remained unblinking as he watched her. "I hope that we receive several blessings from the moon goddess tonight." Alpha Fletch ended his speech and applause erupted from the room. From the corner of her eyes, Chloe saw the lycan prince whispering words to the seer. Then she turned to her with a sharp look. Her heart began to pound furiously in her chest. Could the Lycan prince or the seer sense anything? Could they tell she wasn't marked yet? She did not enjoy the soft music that was playing in the hall as others did. She also could not alert Liam about the seer and the Lycan prince. She knew he would overreact and the Alpha would accuse her of blowing their cover. So she had to put up a big smile and appreciate the suffocating ceremony. But she just couldn't relax, perhaps because of the way the seer and prince kept staring at her. Did they already know? She told herself it was her nerves, but even though she had already stopped looking at them, she was getting uneasy by the minute. With a full red dress and a diamond tiara sparkling above her head, she should have felt like the perfect future Luna. Instead, she felt small and scared. She trembled as she placed her glass of water on the tray of a passing waiter. "I'm going outside to get some fresh air." She whispered to Liam. "Why? What are you trying to do?" “Nothing. Please give me a minute. Alone—” She turned and left the hall as swiftly as she could. She dashed through the pack house's empty corridors and out into the cold winter night. Once she was outside, she exhaled. She crossed the hallway and entered the silent garden. She was finally alone and away from the peering eyes of the seer. "Please, please," She closed her eyes and prayed softly, " May today end in a very good way." "So———you're the future Luna," a deep voice said behind her. Her eyes snapped open and she turned immediately. The lycan prince was standing right before her.