RYE-
She comes only at midnight, a woman he dared not to touch.
********
Rye wanted only one thing in this moment: to be left alone and never attend another were function again. But his father, Alpha of the Shadow Pack, had different plans.
"Rye!"
Alpha Jake's cane scraped sharply against the marble floor. His eyes narrowed at his only son, who lounged lazily in an armchair, cigarette between his fingers. Smoke curled through the open window, slipping into the night air.
"You are twenty-five, my only born son and the next Alpha of this pack. How dare you defy me?"
Rye met his father's glare, lips tilting into a careless smirk. He took another drag and exhaled slowly.
"Another were gathering to parade women in front of me?"
He turned toward the window, jaw tight. Every year his father grew more impatient with his failure to find a mate, and now the pack held monthly gatherings just to push him toward choosing a Luna.
Rye was exhausted — not just from the pressure of becoming Alpha, but from the expectation that he marry a woman who stirred nothing in him. Most weres found their mates before eighteen. Yet here he was, older, restless, and still unmated.
Alpha Jake strode forward and snatched the cigarette from his hand, hurling it out the window.
"Father!"
Golden lamplight carved sharp shadows across Alpha Jake's face — his strong jaw, straight nose, and cold, commanding presence that Rye had inherited.
"The full moon rises tonight after two years," Alpha Jake said firmly. "Go to the gathering. The Moon Goddess may finally bless you."
Rye scoffed and looked away. "Oh wonderful. I've attended plenty of full-moon gatherings before. If she wanted to give me a mate, she would have done it already."
Alpha Jake's expression darkened.
"Georgina will come to ensure you are prepared," he snapped. "Do not disgrace this pack."
Saying this, he stormed out of the room, but Rye did not fail to notice him limping with the support of his cane.
Rye sighed, rubbing his face. Months ago, there had been an attack. His father and some of the warriors had gone to the borders. It was a heated battle that left most of the warriors dead and his father injured. Rye had wanted to fight, but he was not strong enough. His Likan was not at its full peak.
Everyone who has found their mate has a Likan. It is the highest peak of one's power. Born as a warrior, your strength intensifies after finding and claiming your mate, and it is the same for those born Beta or Alpha.
Unlike other packs, in Shadow Pack, a wolf born of a warrior automatically becomes a warrior, one born of a Beta becomes a Beta, and one born of an Alpha becomes an Alpha. But since the Moon Goddess had not blessed Rye with a mate, things could change.
Rye's eyes darkened. He would not let that happen, which was why he trained every day, but no amount of training could compare to the power of one's Likan.
A knock disrupted his thoughts.
"Come in," he motioned with his hand.
Georgina's head appeared at the door. She wore a bright smile that warmed everyone around her, her white hair neatly tied in ponytails. She was muscled, strong, and one of his father's most trusted Betas. She cared almost too much when it came to him, almost like his mother.
Rye shook his head and looked away, trying not to think about it.
"There you are, Rye."
She stepped inside and crossed her arms over her chest, narrowing her eyes at him, but Rye kept his gaze on the window.
"Trouble with your father?" she asked.
Rye snorted. "I need a break."
"I know," she said, settling into the armchair opposite him, her expression soft. "Listen, I know this is tiring for you, but you have to understand that the Alpha is doing what is best for you."
"Or for the pack," Rye muttered.
She sighed. "You need a Luna."
Rye let out a low laugh, almost a rumble in his chest. "One who is not my mate?"
"Rye, you can still find your mate later, but you need a Luna now. Even if she will not help your Likan reach its peak, she could still strengthen it."
Rye said nothing. The idea of taking a Luna who was not his mate did not sit well with him.
"Rye," her voice turned quieter, "tonight, you have to pick someone. Perhaps when you find a Luna, only then can you find your mate."
Rye nodded. Maybe she was right. Many years had passed with nothing, and even though the idea still went against his morals, he would have to go with it. As the next Alpha, he had to find a Luna and perform his duties.
"Very well, I shall be there."
Georgina smiled and squeezed his hand. "You are doing very well, Rye. Attending these functions is helping your father and shutting down the rumors. You are doing well."
She gave him another warm smile and left.
Rye's jaw clenched. Of course, the rumors. Most people said a curse had been placed on him, which was why he could not find his mate.
Rye clicked his tongue and rose to his feet.
"Fine," he said. "If finding a Luna is the solution, so be it."
However, the minute he stepped into the great hall, he felt a sudden jolt in his chest. Men and women of the pack were dressed in fine silk wraps and beads. It was an open field where drums and music played.
Many swayed and danced to the rhythm, but Rye felt no excitement.
He tried to hide by standing beside one of the pillars, but he was quickly spotted by a pale-skinned woman holding her two daughters with shining dark hair, one on each side of her. She smiled brightly and walked straight toward him.
Rye stepped back, scanning the place for somewhere to disappear, but it was too late. They had already reached him.
"It's you, Alpha Jake's son," the older woman said, stepping closer and squinting at him before breaking into a wide smile and clapping her hands. "Of course, it is you."
Rye forced a smile, hiding his shaky hands behind his back.
"Meet Juliana and Sabrina," she said, pushing both daughters forward.
The girls twirled their skirts, eyes blinking seductively to catch his.
"We are delighted to meet you," they said in unison. Rye found it boring and wanted to leave immediately.
He had made a mistake by coming here at all. He felt no interest in these women who constantly approached him. How could he even pick one as his Luna?
The one named Juliana, who wore the brightest smile showing all her teeth, said, "We should dance a salsa."
"I do not dance," he said.
It was the first word he had spoken to them, and they seemed to hold their breath. Then both girls turned to each other, squealing excitedly.
"Sabrina, he is so handsome!"
"Oh my, and he speaks so well!"
"ENOUGH!" their mother snapped, jolting them back to attention. She smiled at Rye. "Forgive them. They got carried away by your handsomeness. But you must consider them."
Rye paid no attention to their mother or the other approaching mothers and daughters, because something had caught his eye.
Someone wearing a gleaming silver wrap dress that hugged every curve of her body.
It wasn't her fair skin, her fine posture, or her alluring presence that drew him in. It was the silver mask she wore and the sudden, sharp pull she had on him.