Esther meant night in Persian. In the bible it was the name of a Jewish queen who’s king led an all out extermination of her own people. When I asked my parents why they named me that, they simply shrug and though it was pretty. It left me a little numb.

“Esther, hurry down or you’ll miss your ride. I don’t want you late for the Gathering again”

I grumbled internally, as I looked at my self in the mirror “You can do this Esther, one hour of socialising hasn’t killed anyone……yet”. In addition with my introverted dilemma, my hair wasn’t cooperating with me today and the supposedly ‘Natural beach-y waves’ like MissFlowers23 promised if I followed her instructions wasn’t panning out and looking more like ‘Girl-drench by rain so she towel dried’.

“Okay, okay… we can work with this” I chanted while grabbing my hair tie and gathering my hair into a ponytail “…There see, now it’s more like—-“

“High school girl’s photo day” A deadpan voice echoed from my opened door, “Really Esther? a ponytail for the biggest event in our calendar?”

“It is hard okay, my arms get tired”

“Geez, are you even trying? you’re going to end up alone again at the food table”

“How do you know that that’s not what I’m aiming for?”

“Esther, you promised” my mother knitted her eyebrows together

“I know- I know mom, I really did…. do! try— I even watched a youtube tutorial! this whole thing it’s just not my thing. I….I want to meet my mate, like how you and Dad met. Not like this forced gathering, people wearing mask, displaying how much they own, or senseless hook ups while using the excuse of not finding their Mate that night.”

My mom pulled me into a hug after that enveloping me with her calming scent “My little star is so wise, I thank the moon goddess everyday for giving me you as as my daughter”

“And I thank her too for giving me a mother like you”

She smiled at me then with her hazel eyes tinged with a little sadness “These are trying times for the packs, it is well known mate bonds produce stronger off-springs and this gathering organised by the Ducar clan yields higher success in pairing. I wish you’d experienced finding your mate without this pressure but—-“

“I know mom, I understand. Our pack is the heart and we are the blood”

I arrived at the venue on time for the first time, the ginormous glass doors enclosing the ballroom was wide open with people pouring in like water from a broken dam.

“Invitations please, and line up single file thank you” The event coordinators shouted from the doors. I held up mine to show them and continued on my way before a hand grabbed my risk.

“Mate!” He yelled at my face.

“No—, Not mate” I replied back lazily. This always happens, there’s always a rookie.

“Wh-what? What do you mean you’re not…..y-you smell amazing to me”

“That’s because I’m an Omega” When he continued to give a me a confused look I then added “Did you not read the books? Omega’s tend to smell better than most wolves. Now let go of me before I feed you your own hand”

And for some reasons, that’s how I got stuck with him. Neilan Rakeheart was three years younger but towered me nonetheless. It felt like being next to a skyscraper.

“So this is your fourth time going to all this” He motioned to everything with his wine glass. Somehow we ended up at the food table, a tale I probably need to omit again when mother ask me about the party.

“Yep” I replied making sure to pop my P’s

“And no sign of your soulmate?”

“None”

“None at all?!”

“…..Not a one”

More silence past, Neilan didn’t seem to bothered by it and so I continued to devour the cheese platter.

“…..I’m actually a Returnee”

“Oh shit!” I replied with full attention inclining my head to the side while almost chocking on a camembert. Returnees were Lycans who didn’t grew up in a Pack, hence didn’t know they had inner wolves. It presented quite a problem to our community, all the untimely transformation and all that.

“Yeah— didn’t find out I was a werewolf till two years ago”

“You didn’t turn at all?”

“Nope” he answered popping his P’s “Apparently I was too malnourished for the whole thing, I grew up in an orphanage see”

“How did you end up in Pack Kaldevera?

“One of their troopers spotted me lifting this massive log, told me I might be a werewolf. I decked him and ran of course”

We shared a hearty laugh at that.

“I convinced myself that he was tripping on acid and to forget the whole thing. But the next morning I found out I was getting adopted. Alpha Stein signed the papers himself, few months later and I finally had enough meat in my bones to turn“

“Shii—iiT” I dragged impressed “How was that ordeal, I heard it’s worst than childbirth for Returnees”

“Well….I have no experience on the latter, so I can’t really say” He smirked while finishing his glass “Shit was tough though”

We stayed in a a comfortable mood soon after, Neilan was quite happy to answer my questions and shared a few more stories, it was no surprise that I was rather jovial after my third glass. He was entertaining, his remarks were full of wit and experiences so different from mine that I was simply enraptured. It was the first year that I’ve actually enjoyed my time in that gathering hence when the DJ played DVP by PUP I quickly grabbed his arm and raced towards the dance floor.

“DOING 180 in the Don Valley PARK WAY!” I screamed the lyrics out loud not missing a beat with my fist pumps. Neilan seemed to actually enjoy the beat, though he didn’t know the band, he stayed by my side and jumped along with a grin on his face. “MY Favourite BAND” I yelled at him.

“I can hear you fine, I’m a wolf no need to yell” He replied normally with a smirk.

I laughed out loud at that “MY BAD!”

The dance floor filled up quite quickly as the DJ continued to play some killer tracks and before I knew it I had loss myself at the beat. My wolf surfaced quite a few times, and as soon as I heard the steady drums of ‘Life Itself’ by Glass Animals, I surrendered completely. I closed my eyes knowing full well they were probably glowing, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to see Neilan’s mouth open wide with his pupil full blown in a haze of lust as dark as it was. I gritted my teeth trying to bite my tongue to somehow get back in control, I need to get out of here fast. Omega releasing this much pheromones can only attract trouble.

“Hey sweet cheeks, where you going so soon” Someone slurred behind me grabbing my risk “don’t go, dance some more”. But before I could retaliate, the lad flew across my face in slow a string of saliva from his tooth following suit.

The music stopped dead while everyone was slowly backing away from the centre. Sober faces was all I could see despite the flush of alcohol on their skin. It took a while till I finally settled on the most gorgeous pair of amber eyes I’d ever laid eyes on. The pull hit me before the scent, it was like metal on magnet and before I realise it we were but inches apart, his body heat practically warming my skin.

“Come with me” He spoke with a deep timbre. Even before nodding, his hands were already leading me away from the crowd and through the main gates. As we reach it, a valet handed him the keys of a black 1965 Shelby 289 Cobra and was about to get in when he opened the door for me, when reason finally flooded back.

“W-wait— I don’t even……I’m Esther, Esther Smith….from Pack Gedal”

“……I’m Elias O’Mern, Pack Ducar”

Surprise was an understatement, my mate was in one of the strongest and largest Pack in our continent. “…..You're not the Alpha—Alpha are you?”

I was nearly in tears when he didn’t answer immediately. “No”

I sighed with relief “….for a second there—-“

“Not yet anyway, I’ve yet to find reason to challenge my father”

I whimpered internally, hiding behind a blank face as he once again assisted me in getting inside the car.

Oh Goddess

I muttered while placing my seatbelt on. This was surely punishment from all the lazy afternoon naps I took at every chance I get. To be the Luna of around 4000 wolves, with addition to the probable merging of our packs.

“Esther” Elias spoke, whisking me out of my own misery. “What is your address?”

“Oh..it’s umm” I honestly could not remember. and before I could recount, warm lips touched my own, slowly moving at first until they stopped.

He looked at me and pointed at his tongue peeking through his lips “I can’t enter if you shut your lips so tight”

Blushing was appropriate at this situation, just counting how many innuendos that sentence held only made my head spin. “It’s just….that was my first kiss”

More looking. His eyes practically making my cheeks heat up, he sighed then before leaning back in his seat and starting the car, I waited for him to start driving. When the car remained stationary I simply glanced back at him again. He was hunched over the steering wheel, arms folded and knuckles white.

“Are—Are you alright?” I asked worriedly.

“I’m fine….” He mumbled behind his curly deep brown hair. “Just trying to regain a little control”

“Uhm…okay” I managed to reply before mistakenly looking down at his pants.

Moon Goddess, It formed a tent.

“……You peeked”

“I- It was by accident”

“Relax Esther, I’m not going to force you. I can wait” He explained as he finally drove away. “Remember your address now?”

“17 Remedi avenue, Coswin 2901”. That was the last words uttered before we reached my house in no time. Only the lights of the front porch were opened of course. “Thank you for driving me home”

“…..I’ll contact your pack leader, arrange a meeting between our families and organise the merge”

I nodded while removing my seatbelt. “…..Hey Elias”

He gazed at me softly.

“Are you glad you met me tonight?”

He paused before answering “…No”

Sharp pain suddenly spread through out my chest, but before I could even manage to open the door, Elias grabbed my hands gently squeezing them “I’m sad I didn’t meet you sooner” while smiling at me warmly.

I couldn’t help but snicker at his antics “……..Then say that first Asshole”

“I’ll see you soon Esther” He smirked while kissing my forehead “Goodnight”

“good…night” I replied still a little daze and mildly unsatisfied. I’d never taken so much time at unlocking my door.

 My Mate. 

I found my Mate.