Today was the day that Harris chose his mate and I was so certain that it was me that I couldn’t help being excited as I laid out my clothes for that evening. As the water from the shower splashed over my body my excitement gripped my stomach and knotted it with anticipation of what the night plans had in store for me. I sighed thinking that even if Harris could sense I was his mate I wouldn’t sense he was mine until I was eighteen which was 3 months away yet. He had wanted to mate with me anyway, he wanted us to take our relationship to the next level but I always held him back saying it wasn’t time that we needed to be sure. He was persistent but in the end I agreed that if he could sense I was his mate tonight then there would be no reason for me to wait the three months to give myself to him as I loved him just as much as he claimed he loved me. I could feel myself trembling, the surge of anticipation and excitement rippling through my body seemed too much .

As my nanny Mary helped me dress my phone buzzed and seeing the name that illuminated the screen I answered straight away, “Hello”, I said.

“Hey chick, I thought I would call and see how you were feeling?,” Millie said.

Millie had been my best friend since before I could remember, she had held me sobbing in her arms when my mother passed away and she had shared in my good times too. There was nothing I wouldn’t do for this girl, she was like my sister and she always had a way of just being there when I needed her. I smiled at the warmth of her tone and said, “I’m okay, I am just….”.

“Excited”, she said finishing my sentence.

“What time is Harris picking you up?,” She asked.

I bit my lip and frowned at this question, the uneasiness of it was so real, “Well actually he text to say to meet him there,” I said.

“Oh”, she said.

“Okay, look I will come get you and we will go together,” she insisted.

My body relaxed as if she could tell I was apprehensive about going by myself,”Brilliant, Thankyou Millie”, I said ending the call.

This was the only moment I had felt unsure of anything. When Harris sent me the message it wasn’t written as his normal messages there was no kiss in it, there was no questions on how I felt and there was definitely no I love yous. I pushed this feeling down into my gut refusing to believe it was anything more than he was just busy and that was why he couldn’t come.

“Are you okay love?”, nanny Mary asked.

I saw her eyes filled with worry as she looked at me but I just shrugged it away, “I’m fine Nanny”, I said. “Could you tell me the story of how you came to our pack again?”, i asked.

She chuckled to herself, “My dear little one, tonight is about you, not me and you look stunning,” she said with a smile.

My nanny was the most respected elder here because she was a lost child that wandered in to the pack, they watched over her as she grew and she chose to stay with them. Their auras had no affect on my nanna so when the packs went to war she fought beside them in human form and she protected them with her life. She could never cower to an alpha like the others do, she chose to be here because this was where her family were. Alpha Jenkins had always respected her for it and had never harmed her and where she once stood on the battlefield with them all they all bowed in respect to her. She was humble though and accepted none of the gifts that were sent for the wolves she had protected on that fateful day. She was my hero, and I wanted to be just as courageous as her.

Millie's eyes sparkled in the moonlight and a dazzling smile crossed her face that I could sense that she was unsure. I grabbed her arm and looped it around mine, patting it with my hand. “This is where it all begins”, I said, smiling back at her.

As we walked towards the packhouse I could feel my wolf uneasiness stir within me. She had refused to speak with me though all day and blocked me from connecting with her as one does with their wolf.

The music already deafening us as we approached and the entire pack waited outside for our Alpha to address us. We stopped in awe as Luna Jenkins walked out of the door, smiling at us all. She was so beautiful I couldn’t take my eyes of her as she glided elegantly through the pack and onto the stage that had been built for this evening. Alpha Jenkins walked through next is aura smashing into us all that we bowed to him baring our necks in respect.

As he stood he watched us all and waved his hands, “Tonight my pack we will celebrate as our son Harris finds his mate among you all”, he said as we all relaxed and watched.

His smile not quite reaching his eyes but his words sent goosebumps over my skin.

Harris walked through next and my stomach clenched excited by seeing my man facing us all. Mille gripped my hand tight and stroked it with her thumb, “It's okay”, she whispered.

I would never understand what happened next, how I missed it in a blink of an eye Harris was storming through the crowd towards us. His wolf pushing forward and a shiver ran up my spine and excitement coarse my veins. He charged like an animal that was possessed and I was ready for him. I stood and opened my arms to welcome him to me and the glimmer of recognition flashed in his eyes and his lips curled to a smile, guilt flickered for a moment across his face as his eyes darted from me and rested upon Mille. She looked possessed as much as he did in that moment as the two mates recognised each other and It wasn’t me. I watched as my boyfriend cupped my best friend's face and raised it to him. Their eyes met and sparkled to one another, Millie was already 18 last month she already knew he was her mate. “Mate”, Harris said and Millie's eyes sparkled and she went to speak as I screamed out “NO!!!”.

Harris growl rumbled through him so loud that the pack members stood back, My eyes glistened with the hurt and betrayal I felt inside.

I couldn’t help but step back as she stood the hunger she felt for him was evident in her eyes. How did I not see it before, all those times being together and around each other. I didn’t question her closeness with him because she was my best friend.

“Liberty”, She spoke, her voice pained.

I could feel all the eyes of the pack burn into us as Millie stepped out of Harris grip and towards me, “I’m sorry Liberty”, she spoke. She was elegant and graceful and in that moment everything I was not.

I shook my head as tears rolled down my cheek, “You could have said,” I spat.

Harris stepped into her back sniffing her scent as If i didn’t even exist. As if I was an annoyance to his mating ritual. Millie's eyes flashed with emotion at me as she tried to take my hand, I could see her pull towards Harris was strong as her wolf growled at me and my interference. Harris looked at me, fighting the animal within him and he spoke, “I’m sorry Liberty”, he said.

“No”, I screamed again, anger surging through my body, I was hurt by my best friend, by my boyfriend who was now her mate and I couldn’t help what happened.

“Liberty”, a voice behind me called.

I spun around lashing out as they touched my arm,”Get off me!”, I roared.

With that gasps could be heard as shoved Luna from me and she hit the floor. My ring had caught her face and scratched it. Millie stepped forward trying to calm me down as I heard the growl come from the alpha as his mate laid hurt on the floor. I gasped at what I had done. She got hurt and I didn’t mean for that to happen. I raised my hand and I slapped Millie around the face, “YOU KNEW!,” I spat.

I grabbed Millie by the throat and I could sense that Harris was close to ripping my head off, I felt the anger pulsate off him as I tightened my grip. She gasped for air but didn’t fight back, “Lib”, she said, gasping waving Harris away.

Realisation of what I was doing hit me like a ton of bricks and I let her go, staggering back I looked at the scene before me, the Luna on the ground and Millie now sat next to her coughing for air I deprived her off. I gasped at my actions, the tears stung my eyes and as I staggered back away from all the angry eyes that burned into me I spun around and ran.

My wolf pushed forward and took control as she could feel the darkness that filled me as I ran, she felt weakness ebb at my soul as I struggled to keep it together. “I got you”, Carissa my wolf said as I shifted. I don’t remember much as Carissa took control and I sunk deep into despair at the betrayal and hurt from the people I loved.

I woke the next day with the sounds of the birds, bleary eyed. I forgot for a moment what had happened to me the night before. What had sunk me so low that I woke naked in the forest that surrounded the borders of my pack. I pulled myself to my feet and I knew then as the heavy weight of realisation smashed into me that the people I loved most were together and meant I had no place in their life anymore. The embarrassment coars through me and I no longer wanted to be a part of this pack, I didn’t want to return to all those stares. “Don’t overthink it, it won’t be that bad”, Carissa said. I could feel her awaken and a wave of calm filled my body. “Stop that!”I snapped at her.

I could hear her whimper at the tone of my voice and she said,” Liberty, what was meant to be was already written by the moon goddess that you could not have known”.

Her words cut me as if she already knew what was going to happen, “Did you know?”, I snapped.

I could feel her hesitation and I whispered “Is that why you shut me out yesterday?”.

“I had no choice, If I could have pulled you away I would have but Demi said I couldn’t say anything. They had promised to reject their mate”, Carissa spoke through whines for forgiveness. Demi was Millie's wolf, she had made my world submissive and to betray me her person. Anger erupted through me and I screamed in frustration.

I grabbed a bag that the pack kept hidden around the borders so that we could change after shifting and pulled some joggers out and a t-shirt.

Carissa tried to tell me what Demi had done but I shoved her back wanting my mind quiet to think. My wolf whimpered at being locked away from me but I couldn’t take her guilt. I wanted the pain I felt, the heartache that coarse through me. I had no idea what my plans were when suddenly I heard rustling behind me, I knew people were coming and I didn’t want to be found just yet. Carissa tried to push forward but I pushed her back. “No”, I said with certainty.

I looked up into the tree and started to climb so I was out of sight but could hear their chatter. “Once we find her, we will take her back to the Alpha”, One man said.

I thought then that they were talking about me and I listened intently as the two men came into view. These were men of our pack Hawkins and Thompson; they clearly meant our Alpha. “Hawkins, if Alpha Jenkins wants her back why doesn’t he command her himself, why is it that we are searching for the wretched girl”, Thompson said.

“Are you an idiot?If he commands her back then the whole pack will know that she will be with the alpha including her father Beta Astro!”Hawkins spat at Thompson.

I frowned at what they had said, why would it matter if my father knew I wondered.

“Well, I think it's a bit extreme. I know that she caused a scene but we all saw the heartbreak on her face. Why does she need to be punished for that?”Thompson asked.

With a swift movement Hawkins knocked Thompson to the ground. He wrapped his hand around his throat and bared his canines and with a growl he said,”Don’t question our Alpha! Thompson, the girl who embarrassed his son, hurt Luna and his son's mate. He has no place in this pack for her. We do as we are told. Do you understand!?”.

Thompson who was now gasping for air nodded vigorously and as Hawkins pushed him back letting his grip go, I could hear Thompson gasping for air and rubbing his throat, “ I am sorry”, he whimpered.

My hands covered my mouth as I gasped, a shiver ran up my spine as I filled with fear and I knew it wouldn’t be long before my fear scented the entire area and they would sniff me out. Carissa forced forward filling my body with calm to mask the fear I was feeling, “Liberty calm yourself”, she whispered.

The men started to walk away from the tree and only then could I let out the breath I didn’t realise I was holding.

“What do I do?”, I asked Carissa.

I could feel father try to reach me through a mindlink and sighed knowing this may be the last time I speak with him. “Liberty, are you okay? Are you safe?”His voice rushes through as I open the link. “Dad, I’m okay”, I reply.

There was a silence before he said, “Run Liberty, Run I will find you but it’s not safe here. Don’t talk to the pack just run”. I could feel the pain break in his voice. “Why?”, I said as tears filled my eyes.

“Because you hurt Luna and Millie who is Harris Mate”, he said with emotion.

I wiped the tear that was on my cheek, “Dad I didn’t mean too”, I said

“I know my darling Liberty but it was an act that has angered the Alpha and even though Alpha Jenkins doesn’t know I know, but he is out to find you and punish you for it”,