The Alpha Luna's Veiled Emotions

"Camilla, are you listening?" my father barked from across the conference room. My head shot up, and I shoved my cell phone into my pocket, effectively ending the conversation I was having with my friend, Eloise, about what we were wearing tonight. "Yes, Alpha," I chirped quickly, a faint blush spreading over my cheeks. He shot me a look, and I tucked my hands under my thighs, raising my chin. He continued to address the room, which contained me, his Beta, and a few of the best warriors. Normally I took Alpha meetings more seriously - it was expected of me as the only heir to Rising Sun - but tonight our packhouse would be hosting several packs from across the country in honor of me. I had turned eighteen a few weeks ago, and it wouldn't be too long before I was to complete the second phase of Alpha training and eventually take my father's place. But really I was excited at the possibility of finding my mate. Part of me had wished I was mated to my best friend of many, many years, Andrew, who was the Beta's son. Sadly, when I turned eighteen it was clear he was not my mate. There was no pull, no sudden scenting, no mindless howling from our wolves. We were both disappointed, and Andrew had seemed even more disappointed since he had been waiting to meet his mate for over a year. The party this evening was meant to be a meet and greet with a few Alphas, and their teams since I would soon be meeting with them with my father by my side, instead of me by his. I kept trying to put my responsibilities hat on, but it was difficult. All I could think about was my mate. How this was the night that I could find him. That we could find each other. All wolves believed in the Moon Goddess, and while some were more pious than others, generally everyone believed in the fact that the Moon Goddess had granted each of her wolves a mate. The harsh reality was that some people went their whole lives without finding their mate, and others even met their mates only to die the next day. Rising Sun was particularly goddess fearing, and most of our wolves had had the good fortune in the mate department for decades. I could feel restless energy in my bones, but I did my best to focus on the meeting. "Both the neighboring packs will be in attendance this evening, and a few of the neutral westward packs will be here as well. There are a few packs from the east and the south, but most of them are just concerned with trying to find a mate," my father said quickly, at the very least trying to speed along the meeting, "Ah, and the Moon Meadow packs Beta just sent word - they won't be in attendance." A slight murmur went through the room. We weren't cordial with Moon Meadow, just neutral. They were a violent pack, ruled with an iron hand, and didn't take "no" for an answer. There were stories about them that whispered through the packhouse about all their heinous punishments. On the other hand, though, they were royalty. Their pack descended directly from Lycans, and some said that their Alpha was one of those terrifying creatures. They were just as feared as well respected, and though everyone felt a sense of relief at them not attending, most could not also feel a bit disrespected that they wouldn't come to meet an emerging Alpha as was the "royal families" prerogative. For the last few years, the Moon Meadow pack had been particularly distant from its people. My father quickly concluded the meeting, and when the others had left, he walked over to me and gripped my shoulders. His warm, hazel eyes searched the depths of my own as he scrutinized me. Finally, his smile broke, and he placed a kiss on my forehead. "Go, Camilla, go do whatever you and Eloise plan to do before the party," he laughed. I couldn't help but laugh in return, "Thanks, Alpha." He shot me a look and I laughed again, "Thanks, dad." He waved his hand at me and I bounded out of the room, but before I could cross the threshold, he spoke again, his voice more serious. "I know that you are eager to meet your mate, Cami, but please remember to be on your best behavior this evening. These Alphas will be your peers soon - and they are already going to be scrutinizing you heavily because you are a female. Hopefully, your talks with Alpha Aurora have taught you that," he said firmly. I nodded solemnly. He knew I would listen, there was no reason to respond. Alpha Aurora was incredible, one of the best warriors in her entire pack, stunningly beautiful, and strong-willed. She was a smart Alpha, and she controlled her pack with her mind more than her physical prowess. She came from a long line of female Alphas but otherwise, there had only been a handful in their history. They were often unmated, or widows. Some successfully held their titles, and mates, but they tended to have smaller packs, focusing on loyalty and willingness to submit to a woman, over numbers. I quickly made my way upstairs and had only set my hand on the doorknob before Eloise threw open the door and squealed. She had short, blond hair that curled around her chin, and bright blue eyes. She was much lither than me, her figure straight and lanky, but she was only an inch or so taller than me. "Get in here!" she almost yelled, "I thought that meeting was going to last forever!" I laughed at her comment. If only she knew. Sometimes Alpha meetings could last hours. A quick debrief before some packs came for a party was nothing compared to those. But she wouldn't know if it wasn't for my involvement. Eloise was a warrior's daughter. Beautiful, and an excellent fighter, but not much for politics and talk. Honestly, I didn't blame her. I let her tug me inside, and she quickly instructed me to change into a robe so I wouldn't ruin my hair when I got dressed and then got to work. It wasn't until I was in the vanity chair that I realized she was already done up. She was wearing one of the many robes that hung over my backdoor, and her blond locks were pulled back on one side, allowing her to show off the beautiful jeweled earpiece she wore. Her eye makeup was thick and darkened her face in an intoxicating way. I knew she was just as eager to meet her mate. Though she was an excellent fighter, Eloise was the type to settle down, have a litter of pups, and dote on her husband until the end of time. I admired her in the mirror. She would be a wonderful mother. She and my own got along amazingly, gossiping over baked goods, and dinner plans. It was funny how different we were. When Andrew knocked on the door, we were standing in front of the long mirror behind my door, looking ourselves over. "What do you think?" she asked softly, her bright eyes excited. I wore a dress the color of the sky when the moon was at its full. The inky blue material shimmered slightly and fell to just above my knees. The sweetheart neckline and the sleek body helped to show off my generous curves. I was less lanky, wiry werewolf, and more robust, with full thighs, and wide hips. I normally hated dressing, but when Eloise had said to trust her pick, she truly meant it. She had curled my thick, straight, light brown hair slightly, helping to give the honey-colored tresses some extra body and movement. My hazel eyes, flecked with blue, were lined with a light brush of gold powder, that stood out against my skin, without being too harsh. It fanned from the inner corner of my eye, surrounding my dark lashes, before tapering off near my hairline. Actually, it sort of reminded me of warpaint, and I loved the contrast. "I look beautiful," I mused softly. She squealed slightly, "We'll be there in a minute, Andrew!" She turned me, looking dead into my eyes, "When your mate sees you in that," she paused to whistle, "Let's just say I did a damn good job." I couldn't help but laugh. the restlessness I felt in my bones hadn't seized. if anything it had grown immensely, almost overwhelming me, but the positivity and excitement emitting from the whole house today, and particularly from Eloise, was enough to calm my nerves. We opened the door for Andrew, and he actually raked his eyes over my figure. "She looks ravishing, doesn't she?" Eloise grinned, shoving his arm roughly. Andrew swallowed, and looked up at me with a warm, albeit defeated look in his eyes, "She sure does." I rolled my eyes, "Come on weirdos." I tried to sound indifferent, but my heart had squeezed at the sight of Andrew. He was very handsome, with short, gelled black hair, and narrow, dark brown eyes, he resembled his father. He was tall, and trim, his skin was slightly tanned. The two of us had thought - no, we had planned - that if we were mates tonight would be the night we'd announce our engagement. Goddess, I had even been cutting pictures out of bridal magazines for my ceremony. That fantasy had ended though. My father would never allow me to take Andrew as my chosen mate, not unless both of us lost our mates through rejection or death. We made our way downstairs, and I greeted Omegas the same as Warriors along the way. My father and I had similar feelings about those low-ranked wolves that served in the kitchens, or as cleaners. They deserved the same amount of respect as us. Packs couldn't thrive unless their homes worked like a well-oiled machine, and they couldn't do that without the people that tended to them. As we descended the final set of stairs, I could truly hear the commotion that was outside. Packs had started arriving hours ago, and my father and mother had taken up greeting them, wanting to wait until everyone was here before announcing me. Andrews's father, the Beta, Eric, stood at the bottom of the stairs. His black hair was pulled into a low ponytail and he wore a navy suit. "Alpha, you look wonderful. Regal even," he chuckled. I rolled my eyes at him, "Come on now, you're just about the only person that doesn't need to call me Alpha, Uncle Eric." He swept me into a familiar hug, and almost squeezed the life out of me before setting me down and resting his hands on my shoulders, "Are you ready for this, Cami? Once you go out there, there isn't any turning back." For a brief moment, his question triggered that undeniable fight or flight response. I had been training to take over my title for most of my life. There had been no choice. There had only been education, mentoring, and the pressure of a long line of successful packs and Alphas weighing on me. Part of me had wished Andrew had been my mate solely because I could just be his Luna. I could take a step back, and breathe for once in my life. But that was not my future. My father was sure my mate would be kind enough to understand my title and would be willing to accept me as Alpha of my own pack, not just Luna. He always said, "The Goddess does not make mistakes, and even her supposed failures bring great success." That didn't make it any easier to be a teenager accepting responsibility for over a few hundred lives though. I took a deep breath, looking over my shoulder at my friends. Eloise looked bright, and cheerful as always, reassuring me that it would be okay. Andrew looked serious, and his eyes told me that he had no idea what the future held, but he would be there by my side through anything. I turned my head back to Eric and gave him a sure nod, rounding up every confident muscle in my body. He smiled genuinely and offered me his arm. I placed my own there and stepped off the last stair towards my future. We walked down the hall, Eric and I in front and Andrew and Eloise behind us. No one spoke. The ruckus of the party getting underway was plenty. As we neared the three sets of French doors facing the back of the packhouse, I took a deep breath, and the smell of cinnamon, maybe a little charred, but in a good way - nothing like the putrid burnt smelt of a rouge wolf - filled my head. The wolf in me stirred, pressing against my conscious, willing me to shift. As we got closer, the smell only got stronger, and I was soon immensely grateful for Eric's arm and the support he offered. As we stepped out onto the long porch, my mother and father turned away from the crowd to look at me, their faces proud. But all I could think of was that smell. My wolf wouldn't stop fighting me. "Presenting my daughter, the next Alpha of Rising Sun, Camilla Vaughn Verity!" my father roared over the noise. There was a series of clapping, and praise, but when I finally stood in between them, my eyes locked onto him. He was my father's height, with straight, straw-colored hair that hung loosely over his forehead, the edges cropped short, and light, light blue eyes that saw straight through to my soul. His skin was olive toned, and he wore a full suit, a rose tucked into its dark lapel. He smiled a devious, and sexy lopsided grin seconds before his growl emanated through the yard, piercing the noise. A single word followed the growl, and the sound of it almost made my knees turn to jelly. "Mate."