A New Era

Did you invite...

Mich’s POV

My brothers and I all walked out to the main hall, fresh from our own pre-ball preparations. Dad was already there, adjusting his tie with a focused frown. We were all in brand-new suits, crisp and sharp, a stark contrast to our usual training gear. Liam and Lincoln were in deep blue, Jack in charcoal gray, and I was wearing a black suit that fit me perfectly. Jacob, who had joined us, was in a midnight blue that brought out the color of his eyes.

"So, April and the girls are still getting ready?" Jacob asked, a faint tone of impatience in his voice. He was nervous, more so than the rest of us. He needed to find his mate tonight; his place as Alpha depended on it. Without a Luna, the council would be within their rights to challenge his claim, and they were already getting restless.

"Oh, yeah," I said, adjusting my cuffs. Mom and Luna Mary are going all out. They think they’re being slick, saying this ball is for April. Little do they know we are on to them."

Liam clapped me on the shoulder, a grin on his face. "Of course, we are. It’s for us. All of us. We've been looking for years."

"Tonight’s the night," Lincoln added, his tone more serious. He ran a hand through his perfectly styled hair, a rare moment of vanity for him. "With the full moon, the pull will be stronger. "We all feel it, don't we?"

A chorus of hums and quiet affirmations answered him. The air in the packhouse, usually filled with the mundane scents of family and pack life, was now electric with anticipation and something else—a deeper, almost primal scent of the coming full moon. It was an overwhelming aroma that was pulling on all of our inner wolves. We were all on edge, our senses heightened, our wolves restless in our minds.

Dad finished with his tie and looked at us, his eyes serious. "This isn't just about finding your mates," he said, his voice low and firm. "Remember, this is about the future of our pack." And for Jacob, it's about the future of the entire were-world."

We all nodded, understanding the gravity of his words. While our mother and Luna Mary were having fun preparing for April, we were getting ready for what could be the most important night of our lives, the night we found our other halves and secured the pack's future. The packhouse was now buzzing with the energy of the approaching ball. I could already smell the sweet scent of perfume and the faint aroma of freshly cooked food.

"Alright, boys," Dad said, a hint of a smile touching his lips. "Let's go greet our guests. We've got a lot of mates to find."

We moved around, mingling and welcoming our guests. Alpha Fredrick and Jacob stood near the entrance to shake hands with everyone. The hall was filling up quickly, and the noise level was steadily rising, a low roar of conversation and laughter. The scent of dozens of different wolves, each with their unique mix of pine, musk, and spice, filled the air.

Suddenly, the air changed. The familiar chaos of the room was silenced, not by sound but by a presence. A powerful aura filled the hall, a scent so sharp and dominant it made every wolf in the room instinctively bow their head in deference. It wasn't just authority; it was a scent of true, unfiltered power, something ancient and immense. It was the scent of a true king. Glancing toward the door, my brothers and I were surprised to see the King of Werewolves standing with Alpha Fredrick and Jacob.

Fredrick and Jacob looked at each other, their minds surely racing. The King's presence was a complete shock, an event that had never occurred in our pack's history. His arrival was a sign that something far more significant was at stake tonight than just a simple mating ball. The King was here for a reason, and it was a reason that no one in the room could comprehend. "Well, this just became a s**t show," I murmured under my breath, but my brothers were already a step ahead, their bodies tense and their expressions grim. We were no longer just looking for mates; we were on high alert, our instincts screaming at us to prepare for the unexpected.

"Honey, what's going on? "Why is the King here?" My mindlink to my mate was frantic, laced with a fear I hadn't felt since my childhood. "I don't know if he was informed of your shift. It was a secret, but with him here..."

A quiet, calm laugh echoed in my mind. "Darling, I invited him, remember. This is the first mating ball we have held in twenty years."

Alpha Fredrick, ever the consummate host, recovered first. He stepped forward, his posture proud and respectful, a smile on his face that didn't quite reach his eyes. "King Gabriel, welcome. We are so glad you could make it out tonight."

The King, a man who seemed to radiate power in every line of his body, returned the smile, though his eyes, a piercing shade of gold, were scanning the room. "Alpha Fredrick, a pleasure to be here. I must admit, I was... intrigued by your invitation. It is not often a pack hosts a mating ball of such significance." He said this last part with a subtle emphasis, and his gaze lingered on Jacob before returning to the crowd. It was a silent message to everyone: he was here for a reason, and he was not just a guest.

Jack’s POV

I must admit seeing the King of Werewolves at our mating ball did send a shiver down my spine. Thank goodness, Fredrick linked to say that Luna Mary had invited him before April had her shift. Hopefully, there would be no trouble that would cause her to shift before we found out more about white panthers. I start to wonder what's taking the women so long when Liam and Lincoln growl low. Looking at them, I realize they have just spotted their mates. Turning in the direction they are looking, I spot another set of twins. They stand about 5'5 with long brown hair and brown eyes. They appear to be of Native American descent. A jolt of recognition runs through me. I link to my brothers, "Are they...?" but I don't even need to finish the thought. I can feel the pull from here, the ancient, magnetic force that binds two souls together. This mating ball just got a lot more interesting.

As if on cue, the two women, identical in beauty, walked forward into the main hall, their eyes locked on Liam and Lincoln. They are wearing matching dresses of deep turquoise that seem to mirror the vibrancy of their auras. The scent of them is intoxicating—a mix of sweetgrass, cedar, and the sharp, clean smell of a mountain stream. It's a smell of nature, of old magic and powerful traditions. The air in the room, already thick with the scent of the wolves, now has a new, undeniable layer.

Liam and Lincoln are motionless, their eyes wide with disbelief and a primal kind of possessiveness. Liam's eyes, a shocking blue, meet the eyes of the twin on the left, and a gasp escapes his lips. Lincoln, with his dark, soulful eyes, is focused on the other, his body visibly trembling. I've never seen them like this, and a part of me wants to whoop in celebration. That is it. They have found their mates.

But the moment of joyous discovery is cut short as my little sister is about to make her entrance. She stands at the entrance, a vision of strength and elegance. The champagne-colored dress shimmers with every subtle shift of light, clinging to her athletic form in a way that is both graceful and powerful. Her hair, usually a wild cascade of black, has been pulled back into a sophisticated braided bun, revealing the smooth, strong line of her neck and shoulders. She’s wearing the shoes and necklace we got her, and the light reflects off the four wolves watching over a panther cub. But it’s her eyes that command the most attention—the piercing silver, a stark contrast to her dark hair and peanut butter skin. She holds her head high, a beacon of confidence and poise. The murmur of the crowd fades into a hushed silence, all conversations dying as everyone takes in her presence.

And then, I see it. King Gabriel, who had been focused on the newly-found mates of Liam and Lincoln, suddenly turns, his head snapping to the door. His eyes, a sharp, molten gold, meet April’s silver ones. For a moment, the world seems to stop. The air, already charged, now hums with a new, overwhelming energy. It's a scent of pure, unadulterated power, a scent of a king and his queen. My heart stops. His face, usually a mask of stoic control, contorts into an expression of pure, unbridled shock, and a low, possessive growl rumbles from deep within his chest. It's a sound that makes every wolf in the room drop to a knee, a sound of a king claiming his mate.