Between Her Chosen Mate and Alpha Mate

Chapter 1

MATE

Alex POV

The ballroom tonight looks perfect, it has a romantic setting, suitable for those in love. My mom went all out to celebrate and welcome our new Luna.

The ceiling is covered in soft white lights hanging from side to side, making it look like tiny stars. Each table is perfectly set up and elegantly decorated with a tall candle in a vase filled with red roses.

The tables have chairs arranged in semicircle facing the stage where our elders will welcome our Luna to her pack. She would be wearing a long white dress tailored according to my mom's specifications. She insisted that a Luna ceremony is much like a wedding to the humans, therefore, the bride, or in this case the Luna has to wear white and being the perfectionist she is, everything was in motion to make it just the way she wanted.

I've always found this traditions and events really overwhelming, I am grateful that my mate will be a regular wolf with no special rank other than warrior, it will make our life a lot easier, I won't have to deal with the stress and protocol or running a pack. I just hope my family accepts him as my mate and don't give us too much trouble. They follow tradition all the way, so it might be hard to accept that I have my own ideas about the mate bond.

Jenni, our future Luna, has been my brother's mate for three months, and we are finally able to welcome her into the pack as the Luna.

My brother's agenda is really tight with him being the Alpha and all, we had to postpone this a couple of times, not to mention my mother insisted on making it a grand and fabulous event, and we needed as much time as possible to prepare, after all we are the biggest and strongest pack in the country, and our events have to stand out. After all the waiting, the day has finally arrived, and it will be perfect for them.

"Wow, Luna Ali did a great job with the decorations. This place looks fantastic!" My friend Nancy says coming next to me admiring the decorations.

"Nancy! You made it! I have missed you so much!" I say, giving her a big hug. Nancy is my closest friend, we have been inseparable since childhood, but she met her mate a year ago, and she had to move to his pack. He is the Beta of Silver Moon pack, and naturally, she has a lot of duties to take care of at her new pack. Luckily her Luna is great, and they have formed a nice friendship.

"Alex, you look stunning! Red is definitely your color." She says, pointing at my gown. The back is a little too low for my liking, makes me feel a little naked and exposed, but the front has a decent cleavage. I am wearing a red floor-length dress that has a very naked back, being held by two straps very thin straps to the side and two in the back, the straps have rhinestones that make it sparkle just a bit. The dress also has a slit in the middle that goes almost all the way above my thighs, I have to be careful when I walk, not to show too much. I am surprised my mother agreed to this dress. She usually would have chosen something classier, but she loves Jenni and almost always takes her side.

"You like it? Jenni insisted on me wearing this dress. She thinks my mate will come tonight. My family has no idea that after tonight, I'll be Grant's mate, and there is nothing they can do about it." I have been secretly dating the most gorgeous and loving warrior for the past two years. One day we realized that our love for each other is bigger than anything either of us have felt before and we never want to be apart, also, we still didn't find our mate and we don't want to wait anymore. Tonight, we will make it official, nobody will notice that I'll be gone, because they'll be distracted with the Luna ceremony, by tomorrow it will be too late, we will be marked and mated.

"You insist on that? Alex, there is nothing like the mate bond, the tingles, the pull towards each other, the connection, you won't find that with a chosen mate, plus Grant may be a great warrior, but everyone knows he is a player." I know in the past Grant was known to flirt with all the she wolves, but once we got serious, he was the perfect boyfriend. He has even agreed no to have s*x until we commit to each other, and for a werewolf that is grand, their s****l appetite is big.He is not at all like the i***t I gave my virginity to at sixteen. He left the very next day, and I never heard back from him.

"You are wrong about him, plus, I will feel all those mate bond things with him once we are marked, the only difference is that we already love each other, we don't have to let the Moon Goddess decide." I am not changing my mind, I love Grant.

"Fine. I won't talk you out of it. You are twenty-one, after all, it is about time you find your mate. Chosen or otherwise, but just think that you are the Great Alpha Dalton's daughter and now the sister of the of the mighty Alpha of Moonlight, and you are probably meant to be with someone equally powerful. Anyway, where is Grant?" I love my friend, I know she has my back no matter what. My Alpha blood shouldn't determine my mate. Only I can. Love is the only factor that matters.

"He is on Patrol. Since we have lots of high-ranking wolves coming, they reinforced security tonight." I respond with a sigh, I wish we didn't have to hide our relationship, but If my father or brother find before is time, they will kill him. My family believes in waiting as long as it takes to find your mate, that's why my brother took so long, he is 26 and he waited until he finally found his Luna.

"Well, there is no reason for you not to enjoy yourself tonight. I heard that even Alpha Colt Wilkins from White Creek pack is coming. He is bringing his mistress, or so the rumor says. That is something to see. He usually doesn't go out with her." Since Nancy mated, she's had to attend different ceremonies and events and has access to many rumors, which I'm not really interested in.

"Nancy, no gossip. His pack is an Ally, and apparently, he is good friends with my brother. His father and mine go way back, they used to visit when my brother was a child but they stopped suddenly, however our packs remain close especially since our borders pretty much end and start with each other" I don't like gossip, and truth be told, I don't really care much about the story behind Alpha Colt's mystery, I never even interacted with him, I was way too young when he came last and I never knew about him or his family again.

"Well, all I'm saying is, if he really killed his girlfriend's mate just so that she stayed with him, that was selfish and to have a little boy and not recognize him, is a horrible thing to do. I don't know what that girl is thinking. Staying by him when he refuses to make her Luna and to deny his son the title of Alpha when he grows. They say he is as handsome as he is cruel. Everyone knows his pack is merciless, too. I just don't understand how the council let him get away with it, and on top of it, reward him with a whole pack to add to his." I love Nancy, but she tends to get carried away with her stories, and I am afraid one of these days it will get her in trouble.

"We are not talking about it anymore, Nancy. Maybe we should find our seats. Where is that mate of yours?" I say, trying to change the topic. I really don't like to discuss other people's lives, especially if I don't know them.

"He is upstairs with your brother and Beta Marcus. They have some deals they need to discuss." Alphas are always working, this should be a celebration and instead, my brother is upstairs closing deals, that is why I chose Grant, he will only have time for me, his rank will not interfere with us and we will be able to dedicate our time to each other and maybe one day our pups, we will live the happy quiet life I've always wanted.

One by one, the guests are starting to arrive until the ballroom is full of people, everyone is elegantly dressed, women wearing beautiful dresses and men wearing the most classy, elegant suits they can afford, this is the time for everyone to show off their power, they display their auras so everyone knows that they hold grand importance in the community. Many high ranks from different packs are joining us tonight. Ceremonies like these are always a good opportunity to make business between packs. We exchange labor and goods with other packs as part of a treaty.

"You have a full house. Every member of the council is here. Is your dad going to continue now that he is retired?" Nancy asks, her big blue eyes looking eager to know. My dad has been a member of the council for several years, it is a position that is given to Alphas of the strongest packs, it is mainly to make sure other Alphas are taking care of their pack properly.

"I don't know. He is not one to share his plans openly. Most likely, he would confide in my mom before anyone else." I respond, Nancy has always liked gossip, but since she left, she seems like she wants to know a lot more.

Once everyone is situated, we finally see the happy couple arrive at the stage. Jenni looks so beautiful tonight. Her long blond hair is tied on a perfect high bun, she has the glow of a bride indeed, she can't hide the happiness she is feeling right now, after the ceremony they will be marked, some couples do it in private and others do it in the presence of friends and family. My brother, being the Alpha, thought this moment was worth sharing with everyone, which frankly I find weird.

Their love story is really beautiful, my brother didn't have to go too far to find her, she was always in the pack, they found each other while at a school function. As Alpha, my brother had to attend and she happened to be a teacher, as soon as they laid eyes on each other, they were inseparable and she has become the best sister, she will be a great Luna no doubt.

"Oh, here comes Michael with Alpha Josh, oh Alex, please sit with us!" Nancy tells me not taking her eyes off her mate, who is also looking back at her. He doesn't have eyes for anyone but her, part of me in this instant wishes I had found my mate, I just hope that I am able to achieve the happiness I am looking for with Grant.

Half way through the ceremony, I get this uneasy feeling inside me, the air is impregnated with this magnificent scent of sweet apples in a crisp autumn morning, I have the need to turn around as I have the feeling that someone is watching me, this thought makes me nervous and excited at the same time. I hold on to my chair like my life depends on it otherwise, I don't know what I will do. The need to turn and run towards the source of the scent is killing me inside.

"Mate," my wolf says, jumping up and down in victory.

"No!" I tell her.

"We have a mate, one we already love, we won't leave him for someone we don't even know."

Why is this happening now? What am I going to do?

Part of me wants to run to my mate, but the other part wants to be with Grant, after all, I already gave him my word, and I don't want to break his heart, plus I love him there is no doubt in my mind. sorry mate, but it is not happening.