When the ceremony was over, Sean and Steven were the last remaining in the training ground and Steven walked up to the rack of spears and grabbed two, tossing one at Sean who caught it effortlessly with a raised eyebrow. Steven grinned, “now that we are both future alphas, let’s have that spar.”

Sean grinned and ran his fingers on his spear and when he looked up, his brown eyes turned blue and Steven’s black ones turned blue as well. They both stared at each other as they walked around, waiting for who to attack first. After a while, Sean did and Steven quickly dodged. They were both light on their feet and fast that it would make anyone watching them dizzy.

All that could be heard were the clanging sounds of spear against spear as they were both of equal strength. Steven leapt up to attack but Sean slid on the ground, avoiding the attack and splashing sand on Steven’s eyes, taking that time to hit him on the legs with his spear but Steven instantly healed and turned to him, punching him on the stomach that sent him back three steps. They both grinned and attacked again and Steven was able to knock Sean’s spear out of his hand but right before he could take the win, Sean grabbed his spear, punching him on the face and snatching the spear from him.

He kicked him on the legs and Steven lost his balance but before he could get up, Sean had the sharp point of his spear on his neck. Steven looked up surprised but then he slapped the spear away as Sean offered him his hand with a laugh. He took it and he pulled him up. “Guess we know who is the strongest now.”

“Ha, in your dreams,” Steven said and they both laughed. “But I must admit, that was intense.”

“Tell me about it,” Sean said.

“You know, you are…” Steven was saying but then he stopped.

“What is it?” Sean asked, worry on his face.

“There is someone there,” Steven pointed at the rack that holds the hammers and they both went to it to see a girl with bleeding hand hiding behind it. She cowered at their presence and with one look, they knew she was an omega.

Steven went on his knees beside her immediately as he was compelled to hold her by a force he couldn’t disobey. “What happened?” he asked, taking her bleeding hand in his as he slowly caressed her palm, sending a bolt of electricity to both of them and he looked up at her in shock.

“Vanessa, who did this to you?” Sean asked immediately he recognized her.

“Future Beta, I mean Future Alpha, it was Natasha. She said she didn’t mean to but I don’t believe her. She always tries to hurt me,” the girl answered weakly and Steven felt his blood boiling over this Natasha.

“Who is this Natasha, Sean?” he asked, surprisingly, his voice had gone down a few degrees and Sean noticed and was even surprised why he would be that angry.

“She is Eric's mate. I guess now that Aliyah is out of her league she has found a new interest. Don’t worry, I will talk to her.”

“No, I will talk to her,” Steven stood up to walk away but Sean stopped him.

“Hey,” he glanced at Vanessa behind him, wondering why Steven would be so worked up about her business but he still said to him, “let me handle it. She is the Beta’s mate now and it would be wrong if you are rude to her.”

“Rude? I’m not planning to be rude, I will be ripping her head out of her body,” Steven said and his eyes started glowing blue. Even he was surprised at the sudden anger that was trying to consume him.

Sean knew then that things has become serious, he has never seen Steven this angry, not even when he newly met him that he was angry because of his brother. He glanced at Vanessa again and then something like a light bulb went up in his head and he found himself smiling at his friend.

“It’s not funny, Sean,” Steven growled.

“I know, I know,” he said and tapped him on the shoulder, “calm down brother, she would be fine and let me handle Natasha for you.” While walking away, he added, “who would have thought you would find her tonight of all night and in my pack,” he chuckled.

Steven frowned at what he said and he was prepared to refute but he found himself turning and walking back to the girl. He squatted beside her once more and held her bleeding hand. “Why aren’t you healing?”

“I’m an omega, our healing is not as fast as yours,” Vanessa answered, her deep brown almost black hair covering more than half her face.

Steven sighed and reached up to shift her hair behind, his fingers brushed her skin and they both jerked in shudder, the girl looking up at him then and he found himself drowning in her beautiful green eyes. “You have very beautiful eyes,” he found himself saying before he could stop himself. He had never complimented a girl before apart from Aliyah but here he was feeling like he has known the girl all his life.

Vanessa’s face turned red and she smiled shyly, “thank you.”

Steven felt like her smile was a caress to his heart and Sean’s words rang in his mind again. But how can it be? He is a very strong wolf and surely his mate is supposed to be strong as well and not an omega who are the weakest wolves. But despite knowing that, he found himself caressing the girl’s cheek and what shocked him the most was that she was letting him and he was enjoying the feel of her skin beneath his. “You are not afraid?”

“Of what?” she asked innocently, her voice pulling him in and he caught himself staring at her lips.

“I am not supposed to be this close to you, or even…touching you. Aren’t you afraid that I would take advantage of you and no one would save you?”

“But I won’t be needing any saving from you. I’m safest in your presence.”

Her words shocked him and he found himself asking, “why is that?”

“Because you are my mate.”

Her words rumbled his heart and he frowned. “How can you know that, it’s not the blood moon night.”

“But I have never felt this comfortable to anyone’s touch before. Or have you?” she looked up at him, her green eyes so innocent that Steven knew there on that he would die to protect her.

***

A week later, everyone was gathered in the demon king’s palace because it was Edward and Aliyah’s wedding and also Aliyah’s coronation.  The palace was still under building but it was decorated so beautifully by the forest demons.

Aliyah, Monica and Irene had gone shopping for their dresses in the human realm and Monica was so mesmerized. She kept asking Aliyah to protect her if the alpha wants to punish but Aliyah and Irene told her that won’t be possible. The only reason the human realm was off limit to the wolves was because of the vampires. Now that everyone was at peace and the peace treaty no longer needed to keep them from fighting, there would be nothing stopping the wolves from going to the human realm.

And as if to prove Aliyah right, they had met a High Chief with her daughters in the mall they went to and they all shopped together happily, each helping the other to choose a dress.

The palace was bursting with activities and as Aliyah was denied being seen by Edward, Rasmus, Sean and Steven had to work together to keep the man from murdering anyone in his own wedding. When they had successfully calmed the beast and dressed him in his kingly attire of golden and red robe, they all left him in his study and went to mind their own business.

Steven stood in the beautifully decorated garden watching the deep brown hair omega walking around and putting things in order without an awareness of his stalking eyes that he didn’t even know when someone stood beside him. “So,” Sean said, calling his presence to him as he too watched Vanessa. “It’s been one week and you never said a thing, yet I find you always staring at her and you even lied to come here earlier so that you can watch her. What is going on brother?”

Steven sighed and glanced at his best friend, “is it possible to know your mate without the blood moon night?”

“I don’t see why not.”

“You lived with Monica but you never knew she was your mate till the blood moon night,” he accused.

“Because she hasn’t found her wolf. Her sixteenth birthday happened to fall on the blood moon night and just as she found her wolf, I claimed her. Vanessa is eighteen, she found her wolf right before the blood moon night and she had witnessed three blood moon nights and still without a mate. Something tells me that if a certain bratty future Alpha haven’t been filled with pride and had come to my pack on blood moon night along with his brother, he would have found his mate.”

Steven rolled his eyes and Sean chuckled. “But is it possible?”

“Is what possible?”

“I am the future Alpha of my pack, is it possible that I would be giving them an omega as a Luna? It has never happened before.”

Sean sighed, “just like a Nightwalker has never been mated to a Night Howler. Steven, the order of mating as we know it has changed. Just because something has never happened before doesn’t mean it’s not possible. You are already a strong alpha, Steven, with you alone by her side, no one would dare mess with her. If you ask me, I am glad that Selene mated her to you.”

Steven frowned, “why?”

“Because she has always had it tough. Her mom died giving birth to her and her dad may or may not be blaming her for her death and have made her life difficult. She has never had protection from him or people like Natasha. But with you, she would finally feel a sense of belonging and would even finally feel safe. Don’t lose someone you want because of what has never been, rather be the first to start it.” Smiling, Sean turned and walked away.

Steven watched him leave and his gaze slowly went back to the girl who was busy with her work. For the past one week, he had found himself following her around and the more time he spent watching her, the more he feels bonded to her. He had never spoke to her again since that night and to his surprise, she never came demanding to see him or anything like that. She just went on with her work, letting him come in terms with what she already knows is the truth. They are mates and sooner he accepts that, the better for him. When the blood moon night comes next year, he would finally mark her but for now, why not take the spare time to get to know her?

Making his decision, he started walking towards her but then he heard some girls talking behind a tree and a voice he heard caught his attention, he changed his direction.