It was the morning of Darron and Salen's mating ceremony, and Celus ran around like a mad man. He had been training non-stop for the past four days with Tax, and it was starting to take a tole on his body.   This was going to be a three-day event. Today will be the introduction of the mating pair. Salen will be presented to the pack along with all the Alpha courts from surrounding packs. She will be dressed in white to symbolize purity of the soul, and is required to attend the ceremony barefoot. There will be a ball to help submerge her into the Luna position.

Salen ran in though the back door to find Margaret. She rounded the corner, unaware of her surroundings when she crashed into someone’s chest.   “What are you doing running around?” Darron growled, turning his attention away from his beta.   “I-I” She stuttered, backing away slowly. Darron’s eyes zeroed in on the red mark now prominent on her neck.

Chaos erupted the moment Celus and Darron's father disappeared over the cliff. Salen's screams echoed through the trees, but the warriors were all focused on one fact; their Alpha was gone. Celus' pack turned to the traitors and attacked, only seeking their blood.Brady lifted Salen off the ground bridal style, desperate to get her away from the commotion. Her cries were hysterical, making his chest ache. He couldn't imagine the pain she was going through. He may have lost his best friend, but she lost her other half.Darron was running through the crowd of fighters, begging everyone to stop. His father no longer had a tight grip on his control, and he was desperate to get the bloodshed to be over. 'This is all my fault.' He thought, pulling men apart and searching for Salen, wanting nothing more than to beg for her forgiveness.He finally spotted her in the arms of Celus' beta, her arms tearing at his as she tried to go after her mate. Darron frowned,

The human territory was buzzing with frantic shoppers as they pulled up in front of Calmer Crest, a diner in the center of town."Why is everything so busy?" Safiya asked, gripping tightly to Brady's arm. He pulled away from her hold and instead draped his arm over her shoulders for protection."I don't know." He looked back and waited for Celus and Salen to get out of the car. "Maybe there's some sort of holiday we don't know about."Celus reached down and grabbed Salen's hand, helping her out the car before slamming the door shut behind her. She stood up on her toes and planted a kiss to his cheek making him smile, shaking his head trying to play off his blush.The diner was nowhere near as hectic as the rest of the town, but it was still full of families enjoying meals together and friends gossiping away over milkshakes and their burgers. The sixties themed decor inside made it feel cozy with brightly colored booths and matching tables. A

Celus locked himself in his office again as soon as they got home. Brady just gave Salen a shrug, taking Safiya's hand in his and leading her to their room. "I'm sorry. Try and talk to him." He called over his shoulder, leaving her bummed and alone. With a deep breath she ascended the stairs and tucked her shaking hands into her pockets. The office door was cracked so it made it easy for Salen to peak in. The once well put together room was now destroyed. His desk was flipped over, paper and books scattered all over the floor. The curtains were ripped from the wall and paintings were shredded. In the middle of the chaos, Celus sat with his head in his hands on the floor. He gripped his hair while streaming curse words. Reaching down in anger, he grabbed the closest book to him and whipped it at the wall leaving a dent. Salen jumped at the loud crash catching his attention. His head snapped to the door, catching a glimpse of her light blonde hair.