Chapter 2

"Yeah, well I'm not the first daughter anymore. Doesn't matter what everyone in the pack thinks, wants, or wishes would happen. We'll never be Alpha again and that means I can use whatever words I choose to." Kathrine snapped, refusing to be scolded like a child.

Kathrine sped her pace to put some distance between her father and her irritation before she made a scene by refusing to even participate in this ridiculous parade, consequences be damned. She should have left the pack, permanently in some way, before it ever came to this point. If she had disappeared or disowned the pack in some way she'd not be able to be compelled by the Alpha to be at the gathering. Even though she'd come to the gathering, it would still be like fire in her limbs if she tried to leave. Alpha Jackson was very careful of his command. The unmated females of the pack would not be able to leave the ceremony until they'd either passed the test or the twins had found their mates.

Christine caught up with her under the tent where the Alpha family was gathered. Kathrine could tell that Alpha Jackson was preparing to give his speech as he and his sons were both standing at the steps to go up on the platform. Unlike every other year, there were steps on both sides of the makeshift stage.

"Ah, good. We'll be paraded up on the stage like little beauty queens." Kathrine muttered, then smiled a little as Christine laughed. "I always wanted to be a beauty queen."

"Me too, sis. But, alas, my wolf is too shy to be up in front of a huge crowd." Christine's dramatic sigh was a telltale sign of her jesting and pulled a reluctant laugh from Kathrine.

Alpha Jackson took the stage and the crowd immediately started to settle down. There were hundreds of people so there was a microphone clipped to his suit jacket's collar. Some feedback played through the speakers followed by his deep, commanding voice. "Welcome everyone to this year's full moon ceremony!"

The crowd cheered and clapped as if he had said something profound and Kathrine's eyes physically ached with the effort it took to not roll them. She was center stage in the front row, there was no hope that Alpha Jackson wouldn't see her do something so disrespectful. Very soon the crowd settled so that he could continue.

"Thank you all for taking the time to be here. I know my requirements for attendance this year may have put some people out." He said giving a genuinely kind smile to the crowd before him. "But this year marks the third year of my tenure as Alpha and I've still yet to meet everyone."

Again he paused for the crowd to quiet as he looked around nodding at several people in the crowd. It wasn't long before he could continue speaking, "This year, we want to focus some special attention on finding my sons their mate. They've just turned 26 and have yet to find their other halves. It doesn't escape my notice that among some of the wolves that haven't made it to the ceremony in the previous years, several unmated females have been among that number." For some reason, his gaze found Kathrine and held her eyes while the crowd murmured around them. She tried very hard to look as if it was news to her as well. However, she doubted her disdain for his sons was a secret to anyone in the pack.

"So, I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce my sons to those who have not had the pleasure to meet them yet," He gestured behind him and two men stepped forward that were nearly clones of him if they weren't a couple decades younger. "May I introduce Toby and Jarold, my oldest sons and heirs."

The crowd exploded in cheers, clapping, and foot stomping as the two men waved to the crowd in general. All except for Kathrine who stood frozen looking up at them, desperately shoving her wolf down who was crying out to break free to run to them. No no no NO! She inwardly chided her wolf as she fought for control of her form. She didn't realize she had gone rigid and clenched her hands in tight fists and was almost panting.

"You alright?" Christine whispered to her nudging her to get her attention away from the two men on the stage.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine." Kathrine muttered though her breathing was shallow, more soft pants than anything else.

"You seem like you're fixing to shift against your will….wait…..is one of them your mate?" Christine asked, a hair too loudly for Kathrine's liking.

"No." Her tone was sharp, though she couldn't shoot her sister the sharp glance that she surely deserved since her entire being was focused on remaining on two feet rather than four paws. "Neither of them are my mate. I despise them."

"Okay?" Christine's response held the punctuation of a question that implied she was probing for an explanation of why Kathrine looked as if she was battling for control over her wolf as if they were thirteen again and new to shifting.

"Oh bloody perfect. The line is forming." She muttered a few minutes later. She missed the rest of the Alpha's speech since she had been intently focused on refusing her wolf's call to her mate.

It took a few minutes for the thirty unmated females who were old enough to develop the mate bond to be lined up to go up on the stage. Kathrine had made sure that she and Christine were at the very back of the line. She wanted to delay as long as possible with the hope that she'd gain some amount of control and hopefully block the mate bond. It was really rare for someone to so vehemently refuse the bond that they actually blocked the mark from forming, but she was hoping she'd be able to do it. She wasn't their mate. She didn't even want a mate. She told herself firmly as the line started moving.

Christine kept a running commentary of all the females ahead of them joking about how each one decided they had to stop and talk to each of the twins for a moment before finally moving on. The line moved fairly quickly considering all the chatter that was going on. Kathrine didn't miss the muttered conversation between the men when they waited for the next female to come forward and she wondered what they were talking about. She reminded herself that she didn't care and glared down at the floor while she pretended to listen to Christine who had insisted on being behind her, the better to whisper in her ear.