“Where’s the rest? What about her family? Her parents? Is she an orphan?” I questioned.
“That’s all they gave us,” Dillon said.
“This doesn’t make any sense. As far as we know, she’s spent her entire life in that pack. There should be more than this.” I tossed the useless document on top of my desk. “Get me Sunny’s file.”
Dillon rose and quickly pulled it out, dropping the thick folder into my hands. The photo of Sunny was professional, more like a magazine cover than a simple pack profile picture.
I flipped through, scanning the extensive list of accomplishments, community efforts, health records, and school transcripts. Nothing had been left out, showing that the pack did keep detailed records on at least some of their members.
But then why is Shade’s file almost completely empty? There has to be something I’m missing.
I laid Sunny’s folder down and leaned back in my chair, rubbing my eyes with a groan.
“Okay. How do I get out of the choosing ritual?” I asked. “Now that I’ve found my fated mate, none of this is necessary.”
Not to mention cruel. Seeing me court other females will only cause her pain, even if I have no intentions toward any of them.
“You can’t,” Dillon sighed.
“Why not?” I pressed. “I’ve found my mate. Shouldn’t that override all this nonsense?”
“Once a choosing ritual has been invoked, it’s expected that we honor the traditions, even if there are extenuating circumstances,” Taffy said gently. “You just have to go through a couple of motions, like the dinner and the group outing. After that, you can start getting rid of the other as you see fit.”
“All right,” I huffed, knowing there was no way to argue my way out of tradition. “I kind of had a feeling you were going to say something like that, but it doesn’t mean I like it.”
“This may actually work out in your favor,” Taffy remarked.
“How could it possibly work in my favor to court other females in front of my mate?” I scoffed. “You would have thrown a fit if Dillon even considered seeing anyone else.”
“True,” she admitted, reaching out to take her mate’s hand. “But Shade hasn’t anticipated any of this. If you rush into it, she’ll probably run. Especially with something big like this.”
“Not to mention, Sunny is going to do everything she can to keep Shade out of the picture,” Dillon added. “Anyone can see that she wants to be Harvest Moon’s new luna more than anything.”
“Exactly,” Taffy agreed. “The choosing ritual will give you the perfect cover to get to know Shade and get her comfortable with the idea that she’s your fated mate before you announce it to the world.”
“Okay,” I sighed in resignation. “That’s not the worst idea I’ve ever heard, but shouldn’t she already know we’re mates? I mean, we’ve scented each other, and I held her hand. Surely, she realizes it.”
Taffy shook her head. “I don’t think she’s been told a lot about mates. She certainly wasn’t acting like she knew what was happening. She thought you were bothered by her presence, probably because of her rank as omega.”
“That’s ridiculous,” I said.
“I’m just telling you what I observed,” Taffy replied with a shrug. “I don’t think anyone taught her how to recognize her other half. If you ask me, I don’t think her pack ever expected her to find a mate.”
Those words struck me like a kick to the gut. How could my mate be this close and not recognize our connection?
I’ll just have to make her understand. Be clear about my intentions and make myself known. I won’t let her slip through my fingers.
“I hate everything about this,” I grumbled. “But it’s the only plan I can think of that lets me court my mate without screwing overtradition. Dillon, see what, if anything, you can find out from Sunny. I have a feeling she might talk to you more than she would to Taffy or myself.”
Dillon nodded.
“Taffy,” I continued. “You’ve already started getting close to Shade, but the more we know about her the better. I want her to trust us, to know that we’re her friends. Keep an eye on her and make sure she’s comfortable.”
“Of course,” Taffy agreed. “What are you going to do?”
I reached forward, picking up my phone and flipping through the contacts. “I’m going to call Alpha Butch and ask why Shade wasn’t included in our visit. See if I can pry any information from him without letting him know she’s my mate. If he finds out, he might order her to return home.” “You think he’d risk our alliance over something like this?” Dillon asked. “I mean, his own daughter is a candidate in the choosing. Surely, he wouldn’t be that foolish over a bodyguard.”
“No, I think he’s smarter than that. Goddess knows they need our protection from the Dark Moon Pack, but I can’t figure out why he’s singled out this one she-wolf. There has to be a reason,” I replied, pulling up Alpha Butch’s contact information.
