Chapter 9

Ashton

When 7 o’clock had rolled around, Isaac, Damian, Raya, Alistair and I had all gotten ready to head down towards the dining hall, the other packs all slowly filing in as they each try to find a table to sit at, our group eventually doing the same as we moved to sit at one of the round middle tables that was seated off towards the back of the room, not wanting to be directly in front of everyone else as we tried to sense our mates.

‘Mates not here yet’ mumbles Xavier a little sadden that the scent of Caramel and Vanilla had not graced our presence when we first arrived at the dining room which meant we had made it here before they did.

‘Relax, just because there not here yet doesn’t mean they won’t show up’ I say to him, hoping he would be patient a little longer as my eyes continue to watch as those who enter find a seat, my eyes eventually spotting the Moonheart twins as they eventually enter along with their Beta, Gamma and Delta along with their mates for even though this was a Mating Ball, the twins had still opted to let their Beta, Gamma and Delta come along even though they clearly had mates, my eyes now landing on Emma and Emily as they moved to sit down with their pack and mate.

It’s good to see them finally thrive, them finding their mates within the Gamma and Delta of the Mystic Shadow Pack was a blessing for them and I’m glad they were able to be accepted without any reason of being rejected, I muse hoping that when I found my mate, that it would be an easy acceptance as well.

Feeling Xavier growl, I know he must still be angry at the notion of me possibly rejecting my mate for when I had bumped into Cara earlier, the scent I had gotten when arriving at the front entrance of the Moon Walker pack did not greet me off of Cara, no her scent was more calming, a scent of fresh rain and lavender and not of the Caramel and Vanilla that I was so eagerly waiting to smell once more.

‘Relax, I never said I would reject them, I just kinda wish for Elise to be our mate is all’ I tell him hoping he would calm down long enough for me to focus on our mate and not on his constant need to brood over a slight possibility of being rejected when our mate could even reject us.

‘Mate would never reject us’ grumbles Xavier.

‘Says the wolf who’s never had a mate up till now, the mate bond does work both ways bud, so even if I did want our mate, there’s still a slight chance of them not wanting us’ I remind him, knowing I was right for in order for the bond to fully work, both parties had to want each other as a mate and vice versa otherwise if only one wanted and the other didn’t then the bond would forever be incomplete.

Huffing, Xavier all but gets ready to move towards the back of my mind until suddenly the scent I had been longing to smell finally hits us, my eyes now turning towards the entrance of the room only to come face to face with the girl I had been secretly wishing for, Elise.

‘MATE’ cries Xavier as he moves to prance around inside of me, excited to finally have a face to put the scent too and boy did she smell heavenly, my mouth almost drooling at the site of her as my eyes slowly take in her beautiful body.

‘Mate’ I purr back to Xavier, the mate bond gradually kicking in as I move to see her eyes scanning the room, her Beta, Gamma and Delta having gone over to a table at the far side of the room.

Chuckling softly under my breath, I knew she had to have scented me as she continues to look around at all those within the room, her eyes missing us as she did, her features clearly frustrated at not being able to see her mate as she moves to sit at her table my eyes never leaving hers as I continue to watch her silently, wondering what I might smell to her as she smelled heavenly to me.

‘There, are you happy now? The Moon Goddess has paired you with Elise, Alpha of the Dark Moon Pack. Now will you just accept her and move in with her?’ asks Xavier, wanting an answer right away.

Elise, Our Mate, could I really be happy with going back to her pack? Logically I knew I had to because she was the Alpha of her pack, but that didn’t mean I had to agree to it so easily, for after all she was our mate so what would be the harm in having a little bit of fun with her first.

‘Yes bud, I think it’s safe to say we’ll be going back with her but first… lets have a little fun with her, as we can’t leave with her until Isaac breaks the bond and hands the reign over to Damian’ I tell him, giving him exactly what he wanted to hear for it was true, I was planning on going back with her, but before I could Isaac would have to do his part first.

Rumbling in amusement, does Xavier move to agree with me on the fun, for our mate would have to be able to cope with our strange ways or else there be no way to live with one another as I was more of a goofball and Elise, I only ever seen her as a serious no nonsense type of girl.

This should be fun, I muse, knowing fully well that this was now a test between an Alpha and her Beta and in this test it would either strengthen us or break us and for my sanity and hers, I hope it strengthened us for it’s only been brief but I was already falling for her as my new Alpha and Mate.

“What’s got you so happy?” asks Isaac softly, drawing my attention back towards those at the table as Damian, Raya and Alistair each look at me in turn.

“I think I just figured out who my mate was” I say softly not wanting Elise to catch on just yet.

“Really? Who?” asks Alistair now curious on who the lucky wolf was.

Smiling like an idiot do I move to reply back, “Elise.”

“What? Are you sure?” asks Alistair in shock.

Nodding, all I do is smile. “Yep, Mother Moon must have heard my prayers because she ended up pairing me up with her” I whisper, Isaac smiling at me as he did.

“That’s awesome Ashton, congrats” smiles Damian to his brother, happy that his brother finally got what he wanted in a mate.

“Thanks” I murmur my eyes moving towards Isaac. “All that’s left now is for you to do what you need to do to make it final.”

“Then does that mean you’ve decided on following her back to her pack?” asks Isaac with a knowing look.

“Yes” is all say to him just as dinner started kicking off, having missed whatever it was that the Alpha of the Moon Walker pack had suddenly said as everyone else applauded and clapped in response before food began being served, my eyes drifting back over to Elise who had moved to sniff the appertizer causing me to chuckle softly as she moved to make a face.

Cute, I chuckle, my attention moving towards the appertizer as well only to see why she had made a face for the food here looked rather odd for being served at Mating ball.