Lizzy's POV
The living room of Ana's apartment was a whirlwind of chaos, or perhaps that was just the storm brewing inside me, a frenetic dance of excitement and nerves that set my heart racing like a runaway train. I paced back and forth, my sneakers squeaking against the polished hardwood floor, each step a testament to the whirlwind of emotions spinning through me. My curls bounced wildly with every exaggerated movement, my hands flailing as if they could somehow articulate the sheer magnitude of what I was feeling. "You mean your soon-to-be husband is a werewolf Alpha King?!" I squealed, my voice hitting a pitch that could've shattered crystal, reverberating off the walls like a siren's call. "Oh my God, Ana, it's really happening! I knew it! Those creatures totally exist!" My eyes were wide, sparkling with a manic glee that bordered on hysteria. "I've read every werewolf novel on my shelf, every single one and now it's like we're living in one! Ana, we need to start practicing! Should I call you Luna now? Because, like, I read that it's super disrespectful to call the Luna by her name, and I am not about to offend a pack of werewolves. Oh my gosh, this is wild!"
Ana, ever the calm anchor to my turbulent storm, just shook her head, her lips twitching with that familiar amused smirk that always surfaced when I spiraled into one of my dramatic rants. She stood by her bed, methodically folding a pair of jeans with the precision of someone who'd faced far worse than my theatrics, tucking them into the open suitcase that was slowly swallowing her belongings. "Lizzy, you're acting like a kid who just found out Santa is real," she said, her voice laced with dry humor as she tossed a soft gray sweater into the growing pile. "Calm down before you give yourself a heart attack."
"Calm down?!" I stopped pacing just long enough to throw my hands up, my curls bouncing as I spun to face her, my eyes wide with incredulity. "How am I supposed to calm down when my best friend is about to become the queen of a werewolf pack? This is huge! I mean, I am thrilled, don't get me wrong, but…" My excitement screeched to a halt as a sobering thought crashed into me like a bucket of ice water, dousing the fire of my enthusiasm. I froze, my hands dropping to my sides, my eyes widening as a wave of dread washed over me. "Hold on, Ana. This is serious. You're giving up your entire life for people you barely know. What if this Alpha Xavier, right? what if he's, like, cruel? I know you're a badass, trained in kickboxing and all, but this guy's a werewolf Alpha King. They're born stronger, faster, more skilled than anyone else in their pack. What if he's a total tyrant? And the pack! What if they don't accept you? I mean, sure, from what I've read, Alphas are super protective of their mates, but he can't be with you 24/7. What if they plot against you, or oh God, what if they try to challenge you or something?!"
My voice cracked, splintering under the weight of my runaway imagination, conjuring vivid images of snarling wolves circling Ana, their eyes glowing with malice, and scheming pack members whispering in shadowed corners, straight out of the pages of my beloved novels. My chest tightened, panic creeping in like a thief, stealing my breath. Ana must have seen the shift in my expression, because the next thing I knew, she'd crossed the room in a few swift strides, her suitcase forgotten. She wrapped me in a warm, grounding hug, her arms a steady anchor against the storm of my fears. "Lizzy, breathe," she said softly, her voice a soothing balm, steady and unwavering. "It's gonna be okay. I won't let anything happen to us. Besides, Xavier's friend Daniel seemed nice. Decent, even. I trust my gut, and it's telling me this is the right move, at least for now."
I sniffled, leaning into her embrace, her familiar scent of lavender body wash wrapping around me like a comforting blanket, calming my frayed nerves. "You're too calm about this," I mumbled into her shoulder, my voice muffled but petulant. "How are you not freaking out? Werewolves, Ana! Werewolves!"
She chuckled, the sound low and warm, pulling back just enough to give me a reassuring smile that crinkled the corners of her hazel eyes. "Oh, I'm freaking out plenty, trust me," she said, her tone light but honest. "I'm just better at hiding it."
Before I could fire back with another dramatic outburst, a sharp knock at the door made us both jump, the sound cutting through the room like a blade. Ana's expression shifted, her amusement giving way to a quiet resolve. "That's probably them," she said, her voice steady as she grabbed her suitcase, her fingers tightening around the handle. She nodded toward the door, her eyes meeting mine with a mix of determination and encouragement. "Come on, Lizzy. Let's go meet our new reality."
I grabbed my own bag, a duffel stuffed with clothes and my favorite romance novels (because who knew if werewolves had decent libraries?), my heart pounding with a dizzying mix of excitement and dread. The drive to the pack's territory took about forty minutes, the city's concrete jungle giving way to winding roads flanked by towering pines that stretched toward the sky like ancient sentinels. The air grew cooler, crisper, carrying the scent of earth and resin, and I couldn't help but press my face to the car window, my breath fogging the glass as I took it all in. When we finally pulled up to the pack house, my jaw dropped, my eyes widening in awe. The mansion was a masterpiece of stone and timber, sprawling across the landscape like something ripped from a fairy tale or a supernatural drama. Its windows glowed warmly against the deepening twilight, casting golden light across the manicured lawn, and the surrounding forest seemed to hum with an energy I couldn't quite place, a pulse that vibrated in my bones. "Wow," I breathed, glancing at Ana, who was staring at the house with the same wide-eyed wonder. "This place is… incredible."
"Right?" she murmured, her voice soft, almost reverent, as she took in the grandeur. "It's like something out of a movie."
"Come on, Luna," a voice called, snapping us out of our awe. We turned to see a man, tall, lean, with an easy smile and warm brown eyes, gesturing for us to follow. I vaguely recalled Ana mentioning someone named Daniel, but in the whirlwind of my excitement, I hadn't caught this guy's name. "The pack can't wait to meet you," he continued, his gaze lingering on Ana with a mix of respect and curiosity that made me wonder just how much he knew about her new role. "Especially Cara, she's been talking about the new Luna nonstop."
Ana raised an eyebrow, her lips quirking in that confident, slightly skeptical way of hers, but she followed without hesitation, her suitcase rolling behind her. I trailed behind, my nerves buzzing like a live wire, my duffel slung over my shoulder as I tried to take in every detail of this surreal new world. The man led us into the pack house, his voice ringing out as we stepped into a grand foyer. "Beta, they're here!" he shouted, his tone bright with excitement. The space was breathtaking, high ceilings adorned with exposed wooden beams, polished wood floors that gleamed under the soft glow of a massive chandelier, its crystals scattering light like stars. I was still gawking, my head tilted back in wonder, when I heard hurried footsteps descending a sweeping staircase.
A man appeared, moving so fast it was like he was being chased by a storm. It had to be Daniel, the Beta, based on Ana's description, tall, handsome, with kind hazel eyes that seemed to hold a quiet authority, his dark hair slightly tousled as if he'd just run his hands through it. Before I could process what was happening, he zeroed in on me, crossing the room in a heartbeat, his movements fluid and purposeful. Without warning, he pulled me into the tightest hug I'd ever experienced, his arms strong and warm, enveloping me in a way that made my brain short-circuit. I froze, my duffel slipping from my shoulder to the floor with a soft thud, my mind scrambling to make sense of this sudden, overwhelming contact. Was this normal pack behavior? Did werewolves just hug strangers like this, no questions asked?
Then I felt it, a subtle inhale, his nose brushing against my hair, a soft, deliberate sniff that sent a shiver racing down my spine. My romance novel-obsessed brain kicked into overdrive, the pages of every werewolf story I'd ever read flashing through my mind like a montage. This was it, the moment I'd read about a thousand times, the one where the werewolf locks eyes with their destined mate, their world narrowing to a single, earth-shattering word. My heart thudded against my ribs, so loud I was sure he could hear it, as Daniel pulled back just enough to meet my gaze. His eyes glowed with an intensity that made my knees weak, a golden warmth that seemed to see straight through me. And then, there it was, low and possessive, a word that turned my world upside down: "Mate."
I blinked, my mouth falling open, my voice reduced to a squeak. "Daniel?" I managed, the word barely above a whisper, my mind reeling. "Am I… your mate?"
He stepped back just enough to cradle my face in his hands, his touch gentle but electric, sending sparks dancing across my skin. A slow, breathtaking smile spread across his face, and I swear my heart forgot how to beat, stuttering in my chest like a faulty engine. "I've been searching for you, waiting so patiently, Amore," he whispered, his voice like velvet, smooth and rich, wrapping around me like a caress. "Goodness, you're so beautiful."
My cheeks burned, a flush creeping up my neck as a goofy grin spread across my face, my usual confidence reduced to a puddle at his feet. "I… um…" I stammered, my brain scrambling for something coherent to say, anything to match the intensity of his gaze. "You're pretty gorgeous yourself," I managed, immediately cringing at how cheesy I sounded, like a line straight out of one of my novels. But Daniel's smile only widened, his eyes crinkling with warmth, and I felt my heart doing somersaults, a giddy, weightless sensation that made me want to laugh and cry all at once.
Before I could say anything else, he did the unexpected, leaning in to brush his lips against my forehead in a tender, almost reverent kiss. The world seemed to stop, the chatter of the pack house fading into a distant hum, the air charged with a quiet intimacy that made my breath hitch. I was vaguely aware of Ana smirking somewhere nearby, her amusement a faint echo in the background, but all I could focus on was Daniel, his warmth, his scent of pine and something uniquely him, the way his touch made me feel like I was floating, un-tethered from reality.
"Welcome to the pack, Lizzy," he murmured, his voice low and intimate, a promise woven into every syllable. "I promise I'll take care of you."
I swallowed hard, my mind racing, a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions I couldn't begin to untangle. Werewolves, mates, a mansion full of strangers, this was all happening so fast, a roller coaster I hadn't signed up for but couldn't bring myself to get off. As I looked into Daniel's eyes, a strange sense of certainty settled over me, warm and unshakable. Maybe, just maybe, this was where I was meant to be. Ana was about to become a Luna, and now I was a Beta's mate? My life had just taken a turn straight into the pages of one of my novels, and I wasn't sure if I was ready, but I was definitely intrigued. The pack house buzzed around us, alive with whispers and curious glances, but for that moment, it was just me and Daniel, two souls caught in the pull of destiny, ready or not.