Chapter one

"Deep breaths, Annie. Deep breaths," I mutter to myself in the mirror, carefully placing a diamond earring in my ear. My father gave these to me on my 15th birthday, the birthday they'd hoped I'd find my mate. But that was four years ago. Since then, I've spent every day trying to avoid anyone who could be my mate, desperate to escape the pain of their rejection.

I touch up my nude lipstick one more time before I slip into my aurora teal dress and head downstairs. Today my brother Samuel will officially be named Alpha Samuel of the Brooks Pack. All the Alphas of nearby packs are expected to be in attendance, and some from further decided to make the trip when word spread that the Royal Wolves would be in attendance. This is how I ended up here actually looking presentable in a dress my mother selected because it "really brings out my eyes". I have to admit, she was right. The color of the dress does make my light green eyes stand out, and the cut flatters my figure perfectly.

My mother doesn't understand though, just how much I hate my eyes to shine their light green when we're all together. See, my birthday isn't my actual birthday. 16 years ago my father found me while he was running into the deepest parts of the Woods trying to collect his thoughts, he saw a shadowy figure and as he approached the figure disappeared with no scent to follow. He took me back to the pack and I stayed with them till days turned to weeks, and weeks to months, but there were no leads- no reports of packs of a missing child. After a year, my parents decided to adopt me and with a blood adoption blessed by the King. This is my family, and I have the scar on my hand from the adoption to prove it. But when we stand together, my eyes always say how different I am from them. My brother, Samuel, has always treated me like a true sister, perhaps even better. He must have been around a year old when Dad found me, judging by my size – I was probably three. Though younger, as we grew, Samuel stepped into the classic older brother role. This happened as his alpha abilities emerged, while everyone else grappled with how different I was. My family never treated me differently, but I know it can't have been easy being the family of one of the kingdom's strongest alphas with an adopted daughter who was essentially human.

I am, however, a wolf. The unmistakable scent confirms it. Yet, the primal wolf within me remains silent, with no telepathic communication to mark its presence. I possess heightened senses of smell and hearing, but those seem to be the extent of my wolfish abilities. My family clung to the hope that a switch would flip on my sixteenth birthday, awakening the dormant wolf and making me 'normal.' Unfortunately, that day never arrived. 'Annie, maybe we misjudged your birthday,' Mom would console me every full moon, followed by, 'Just wait, someday you'll shift.' But here I stand, nineteen years old, unshifted, and questioning my usefulness to the pack.

High school became a minefield once others realized I wasn't shifting. Samuel, ever the protector, tried to shield me from the taunts. But the truth struck painfully clear during a pack attack in my senior year. Everyone mobilized to defend our land and family, while I – utterly useless at that moment – was ushered into the pack house safe room with the pre-shifters and elders. It was then I decided to make myself indispensable, not through physical might, but through honed skill.

"The previous head cook, a retired warrior turned culinary master, became my secret weapon. She patiently trained me in the dual arts of combat and cooking. Three years ago, after her passing, Father offered me the Head Cook position. In typical Dad fashion, he insisted on a more formal title: Head Chef of the Brooks Pack.

Being the Alpha's daughter, I'm more likely to find my mate in another pack, but being the Alpha's adopted daughter means no one has any idea what will happen. Finding a mate feels like a distant dream. Perhaps Mom clings to the hope because the alternative – a life unbonded – seems too bleak to contemplate. Yet, if she's right and a mate exists, wouldn't they be repelled by my lack of true wolf abilities? This fear keeps me firmly rooted in the kitchen, a haven from curious outsiders. Whether mateless by fate or by design (my father's leniency with this job title suggests the latter), venturing beyond the pack holds little appeal.

There is a knock on my door and I immediately smell my dad. He has the most comforting smell.

"Annie, Love, you look absolutely beautiful," he tells me, looking at me in the mirror from my doorway. He's wearing a grey suit, with a white shirt and grey tie. Very classic. His dark hair is sprinkled with some grey now, matching his grey eyes. He looks handsome as he always does.

"Thanks, Dad. I'm almost ready, I promise. I just need to put my shoes on and run down to the kitchen to make sure everything is ready to go for dinner" I reply with a smile.

"The staff should be able to handle the rest and you have been down there all morning, kiddo. What else could you possibly need to check on?"

"I know Father. But it's …"

"It will be fine, but go ahead and run down to check. Meet us out front in 10 minutes- the guests should start arriving soon. I know it's a big day for your brother, but who knows, maybe you'll meet someone special and it'll be a big day for you, too."

"It won't be. But thanks father, I'll be there in just a few minutes".

I head down into the kitchen and as I get to the door I can smell that everything seems OK. My father is right, my capable staff has things under control. A final, reassuring sniff confirms it. No need to enter.