1 Chapter 1

~Jayden~

"Dad......dad...DADDY?!?!?!?!" Brooklyn had a way of breaking through when I was deep in thought. I couldn't blame her; I mean, she is a 5-year-old and can still be all about her at that stage.

"Yes, love, daddy is sorry," I reply as I kiss her forehead. I am a lucky wolf. I mean, she is so beautiful and loving. Brooklyn looked at me with her big chocolate eyes while brushing the stray black curls from her face.

"What were you thinking about?" Brooklyn asked me. What was I so deep in thought about? The usual, how my life ended up this way...how I ended up a single father...am I doing the best job raising her...the absolute usual.

"Nothing, my love; nothing important anyway," I responded, not wanting her to worry. "Hey, I have an idea!" Brooklyn's eyes get even bigger as the excitement becomes evident on her face. "How about we order some pizza and settle in front of the T.V. for a Disney marathon?" I wink at her knowing that I have just made her night.

"With ice cream after??" Brooklyn asks breathlessly.

"What is a Disney night without ice cream??" I state. With that, Brooklyn squeals and heads to the living room to get set up for the night. I'm such a lucky wolf!

~Kehlani~

"Jax, is everything prepared for our trip?" I ask my Beta. He has been my best friend since I was 2. Our parents were close, and, of course, so were we. I trust him with my life.

"Yes, Alpha, we are all set for this event." He replied. Yes, you heard right. I am the Alpha of the Summit Mountain pack. I'm 22 years old and have been Alpha since I was 18. My mom was killed in a rogue attack when I was 16. My father tried to cope as best he could, especially since he was Alpha and had so many wolves relying on him. Eventually, he couldn't maintain it and died (probably of a broken heart). I couldn't be mad at him, though. I know how much he loved my mother and how much he loved me, but losing a mate is just unimaginable. I take comfort in knowing they are together with the Moon Goddess watching over me. I just hope that I have made them proud over the years.

It has been tough, to say the least. A female Alpha is not ordinary; many have tried to challenge me for my position. Those in my pack accepted me because they had known me all my life. They respected my parents and knew they trained me in the most amazing way. It was those from other packs that seemed to disregard my ability. It is probably because I was only 18 and had barely matured. It is also because many do not feel that a woman can be in charge, but here I am. The challenges I had were over quickly. They had no idea how strong I was because my parents were of Alpha blood. That tied with the training I have received since I was young; there was no way I would lose my pack.

Now I'm hoping for the next step in my life. I am hoping to find my mate. I don't think a mate is unnecessary or a hindrance. Actually, I believe having a fated mate brings nothing but strength and love. I'm already strong, but I would gain much more with my fated mate by my side. I want to be a parent and raise my children in this pack as my parents raised me. I also am not the type to worry about a man attempting to come in and take my position. Even though it is not common to have a woman as Alpha, I have faith that the Moon Goddess would not fate me to someone who would not respect how I was.

"Alpha?! Are you ok?" Jax asked. I guess I was more in my thoughts than I imagined. I didn't realize he had been calling me.

"Apologies, man, I just got lost for a minute. What were you saying?"

Jax replied, "I was saying that Melanie (my Gamma) is prepared to take over the pack while we are away and all of the guards are aware of what needs to be done. Are you packed and ready?"

"Hey, for a minute, let's lose the titles and put the friend's hat on Jax. Do you think I'm crazy to look for my fated? Be honest." Jax took a deep breath before replying.

"Look, I have known you all my life. You are my girl, and one thing I have known about you is that you want to be loved, and you want to love. There is nothing wrong with that. Hey, do you remember when our parents swore we would be fated?" Jax looks at me with his eyebrows raised. I couldn't help but chuckle because I remembered that clearly. They were devastated when Jax turned 18 a year before me and knew I wasn't his fated mate. We can sense our mates at 18, and Jax had to break the news to our parents. He and I weren't surprised because we just didn't feel that way about each other. We are more like brothers and sisters and always have been.

"Yeah, I thought they would break down after that," I commented. "Why aren't you searching for your mate?" I asked Jax.

"Ah, come on, Red!" Jax has been calling me Red for as long as I can remember. He said it was because I'm a red bone, and I always rolled my eyes. It really isn't that serious, and I don't think I'm that light. I have a bit of a caramel complexion with brown, almond-shaped eyes that have flecks of honey. I keep my black hair braided, but I switch up the colors occasionally. Right now, I'm sporting blonde and platinum-colored box braids that go down to my butt. I have also been complimented on my lips. I find them regular but have been told they are incredibly full and kissable (whatever that means). I'm short at 5'4, but I make up for that with confidence. I wouldn't say I'm thin but muscular with a nice-sized butt and chest. As they always say: I get it from my momma. "I have too much love to give than to be worried about settling down now!" Jax replied, winking at me.

"Whatever, man. Just wait until you find her; she will turn you to putty." I state. Jax rolls his eyes and starts for my office door.

"Anyways, we are ready to leave in the morning, so see you then. I have...um...someone to say goodbye to." He laughs on his way out of the door. I just shake my head. That man is such a mess, but I love him. Tomorrow's conference will have pack representatives from all over, and I hope to find my mate among them.

We will, Kehlani. I can feel that something will happen while we are there. My wolf, Kai, can usually sense when something is going to happen.

I hope so, Kai. I am ready to meet the love of my life, and I'm sure you are also ready.

I am. I just hope that he and his wolf are as wonderful as we dream.

Time will tell Kai; time will tell.