Chapter 1

Maya Wessex toyed with the stem of the wineglass in her left hand, while keeping her right hand free in case she needed it to protect her Luna, Lyla MacKinnon. However, her Luna was surrounded by several of the most powerful alphas in North America and her mate, Duncan MacKinnon, was next to her, so if anything happened, Maya would probably be too late or hopelessly outgunned, or outclawed in this case. There was a slightly unsettled feeling in her chest, a buzzing or something that she had never felt before prodding at her, almost like a knowing. As a wolf and an enforcer, she listened to her intuition, and it had never let her down.

Why she had been added to the team for the Luna"s guard duty this time surprised her. Most of the guard team was made up of experienced enforcers assigned to the home den in Maine, while Maya was assigned to a satellite den in Massachusetts, along the Dirigo - Saranac border. She was a competent enforcer, the second in her den, but she never expected to be assigned to a prestigious duty such as this.

Her wolf was on edge, uncomfortable in the floor length, off the shoulder red gown that revealed more skin that she'd ever shown before. But she had to fit in, as her boss said, and proceeded to hand her this dress, saying she could follow their Luna into places no one else could. Like she could fight anyone in this dress unless she could rip it off in a split second. If she shifted in it, her wolf would get tangled. Not a good look for a bodyguard.

"Relax, Wessex. The chances of attack at an event like this is slim to none," a low voice spoke next to her, and she glanced up to see her boss, Isaac Hawkins, smirking at her.

She grinned back. "My mentor once told me that those were times when it all went to shit and to be most prepared."

He laughed at that, the sound catching the attention of a couple of wolves nearby, the wrinkles around his eyes and mouth accentuated by amusement. "Sounds like a wise male. But if anything happened, the Supreme Alpha or one of the Council Enforcers would shut it down faster than you could even move. They're trained for that. So, enjoy the evening."

She grunted. "Dressed like this?"

"Most females enjoy dressing like a princess. I picked that out special for you. Well, our Luna did. I wouldn't know a ball gown from a tea dress."

She gave him a horrified look. "There are different kinds of dresses?"

"Yet you know all kinds of weapons. I'm not sure if I should be proud or scared."

"Proud, definitely. I can't work in a dress," she muttered grumpily. "Why does everyone keep staring at me? It's weird."

"You look beautiful in that dress. And female enforcers are relatively new to the larger pack world. Or maybe one of them is your mate. You haven't found him among our pack, have you?"

She stared at him, suddenly suspicious of his motives. "Is that why you brought me here? To find a mate?"

It would have been easier to find her mate among her own pack, the Dirigo Pack. At least there she knew they respected female wolves and their strength, and she could keep her place as an enforcer. In another pack, she might not be so lucky. Many packs had not quite gotten with the humans and the modern times, letting their females do anything other than raise the pups and manage domestic duties. Maya didn't know what she'd do if her mate came from one of the more traditional packs. Her mother said if the mating bond kicked in, she would be so overwhelmed by the bond, she wouldn't care, but Maya didn't agree. Her independence was too important to her.

Isaac shook his head. "No, we thought the experience would be good for you. And we needed a second female to be with our Luna and support Tanya in guard duties, with Bridget in her last months of pregnancy."

Maya sipped her wine, mollified by the explanation. She scanned the crowd, the unsettled feeling that had been buzzing in her chest intensifying, as if something or someone drew near. But what?

Isaac laid a hand on her bare shoulder, the calluses from years of age and work rough on her skin. "Try to enjoy yourself. Meet wolves from other packs. That's what this is about. Making contacts and connections. And you never know. You might meet your mate."

She shook her head. "No thanks, Isaac. I'm happy as I am."

He smiled a little sadly. "You say that now, but my mate made me the happiest male, more than I ever thought possible. She completed me in a way I never believed possible. Give it a chance, Maya. Your mate, if he's a true bond mate, will fit you perfectly and give you what you need. Now, our Alpha is calling me."

He ambled over to their Alpha and joined the conversation, leaving Maya to think about his words. She had spent time across the pack lands with many different wolves and never found a single male that triggered anything resembling the bliss of the mate bond as Isaac or her parents ever described. She'd spent time with those wolves and a few humans. A female had needs after all, but none of them made her want to stay for longer than a few nights.

Only one wolf ever made her think of anything long term. But that was impossible. They hadn't even been old enough to shift. She hadn't seen him in years. She didn't even know where he was. He wasn't even Dirigo. For all she knew, he had mated and had several pups running around. It was possible she would never find a mate. Strong females sometimes didn't, but could find a male they loved. In that case, they could create a witch bond that mimicked the mating bond, and have children. Now that she'd settled into her role as Isaac's second, maybe she should consider that.

"Maya? Is that you?"

The feeling in her chest exploded like fireworks. Maybe Isaac was right.

* * *

Garrett Colvin hated the Council receptions. He always felt like he was put on display, stuffed in a monkey suit, propped against a wall, and stationed for maximum threat purposes. He was an enforcer, not a bodyguard. He was sent here from his pack to serve the Council and enforce the laws, learn how to be a better soldier, and to build connections across pack lines. On the side, his pack hoped he would gain some inside knowledge they could use in any negotiations at the Council level, though how he would do that when he was constantly sent out to deal with pack issues was beyond him. Though, his uncle, his pack's Beta, often asked about his missions, probably trying to see if he could use that information as he positioned their pack for power in the overall pack structure among the elite of the shifter politics.

Garrett didn't care. He had one month to go and then he could go home. He'd served four years at the whims of the Council, constantly on the move, acting as a hammer against wolves who broke the law, and other supernatural who would hurt their kind, such as witches and vampires. He'd seen things he wished that he never had seen. Abuses of power against those of lesser power, trafficking of she-wolves for blood servants or breeding, and neglect of the worst sort.

The Supreme Alpha was trying to bring the shifter community into the modern era, where females had a place beyond being isolated in the den, raising pups. He gave them a voice and not all packs agreed. Garrett knew his own Alpha and his uncle were opposed to this mission and wondered if any enforcers had been sent there to monitor the situation. Given that Council enforcers were only sent in extreme cases, he figured his pack had been adjusting.

There was another reason to join the Council enforcers, even for a time. To find a mate. None of his pack females appealed to his wolf or human half, so it was likely, if he had a true mate, she was with another pack. Traveling for the Council gave him the opportunity to find her. Unless he'd already met her.

A young girl with dark hair and laughing brown eyes flashed into his mind. A memory, nothing more. But it had stayed with him for many years, far beyond when she should have faded.

"Don't look so glum. One month to go and you're free of all of this." A hand clapped him on the back and he winced.

Caleb North, a white-haired male who had acted as his partner since he joined the Council, stood next to him and surveyed the room. "Maybe we'll get lucky and one of these alphas will get pissy and attack another."

Garrett snorted. "Doubtful. We're just window dressing here. None of them would dare piss off the Supreme Alpha like that."

Caleb cocked his head thoughtfully, almost as if listening to his wolf. "I don't know. Many of them aren't happy with how things are progressing. They might want to test Simon's strength right about now."

Garrett arched an eyebrow. "So it's Simon now? Since when are you best friends with the Supreme Alpha?"

Garrett didn't mind admitting that the dominance of the Supreme Alpha made him want to roll over and bare his belly. He grew up spending time around his pack's Beta and Alpha since his uncle was around frequently, but the Supreme Alpha's dominance was off the charts. How Caleb spoke so casually about the other male surprised him.

"Charles is grooming me to take over," Caleb admitted. "We both know I'm never leaving the Enforcer ranks. I don't have a pack to go home to, not like you. So this is it for me. Charles needs to spend more time as Council Beta and needs someone to take on the Enforcers full time."

A slow grin crossed Garrett's face, and he shook Caleb's hand. "Congratulations. I know we talked about you petitioning to join Saranac, but this might be better for you."

A shadow crossed Caleb's face, but he nodded. "Yeah, I prefer to make my own way rather than join a pack again."

Garrett considered the other male and what little he'd shared of his past. "I understand that. If you need anything, you can call on me."

A ghost of a smile crossed his friend's lips. "If your pack lets you."

There was that. His pack was just an insular as others, and just as traditional in their ways. He had been surprised when he was sent to the Council to be an enforcer since he knew his uncle hadn't been in favor of sending anyone, but it was a requirement. The choices were limited and his cousin, Brandon, didn't have the right temperament for the role, or so his uncle felt. He wondered if any of that had changed.

"Things have been quiet in that region since the Tri-State pack war and the dissolution of that pack. I'm sure things are settled now."

Caleb raised an eyebrow. "If that's what you want to believe." Before Garrett could ask what he meant, Caleb scanned the room again. "So, you haven't found your mate yet. Do you have someone waiting back home for you?"

Again, his mind flashed to that laughing young she-wolf. She wasn't from Saranac and his pack hadn't been thrilled to find out he'd been sneaking off pack lands to spend time with her. In fact, he'd received a solid thrashing from his father before being sent away when they found out. He often wondered if she was his mate. If they had continued to spend time together, would a bond have formed? But she was probably mated by now, not that it would matter.

He shook his head. "No one. But I'm sure my father has picked someone for me to form a witch bond."

Caleb wrinkled his nose. "Those bonds are becoming too frequent and aren't good for us. We should find our true mates, not deny them. Too many of our wolves are denying the truth and forming bonds to more acceptable wolves based on pure blood status or rank."

"You're sounding bitter. You're spending too much time in politics, my friend."

Then a teasing scent wafted across his nose and his wolf perked up inside, pushing against him. Mate? He pushed off the wall and took a couple of steps into the room, following the scent of strong black coffee, a hint of rum and a tinge of sugar until he saw the source.

She was beautiful, of course. Her long dark hair was twisted up into a bun or something on the back of her head, with a few long tendrils framing her face. She wore an off the shoulder red gown that would display his mating mark beautifully, if she accepted him. His canines ached to descend and mark her before any other male could approach. Her honey skin was kissed by the sun, and he ached to touch her, run his fingers and tongue over her, tasting her, teasing her, possessing her.

She turned and faced him, her dark eyes widening in shock as recognition slammed into him. "Maya? Is that you?"