I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, my body numb with shock.

One week. One fucking hell of a week.

I gripped the edge of the marble counter, leaning closer to the mirror until my nose nearly touched its smooth face. My forehead clunked against the mirror as I leaned against it and shut my eyes. "One thing at a time, Phoebe. One insane, paranormal thing at a time." I took in a breath, held it for five seconds, then released it.

My body hummed with energy—residue from Alpha Alexander's touch. I felt warm and weightless, but my feet were planted firmly on the tiled floor. It was the oddest sensation and I suddenly had the urge to shower and scrub it off my body. I stepped away from the mirror and lifted the hem of my sundress over my head. Once the garment was nothing but a pile on the floor, I glanced back into the mirror. My eyes roamed over my body uninterestedly before doing a double take.

My arms. What happened to my arms?

I stared at the scarless reflection staring back at me for a full minute before looking down and checking my arms. The skin was smooth and speckled with light hair and a few birth marks. My jaw dropped, a soft surprised sound coming from my mouth. Frenzied, I unravelled the bandages from my hands, only to reveal unmarred palms. The scar from when I had destroyed all the mementos of my awful friends in my room several days before had also disappeared.

I stared once more at the mirror and hesitantly turned around. My back was unblemished, with absolutely no trace of the cuts that the pack doctor had rubbed salve onto just hours before. I let out an astonished chuckle and checked the rest of my body. My face no longer had a scratch and my skin was an even tone of ivory, without a hint of purple. The small chicken pox scar on the outer corner of my right eye that I'd had since I was five was also magically erased.

"The mating bond," I whispered to myself, realization dawning on me.

"The possibility of transferring certain abilities—such as healing at a faster rate than the average human—depends on the dominance of the werewolf." That's what the textbook had said. Alpha Alexander is a dominant male, but the Alphas downstairs . . . they made him king, the most dominant werewolf of them all. The energy that surrounded me hummed, as though affirming what I was thinking.

I sighed in disbelief. "This is insane."

I quickly stripped out of my underwear and stepped into the shower. I washed my body, still checking where the wounds had been, as though I was expecting them to reappear at any moment. I wrapped my body in a towel and glanced back in the mirror—minus the wet hair, I almost looked like my old self, the one who wasn't involved with werewolves; the one who went out on Saturday nights without worrying about rogues attacking her.

The one who wasn't afraid of anything.

I took a deep breath and came to a decision—something that would not make me feel so goddamn helpless all the time. It was just a matter of convincing Alpha Alexander. I sent a silent prayer to whoever was listening for assistance.

I pulled on a simple black romper that was considerably more revealing than the sundress and quickly blow-dried my hair. I put on minimal makeup and slipped on a pair of sandals. Staring at my reflection now versus an hour ago, I felt satisfied—complete, even. I looked like me, Phoebe Carmichael, Alpha Female of Luna Nova, mate to the Alpha Rex of North America.

Oh my god, that's so weird.

I shook off the thought and focused on calming my nerves. I forced myself to slowly walk out of the room and down the stairs, blatantly avoiding the living room, where Alpha Alexander and his . . . subjects still stood around, discussing business. Only moments after Gerald concluded the ceremony, I had excused myself, taking my cue from Alpha Alexander when he had said, "We have much to discuss."

I couldn't hear what was being said, and truth be told, I didn't want to know the details. I was already overwhelmed by all the events that have taken place in the last six days, I knew I didn't want to add more to my plate. While I wasn't a hard-core feminist, nor one of those women who hate men for simply existing, I did believe men and women should be considered equals. However, in some situations, men had more experience, and women had more experience in others. Right now, talking to Alphas about battle plans and other werewolf politics was something I gladly left for Alpha Alexander. Playing the gracious host to a handful of females, gossiping and mingling and chatting—that was something I was more prepared to handle.

I stepped onto the front porch, shutting the door behind me softly. I spotted Julie in the midst of the quiet group of women sitting on the patio furniture, her forehead creased with worry. Four of them I immediately identified as werewolves—their unworldly beauty gave them away, plus the way they noticed me as though they were expecting my arrival; their advance hearing probably picked up the sound of my footsteps. The one human mate in the group, other than Julie, sat comfortably next to my friend, her hand fingering the mark on her neck thoughtfully.

The four werewolves stood the moment I stepped toward the group. Each of them bowed their heads slightly and it suddenly dawned at me that they were aware of everything that had taken place in the living room. Julie stood and smiled wide as I approached, but her eyes were clouded with worry. "Phoebe! Ladies, may I introduce my Alpha, Phoebe Carmichael."

I gave a small smile and sat in the chair next to Julie that one of the Alpha Females yielded to me. I thanked her and she nodded deeply. "I assume you all know what has taken place," I broke the silence, noting that my words came out sounding like my mate rather than myself.

"Yes, Alpha Regina. We know."

I frowned at the woman who spoke. "What did you call me?"

"Alpha Regina. You . . . you are the mate to Alpha Rex, yes?" She spoke with a slight accent—Spanish or Portuguese, maybe. She was stunning, with thick black hair braided down to her slim waist. Her eyes were a pale blue and they looked at me with fierce attention, as though whatever I was about to say next was going to be on the pop quiz tomorrow.

I nodded slowly. "I am. I'm just . . . I'm sorry, I just didn't realize I had a title."

"It's an ancient law. We didn't understand what had happened until Chloe explained it." The Spanish woman nodded to the human, who stared at the floor, her hand still at her neck.

Chloe looked up, seeming startled at the sound of her name. "Y-Yes. Sorry. I knew what had happened when we all felt . . . whatever that energy was."

I stared at her curiously. She was smaller than me, with hair lighter than the sun. "You know about this . . . stuff?" She nodded slowly. I frowned. "How?"

She dropped her hands into her lap and fiddled with the skirt she wore. "When my mate found me and brought me to his territory, I was terrified. I . . . I didn't know about werewolves. They hadn't come out to the public yet, and I thought he was kidnapping me." I stared at her a little harder—she didn't look a day over twenty years old. The werewolves came out over ten years ago, but she looked my age, which surprised me. I mentally stored that curiosity under the subject Things to Ask Alpha Alexander and listened to Chloe tell her story. "I tried to run away, like, ten times, but he always caught me. He never hurt me, never yelled, and he tried so hard not to scare me. Instead, he talked to me. He told me about himself—what he was, what he liked and disliked, what he has seen and experienced in his lifetime. He also told me stories about his species. He talked about kings and queens of old, and how our histories—human and werewolf alike—have been intertwined for centuries." She smiled as a memory fleeted through her mind, but a moment later, the smile was gone and the frown returned. "One of the stories was about some ancient law—"

"Rex bellum," I interrupted her. "That's what they called it."

She nodded. "Yeah, I think that was it. Anyway, he said that the law hadn't been used in centuries because the packs haven't been at war with one another for so long. He told me that the law was meant for times of crisis, when the packs needed to unite for their own survival. One Alpha was nominated as Alpha Rex for a country or a continent—if the other Alphas approve of the nomination, then they would swear themselves to the Alpha Rex."

I didn't speak at first, but everyone looked to me, as though asking for confirmation. I nodded. "Gerald nominated him."

Chloe nodded. "The Sophos of North America."

"What does that mean?" Julie asked.

"He's the oldest living werewolf on the continent. He is all-knowing in our customs, traditions, and history. He's an advisor for our species," one of the woman explained with a soft voice, her eyes on the tiny blonde.

Chloe resumed, "The appointment of an Alpha Rex is on the condition that the man nominated only reigns until the conflict has been resolved. Once the peace has been restored, he steps down. This is so that one man does not hold so much power over so many werewolves for an extended period of time. Packs are able to police themselves, which is why the peace between them has lasted for so long."

"Why was Alpha Alexander nominated as Alpha Rex?" asked Julie.

"He's the only Alpha capable of taking the responsibility," the Spanish woman responded. "I felt my mate pledge himself, all of us did. But . . . I felt his emotions, too. He was . . . hopeful. Relieved, even."

"I felt that, too," another mate said, her voice rising with surprise. "I thought that was just me."

"We all felt it," said Chloe. "Alpha Alexander has a unique experience dealing with Leo. He is the only werewolf that Leo is scared of. If anyone can put down the rebellion, it's Gabriel Alexander."

"Why is he scared of him?" Julie asked. I was suddenly very grateful for my friend, who voiced the questions I was too hesitant to ask.

Chloe didn't respond. The Spanish woman wouldn't meet my eye, and none of the other women made a move to answer the question. I cleared my throat. "Is it because of Natalie?" I asked softly.

Chloe looked at me, her eyes filled with a soft sadness. "Yes . . . but, respectfully, it is not our place to tell you, Alpha Regina."

I nodded. "I understand." I tried to smile, probably failed. "Thank you for sharing that with me. Things are finally starting to make sense."

Chloe's eyes grew bright as she looked at me. "It is difficult sometimes, but trust me when I say that it gets easier."

I gave her a genuine smile. "I believe you." I tried some light humor, "Can you believe he only found me a week ago?"

Chloe laughed along with a couple other females. "Welcome to our world. Dominant males do not sugar-coat anything. Everything has to be done right now. Patience is not one of their virtues."

"Tell me about it," said a dark-skinned woman a few years older than Julie and I. "When James found me, I was hunting with my sister and he straight up tackled me when I was in mid-chase. He nearly claimed me right then and there, but my wolf wasn't pleased at losing a meal. She made him lay dinner at my feet before letting him take me home." She smiled, her face soft as she recalled the memory. "It took him an hour to find game big enough to satisfy my wolf. He's been wrapped around this pinky right here ever since." She wiggled her tiny finger.

I grinned and a couple of the werewolf mates laughed with James's mate. Stories started to fly—one knew of her mate because she was in his pack, but she was sent to live with her grandparents after her parents died when she was six and didn't return to the pack's territory until she was eighteen, when she discovered the Alpha's son was her mate; another told us that her mate met her while she was vacationing with her human friend for her bachelorette party and that he tried to sneak into her hotel room that she was sharing with the human bride. Werewolves hadn't revealed themselves yet, so she had to make up some story about how they had reconnected when they returned home from the vacation.

None of the women sitting around me looked older than twenty-five. They were all werewolves except for Chloe, Julie, and me, which could explain their immortality, but I was curious how Chloe didn't look thirty-years-old like she probably should, unless her mate found her when she was very young, which I doubted. Werewolves find their mates once the female has her first period—something about the start of ovulation and a werewolf's instinct to reproduce. How had Chloe not aged?

Yet another one to add to the ever-growing list of questions.

I listened to them tell their stories, laughing when appropriate, commenting here and there. They all told their "how we met" stories, besides Chloe, who seemed to be thinking really hard about something, but suddenly snapped out of it when the front door opened and the Alphas stepped out of the house. The women stood and approached the group, stepping under a protective arm or taking a large empty hand with their own. Julie found Seth and waved him over. He stood beside her chair, looking as drained as I felt. I wanted to ask him if he was feeling okay—he no longer looked like he was in pain, but his brow was low and he seemed tense—but I didn't let the words slip from my mouth. For some reason, I felt that I shouldn't ask him about his physical well-being in front of a dozen dominant males. He would appear weak, and that was a big no-no when surrounded by so many werewolves, my instincts told me.

Someone stepped up beside me, softly saying, "Alpha Regina." I looked over my shoulder. The Spanish female, whose name I learned was Josephine, stood next to a man who looked almost as intimidating as my own mate. I stood as gracefully as I could manage and smiled at him; I recognized him as the Alpha who commented on Alpha Alexander's passion and had said he would fight for him.

I was unsure whether or not to offer my hand for him to shake, so I smiled as Josephine made introductions. "My love, I present Phoebe Carmichael, Alpha Regina of North America. Alpha Regina, meet my mate, Alpha Felix of Blue Moon."

I smiled, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Alpha Felix."

"The pleasure is mine, Alpha Regina." He lowered his head in a small bow of respect. "I have heard stories about Alpha Alexander's human mate."

I stiffened but forced my smile to stay plastered on my face. "All good ones, I hope."

His smile relaxed me slightly. "They did you absolutely no justice. You are so much more than silly gossip among old wolves."

"Thank you," I said, unsure what else there was for me to say.

Josephine got the hint and took her mate's hand. "Come, my love. If we hit the road now, we can be home before dark." It was nearing five in the evening. The conclave had lasted nearly six hours. Josephine slipped me a piece of paper. "If you ever feel like you need someone to talk to, I'm only a phone call away, mija."

Her phone number was neatly scrawled on a ripped piece of lined paper, which I slid into the pocket of my romper. I gave my new friend a grateful smile. "When the madness dies down, maybe we can grab some lunch and swap stories."

Josephine beamed. "I would like that very much, Alpha Regina."

I wanted to tell her to call me Phoebe, but something told me not to, so I held my tongue. She stepped off the porch with her mate and another couple approached me. After a half hour, I had met every mated Alpha couple and several phone numbers were stashed in the pockets of my romper. Another pair exited the house and Chloe finally stood from her seat. Alpha Alexander's eyes immediately found me, his gaze traveling to the cleavage my romper provided. A frown that was already settled on his brow furrowed deeper at my outfit.

It's working. I grinned.

Gerald walked beside him, his face pensive as he listened to whatever Alpha Alexander was saying. He nodded once and shook Alpha Alexander's hand. Chloe slowly stepped toward the pair. Gerald's hand reached out automatically as she approached. She took it almost eagerly and leaned against him as he said one more thing before stepping off the porch with Chloe in tow.

That's why she knew so much, I thought. She's mated to the oldest werewolf who told her stories when they first mated. It all made sense. Looking at them, any outsider could make the assumption that he could possibly be her father, but as they slid into their car, I watched as Gerald took Chloe's hand and gently kissed her palm. Her smile was wide and whatever was worrying her the entire time I had been with her suddenly disappeared at the tender display of affection.

I waved to her as they backed up and drove down the long driveway. As I watched their car fade into a tiny speck, an overwhelming presence warmed my back and I instinctively leaned back into it. Alpha Alexander's arms wrapped around my torso gently. His hands lifted mine, his fingers turning them this way and that before trailing down the length of my arm. He touched the thin strap of my romper and said lowly in my ear, "You are healed."

"The perks of being mated to the Alpha Rex," I said lightly. The car finally disappeared and the only people left on the front porch were Julie, Seth, Alpha Alexander, and me.

Julie turned to Seth. "What the hell happened to you?"

Seth finally sat down in an empty chair, his body relaxing its tension, his face displaying his exhaustion. "The bond between an Alpha and his Beta is stronger than the bond between an Alpha and the rest of his pack. It's nearly as strong as a mate bond." He watched Alpha Alexander, who still fingered the strap on my shoulder. Seth's voice was tired as he continued, "When the conclave named him Alpha Rex, the bond needed to strengthen itself. He's stronger now—he has more power, more dominance. As his second, I need to be stronger, too."

"So what I felt was you taking some voodoo, paranormal steroids?" Julie asked.

Seth chuckled softly. "Sure. We'll go with that."

Julie stood, tugging on Seth's arm until he stood as well. "Time for a nap, lover. Talking shop with the girls has taken more outta me than it should have." She pulled him into the house, closing the front door behind us.

"So," I said, brilliant as ever. "What happens now?"

"Word of my appointment will spread. Alphas will come to pledge themselves over the next few days. Another conclave with all the Alphas will be called and an official ceremony will take place."

I blew out the breath I had been holding. "Okay," I said shakily.

"How are you feeling?"

I paused, searching for the right answer. "Overwhelmed. It was only a week ago Vance fetched me, you know." I shifted my weight. "I'm taking this all extremely well. I think I'm still in shock."

His hands warmed my shoulders. "You are stronger than you think, Phoebe."

I sighed. "I'm starting to realize that." I turned in his grasp and met his gaze with my own. "Speaking of which, I have a request."

His eyes narrowed, but I detected amusement in his chocolate irises. "I should have known you wore this for a reason." His eyes swiftly took in my appearance.