We make some sandwiches, as both of them are starving. As if it would be my way to escape thinking about this party, I start to prepare the sandwiches. I take some bread from a cupboard and open the fridge to see what I can put in it. Ham, cheese, and tomatoes are not the chicest food, but I'm not a fair chef either. No matter what, it will be perfect to satisfy our stomachs.

Julie looks at some magazines to try to find some ideas. She desperately tries to get Eli's attention. But, unfortunately, he is like a child - incapable of concentrating when he is not interested in something.

Don't misunderstand me. He will be an excellent Alpha as he loves settling problems, taking care of others, and what could be called politics. But setting up parties and so on is not actually his thing. Thankfully, Julie is here.

When I look at the two of them, they remind me of my mum and dad... And they are excellent leaders. With no doubt, Eli and Julie will be as exemplary as them.

Liv, can you have some brilliant suggestions, please? You're better at this than me.

I smile as Eli honestly seems lost in all these decoration talks. I feel powerful when this big wolf asks for my help, like a naïve, helpless puppy. I could laugh so much at him, but I won't.

I know he wants Julie to be proud of him. He will not admit it, but he is apprehensive about being the new Alpha in a few days. I can read him like an open book.

"Maybe we could use the same idea as your mating ceremony," I say as I clean up all the ingredients. The countertop is a terrible mess: it looks like a battlefield of food. I really need to learn how to cook, or I will starve myself when I have to live on my own.

When I'm done cleaning everything, I give each of them their sandwiches and bite into one of mine. Julie and Eli are staring at me, waiting for more details.

"These gray and steel blue decorations were gorgeous and classy. I loved them. You loved them. Everybody loved them. And it is not only our birthday but also the two of you becoming Alpha and Luna of our pack. So I think that it could be a marvelous idea to link these two events: Your mating ceremony and your crowning as Alpha and Luna under the same sublime colors, like a logical continuance of existence," I add, with a convincing but flexible tone. The idea has just popped up in my mind. Well, anyway, I am trying my best to make it sound like it is a well-thought plan.

As I'm saying those words, Mum and Dad enter the kitchen.

My parents are both forty-three.

My mum looks less old: she inherited good genes that I hope I got them too, even if my condition turns this hope into a probably never happening issue. It is regrettable because we look pretty much the same.

Long curly hair, brown eyes with some shining golden sparks in them, 5′3 tall, nice curves just where they have to be. Pretty trivial, but with this authentic leader aura. Well, at least my mum had this wolf aura... I definitely did not inherit that.

On the other hand, my dad looks like Eli. Well, Eli looks like him.

Both of them are tall and strong-built, with jovial personalities. Plus, they possess a dominant aura that makes them innate leaders.

No doubt our parents are ours. No one can deny we are blood-related.

"Nice idea, sweetheart," my mum says as she kisses my cheek before kissing Julie and Eli.

"However, it would have been better if you had not thought about it three days before the said party, but at least you three did it," my mum adds with a mocking but still loving and proud grin.

My dad kisses me with a warm embrace before kissing Julie's cheek. Then he holds Eli's hand and gives him a big hug.

"Yes, we are so proud of both of you. You will be great as Alpha and Luna," he says, facing Eli and Julie, granting them a smile.

"And you will be the perfect assistance they will need in their shadows, my perfect little girl." My dad takes me in his arms affectionately, like every time he has to think about my future in the pack.

You'll be great as our meeting planner, Liv. I genuinely want you to call this part the pack.

Eli tries to sound comforting as my heart tightens a bit. I can discern that my dad feels really miserable about me sometimes. And today is one of these moments.

Don't know, Eli. That would be odd, with all the wolves coming in and out. They would smell I'm not like you, and I don't want to weaken the pack.

I had accepted the idea of being an outcast for a long time. And I had some ideas if I could not stay in the pack.

Traveling and painting around the world is my favorite one. I would have the other packs' protection despite my condition. My father is well respected, and I have met with Alphas since childhood. Most of them know me and are some kind of uncles to me. I could have a wonderful life with no other obligation but enjoying it.

Bullshit Liv. You're an heir to the pack just as much as I am. If not, you could not link either with Julie or me. Just know that you're good enough. You are right where you should be.

He sounds annoyed. It happens every time we talk about my future in the pack and that he sees what I'm possibly planning to do.

I appreciate how protective Elijah is towards me when we mention my future position in the pack. But the thing is that my obvious non-capacity is an undeniable fact. And I have to think about what is best for both the pack and me.

When an Alpha has several children, the oldest becomes the new Alpha. As Eli, Alphas let their firstborn become Alpha when they turn twenty - in a few days for Eli and I's case.

In our case, the second born will get the Alpha position. Not that my parents don't trust me. In fact, I was trained for a long time to become the new Alpha of our pack. I was good at it: I had and still have a good intuition, sweet but firm, empathetic. However, there is only one problem that was pointed out years ago. And it is serious enough that I can't become an Alpha.

I cannot shift.

Even if most teenagers shift between fourteen and sixteen, I never had the chance to change into my wolf. I don't even hear any wolf in me. Not a single time, I have been sensing this wild and free beast inside me. Not that I miss this, as I felt how difficult it was for Elijah to control his wolf at first. At least I avoided it.

Moreover, my condition is not unusual with twins. Most of the time, one of the two is unable to shift. No matter how hard specialists tried to explain the fact for decades, none of them could explain why it happened. There has not been a single clue through ages.

In our duo, I am the one without a wolf. Anyway, I can not miss something I have never experienced and, as I said, having no wolf means having no wolf issues. I've never had to suffer the Moon's influence nor ever had any hot uncontrollable impulse. That's really satisfying, even if I am quite noticeable in the middle of a house full of wolves. I could say city, but I'm not the only "no-wolf" in the city - another girl, two years younger than me, suffers the same condition. She plans to go to Uni in a few weeks after the summer break to find her own path with other humans.

Anyway, I've never felt like a rogue. That's the exact opposite that happened to me. Everybody loves me in the pack as I am the nice, smiling, and thoughtful kid, always trying to take care of the topics of the relationship.

Most wolves don't care about my condition and still see me like the little wolf I've been raised like. I love my people for that. I am genuinely thankful. The fact that I am good at assisting the pack is probably one of the reasons why people still consider me a wolf. Plus, my instincts are excellent despite my missing wolf. Thanks to that, I am still regarded as a "leading wolf."

The only "wolf" capacity I have, compared to some other "twin with no wolf," is that I can mind-link with Julie.

The one justification doctors announced is that I can link my mind to Eli. As our twin link is more powerful than it should be, it is thought to be the reason I can mind-link Julie, as she is Eli's mate. Twins' link is almost as strong as the mate-link. And in our case, it is exceptionally robust for some obscure reasons. That's lucky of us, as the three of us have been able to share fun and playful moments with no one else understanding.

"Okay, so let's organize our party," I announce after a moment.

I sit beside Julie, and we start to make a list. Flowers, decoration, tables, guests, and music band. These three days are going to be intense.

We decide that I will call and plan all about decoration, flowers, and food as I know all of them pretty well as I was born here. Julie was from another pack and joined us after she mated with Eli.

While I deal with all of this, Julie will plan everything about our guests. This is political business, and considering that in less than a week, they will be the ones in charge of that every day that comes, we found it clever to let them deal with that.

A lot to do, but thankfully we are two and a half to do that. The half is definitely Eli...

Finally, the big day is on.

I wake up early, devour my breakfast, then start arranging everything for the night.

My mum and dad wanted to spend the day with Eli and Julie to give them guidance and tell them everything they would need to know. They've been training for months, but I think both my parents, Eli and Julie, are happy to have this day together. Plus, my father's Beta, Alan, will join them with his son Caleb, as he will be my brother's Beta from tonight, as he turns eighteen today.

As the day goes on, I finish setting everything up with the packhouse staff.

The tables are dressed in blue and silver tablecloths. Blue clematis bouquets were delivered to ornate the tables alongside silver candles. New fancy tableware was bought for this special occasion. We hired a band for the reception: music is always good to make people feel better, at least in my opinion.

Everything is perfectly planned: I have to admit that I am pretty proud I could do it so quickly.

Our staff is finishing everything, coming to me for every question: any staff members have a benevolent gaze and gesture. I'm home, I know it. And I'll miss it if I have to leave.

My eyes shimmer a bit with tears, but I have no time to be emotional. There are still some things to manage in order to offer our guests the most lavish party ever.

As I review the dining room, I hear our butler, Sam, greeting our first guest at the front door. And I can know who is about to penetrate the room before he steps into the house.

And that is not the most enjoyable presence ever...