Liam’s POV
Today marked one of the most significant moments of my Alpha career. After months of careful negotiation, I was about to solidify an alliance with one of our neighboring packs-Crystal Moon. Over the four years since I’d stepped into my role as Alpha of Blood Moon-an honor I shared with my identical twin, Logan-I’d helped establish several alliances. But this was the first I had undertaken entirely on my own.
Between the two of us, I was the patient, level-headed strategist, while Logan was quick-tempered and impulsively outspoken. When delicate negotiations were needed, it was clear who should take the lead.
“We’re the strongest pack in the country, with the largest territory and the most elite warriors. These packs have nothing to offer us-they just want to leech off what we’ve built. And you know I don’t have the patience for that bullshit.” Logan had scoffed when I first suggested we co-lead the treaty discussions.
I couldn’t argue with his reasoning. Subtlety and patience had never been his strengths.
“But this is a chance to complete something our dads started when they were young Alphas. It would mean a lot to them if we could finalize an alliance with Oberon’s pack.” I countered, hoping to appeal to his loyalty to our father.
Oberon had been one of Dad’s closest friends and served as the Beta of Crystal Moon. Our fathers had long envisioned this alliance, and I believed it still held meaning. I thought maybe Logan would feel the same, but I should have known better.
“We’re the Alphas now, Liam.” He had argued. “It’s our choices that the pack will scrutinize, not Dad’s. We have to be smart about who we align with.”
I recognized a lost cause when I saw one, so I dropped the debate and decided to handle it alone. Between the two of us, I had always been the one drawn to legacy and sentiment. Continuing what our father started mattered to me.
“That’s fine,” I had replied with a victorious smirk. “But since I’ll be preoccupied with negotiations, I won’t be able to attend this year’s Forest Preservation Summit. You’ll have to go and deliver our presentation.”
“Fuck!” he had cursed in frustration. “Maybe I-”
“Oh no!” I had cut him off. “You made your stance very clear. I wouldn’t dare subject you to something as tedious as inter-pack diplomacy. Enjoy the summit!”
I had walked away laughing, fully aware that he’d gotten the short end of the stick.
Now, six months later, I was on my way to finalize the treaty with Crystal Moon, while Logan sat through a long, dull conference. I was probably enjoying the thought of his suffering a little too much. Though in the end, Logan would return to his carefree, thrill-seeking lifestyle, while I would be left with the familiar weight of solitude.
Securing this alliance was another achievement for my Alpha record, but I had to admit-pouring my energy into the negotiations had been a welcome distraction.
On paper, my life seemed perfect: Liam Ashford, twenty-four years old, co-Alpha of Blood Moon, ridiculously wealthy, and-if the compliments I often received were to be believed-devastatingly handsome. I wasn’t one to be vain, but I knew my status, resources, and looks could get me just about anything I wanted. Logan had no shame in exploiting those perks.
“Come to the bar with me and Bastian! Let loose for once!” My twin would pester me every weekend.
“I’d rather eat silver than watch you drink yourself stupid and throw yourself at every desperate she-wolf hoping to snag a title.” I would mock, pretending to gag at the thought. “And you should be ashamed for dragging our Beta into it.”
Logan would just roll his eyes, call me a prude, and go on his way. After a while, he stopped asking. At first, I was relieved. Lately, though, I’d begun to wonder if maybe I was missing out.
Having a twin had always been one of the greatest blessings in my life. From birth, I had a built-in best friend, someone whose loyalty was unwavering, even if he drove me insane at times. Life without Logan? Unimaginable.
Over the past few weeks, I had tried to open up to him about the growing emptiness settling inside me. But his response was always the same:
“Liam, you overthink everything. Just relax for once.”
Not exactly helpful.
Maybe he was right, but I couldn’t just shake off the feeling. The truth was, I was lonely. More than anything, I wanted to find my mate. But wanting something and finding it were two entirely different things.
At twenty-four, I was already older than most wolves who had found their mates-especially an Alpha. We could sense our mates at eighteen, and by twenty, almost everyone was bonded. Yet, here I was. My wolf, Ghost, was growing increasingly restless with every passing year.
Wolves mated for life, and together, they were always stronger-especially an Alpha and his Luna. She was meant to be his equal, his anchor, the one who fortified him physically, mentally, and emotionally. With a mate by his side, an Alpha’s strength grew, his wolf becoming larger and more powerful. An Alpha and Luna together were an unstoppable force, a partnership designed to help their pack flourish.
“We need to find our mate.” Ghost, my wolf, often whined in my head.
“I know, buddy. But you also know Logan isn’t ready. If we end up sharing a mate and he rejects her, it’ll destroy all of us.” I reminded him.
“Fang wants our mate.” Ghost scoffed. He was convinced Logan’s wolf would accept her, no matter what my brother thought.
Physically, Logan and I were identical-both standing at 6’3″, with onyx dark hair and hazel eyes. We were warriors, training relentlessly to maintain the strength required of our rank. Rock-solid muscle, unwavering discipline. Between our status and our looks, we never lacked for female attention. Logan welcomed it.
And that was exactly the problem.
As long as he remained convinced his current lifestyle was enough, he wouldn’t even consider searching for our mate. And from what I could tell, he had no plans of changing. If anything, he was doubling down-sleeping his way through every willing she-wolf in the pack. It was only a matter of time before he got himself into trouble, tangled up with someone else’s mate and forced into a challenge to the death. He would win, of course, but that wouldn’t save his reputation-or his conscience.
I wasn’t innocent either, but unlike Logan, I could count my past relationships on one hand. None had lasted more than a couple of months. I refused to risk falling for someone who wasn’t meant for me-or worse, letting them fall for me.
I’d seen it happen before. It never ended well.
At the same time, I could never bring myself to embrace the one-night stand lifestyle. Logan had already claimed that market anyway.
Don’t get me wrong, I was a wolf. I had the same needs as any other male. But lately, casual encounters had lost their appeal. It wasn’t enough anymore.
Ghost wanted nothing to do with it either.
The moment I got close to another woman, his disapproval echoed in my mind. “It’s not her. Send her away.” Then he’d whimper and whine until I let her down gently and walked away.
Maybe Logan had the right idea-ignoring the whole mate issue altogether. But I couldn’t. Not anymore.
And if I was being honest, I didn’t believe Logan was as indifferent as he pretended to be. He was stubborn, but I knew my brother better than anyone. As identical twins, we had always shared everything-except women.
Wolves were naturally possessive, and for Alphas, that instinct was amplified a hundredfold. For most wolves, even fraternal twins, this wouldn’t be a problem. But Logan and I weren’t just twins. We were two halves of the same soul.
A mate was the Moon Goddess’s most sacred gift-a soul bound to another for eternity.
Since Logan and I shared a soul, it was entirely possible we were meant to share a mate as well. And that’s where the real problem began.
Logan didn’t want to share.
At first, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it either. But the more I thought about it, the more convinced I became that if the Moon Goddess had designed us this way, then the bond would make sense. The connection would feel natural. Of course, there would be challenges, but nothing we couldn’t work through-if Logan would just talk to me about it.
So far, he refused.
But I couldn’t keep pretending I was fine. The hollow ache inside me had grown unbearable. I didn’t just want my mate-I needed her.
I wanted to feel the sparks of our bond when our skin met. I wanted the soul-deep connection my parents had. I wanted to hold her and know that, no matter what, she was mine.
As I pulled into the driveway of the Crystal Moon Beta’s house, I made a decision. When I got home, I was going to sit Logan down and force him to listen-if I had to tie him to a damn chair to do it.
Until then, I could only hope for a miracle-that the Moon Goddess would throw my mate straight into my path.
If I just happened to find her… Logan wouldn’t have a choice, would he?