Eclipse Of The Fated Mate

**The Pack Ball - Where It All Begins**

Dissatisfied, skeptical, and dazed-that's how I felt. I knew everyone could see the shock written on my face. I tried to hide it the best I could, but I knew that was the worst smile I had ever shown. Ridiculous, I know, but I couldn't let him get the better of me. On the other hand, my nails dug into Tyler Blackwood's arm-my best and only friend. He knew how I would feel seeing Nick Marshall again.

When I looked up at his towering 6'2" frame, which literally made me have to look up as if he were a streetlight planted in the ground, I caught a glimpse of anger and confusion flashing across his face for a few seconds before he managed to return to what I would call his usual calm expression-or, really, that stone-cold look that showed no respect or empathy for anyone.

Nick Marshall was simply the Alpha of the SilverPack, the biggest and strongest of all the packs, and every woman at the Ball wanted to be his mate. But Nick never wanted any of them to be his. He was never seen with anyone. And me? Well, I was just another one who admired him silently with a racing heart, totally annoyed by all the gazes turned toward him like that, knowing full well that his eyes would never truly land on me.

What few knew was that, at midnight, I would turn 18. Unlike everyone else, I had already received my wolf, but the others hadn't. I know that usually mates can smell each other, but I can't smell mine, I don't feel his presence. I confess that I'm desperate at the thought that my mate might simply not exist, or worse, that he could just be some random jerk. Truthfully, I know there's a way to mask my wolf's scent, and I've been doing that ever since I received Any. But they say it's impossible to hide from your mate.**

I had never felt so relieved and pleased to be wearing the dress Becks made me buy.

The dress was red and made of silk. It had extremely thin straps, and the cutout neckline revealed more of my chest than I would normally want or feel comfortable with. The dress hugged my breasts and waist perfectly, falling down to my ankles with a slit that reached up to my thigh. I wore golden heels with straps around my ankles and jewelry with gold details.

My brown hair was down, styled in waves, with one side pinned up. Becks had done my makeup with a smoky eye that made my violet eyes pop and stand out. She convinced me to wear a bold red lipstick, and I felt absolutely beautiful, even though I was completely out of my comfort zone. But when I looked in the mirror, I felt stunning. Honestly, I could handle anything in this dress. Well, maybe not anything.

I clearly remember Tyler's expression of total surprise when he saw me. His mouth formed a huge "O," and the words came out slyly, "You look stunning." Becks kept insisting that I would find my mate tonight and that I had to be the most beautiful one at the Ball for that to happen. I knew they were both in full flattery mode, so no compliment from Tyler or Becks would truly comfort me. Despite what I saw in the mirror and what they were saying, none of this really felt like me.

The Ball followed tradition. It was the night many awaited each year, the night when most received their wolves and found their destined mates. Even though some rejected their mates, most were satisfied with what fate had given them-or simply accepted it.

When the moon reached its peak and the clock struck midnight, howls could be heard from outside the ballroom. That was part of the ritual, something many were familiar with, yet it still made me uncomfortable. I felt my eyes burn, and the hairs on my skin stood on end. My wolf was restless that night, pacing back and forth. I could see her snow-white fur and violet eyes, just like mine, appear in my mind, and I heard low howls, even though all that could be heard in the ballroom were people talking and soft background music.

I felt my skin burn as if someone were watching me-I was sure of it. I looked around, but no one had their eyes on me. Yet something told me that someone definitely was. I heard a voice in my mind say, "Look up, Lyla." When I looked up, his water-green eyes met mine, and my heart raced, making my breathing grow heavier. That's when I heard the faint sound of the word "mate." Maybe I was hallucinating, maybe Any was just overly excited, or perhaps my heart was playing tricks on me. Whatever it was, I knew he had never looked so handsome. It had never felt so good to see him as it did in that moment.