Garrett He sat staring at his mother, she was holding half a dozen pictures of she-wolves out to him. He knew that on the back of each one of those pictures, would be their bio’s; Name, Age, Rank and Pack, plus various other details she thought he would need to know to help him make a decision. “Please, son, just look at them.” She half smiled at him, “They are all looking for a Mate, and are willing to be a Chosen Mate, have either lost their Mate, or rejected them, been rejected themselves for some reason.” He raised an eyebrow at her, just like he had the last time she’d come to him about taking a Mate. When he had told her he would never take a Chosen Mate that had never been Marked and Mated before, it wasn’t right to look at She-wolves that had never come across their own Goddess-Gifted. Seems that she’d actually listened to him and had taken that into account, and had found she-wolves that actually fit all of his criteria. He’d been hoping it would deter her from hunting for a Mate for him altogether. Seems not. Garrett reached out and took the photos. His mother’s heart was in the right place, he knew that she just wanted him to be happily mated. She also never presented him with any she-wolf that looked anything like his ex. He would never accept anyone with deep red hair through to ginger hair. Couldn’t even look at most of them without some sort of memory that led back to her. A woman, or girl rather, that had not cared for him and had gone ahead and had s*x with another; after they’d scented each other out, but before they had marked and mated. She, Evellyn had been her name, had known who and what he was, there had even been a mating alliance getting worked out between the two of them. He’d been at Alpha College, as had she. She’d just arrived, and he’d been there for nine months already. Their family’s had been brought in due to them scenting each other out. But regardless of them being Goddess-Gifted to each other, and she’d said to him, to his parents and the council members, running the college, that she would accept him as her mate; she had stated ‘There will be nothing between him and I, until the deal is done.’ And had walked away, he should have known in that instant something was off. They did spend time together trying to get to know each other, she’d not really seemed all that into him, and two days later as he’d headed to her room after class, to ask her to have dinner with him, to try and win her over. He’d gotten hit with the pains of betrayal, had been walking down the hall to her dorm room and suddenly staggered about, gasping in pain, clutching at himself. He hadn’t really believed what it was, had made his way to her room only to fall to his knees as she actively had s*x, and he felt like a thousand knives were cutting into him all over. He had managed to make it to her room and shove the door open. It wasn’t even locked. She’d been in there having s*x with another wolf, not even an Alpha from the college, no he’d been Beta ranked, one of her own home pack’s wolves, the future Beta to her home pack, who’d come to see the alliance dealing. It had ruined him, ruined their bond, and his pains of betrayal had brought all the Alphas of the college right to him, and they’d seen her riding that Beta, gasping and moaning his name uncaring he was right there and in agony. He’d been allowed to issue his rejection after that, and Evellyn had simply nodded and accepted it, seemed uncaring at all about losing her Goddess-Gifted. Her explanation of her actions to him, his parents, her parents and the Alphas of the college had been, that she was in love with her future Beta and he, her. That she and he alike had both wanted to be together one last time. Her words had been ‘I wanted one last truly enjoyable f**k before being mated off to a wolf I don’t know.’ She didn’t know him because she hadn’t wanted to get to know him. He also believed she’d intentionally ruined their bond in such a way that he, Garrett, would reject her. To get out of it and be with that Beta, who he knew she’d mated herself to after leaving Alpha College. Not that it had worked out, he’d come across his Goddess-Gifted and rejected her like six or seven years later. He knew because he’d come across that Beta in another pack. Who’d been made to leave his home pack after rejecting Evellyn for his Goddess-Gifted. Garrett hadn’t said anything, didn’t want to know, but the man had insisted on apologising to him, for that one time back in Alpha College. He’d told him it was wrong of him and that he’d been young and stupid. Now he’d found his Goddess-Gifted, he could see the error of his ways. Garrett had walked away from him. He didn’t care to hear him state Evellyn had screamed at him about how she should have never rejected Garrett. During all their arguing about him leaving her for his own Goddess-Gifted. Garrett pulled himself from his memories and shook it off, he turned his eyes to the six photos now in his hand. They were all blonde or brunettes, one she-wolf had raven black hair. He laid them out on his desk as he looked at them one by one. “They are all beautiful, my son.” She leaned on the desk and tapped a lovely blonde woman. “Cardamon Craven, is my pick.” She told him “She is 31, a logistics manager for one of her father’s human companies, a cosmetics company. She has excellent communication skills, is exceptional at planning and organisation. Has leadership skills that will make her a great Luna. She is not Mated and is a fourth heir to the Dark Huntress Pack. From my understanding, she is a bit like yourself, got a mate that she rejected. So she fits all of your criteria for a Luna.” He looked at the she-wolf. She had soft blonde hair and hazel blue eyes, she wasn’t smiling in the picture, but he could see there was no mark scar on her. She was pretty, he had to admit. He turned the photo over to read her bio. And read Cardamon’s information, his mother was nothing if not thorough. Her height, weight, build and all her degrees were listed, along with her hobbies and personal interests, under where it read boyfriend there was zero. He pointed it out to his mother and looked at her questioningly. “Oh, that… I hear she’s never had a boyfriend, not even a lover, and I asked Cardamon myself about that, for clarification. Her words to me were “Deidre, I don’t have time for that, I’m very busy with my job.’ Her tone was quite dismissive. Garrett handed the photo back to her. “It’s a no then, I will not be taking a virgin mother. Cross any like that off your list, that you like to keep regarding finding me a mate.” She huffed right at him now “Garrett, son, you’re making it difficult, you know that right. Every time I come in here, you add something to the list of things to strike she-wolves off that list, before I can even present them to you. No red-haired women, regardless of the shade of red. You have stated under 25 is too young, over 50 is too old. None, if they’ve never been granted a mate before, and now, no virgins!” She sounded exasperated to him “What is it you want in a Mate?” “I don’t know, mother,” he answered simply, “I don’t think about it, but a virgin, mother really? Why would you think that was at all appropriate? Anyone I am willing to take for a Luna needs to have gone out there, and tasted life for themselves. Know what it is they like, have enjoyed a healthy relationship at least once, in their lifetime.” “A healthy relationship?” she questioned him right back. “That’s a bit of a double standard, isn’t it Garrett. Not even you have done that. Flings only, never once have I seen you date a girl for more than a week. And that doesn’t constitute a relationship, it is just how long it took you to either get her into your bed or decide if you wanted to sleep with her when she was offering herself to you.” “Exactly, why it matters mother. One of us needs to know how to be in a relationship, how they work, so the other, that being me, can learn from them how to do that.” “Pishposh, Garrett, you’ll Mark and Mate her, and your mate bond will form, and you’ll learn about each other and a harmony between the two of you will form. From that, you will have a good strong Alpha/Luna bond. It will flourish because you chose each other, and will come to love each other quickly. That is all that is needed.” He was staring at her now, the word harmony had turned his thoughts to his new secretary. “Mother, have you contacted Harmony Preston about the job offer yet?” he asked her, seeing as his attention had now shifted. He watched as she threw her hands up in the air. “And you’re back to thinking about work.” She muttered, looking like she wanted to pull her hair out. “You said her name, it reminded me to ask you the question.” He commented, though he half smiled at her. “Son, when inside this pack, you should relax and not think about work, you’re fast becoming a workaholic. Do you realise that?” “Harmony Preston, mother?” he prompted her, and yes, he knew he worked long hours, it kept him preoccupied and there in the human world inside his office, surrounded by many humans, his mother could not bring up this subject. She was glaring at him now. “Yes, I called her before I left the office, she’ll start in the morning 8am… Now back to the she-wolves.” She tapped the photos on his desk. He smiled at her now. “You know mother, you’re become a Luna-obsessed with finding me a Mate.” He pointed out. “Hmm, well, I wouldn’t have to be if only I had a son, who would take a Luna, and give me grandchildren to preoccupy my time now, would I? You’re not getting any younger, Garrett, you’re approaching forty soon.” “I am, and I might have a second chance mate out there somewhere. That’s just not born yet.” He stated and leaned back in his chair. “So, shouldn’t I wait on that just in case?” He pointed out to her. She huffed at him once more. “I expect, Garrett, that you will look at them, and I want a report for each one of them on why you rejected them without meeting them, why it’s a no. One bloody date is all I’m asking for, is that really too much to ask you to do?” she muttered and stalked from his office.