~June 30th~ Sometime in the night….

Jason fixed his tie as he looked in the mirror. Tonight's the night, he thought. I take my father's place as Alpha of the Olympian Pack. He allowed himself a little smirk. I've totally got this.

Yeah right, his wolf snorted.

Shut up. He retorted.

Jason's argument with his wolf was broken by a squeal from behind. He barely had enough time to turn around before his mother tackled him in a hug.

"Mom," Jason whined, but smiled.

Hera held him at arms' length and brushed her hand against his cheek. "I'm sorry, dear, I can't help it. You're so grown up. I still remember the day you were born, mostly because it was one of the most painful days of my life," she laughed, "but hearing you cry and holding you was worth it. Now, you're too big to hold. And you're going to be an Alpha."

"What did I tell you, Hera? I knew he'd turn out to be a fighter." Zeus said from the doorway of his son's room. "Happy birthday, son." Zeus and Jason man-hugged and the three of them headed to the backyard where the party was being held.

Jason walked out and saw all of his friends. Hazel wore a black dress while Frank and Leo sported black button down shirts and jeans. Reyna had a purple pantsuit on, while Annabeth wore a purple dress. Jason greeted them and they all chatted away until Zeus cleared his throat and stood in the center of the backyard.

"In a few moments, I will be stepping down from my Alpha position, and my son Jason will take over." Zeus said proudly.

This statement was rewarded with a round of applause. As the clapping died down, Zeus began a speech.

"Jason had been preparing for this moment for all of his life. Hera and I feel certain that he is prepared to take on this huge responsibility. But I want to leave him with some words of wisdom. We are not just a pack because we work and live together. We are a pack because we care, respect, and love one another. This is a family that we have gathered. An Alpha must never forget; it is his pack that makes him an Alpha, not just his birth status. How you treat those around you reflect how you act when in charge. Watching Jason for all of these years, I know he is fully capable of being an amazing Alpha." Zeus waved his hand forward.

Jason stepped into the center with him. And as the clock struck midnight, Jason felt the transfer of the pack fall onto him.

He felt how his mind link was now open to anyone and everyone, and when he opened his eyes, they turned red.

All around him, the people of the Olympian Pack, including his father, fell to one knee as they acknowledged Jason as their new Alpha.

Jason felt the shift in his wolf, too. Caelum, his wolf, was growing more aware; he had fully awakened. Jason was able to pick up every little detail in the surrounding area, like the string on Hazel's dress or the smell of Piper's perfume.

With this transformation, a new Alpha had been chosen.

Along with Jason, Reyna and Frank went through the same process to become his Beta and Gamma. The three friends had known this day was coming, and Jason made his choices wisely.

Their lives had changed forever.

~July 1st~ Later that day, in the high school…

Jason felt amazing.

He walked out of Global with Reyna, and people actually shifted to one side of the hallway just for him to pass. Even the teachers didn't crack down on him as hard as before.

Jason saw Frank and Leo approaching from the opposite side of the hallway and raised a hand in greeting. Frank waved back and returned his focus to a more-than-usual hyper Leo.

"Jason!" he shouted, then ran to meet them. "Did you find them?"

"Who?" he asked.

Leo rolled his eyes. "Come on, Sparky! Your mate, did you find them?"

Jason smiled. "Now that you mention it, I've been getting these vibes from Caelum. He says that our mate is close, but-" Jason stopped taking as he sniffed the air.

"But what?" Leo asked. Frank and Reyna looked at Jason curiously.

"I smell something," he murmured. Jason took a deeper breath. He probably looked like he was hyperventilating, taking in such big breaths of air, but he didn't care.

There was something there…something familiar, yet distant at the same time….

"What does it smell like?" Reyna asked.

"Like..." he breathed again, "like I'm at the beach. There's a gentle breeze blowing, and I smell the sea, but it's very faint…" he trailed off. Jason walked in different directions, trying to see if the scent would get stronger.

He faintly heard Leo in the background squealing, "He's caught scent of his mate!". When Jason walked in the direction that Frank and Leo had just come from, the smell of the sea got stronger.

Jason took off in that direction, not even looking back to see if Reyna, Frank, and Leo were following him. (Of course they were).

At his locker, Percy readjusted his green beanie and shoved books into his bag while talking to Nico.

"I am very proud of you, Percy." Nico laughed. "You managed to go an entire class without getting detention."

Percy smiled. "Well, I try. But it was very hard."

They both stopped when they head a growl at the end of the hall. Percy and Nico turned towards the noise.

It was Jason. He stood a few feet away, red eyes glowing for everyone to see. The second his eyes made contact with Percy's, something inside Percy exploded. His wolf, Thalassa, began to howl and yip. Jason never lost eye contact.

What's going on? Percy asked his wolf. Why is he staring at me?

And then, Jason said the word.

"Mate."