Kain
I had stayed longer than I intended at the Luna's home, forced to sit through the endless drivel of wedding planning. A wedding I couldn't care less about.
Hell, if they decided to hold it in a barn full of horse shit, I wouldn't notice. That's how little it mattered to me.
Celeste—the current Luna and my stepmother—was obsessed with making as extravagant as possible, wanting full coverage of the event, as if the entire pack needed to witness this sham of a marriage. And, of course, Andressa agreed.
For someone who had been thrown into this marriage without her consent, Andressa sure seemed thrilled about it.
We had been close as children, friends even as adults. But love? Romantic love? I never felt it. And the moment I shifted and laid eyes on her, I felt… nothing.
No spark. No rush of warmth. No electric pull drawing me closer.
Her touch was just that— physical contact. Empty. Meaningless.
And in that hollow moment, my worst fear was confirmed. I arraigned to marry someone I had no bond with.
Someone who wasn't my mate.
And yet, here I was, preparing to marry her.
At first, she had been disappointed, I could tell. But over time, that disappointment faded. She had come to terms with it. Accepted it. Even seemed at peace with the idea of never finding her fated mate.
I hadn't.
For years, I searched. Every ball, every pack meeting, every unfamiliar face—I searched. And yet, after years of nothing, after years of meeting wolves who weren't mine, I gave up.
After the ball on my twenty-third birthday, I had made my decision.
If my mate wasn't out there, if she didn't exist, then I had to move forward.
Andressa was the logical choice. Our marriage had been arranged years ago as part of a treaty. It made sense.
It was time.
Time to stop waiting for a bond that would never come. Time to accept the fate sealed over a decade ago.
Time to marry Andressa
Maybe I didn't have a mate.
Maybe I didn't need one.
That was a year ago.
"Focus, Kain," Celeste snapped, irritation dripping from her voice. "What type of flowers should be used to decorate the entrance?"
I exhaled sharply, barely suppressing my frustration.
"I don't care. Whatever Ressa wants," I said dismissively, already standing up. I needed to leave.
"Bye, Ressa," I added, my tone softer.
She nodded barely looked up, still fixated on the catalog of wedding decorations.
Marcus was already waiting at the door.
"You somehow managed to be late to your own bachelor party," he chuckled. "I admire the skill."
"I didn't want a bachelor party in the first place," I muttered as we climbed into the car. "What's there to celebrate?"
"I don't know, man." He sighed. "The fact that I'm a couple of weeks you're gonna be married, maybe?"
He gave me a look.
Sympathy.
Marcus knew. He knew how much I wanted to find my mate. How much I wanted to experience the euphoria they all talked about—the bond, the connection, the fire.
How much I wanted to love, to protect, to cherish my mate.
To prove to myself that I wasn't like him.
That I wasn't my like my father.
++++++++++
The music hit before we even reached the house, the deep bass thrumming through the walls.
"They started without us?" I asked, unamused.
"Yeah, I guess," Marcus sighed.
Of course they did. I wasn't even close to most of the men at this party. To them, my upcoming marriage was just an excuse to get shit-faced and blame it on alcohol.
Then—
"Mate" The voice of my wolf rumbled through my mind, deep and certain.
My body stiffened.
My breath caught.
No. That wasn't possible. There were no women at this party—
Unless—
"Hey, Marcus," I asked carefully, my voice tight, "did you invite any women?"
"Yeah, just a couple of strippers—" He paused. "You're okay with that, right?"
My heart plummeted.
If the only women here were strippers, then that meant—
My mate is a stripper.
A sharp possessiveness surged through me, searing hot, primal.
The image hit me before I could stop it—
Men.Wolves.
Touching her.
Watching her.
Dragging their hands over her skin as she danced for them.
My wolf snarled, vibrating with fury.
"Hey, man, are you okay?" Marcus asked, watching me carefully.
I barely heard him.
My steps quickened, my pulse hammering in my ears as her scent wrapped around me like a vice. It was intoxicating—fresh rain on a rose bush, delicate yet wild. It called to something deep inside me, something primal.
The closer I got, the more vivid the images became. Hands on her. Bodies pressed too close. Touches that didn't belong to me. My jaw clenched, rage surging through my veins, hot and suffocating.
I reached the door but stopped, inhaling sharply. I couldn't let her see me like this—feral, furious, possessive beyond reason. I forced myself to be still, waiting as the laughter and chatter inside began to die down. My wolf paced, restless, desperate to break through, to claim her.
Then I opened the door.
Her scent hit me like a drug, flooding my system, leaving me breathless and starved all at once. My eyes locked onto her instantly. She was stunning—blonde waves cascading down her back, soft curves I wanted to shield, to own.
But then I saw it.
His hands. On her waist. Holding what was mine.
Her gaze followed mine, and she pushed him off quickly, stepping away, but it was too late. The fury was already there, burning through me like wildfire.
"Everyone. Get out." My voice was low, sharp as a blade, slicing through the room like a command no one dared disobey.
They scrambled, moving fast, avoiding my gaze. But then—she turned to leave too.
No.
I caught her wrist before she could slip away, my grip firm but careful. "Not you."
She froze, her breath hitching.
I wasn't letting her go. Not now. Not ever.