POV: Asher Thorne
I was eighteen. An Alpha in training. Strong. Feared. Wanted.
And yet, my mate hadn't appeared.
The wolf inside me was restless—always hungering, always searching. The elders said, "When you find her, you'll know."Well, I didn't know. And I was done waiting.
Beside me, Irene Blackvale lay on her back, still panting, her golden hair splayed across my pillow like she belonged there. She didn't.
To the pack, she was a "princess." The elegant daughter of our wealthiest allies, polished and powerful. And ever since we were sixteen, she'd made it painfully clear she wanted to be my Luna.
But I never promised her anything.
"Still dreaming of the Luna title, Irene?" I muttered as I got out of bed.
She smiled lazily. "I'm only being realistic, Alpha."
I didn't reply. I stepped into the marble bathroom and shut the door behind me. The hot shower was brief but grounding. I wasn't proud of what I just did. But my wolf had needs. And Irene was there. Again.
She's not your mate.
That voice in my head never stopped.
After dressing in black training gear, I walked down the winding staircase of the Thorne estate—our packhouse, and one of the largest in the region. We weren't just rich—we were loaded. Private guards. A war room. A weapons vault. My future kingdom.
Outside, the training grounds buzzed with movement.
Jack Moonstone, my best friend and future Beta, met me near the weight racks, already punching into gloves. He tossed one toward me.
"Rough night?" he grinned.
"You could say that," I replied, starting my warmup.
We sparred fast, trading hits and kicks with practiced ease. Jack was powerful, leaner than me, but quick. Our future roles meant we trained harder than the rest. Stronger. Ruthless. Prepared for anything.
"So…" Jack huffed between punches. "What's going on with Irene? Is she your mate or what?"
I smirked, catching his fist in my palm. "No. She's just for my needs. Once I find my real mate, she'll be my Luna. Not Irene."
Jack burst out laughing. "You're savage."
I shrugged. "Honest."
Training ended just past sunrise. We towelled off and headed back into the main house. But before I could disappear into my room, I heard trouble coming.
"ASHER THORNE!"
My mother. Luna Lisy.
Elegant. Regal. Deadly when pissed.
She stormed down the hallway in a silken robe, yanked me by the ear like I was twelve, and dragged me halfway back toward my room.
"What is that girl doing in your bed again?" she snapped. "Is she your mate?"
"No, Mom," I groaned. "She's not my mate. We were just… having a moment."
"A moment?" she hissed. "Asher, this must end. If your real mate ever finds out you've been whoring around, she'll be heartbroken before she even knows you. You're going to be Alpha. Act like it."
She crossed her arms, her blue eyes burning into mine.
"Take care of this before your name turns to filth."
And with that, she turned on her heel and left me standing in the hall.
I opened my bedroom door to find Irene still inside, sitting on the edge of my bed like she owned it.
"You're still here?" I asked flatly.
She smiled. "Don't you need me, Alpha?"
That word. Alpha. She used it like a leash.
"Listen, Irene," I said coldly. "You're not my mate. You can never be my Luna. Only my true mate has that right."
She stiffened.
"You came to me. You wanted this—"
"No," I cut her off. "You forced this. You clung to what you wanted to believe. That doesn't make it real."
Silence. Then fury.
She stood, eyes blazing. "You'll regret this."
"No. You will. Now leave."
With clenched fists and a glare sharp enough to slice stone, she stormed out.
And for the first time in weeks, I felt like I could breathe.
I showered again, trying to rinse off the mess of it all. I didn't know who my mate was, or when she'd appear.
But I knew this: when she did, everything would change.
I grabbed my backpack and headed down to the garage.My black Aston Martin waited, polished and purring.
I slid into the driver's seat, revved the engine, and sped toward the academy.Same school, same halls, same people.
But something felt different in the air today.Like fate was shifting.
And somewhere on that campus… she was waiting.