Xavier's POV
The neon lights of Neon Pulse pulsed like the erratic heartbeat of a dying star, casting a chaotic kaleidoscope of colors across the writhing mass of bodies on the dance floor. I, Xavier, Alpha of the Moonlight Pack, stood cloaked in the shadows of a dimly lit corner, my senses battered by the acrid stench of sweat, cheap perfume, and the cloying undercurrent of human desperation. For thirty agonizing minutes, I'd been here, my piercing blue eyes scanning the sea of dancers, searching for the one thing I needed more than life itself, my mate. The prophecy's shadow loomed over me, a relentless specter whispering of the beast within, a force that could tear my pack apart if I didn't find her soon. My wolf, Nath, clawed at the edges of my sanity, his restlessness a mirror to my own, his growls a constant reminder of the stakes. Without her, I was one bad moon away from losing control, from becoming the monster I'd spent years suppressing, the one that could reduce my pack to ash and blood.
I didn't care that she might be human. At this point, I'd take anyone, human, witch, or otherwise if it meant saving myself and my pack from the ruin foretold by the oracle's cryptic words. But this club, Neon Pulse, was a cesspool of shallow flirtations and fleeting desires, a place that reeked of everything I despised. A parade of women had already thrown themselves at me, swaying their hips with exaggerated allure, batting overdone lashes, their faces caked with makeup that made Nath recoil in disgust, his primal instincts offended by the artificial masks they wore. "Fucking bloody humans," I muttered under my breath, my patience fraying like a worn rope. Nath sighed in my mind, his voice a low, exasperated growl. Here comes nothing, Xavier. Keep looking.
Frustration boiled over, a seething tide that threatened to drown me. I shoved my way through the crowd, my broad shoulders parting the sea of bodies like a blade through silk, ignoring the lingering glances and suggestive whispers that trailed in my wake. Their eyes clung to me, drawn to the raw power I couldn't fully conceal, the predatory grace that marked me as something other but I had no time for their fleeting desires. I needed air, space, anything to clear the fog of disappointment clouding my thoughts, the bitter taste of failure coating my tongue. My G-Wagon was parked just outside, a sleek black beast that matched the storm brewing in my chest. I stormed toward it, my boots pounding the pavement with a rhythm that echoed my pounding heart, my mind too tangled to care about the world around me. That was my first mistake.
I slid behind the wheel, the leather cool against my heated skin, and the engine roared to life with a guttural snarl that mirrored Nath's unrest. I peeled out of the lot without a second thought, the tires screeching against the asphalt, a sharp cry that cut through the night. Traffic lights and stop signs blurred into insignificance, mere suggestions in the face of my mounting anger. Nath was relentless, pacing in my head, his growls a constant drumbeat of frustration. Where is she? he demanded, his voice raw with desperation. We've waited too long, Xavier. Too long. I had no answer, and that only fueled my recklessness, my foot pressing harder on the gas, the city lights streaking past in a neon haze, the world reduced to a blur of motion and fury.
Then it happened, a sickening thud, the screech of tires, the world snapping into brutal, crystalline focus. I'd hit someone.
My heart stopped, a cold wave of dread crashing over me, dousing the fire of my anger in an instant. I may be cold-hearted, ruthless, even heartless, as the whispers in my pack claimed, but I wasn't a monster, not the kind who hurt innocent people, especially humans. They were frail, fragile creatures, their lives so easily snuffed out under the strength of a werewolf like me. Killing one in their pathetic, vulnerable state was beneath me, a violation of the code I lived by, even if I'd never admit it aloud. It wasn't right. It wasn't who I was.
I slammed on the brakes, the G-Wagon lurching to a stop, and threw the door open, my boots hitting the asphalt with a heavy thud that echoed in the quiet street. The air was thick with the scent of impending rain, a damp, earthy promise, but there was something else, something that made my pulse quicken, my senses sharpen to a razor's edge. I approached the crumpled figure on the ground, my steps cautious but urgent, each one heavier than the last. The closer I got, the more my body reacted, a primal instinct kicking in, raw and undeniable. My heart pounded against my ribs, my breath hitched in my throat, and Nath went wild in my head, his voice a frantic, exultant chant. Mate! Mate!
Her scent hit me like a tidal wave, divine and intoxicating, a force that nearly brought me to my knees. It was wildflowers kissed by morning dew, starlight woven into warm honey, and something uniquely, achingly her, a scent that stirred my soul in ways I didn't know were possible. My wolf nose, honed by years of tracking through forests and battlefields, had never caught a fragrance so perfect, so right, so utterly meant for me. I froze, my eyes locked on the woman lying motionless on the pavement. She was small, delicate, her dark hair fanned out around her like a halo, catching the dim glow of a nearby streetlamp. Blood trickled from a cut on her forehead, a stark crimson line against her pale skin, and my chest tightened with a visceral mix of guilt, awe, and something deeper, something I couldn't name.
"Oh, great," I growled to no one in particular, my voice thick with frustration and a bitter edge of irony. "What an unfair fucking world. My mate's a human, and the first time we meet, I nearly kill her?" Nath whined, his excitement warring with my rising panic, his presence a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. She's the one, Xavier. Our mate. But all I could think was how cruel fate was, how viciously it mocked me, dangling her in front of me like this, broken, bleeding, because of my own reckless stupidity.
I dropped to my knees beside her, my hands trembling as I reached for her wrist, my fingers searching for a pulse. It was there, faint but steady, a fragile thread of life that sent a flood of relief coursing through me. She was alive, for now. But humans were so damn fragile, their bodies so easily broken. Would she survive this? The thought of losing her, when I'd only just found her, was a knife to my gut, twisting with every second that passed. I couldn't lose her, not when she was the key to my pack's future, to my sanity, to the man I wanted to be instead of the beast I feared becoming.
"Stay with me," I whispered, my voice raw, a plea to her, to the Moon Goddess, to the universe itself. I scooped her into my arms, her body light as a feather, almost weightless, and I cursed myself again for not paying attention, for letting my anger cloud my judgment. Her head lolled against my chest, her scent enveloping me, overwhelming my senses until it was all I could focus on. I carried her to the G-Wagon, gently placing her in the passenger seat, her form small and fragile against the dark leather. Nath was practically howling in my head, urging me to protect her, to claim her, but I shoved him down, my focus narrowing to a single, desperate goal: keep her alive.
I sped toward the nearest hospital, my knuckles white as I gripped the steering wheel, the city blurring past in a streak of lights and shadows. "Please be okay," I muttered, glancing at her pale face, the blood on her forehead a stark reminder of my failure. "You have to be okay." The words were a prayer, a plea to whatever force had decided to screw me over by making my mate a human, by putting her in my path only to let me hurt her. Goodness, this can't be happening! I thought, my mind reeling, my heart a tangled mess of guilt and hope.
The hospital loomed ahead, its bright lights cutting through the night like a beacon, a promise of salvation I wasn't sure I deserved. I didn't know her name, her story, or how she'd ended up in my path, but one thing was certain: this human, this fragile, beautiful creature, was my mate. The Moon Goddess had chosen her, and I'd do whatever it took to save her, even if it meant facing the consequences of my own reckless actions. I pulled into the hospital's emergency bay, my heart pounding as I carried her inside, her scent still clinging to me, a reminder of the bond I'd nearly destroyed before it could begin.