Chapter One – The Mate Ball
Aurora had never seen so much glitter in her life.
Gold chandeliers dripped from the ceiling, gowns swished across polished marble, and music swelled in the air like something out of a fairytale. She had only agreed to come because her best friend begged her — "Just one night, Aurora, please! You owe me." So here she was, standing at the edge of the crowd, tugging at the hem of her borrowed dress and trying not to look like she belonged anywhere but here.
"These people are… intense," Aurora whispered, watching the masked dancers twirl with sharp, practiced grace. They moved almost too perfectly. Predatory. Beautiful in a way that unsettled her.
Her friend laughed. "Relax. It's just tradition. A bunch of rich families showing off."
But Aurora wasn't relaxed. Something about the air itself felt strange — thick, charged, humming against her skin like a warning she didn't understand. She shook it off, forcing a smile. Just one night, she told herself. Then back to normal life.
Across the ballroom, a different thought burned.
What a waste of time.
The Demon Alpha stood in the shadows, his tall frame hidden behind the edge of the crowd. He had never bothered with this ridiculous event before — a mate ball, where desperate wolves gathered like children chasing fate. Foolish. Weak. Yet for reasons even he couldn't explain, he had come. Once. Just once. To prove to himself how meaningless it all was.
And then he scented her.
Human. Fragile. Out of place.
His eyes locked onto a girl in a simple dress, standing nervously beside another. She wasn't laughing. She wasn't preening. She was… different. And when her gaze lifted across the crowd, meeting his—
The world stopped.
The wolf in him snarled with recognition, fierce and undeniable.
The Alpha's lips curved in something between anger and hunger.
His mate.
Aurora blinked, her chest tightening. Why was he staring at her like that?
Across the room, the man didn't move, but his eyes—dark, molten gold—burned into hers as though the crowded ballroom didn't exist. She wanted to look away, but couldn't. Something in her bones, in her blood, recognized him. A pull, sharp and terrifying, coiled in her stomach.
"Aurora," her friend whispered, following her gaze. "Don't stare. That's—" She cut herself off, her face suddenly pale. "We… we should go."
Aurora shook her head. "Who is he?"
Before her friend could answer, the crowd shifted. The music slowed. And he moved.
The man—no, the beast in human skin—strode through the dancers as if the floor belonged to him. People stepped aside instinctively, lowering their heads, fear etched into every movement. He never looked at them. His gaze was locked on her.
Aurora's breath caught as he stopped before her. Up close, he was devastating—taller than anyone else, shoulders broad beneath a black suit that looked more like armor than clothing. His presence pressed against her chest, suffocating, electric.
"Mine."
The word was a growl, deep and dangerous, rolling from his chest like thunder.
Aurora flinched. "E-excuse me?"
His hand reached out, not gently, not politely—like a predator claiming prey. He tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his burning eyes.
"You feel it," he said, his voice a low snarl only she could hear. "The bond. The pull. You are mine."
Her heart slammed against her ribs. Heat and fear tangled in her veins, drowning her in sensations she didn't understand. She shook her head, stumbling back. "You're insane—I don't even know you!"
His jaw tightened, a flash of fury crossing his features. Around them, the entire ballroom had fallen silent, all eyes watching. Wolves bowed their heads, pretending not to see, but the weight of their stares pressed into her all the same.
Aurora's vision blurred with panic. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think. All she knew was that this man—this impossible, terrifying man—was danger.
And so she did the only thing her human instincts allowed.
She turned and ran.
Her heels clattered against the marble, skirts snagging as she pushed past startled guests, her friend calling after her. But Aurora didn't stop. She couldn't. The sound of his voice followed her, dark and commanding, echoing in her skull.
"Run if you want, little human. You can't escape me."