Chapter 70

Darren

I swirled the amber liquid in my glass, watching as the dim lights of the ballroom reflected off its surface. The masquerade was in full swing—lavish costumes, ornate masks, and the hum of meaningless chatter filled the air. These events were never my scene, but as the CEO of Lunar Labs, I was expected to make a donation. And I had to actually attend the party if I wanted to donate.

Liam leaned against the bar beside me, adjusting his tie with a sidelong glance. “You look utterly thrilled to be here,” he remarked.

I shot him a glare from behind my mask. “Can’t you tell? I’m the life of the party.”

My Beta rolled his eyes. “Hey, at least there’s an open bar.”

I grunted in agreement, my eyes drifting over the sea of masked faces one last time. Suddenly, a tantalizing scent hit me—a familiar aroma that made my heart skip a beat. I knew that scent all too well.

Aria.

With my nostrils flaring slightly, I turned toward the source of the scent. Then I saw her—a woman in a sparkly black dress that hugged every curve perfectly, her brunette hair swept up elegantly. Even with the ornate mask obscuring part of her face, there was no mistaking her.

My wolf stirred restlessly. “Mate…”

“Is everything alright?” Liam asked, following my line of sight. “Oh. Is that—”

“Yes,” I confirmed, unable to tear my eyes away. She looked stunning. I mean, she always looked gorgeous even in her work clothes, but this was different.

“What are the odds?” Liam mused. “I didn’t peg her for the masquerade type.”

I shook my head and watched as she moved gracefully through the crowd, the soft glow of the chandeliers casting a halo around her.

Just then, a tall man in an impeccably tailored suit approached her. His mask was sleek and black, matching his jet-black hair. He leaned in close, saying something that made Aria laugh—a light, genuine sound that sent a pang of jealousy straight through me.

My grip tightened around the glass. “Who’s that with her?”

Liam squinted. “Can’t say I recognize him. It is a masquerade, after all.”

As I observed them, the man’s hand brushed lightly against the small of Aria’s back, guiding her toward a nearby table. My wolf growled softly. They were far too close for comfort.

“Easy there,” Liam cautioned, noticing my clenched jaw. “You’re getting that look.”

“What look?” I snapped, even though I knew exactly what he meant.

“The one that says you’re about two seconds away from causing a scene.”

“I don’t cause scenes.” I took a deep breath, trying to steady my frayed nerves. “She’s free to spend time with whoever she wants. She might be my mate, but we’re not together and never will be.”

My Beta simply blinked at me. His eyebrows were likely raised in disbelief, but they were hidden behind his mask.

I kept watching as Aria and the man settled at the table, Aria’s best friend—Bella, I think her name was—sitting with them. The sight of the three of them together eased my worries, if only a little; so it wasn’t exactly a date.

But the expensive champagne he ordered, coupled with the way they seemed engrossed in conversation as if the world around them had faded, set my heart racing again.

It wasn’t just that, though. There was something else about the whole situation.

“Something’s off about him,” I mused.

Liam frowned. “Alpha—”

“I mean it,” I said, sniffing the air a little. “Don’t you scent that?”

With a sigh, Liam tilted his head and sniffed. His eyes widened a little. “Now that you mention it... he doesn’t smell human."

I frowned as the scent hit me. He wasn’t a human, nor was he werewolf. That could only mean one thing.

“Panther shifter,” Liam said before I could. “Interesting. Rare to see one of their kind, especially at a charity even with the common public mingling about.”

A low growl rumbled in my chest. Panther shifters were known for being aloof and edgy. They had a reputation for being materialistic playboys, often models or artists in the human world. And with no pack alliances, they could often be wild cards in and of themselves.

“Great,” I muttered wryly. “Just what she needs. A panther shifter upending her world.”

Liam narrowed his eyes. “Please be careful, Alpha. This isn’t exactly the place to—”

I glared at him. “I’m not planning on starting anything.”

“Your wolf says otherwise,” he remarked. “I can practically feel the tension rolling off you.”

I tore my gaze away from Aria and the panther shifter, focusing on the ice melting in my glass. Maybe he was right. “It’s none of my business.”

Liam just looked at me, clearly not fully believing me. I didn’t really believe myself, either. My wolf was practically howling with fury, every muscle in my body coiled to spring over there and tear them away from each other.

I knew I had no right to, that we weren’t together and I’d made it pretty damn clear that I intended to break our mate bond so she could be with whomever she wished, but… it wasn’t easy to look at them together.

Suddenly, the music shifted to a slower tune, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw the panther shifter extend his hand to Aria. She accepted, rising gracefully as he led her to the dance floor.

My resolve wavered. Seeing another man hold her, his hands on her waist—it was more than I could bear.

“I need some air,” I said abruptly, setting my glass down.

Liam grabbed my arm gently. “Don’t do anything you’ll regret.”

I shook him off. “I just need to clear my head.”

Navigating through the crowd, I kept a distance but stayed within sight of them. They moved in sync to the music, Aria’s laughter ringing out as he spun her around. My wolf’s agitation grew with every passing second.

“She’s ours,” he hissed. “Don’t let him touch her like that.”

Gritting my teeth, I tried to quell the possessive instincts surging through me. Aria deserved happiness, a normal life without the complications of my world. If this man could offer her that, who was I to interfere?

“But he’s not human,” my wolf argued. “Panther shifters may not be involved with the shifter world, but they are shifters nonetheless.”

I edged closer, staying concealed behind a group of guests. Just out of curiosity, or so I told myself, I allowed my wolf hearing to slip through. Their conversation floated easily over to me amidst the chatter.

“You have a lovely smile,” the panther shifter said smoothly.

“Thank you,” Aria replied, her cheeks flushing slightly.

“Tell me, what brings you to events like these?”

“Bella convinced me to come,” she admitted. “It’s a bit out of my comfort zone, but I needed to get out of the house, so…”

He smiled. “I see. Well, your friend is very wise. Sometimes stepping out leads to the most interesting experiences.”

She laughed softly. “I suppose you’re right.”

I clenched my fists so hard that my nails began biting into my palms. The urge to intervene was overwhelming.

In those moments, as I watched the panther shifter twirl and dip Aria on the dance floor, the part of me that was Darren—the benevolent human CEO—ebbed away. What was left was nothing but wolf, pure and primal and yearning for only one thing.

My mate.

Before I could get ahold of myself, I began storming forward, pushing through the crowd.

“Have you ever considered modeling?” the man asked, touching a strand of her hair as they swayed together. “You’re tall and beautiful. You’d make a wonderful model.”

Aria’s face turned an even deeper shade of red, only partially obscured by the cat mask she wore. “You can’t even see my entire face.”

The panther shifter chuckled softly, almost like a purr. “I can tell that you’re beautiful, even with the mask. And who knows; perhaps I’ll have a chance to see you without it at some point.”

Aria laughed a little, raising a gloved hand to cover her mouth. She said something else, but I couldn’t hear it—I could only hear the blood rushing through my ears, the hatred toward this man for touching my mate. For flirting with her and insinuating even taking her home.

“Mate,” my wolf growled on repeat. “Mate. Ours.”

Suddenly, three things happened.

The panther shifter twirled Aria again, pulling her body flush against him. He dipped his head as if to kiss her. Kiss her!

Then, Aria’s head whipped toward me as I forced my way through the crowd, her green eyes widening as she recognized me.

And third, the lights flickered and went out.