Chapter 3: Nice to See You Again, Miss

Lynne's POV

Who could it be?

The Crimson Howl Pack?

The cedar scent grew stronger and stronger.

My heart was nearly pounding out of my chest.

The footsteps behind me suddenly quickened. My scalp prickled. I fought back the urge to scream and ran. The wind billowed my skirt out behind me, while cold sweat broke out across my back.

The sky was dark and heavy. The moon had disappeared. No one in the flickering light of the distant lanterns was paying any attention to this corner.

My shoes struck the concrete, making a sharp, rapid tap-tap-tap.

Suddenly, a group of young people came walking toward me from down the road. I wished one of them would look my way and notice the unease on my face. Or maybe I should just scream right now.

"Ahh —"

A pair of large hands suddenly seized me by the collar. My head went blank with a rush of static. I didn't stop to think — I twisted and thrashed in his grip, screaming for help over and over.

"Help — help!"

A moment later, no pain came. No danger. I opened my eyes uneasily, and my vision slowly came back into focus.

When I finally saw the face in front of me, my eyes snapped wide open. A very powerful and dangerous Were.

Broad shoulders that nearly blocked out the moonlight behind him. A black shirt pulled tight across a solid chest. He was startlingly tall, his green eyes glinting in the moonlight — those eyes were watching me with unwavering focus. I stared back at him, my face expressionless.

I knew full well my strength was no match for his.

But I had trained with the Pack. Maybe I could jump quickly and slip past him from the left, then run toward the bonfire. Tonight was the full moon banquet. I doubted even the Crimson Howl Pack would dare start something here.

Before I could sort through my scattered thoughts, he suddenly gripped the back of my neck. His unhurried voice came through:

"You run faster than lightning, Miss."

His teasing tone irritated me. What did he want? Speaking to me like that?

The cedar scent hit my nose head-on. That handsome face suddenly closed in, green eyes fixed unblinking on mine. Then he tilted his head slowly, leaned toward my ear, and took a quiet breath. "Why is there no Pack scent on you? Who are you?"

"I —"

I felt his hand graze along my side. My eyes went wide before I could stop them.

"Don't know your own name?"

He murmured against my ear, his lips brushing it. I shoved hard against him. He suddenly locked a hand around the back of my neck — his presence pressed down on me like a weight, making it hard to breathe.

I frowned and pushed harder, then drove my knee straight up into his groin. He staggered, letting out a low growl, then steadied himself. Before he could close in on me in his fury, I slapped him hard across the face.

"You dare treat your mate like this?"

His full presence came crashing down on me — like a boulder pressed against my chest. And then I finally understood. This was an Alpha. One who could tear me apart with barely any effort.

"Don't talk nonsense."

I yanked my hand free and plunged into the crowd. I ran as if my life depended on it. I felt a gaze tracking me from behind the whole way — but at least he didn't come after me. I weaved through the packed wolves and headed straight back to the maid's quarters, picking up my pace with every step.

It wasn't until I was back inside the Sterling villa that I finally let out a long, slow breath. Mate? Disgusting. I couldn't help but frown.

"So? Was the full moon ceremony fun?" Anne came over, bubbling with curiosity.

"Why didn't you go yourself?" I replied, drained.

"Oh! I have no interest in running into some snobbish she-wolf. So I'd rather rest in this little hole." Anne said it casually, the way she always did — speaking of sad things with a breezy lightness.

"Anne." I called her name softly, then blurted it out before I could stop myself: "My wolf didn't respond to me." Anne seemed to go still. She said nothing. I buried my head in the blanket and curled up. Then, gently, I felt a warm broad hand patting me softly on the back.

"Everything will be okay." Anne murmured close to my ear. I turned over and buried my face in her soft warmth, crying out loud until I couldn't anymore. I didn't know how long I cried. I must have cried myself to sleep.

When I woke the next morning, my head was throbbing. Faint light was already seeping through the window. I tried calling out to my wolf in my mind. Still nothing but dead silence. No response at all. I stared at the ceiling for a few blank seconds, then finally got up. The kitchen was as chaotic as a battlefield.

Naomi came walking over with her hands on her hips, looking me up and down in that cutting way of hers, then suddenly leaned in and sniffed. "Well, little wolf girl." She curled her lips. "Your wolf didn't show up?" Quiet snickering broke out around me. I said nothing and kept my head down, chopping vegetables. Just then, the butler's voice drifted in from the main hall:

"Next week, the Sterling family will be hosting a dinner party —"

The kitchen went quiet for a beat.

"The heir to the Darkridge Pack, Alpha Wyatt, will also be in attendance."

Several maids immediately broke into excited whispers. "Oh my moon, Alpha Wyatt is coming too! How amazing! He's the most handsome male I've ever seen!"

"He really is! What a shame he belongs to Miss Serena. That has nothing to do with you."

"But from what I know, Miss Serena isn't Alpha Wyatt's fated mate, is she?"

"She's the Beta's daughter, though. She grew up alongside Alpha Wyatt, and she's been taking Luna lessons all this time. I imagine the Darkridge Pack intends to make her the next Luna."

"Wyatt is already twenty-five, and his fated mate still hasn't shown up. I'd say there's a good chance she never will."

The maids were buzzing with excitement over Alpha Wyatt's visit, and I found it all insufferably noisy. My hearing and sense of smell had grown sharper than ever, but my wolf still hadn't responded to me — and the silence was making me more irritable by the day. I worked through it quietly, waiting for the night of the banquet to arrive.

Over the next few days, my wolf still gave me nothing.

Finally, the banquet night came. I was assigned to the main hall to collect wine glasses from the guests. As the dance began, the noise around me swelled. Damn it — I still hadn't learned to control my senses properly.

Aunt Briar raised her glass with nearly every guest, weaving through the crowd like a beautiful and haughty butterfly.

Then the hall suddenly went quiet.

The people around me startled for a moment, then one by one lowered their heads and stepped to the sides, clearing a path down the middle.

"Please welcome the esteemed Alpha and Luna of the Darkridge Pack." The butler called out, and the room broke into applause. I thought it was all utterly absurd.

"Alpha Wyatt is here —" the maids whispered among themselves with barely contained delight.

A tall, lean figure walked slowly into the hall. A black military uniform traced the lines of broad shoulders and a narrow waist. A silver-gray wolf crest caught the light with a cold gleam.

I kept my head down, holding my tray.

And in the moment he passed by me — a scorching, unfamiliar presence slammed into my chest. My heart broke into a wild, frantic beat. At the same time, he stopped. Those cold gray-blue eyes slowly lowered onto me.

"Nice to see you again, Miss."