As I stepped into the hallway, Mom was there to greet me. “You’re looking beautiful as always, sweetheart,” she said, her smile warm and genuine.
“Must be your genes,” Dad chimed in, making his presence known.
My parents, even after years of being together, never failed to show their love for each other. Jake and I would often tease them about it, but we didn’t really mind. Jake, having found his own mate, understood their bond. I, on the other hand, longed for a connection like theirs.
“Thanks, Dad,” I replied, my tone dripping with sarcasm.
“Sweetheart, you know I always compliment you. You’re my only daughter, after all.” Dad planted a kiss on my forehead.
“That’s why she turned out like this,” Jake joked.
“Shut up, you’re just jealous,” I retorted, sticking my tongue out at him.
“Real mature, Scar,” Jake said, rolling his eyes.
“Stop teasing your sister,” Maria scolded, hitting Jake on the shoulder. His scowl was met with my smirk.
“You’ve got everyone wrapped around your finger, don’t you?” Jake shook his head.
I flipped my hair back and replied, “Yep.”
“Your favorite pastime seems to be teasing your sister. What will you do when she finds her mate?” David sighed.
“Hey, David!” I greeted him with a smile.
“Scar, you’re looking beautiful as always. I think your brother is secretly jealous,” David said, laughing.
“It’s not a secret,” I winked.
“If everyone’s done teasing me, let's head over there. I’m sure seeing the alpha king is more important,” Jake grumbled.
We all laughed but followed his suggestion, making our way to an open space.
Everyone was engaged in conversation, but I found myself distracted. My wolf was on edge, which didn’t make sense. I had shifted just yesterday, so it wasn’t a need for a run.
The last thing I wanted was to cause a scene.
To distract myself, I scanned the crowd for Aria. Harry was at the front, looking nervous. That’s when I spotted Aria with her dad and Chris.
Aria was all smiles, clearly excited. She must have been happy to see her cousin after all these years.
The hall fell silent, and I stood with my family, my eyes darting around nervously. I was getting restless, and I didn’t know why. Mom nudged me, silently telling me to calm down.
Damn, I was being too obvious. I looked down, pretending to be fascinated by the floor.
I found myself wondering what the alpha king would be like. Would he still be violent? Would he try to kill? My thoughts were interrupted when Jake stepped on my foot. I shot him a glare, and he smirked back.
Marie shook her head at our antics but nudged Jake, silently telling him to stop annoying me. I couldn’t resist sticking my tongue out at him.
Harry began to speak, so I straightened up and focused on his words. “Now, without further ado, please welcome your Alpha King!” His voice echoed through the hall.
The crowd erupted into applause and cheers. I joined in, clapping along.
I tried to catch a glimpse of the alpha king, but the crowd was inconsiderate. Despite my height, they refused to move, even when I asked politely.
How rude can people be?
I shook my head and continued clapping. Suddenly, an intoxicating scent hit me. It was powerful, addictive, and my body reacted instantly.
My legs seemed to have a mind of their own, wanting to find the source of the scent. My wolf was urging me forward too.
But I couldn’t just walk off. The king hadn’t given his speech yet, and that would be incredibly rude. As much as I wanted to find the source of that wonderful smell, I had to wait.
A loud, clear voice snapped me back to reality. “Thank you for that warm welcome. I appreciate it a lot. Please sit, eat, and enjoy your evening. Tomorrow I want my council here at 9 a.m. sharp.”
The voice sent shivers down my spine, and I found myself smiling. My body was reacting so strongly to the scent, even when I tried to distract myself.
I guessed that the voice belonged to the alpha king, but I still didn’t know where the scent was coming from. Within seconds, people dispersed to talk to the king or amongst themselves.
The crowd was so thick that I couldn’t see Aria anymore. She was the first person I wanted to ask about this, but how could I when I couldn’t even see her?
After about five minutes of wandering around trying to find Aria, I bumped into someone. I looked up to see David.
He smiled and shook his head at me before returning to his conversation.
I sighed and headed to the bar for a glass of lemonade. All these strange sensations were making me feel hot and bothered. Maybe a drink would cool me down.
However, I found myself wanting to just go home, but I felt like this smell was preventing me from doing so. It was as if I wouldn’t be able to leave until I found the source.
This wasn’t good, people might think I was crazy if I kept wandering around trying to find this smell.
So, after downing my lemonade in record time, I went to the nearest restroom and took a few deep breaths. I needed to snap out of whatever this was.
Just when I thought I could go out, the smell hit me again, but this time it was so much stronger. I couldn’t stop my feet from walking toward it, but when I opened the door, it was gone.
The smell seemed fainter. I breathed out and walked toward Marie and Jenny, trying to act natural.
They beckoned me over, and I was glad to join them. My eyes were still searching for Aria, to no avail. After some chatting, everyone was told to take a seat for dinner.
Everyone had their own table, one for each pack. As I took my seat, my mom shot me a look, her eyebrows raised. It was as if she could sense something was off with me.
She didn’t seem entirely convinced, but she let it go. Thank God.
Before I could dwell on it, food started arriving. Plates upon plates of different dishes from various cuisines were set before us.
Like any normal person, I loved food! Seeing all this food was like a dream come true.
But tonight, something was off. The sight of the food made me feel sick, and it broke my heart.
Despite my lack of appetite, I picked at a small plate, hoping no one who knew me would notice. It was a clear sign that something was wrong.
I felt uncomfortable in my seat, my body urging me to follow that scent. It took all my willpower to resist.
Tonight was not the night to make a scene or embarrass myself. After everyone had eaten and chatted, we all got up and mingled.
I stuck with Mom, who was engrossed in a conversation about new recipes she’d discovered. Not exactly my idea of fun, but I figured staying with Mom was the safer option.
Again, I caught a whiff of that scent, but this time it was so potent that my body tingled with anticipation.
People were standing around, chatting, when I saw Aria wave me over. I was eager to join her. I had so much to tell her. But as I was walking over, a scream rang out. I spun around.
A woman was lying on the ground, a pool of blood spreading around her, an arrow protruding from her side. A note was attached to it.
Her pack members were crying, screaming for her to wake up. I swallowed hard, my knees buckling. Just as I was about to hit the floor, two strong arms caught me.
Suddenly, I was pulled into a warm embrace. My body tingled with excitement. My eyes closed on their own, and I inhaled that intoxicating scent.
The scent that had been driving me insane all evening.
My eyes fluttered open, and I found myself looking up at the alpha king. And then he said the one word I’d always longed to hear. “Mate!”
So, I did what any other she-wolf would do if they found out they were mated to the killer alpha king. I ran.
