Chapter 4

Elliot

Sunlight streamed through the windows, piercing my eyelids and dragging me out of sleep. Groaning, I rubbed my face and turned toward the other side of the bed. My lips curved into a lazy smirk, expecting to find her there, tangled in the sheets, as breathtaking in the morning light as she had been last night.

But the bed was empty.

My heart kicked up its pace. I sat up, scanning the room. The faint scent of her still lingered in the air—a mix of jasmine and plum that had driven my wolf wild. But she was gone.

“Damn it,” I muttered, raking a hand through my hair. I hadn’t even learned her name.

It wasn’t like me to stay after a night like that. I was the one who disappeared before dawn, leaving no room for attachments or awkward conversations. But last night had been...different. I’d stayed, letting my guard down for the first time in years. And she’d vanished.

My wolf paced restlessly in the back of my mind, his frustration mirroring mine. Where is she?

Then I saw it. A crisp hundred-dollar bill on the nightstand.

A growl rumbled low in my chest as I grabbed the bill, crushing it in my fist.

“What the hell?” I hissed. “Did she mistake me for a damn sex worker?”

My wolf snorted, clearly amused by my outrage. The humiliation burned hotter with every second. Not only had she left before I woke up, but she’d left a tip.

And to add insult to injury, it was only a hundred dollars.

“Unbelievable,” I muttered. “If I were in this business, women would be paying me thousands, not this insult.”

The memory of her touch, the way her body had responded to mine, flashed through my mind. It only fueled my anger. She’d left, and worse—she’d made me want more.

I yanked out my phone and texted Kai, my Beta.

“Bring the car around. Now.”

Minutes later, I was sliding into the back seat of the sleek black SUV. Kai, ever the wise ass, was already grinning as he glanced at me in the rearview mirror.

“Morning, Alpha. Rough night?”

“Drive,” I snapped.

Kai arched a brow but obeyed, though his smirk didn’t falter. “You actually stayed the night. That’s a first. She must’ve been something special.”

“Shut the fuck up,” I growled.

He chuckled but didn’t push further, sensing the thin thread of my patience.

I dialed the club manager. “I need information on the woman I was with last night,” I ordered. “Who is she?”

“Alpha Sinclair,” the manager stammered, clearly panicked. “I...I don’t know. She wasn’t a regular. I’ve never seen her before.”

My jaw tightened. That wasn’t the answer I wanted.

“Kai,” I barked, ending the call. “I need her found. Now. Put the best trackers on it. I want to know who she is, where she’s from, and why she disappeared before sunrise. I want answers before I finish my breakfast.”

Kai’s jaw dropped as he met my gaze in the mirror. “Seriously? Before breakfast?”

I shot him a glare. “Do it. Or you’ll be skipping lunch, too.”

Grumbling under his breath, Kai pulled out his phone to relay my orders. But he couldn’t resist one last jab. “You’re really going all in on this, huh? Never thought I’d see the day. The great Alpha Elliot Sinclair, the notorious fuckboy, brought to his knees by one night with a mystery woman.”

I ignored him, leaning back in the seat. My wolf growled low in my chest, restless and agitated, but I shoved him down.

Her scent was still burned into my senses, her touch a phantom memory that wouldn’t fade. No one had ever done this to me, consumed me so completely.

Whoever she was, she wouldn’t stay a mystery for long.

“One more thing,” Kai added, his smirk returning. “You should take a shower.”

***********

Later that afternoon

By the time I returned to my office, the scent of coffee and leather greeted me like an old friend. Breakfast had done little to curb my frustration, so I dove into work, poring over reports of rogue attacks on an ally pack.

The details were...peculiar. No traces left behind. No scent trails, no witnesses. It was as if the rogues had materialized from thin air, wreaked havoc, and vanished without a trace.

I drummed my fingers against the desk, my thoughts racing, when Kai walked in. His usual cocky demeanor was gone, replaced with a grim determination. He held a set of photographs in his hands.

“Alpha,” he started, his tone heavy, “I’ve found her.”

My heart kicked up, but I kept my expression impassive. “And?”

Kai laid three pictures on my desk. My eyes immediately locked onto her. My mystery woman.

Beside her was Sophia, my cousin, and another woman I didn’t recognize.

“This is Lila Emerson,” Kai said, his voice careful. Too careful.

I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms. “And?”

Kai exhaled, the tension rolling off him in waves. “Alpha, Lila Emerson is the only woman you can’t have.”

The growl that tore from my throat echoed through the room. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

Kai hesitated, but he knew better than to keep me waiting. “She’s the daughter of Alpha Andrew Emerson. Your father’s sworn enemy. The man who’s been a thorn in the Blue Moon pack’s side for years. The Alpha King will never approve of this...connection. He will make your stepbrother the King if you defy him.” 

His words hit like a punch to the gut. The room fell silent, my mind spinning with the weight of his revelation. My mate, yes, she was my fucking mate—the woman my wolf and I craved—was the daughter of the one man I had vowed to destroy and make him suffer till he would beg for his death. 

Fate wasn’t cruel; it was a sadistic game master. The Moon Goddess wasn’t just mocking me—she was throwing down a challenge. My wolf bristled, snarling in my mind, but his desire for her burned hotter than any hatred we’d carried for her bloodline.

“And? Tell me everything that you have found about her,” I demanded, my voice low, dangerous.

Kai rubbed the back of his neck. “There was a party in the Mystic Shadow pack. A celebration of her engagement to Alpha Sheldon. But she didn’t show up.”

My lips curled into a smirk. “Instead, she was in the club. With me.”

Kai nodded. “Yes, Alpha. The next day, she fled the arranged marriage. She’s currently in hiding. Her father and Sheldon’s men are searching for her.”

A laugh, dark and twisted, bubbled from my chest. “She ran away for me. She must have felt the mate bond, even if she didn’t show it.”

Kai frowned. “Mate bond? If she is your fated mate, it’s worse than I had assumed it already was.”

But I wasn’t listening. The image of her emerald eyes, filled with shock and recognition when she learned who I was, burned in my mind.

“Kai,” I said, leaning forward, my smirk widening, “find her, before they do. I want her here. I want her to know exactly who she chose that night.”

“Alpha...” Kai hesitated. “You’re playing with fire. Your father will not—”

“Will love it,” I cut him off, my voice sharp. “When the daughter of an enemy falls for you, the war is already half-won. And as for the Moon Goddess?” I chuckled darkly, my wolf stirring with unease, showing his disapproval for my plan. “She started a game. I’ll show her how to win.”