Chapter 4

Lionel's POV

I flew back to LA for the Ironclaw Pack Gathering hosted by my father, Alpha Drogo.

But here's the kicker - I didn't tell a soul from the pack about my whereabouts. Only my Beta knew I was holed up in this overpriced hotel suite.

I'd just stepped out of the shower, towel around my hips, reaching for my cigarettes and that bottle of Cabernet when my door burst open.

I walked there and saw a drunken woman standing there, her steps unsteady.

She was clearly wasted.

I frowned, about to tell her to leave—I didn't want any trouble ruining my night.

Before I could say anything, she stumbled into me.

Her palms slid across my abs like she was checking for six-pack authenticity.

My body responded before my brain could - typical werewolf biology.

"Damn, you're easy on the eyes," I growled, catching her wrists. "Wrong room?"

But she didn't seem to hear me. She kept trying to get closer, mumbling something incoherent.

I tried to push her away, but she suddenly tripped me, and I lost my balance, falling onto the floor.

At that moment, I felt a surge of power inside me.

That's when my wolf Leroy went nuts in my head.

"MATE!" he roared like a damn stadium speaker.

What?

Finding my mate now would be like spotting Bigfoot at a Starbucks.

But Leroy wasn't joking. As I tried to ask him, I realized I couldn't control my body anymore.

Leroy was taking over.

Damn it, the full moon had amplified Leroy's abilities.

The urge for a mate was hard to suppress.

The woman seemed to sense the change in me. She stopped trying to get closer and just stared at me.

Then she mumbled something about being drunk.

Her scent hit me - honeysuckle and roses with that dangerous edge of whiskey. My vision blurred as Leroy took the wheel.

I couldn't control how I felt—she smelled like a sweet fruit.

I could feel her breath on my face. Her unique scent was driving Leroy wild.

The full moonlight streamed through the window. I could feel my wolf growing even more eager under its glow.

I touched her body gently. Sparks seemed to fly between our skin. It was a feeling I'd never had before.

I stopped holding back and let my wolf take over. We began kissing.

"Mark me," she breathed.

"Mark her!" Leroy howled approval.

Just as I was about to do it, the moonlight outside the window suddenly brightened.

We saw each other's faces clearly. Her expression shifted from confusion to horror, and she stammered my name.

I quickly reached for the bedside lamp.

The sudden light made me squint. When my vision cleared, I looked at the woman lying in bed.

She had long brown hair, and her eyes were filled with panic.

When I looked at her neck, I saw a faint, incomplete mark.

The sight hit me like a punch in the gut—I immediately realized the gravity of the situation.

I looked at her face again.

By then, she also saw me clearly. Her already pale face turned even whiter. It was obvious that the alcohol had worn off.

"...Uncle Lionel?"

Hearing her address me, I remembered something. A few years ago, I attended Aljean's son's wedding when I was back at Ironclaw Pack. Aljean was my brother. He was older than me.

The she-wolf who had made a mate vow with Esmond was the woman in front of me.

Her name was Camellia, a she-wolf with Alpha blood.

"Uncle Lionel... I..." She opened her mouth, nervously trying to say something.

"Shut up." I snapped.

My mood was terrible, filled with anger and disappointment. I couldn't believe this had happened.

She seemed scared. She wanted to explain, but I didn't want to hear it.

Leroy protested in my mind. He still wanted her.

I looked at Camellia's face. When my gaze fell on the skin of her chest, Leroy roared again.

"Get. Out." The words came out harsher than I intended.

As I stood up, Camellia's eyes glanced at my body.

She froze for a moment, then awkwardly looked away. Her ears were turning red.

She had no idea how attractive that reaction was to me.

"Get out of here! I don't want to see you again!" I shouted, my voice filled with anger.

Camellia scrambled for her dress, that damn floral scent still messing with my head.

After she fled, I chain-smoked by the ruined bed, dialing my cleanup crew.

"Scrub all security footage. Tonight never happened."

Leroy kept whining about lost chances while I stared at the city lights.

My nephew's wife. My mate. The universe really needed to lay off the tequila shots.