Chapter 6

Luciano’s POV

“They are here. Just like we thought.”

I stared at the text from Karlos, tapping my heel against the limo’s leather floor. I hadn’t stepped inside the ballroom yet. I hate this annual mate hunt; it’s a parade of barely-legal shifters trying to pin a mystical connection on a wealthy Alpha. It’s pathetic.

[KARLOS: The Crystal Lake wolves are here, just as we suspected. There are definitely two daughters. The rumors might be true. I'm going in.] [KARLOS: Keep an eye on the younger daughter. Something's off about her relationship with her family. Verity just about threw her away when I came up, and he's trying to get the older one in my pants.]

I reread the messages. This surprised me. It would make more sense for the Crystal Lakes to go after me, the Alpha, but they’re pushing Jimena Verity onto Karlos, my Beta.

Unless they wanted both of them. If Alexander Verity didn't want Karlos near the other daughter, maybe it was because he had a different target in mind. Me.

If both of his daughters were mated to the Alpha and Beta of my pack, he’d have a claim on everything. I could see the appeal, if I were a sneaky bastard like Verity. He’d probably be running my pack within the year, if I were stupid enough to let it happen. He must think Karlos and I are just hormone-driven kids, incapable of seeing a trap. Too bad for him, I’ve never been tempted to dip my wick in poison.

I dropped my phone into my jacket pocket and slid out of the car. The half-smoked cigarette went to the ground; I crushed it under my heel. Smoke curled out of the open car door before I slammed it shut. I gave a quick, sharp nod to the shifters guarding the entrance.

I stepped into the opulent ballroom, hugging the shadows of a nearby pillar. I needed to avoid eye contact with anyone looking for a quick lay or a forced mating bond. My focus was on figuring out what the Crystal Lakes were plotting.

My eyes swept the room. It took only a moment to find them. Verity stood tall, chest puffed out like he owned the place. His son, Pascual, hovered nearby, his face an emotionless mask. And there was Jimena, clinging to Karlos’s arm like a rented accessory.

I let out a low scoff. The Crystal Lakes were so obvious, trying to force an alliance. I’d never allow it. I’m young, but I’m not an idiot. Their pack’s reputation is trash. Their Alpha didn't even bother to show up tonight, which tells you everything about their respect for the Council. An alliance would be nothing more than a front for a hostile takeover.

The real question was, why us? Why now?

I pulled out my phone and shot a quick text to Karlos.

[LUCAS: What's the youngest daughter wearing? I don't see her with the others.]

While I waited, my gaze kept searching. And then I saw her.

She was standing near a far wall, almost swallowed by the darkness there. Her dark blonde hair fell in soft waves. Thick-framed glasses highlighted the striking blue of her eyes. They were a pale, icy shade of blue.

She was wearing an elegant black dress, cut low enough to hint at the swell of her chest. My fingers twitched as the fabric moved gently around her hips, giving a brief flash of the curves beneath. I don’t notice women’s clothes, but I liked this one. A lot. Classy. Sexy.

Mine.

A sudden, sharp desire hit me deep in my stomach. My wolf let out a low growl in the back of my mind. It was a new sound, a primal, heavy recognition I’d never felt before. I just knew one thing: I wanted her. Now.

I was too far away to catch her scent, but my wolf was screaming at me to move closer. I stayed put, keeping to the shadows, my eyes locked on her. She looked uncomfortable, walking as if her heels were brand new. She was clearly older than the wide-eyed first-timers who usually attended this moon-cursed matefest.

She stiffened, a tension I could see even from this distance. Her head began to dart around the room, her eyebrows pinched together. I was sure she felt my gaze. My wolf’s appetite flared, enjoying the start of the hunt, even as he howled in my head, demanding I get closer. Close enough to smell her. Close enough to press her against me. Close enough to claim her scent.

Only her shoulders and arms were bare in that black dress. Her pale skin shone under the bright lights. Then there was the diamond-shaped cutout over her chest—a delightful tease. I wanted to bite her there, to leave my mark, letting everyone know she was claimed by her Alpha.

I ran my tongue over my canines. A small smile touched my lips when she quickly moved to another corner of the room and looked around again, trying to find what she sensed. What does she smell like? What sweetness would explode in my mouth with the first kiss? She struck me as sweet, like honey.

Take her, scent her, mark her, my wolf ordered. I felt him clawing at the wall separating our minds.

Could it be? Had I finally found my mate?

I kept watching my prize. A thrill shot through me when her small figure quickly slipped away toward the outdoor gardens. It was barely a half-hour before midnight.

Oh yes, little wolf. I’m coming for you.