Mate

KARA

I curled my fingers around the railing and stared up at the rising Blood Moon. Soft waves splashed rhythmically against the broadside as the Thornfields' luxurious yacht cruised around Lunar Bay. This was the royal pack's ball, a way for the Alpha King to show how it was done in the capital. And so we were, all dressed up in our finest gowns and tuxedos, drinking liquor from golden-ornamented glasses. Over a hundred wolves from my pack gathered here to find their mates, and I was one of them.

The sounds of laughter and music boomed from the front and back, but I strayed away from the crowd and noise. I wasn't the most popular member of the Blue Moon Pack, to say it lightly. They called me the weakling, airwaste, cripple, twig, meatbag, deadweight, or weakblood. That last one pissed me off the most. My father was the pack's Gamma, and my mother had come from an Alpha lineage, but the pack only cared about how fragile I looked.

What could I say? I was five-foot-two and weighed a little over ninety pounds. My ginger hair and green eyes were also the traits others made fun of. Even the gods must have ridiculed me, giving me a powerful wolf spirit my body couldn't handle.

My first shift into a wolf form had cost me ten fractured bones and a month spent in the hospital. Once I'd recovered, I'd been receiving special training away from my pack. Of course, that had only fueled the rumors and given more reasons to mock me.

But I had someone who believed in me. I'd survived years of humiliation in the Blue Moon Pack only because I knew he was on my side. Lance Thornfield. He was the future Alpha and the future King of Altheris. I had known him since I could barely walk. He'd been like an older brother at first. Then he'd become my best friend, and three years ago, we had officially started dating.

My heart had nearly burst out of my chest when he'd asked me out for the first time. It might have been the happiest day of my life. Lance had always been caring and gentle. He had protected me and stood up for me. He'd been my shield, and in return, I'd given him my all.

Two years ago, he'd entered the Evermore War College. Since then, I'd spent countless nights helping him study for his exams or writing his essays. I had been helping him with his preparations to take over the pack. And I hadn't hesitated to give him more than half of my blood when he'd been poisoned.

One would say that I was foolish. I would answer that I was madly in love. We had survived two years of a long-distance relationship, but now everything was about to change. I'd gotten accepted to Evermore, and Lance and I would finally study together.

A soft giggle escaped me as I thought about it. I had yet to tell him. We hadn't seen each other for over four months, but as the future Alpha, I knew he would be here, at the ball.  

It was my nineteenth birthday and my first chance to feel the magical pull of the bond. I would rather spend this day elsewhere, but my wolf wouldn't let me. She wanted to find our mate, claiming my destined one would be on this yacht. Honestly, I couldn't help but think it would be Lance…

“Fuck me harder!” A growl followed by a series of whimpers quickly shattered my romantic mood. The sounds slipped through the thin door of one of the guest rooms. Apparently, some of us felt the mate bond earlier than others… or decided not to wait for the pull before fucking each other's brains out.

Wincing, I whirled around and started walking; the farther from the guest rooms, the better. I barely made a few steps before a group of girls led by Lexa, my cousin's bestie, blocked my way.

“You dared to show up here? How brave of you, Kara.” She tossed her black curls behind her shoulder, sneering at me. “Who would have wanted a weakling like you as their mate?”

All of them laughed, repeating the same old, used remarks. I was almost surprised that my cousin Delphina wasn't among them. She'd become the president of my anti-fan club long ago. But apparently, she'd left tonight's mission to her second-in-command.

Clenching my fists, I stepped forward. “I have every right to be here. Just like you, unfortunately,” I hissed.

“You bitch!” Snarling, Lexa raised her hand to slap me.

My wolf surged forward, and a low growl slipped through my lips. Lexa froze in an instant. Doubtless, she felt the strength radiating from me, but it took her exactly two seconds to ignore it and put back a mocking smirk on her face. “Enjoy the ball while you can. I have a feeling you'll end up crying,” she purred.

I rolled my eyes and pushed past the spiteful group. Gods, I hated this ball already. I definitely wasn't a masochist, but I had to endure another hour or two… or until I found Lance.

Where was he? I hadn't seen him all evening, and I was beginning to feel restless. I missed him beyond reasonable limits. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw a pair of gorgeous blue eyes, golden hair, and sun-kissed skin. A year ago, he'd already had a god-like body, but after several more months of training? I clenched my thighs as a stream of indecent thoughts flooded my mind.

More whimpers and moans echoed from the lower deck, and my fantasies became more daring. I was still a virgin. According to my aunt Felonia, I was like an endangered species, and she probably wasn't wrong. I hadn't been ready when we'd started dating, but after Lance had gone to Evermore, we couldn't even spend a single day alone. And what if tonight was our chance?

Once I found myself in an empty corridor, my gaze drifted to the moon. My wolf stirred. A wave of heat flooded my body, and my feet shifted toward the stairs. This was it, wasn't it? A pull.

The scent of cedar and rosemary filled my nostrils, and my heart began to race. My breath quickened, and a wave of shivers rushed through my body. The scent felt so familiar, so intense, so irresistible…

“Watch out, cripple!” growled a guy I'd nearly bumped into.

“Sorry,” I mumbled before sidestepping him and running down the stairs.

He shouted more insults behind me, but I didn't glance back. I kept running, heading to the front part of the deck, where the VIP rooms were.

“Hey, little ginger bitch!” A drunken asshole materialized in front of me. “Don't run. Have fun… with us,” he drawled as his two equally drunk companions stumbled behind him.

I clenched my jaw. I had no time for this. Another surge of heat seared my senses. I grabbed the long, silk skirt of my gown and lunged forward, swiftly maneuvering between them. Thank the gods they were too slow to catch me.

My wolf began to whimper, urging me to follow the scent, to find our mate. My breaths turned into shallow, erratic pants. My skin became feverish, and I knew that only the touch of my destined one could soothe this growing need within me.

‘He's here! He's here! He's here!’ A soft voice in my head repeated, pulling me to a halt before one of the doors. I lifted my trembling hand to knock when I heard a mix of growls and moans coming from the inside.

I froze. The cedar and rosemary scent that had led me here slipped through the door along with the smell of sex and liquor. My stomach dropped to my knees.

My mate was in that room, and he wasn't alone. I stumbled back, my chest clenching. This had to be some kind of misunderstanding. Two mates had to feel the pull at the same time. Now I was standing outside the door, but… he was with another woman?! Grinding my teeth, I finally knocked.

A growl sounded a heartbeat later. “The fuck do you want?!”

My body tensed. I knew that voice. I would have recognized it anywhere. A tremor rushed through my body as someone walked to the door and yanked it open.

Lance. He was the one who stood on the threshold. He was covered in sweat, his eyes glossy, his gaze wild, his body… completely naked. I couldn't breathe. My mouth fell open as my eyes took in the utterly devastating sight of him—shameless perfection. He looked as if he had been torn out from my most lewd dream. His hair was damp, his chest rising and falling with frantic breaths. His body was more alluring than in any of my boldest fantasies.

His eyes found mine and widened in shock because this wasn't a dream. If anything, it was a nightmare—my nightmare. I forced air into my lungs and choked out, “Mate.”

Lance's eyes began to burn. But it wasn't animalistic craving; it was annoyance. He slowly looked me up and down before snarling, “Oh, hell no!”