A Midnight Date

I shouldn't have been here. My father would have killed me knowing that I had sneaked out of our shabby cottage house… again. I should have prepared for tomorrow's Mating Ball. I should have tried to find myself a dress worthy of entering Alpha Cadoc's castle. I should have tried to get some sleep. But was I doing any of it? No. I was standing in the old, abandoned hut at the top of the hill with my heart pounding in excitement.

My eyes were locked on the door. My breath was erratic. My hands were shivering. Kylar should have been here by now. I hadn't seen him for over two weeks, and I couldn't wait to feel his strong arms around me again.

I wished we could have seen each other like normal couples did. I wished I could have held his hand while walking through the center of Hilalville. I wished Alpha Cadoc had blessed my relationship with his son… I wasn't that lucky.

My wolf was a sleeper. I felt its presence in the depths of my soul, but I couldn't turn into my wolf form. I might have been faster and stronger in my mortal form than most of the wolves in our pack, but it didn't matter. Without the full strength of my spirit, in the eyes of my pack, I was worthless. I guess being the illegitimate daughter of an old warrior who was now a cripple and a drunkard didn't help my position in the pack either…

My life hadn't always been like this. It had never been perfect, but it used to be… better. My father, Erebus Jordart, was once called the Eastern Valley Pack's greatest warrior, and my sister had been slowly following in his footsteps. I was supposed to be like them—strong, powerful, and worthy of respect. The Fates denied me Jordart's family strength. After our pack's healer, Silas, had named me a shadow wolf—a wolf that was likely never to feel their spirit's full power—I had been degraded to a status no better than omega. Meeting Kylar might have been the only good thing that had ever happened to me.

I heard the screeching sound of an opening door, and my heart tripped over itself. Kylar's large frame slowly appeared, and my lips parted into a wide grin. He chuckled and dragged his fingers through his wavy, ash-blond hair. “Missed me?” he asked teasingly before cautiously locking the door behind him.

I bit my lip, taking in his broad chest barely embraced by a gray button-up shirt and his dark brown leather pants, perfectly emphasizing his muscled thighs. “You know I did,” I muttered.

He walked closer and dipped his head, leveling his gray eyes with mine. “I missed this,” he purred, placing his fingers on my lips. “And this.” He slowly slid his fingers down my neck and lower to my cleavage, slightly exposed in the simple linen dress I wore.

My breath hitched as his eyes darkened and his arms snaked around my waist. His lips collided with mine. His tongue darted out, parting my lips and entering me with ease. My fingers greedily tangled around the curls of his hair, pulling him closer, urging him to explore me deeper. His arm traveled down from the small of my back to the curve of my buttocks and below. I gasped against his lips as he lifted me. Instinctively, I wrapped my legs around his waist as he carried me a few steps before dropping my butt on the old table.

“Lie down,” he ordered hoarsely as he positioned himself between my legs.

I swallowed but obeyed, ignoring the rough wood and pointy splinters digging into my back. Our eyes locked, and a wave of heat washed over me. Something wicked coiled between my thighs as I watched him drag his tongue over his full bottom lip. His darkened eyes scanned my worn dress. A second passed, and his fingers swiftly curled around the collar, and he tore my dress in two.

“Don't!” I yelped… a heartbeat too late.

He chuckled as his eyes eagerly scanned my undergarments. “I'll buy you a new one.”

I grabbed the two parts of the fabric and covered myself, frowning. “And how am I supposed to get back home now? I can't shift into a wolf form like you do, remember? I need clothes.”

He smirked and began undoing the buttons of his shirt, exposing the beautifully crafted muscles hidden beneath. He dropped the shirt to the floor. “You can cover yourself with it afterward.” He placed his hands on my thighs and slid them toward my already humid center.

My heart lurched. I rose to sit and grabbed his wrists, stopping him midway. “Kylar… You don't want to do this here… do you?”

His brows knitted. “Why not? Don't you think that it's time to move further?”

A nervous smile curved my lips. “It's dirty… and uncomfortable. I don't want my first time to be…”

He stepped away from the table and huffed. “You want a palace, princess?”

I pulled the edges of my torn dress and tied them together. “Can't we wait until tomorrow? It… It might be different when we turn out to be mates. Your father cannot defy the relationship blessed by the Moon Goddess herself.” I sucked in a shaky breath. “I don't want to do it here,” I said, lowering my head.

“Why, Asena? Because it's dirty?” Cold laughter broke through his throat. “I don't think this place is any worse than this dump you live in.”

I ground my teeth. “You're cruel.” I jumped off the table and started tying knots on my dress, trying to somehow put it back together.

He blew out a breath and stepped closer. “Asena…” He purred my name, and a pleasant shiver coursed through me. “Let's not fight tonight.” He grabbed my chin, lifting it enough for our eyes to lock. “Be a good girl and spread your legs for your future Alpha.”

My traitorous body reacted to every note of his deep and sinful voice. I craved the man standing before me… but not like this. I freed myself from his grip and lowered my head. “Don't take away the remains of my dignity by making me do this… here,” I whispered.

A low growl rumbled in his chest. “I came here for you. I risk my reputation for you. And this is how you repay me?”

I swallowed and extended my hand toward him. “I-I'm so—”

“Don't fucking touch me!” he roared, smacking my hand. “You ruined the fucking mood!” He snatched his shirt from the floor and stormed out of the hut.

“Kylar!” I called out, running after him, but he had already disappeared somewhere behind the trees.

My hands dropped limply to my sides. Was I asking for too much? All I wanted was a little comfort… just this one time—my first time. I knew that Kylar was used to getting what he wanted. He could have had any girl in our pack at the snap of his fingers. Any one of them was ready to crawl at his feet, yet for some reason, he had chosen me. Others would have said that I should be grateful that he had even laid his eyes on me, that I should bow before him… But what if I turned out to be his mate? Shouldn't mates be equal?

I had always thought that the connection between us had been dictated by the Fates, that we had been blessed with it. It was supposed to be something sacred. So why did I suddenly feel this odd restlessness coiling in my stomach?

I drew a ragged breath and muttered to myself, “It will be fine, Asena. Tomorrow, Kylar will surely turn out to be your mate, and it will all be fine…”

I tied several more knots on my dress and slowly walked out of the hut. The almost full moon shone above the hill in the middle of the woods. I should have headed home, but some strange force drew me deeper into the forest. I kept walking until I suddenly found myself by the lake.

“Shit,” I murmured, anxiously looking around as I realized I was outside the pack's borders. It wasn't the first time I wandered around the lake, but I had never dared come here in the middle of the night.

I drew a deep breath and scanned the area. It seemed like I was alone. Exhaling slowly, I crouched by the shore. The moonlight illuminated the calm surface of the water. My long blond hair waved in the night breeze, and the rustling sound of leaves soothed the restlessness inside me.

I had to believe that tomorrow would change everything. With the Blood Moon at its peak, the mate bond would appear, and everything would be fixed. I knew it would. I clenched my fists and forced a deep inhale when, suddenly, I heard the quiet sound of the snapping twig.

My breath caught in my throat as I turned around and scanned the area. And then I felt it—the wave of energy that almost knocked me off my feet. The forest became completely silent.

I wasn't alone. Something was coming. Something powerful…