Chapter Three

Zane's POV 

She touched me. 

The wolfless omega touched me, and for the first time in five cursed years, my body responded. 

I stand frozen in the locker room, staring at my trembling hands. The guys, are still celebrating our win, their laughter echoing off the walls. But all I can hear is the roar of my wolf, a sound I haven't heard with such clarity since the curse began. 

Mate. Mate. Mate.

“Impossible,” I mutter under my breath, gripping the edge of the bench until my knuckles turn white. 

High-ranked werewolves don't get mated to omegas, especially wolfless ones. It doesn't happen. The Moon Goddess wouldn't be that cruel to pair the future Alpha of the Blue Crest Pack with someone so weak. 

But my wolf, Darko, doesn't care about logic. He's clawing at my insides for the first time in years, demanding I go after her. Demanding that I find her scent again and never let go. 

And my body? For the first time since I turned eighteen and this nightmare started, I feel alive. The humiliation of my erectile dysfunction has haunted me for years, forcing me to play the role of a playboy while secretly knowing I could never follow through. 

The dying wolf inside me had stolen everything. My confidence, my strength, my future. 

Until now. Until her. The wolfless omega. 

One touch and everything seems to change. 

“Yo, Zane.” Marcus, my future beta and best friend, slaps my shoulder. “You good, man? You've been zoning out since that omega grabbed your junk.” He laughs. 

“Can't blame her though. It must be hard being that close to perfection.” 

I force a smirk, shoving him away. “Get lost, Marcus.” 

However, my heart is racing. I need to find out who she is. I need to understand what just happened. And most importantly, I need to know why Darko is so convinced she's my mate when everything about her screams wrong. 

I grab my phone and pull up the college database, searching for any omega named… What did that girl call her? Kai? 

My fingers fly across the screen until I find her. Kaidora Hayes. Twenty years old. Registered as a wolfless omega from an unclaimed pack. No family records. No pack history. 

Suspicious. 

I zoom in on her ID photo. Those blue eyes stare back at me, cold and defiant even in a still image. There's something about her that didn't add up. Something that makes my instincts scream danger. 

But Darko doesn't care. He wants her. Needs her. 

And if she really is my mate, then she might be the only thing standing between me and losing everything. Because if words get out that the future Alpha of the Blue Crest Pack is cursed with erectile dysfunction and a dying wolf, that will be the end of me. 

My phone suddenly rings in my hand and I glance at the screen. My blood runs cold in an instant. 

Father. 

Alpha Rowan Grayson doesn't call unless it's important. And important usually means trouble for me. 

I answer on the third ring. “Father.” 

“Zane.” His voice is cold, devoid of any warmth a father should have for his son. “Come to the pack house. Now. We need to talk.” 

“I'm still at college. Can't this wait until—” 

“No, it can't wait.” The ice in his voice makes Darko whimper. “You have thirty minutes, don't make me wait.” 

The line goes dead. 

I stare at the phone, dread settling in my chest like a stone. Whatever this is about, it won't be good. 

***

The drive to the pack territory takes twenty five minutes, but I make it in twenty. 

The packhouse looms before me, a stunning architectural masterpiece of glass, steel and concrete. Floor-to-ceiling windows reflect the moonlight. My father rebuilt it five years ago, a symbol of the pack's power and wealth. 

It's supposed to be my legacy, my birthright. But lately, it feels more like a noose tightening around my neck. 

I find my father in his study, seated behind his mahogany desk like a king on his throne. Alpha Rowan is a formidable man, broad shoulders with grey streaks running through his dark hair and eyes that could freeze fire. 

He built the Blue Crest Pack into what it is today, through cunning, ruthlessness, and an iron fist. Love was never part of his strategy, especially after the death of my mother. 

“Sit,” he commands without looking up from the documents spread before him. 

I sit, keeping my spine straight and my expression neutral. Showing weakness in front of my father is like bleeding in water infested by sharks. 

Finally, he looks up, his cold dark eyes assessing me. “The full moon is in three weeks.” 

“I'm aware.” 

“Are you?” He leans back in his chair, eyes narrowed at me. “Because from where I'm sitting, you've shown no progress in finding your mate. No progress in securing your future as the future Alpha of the pack.” 

My jaw tightens. “I'm working on it.” 

“Working on it isn't good enough, Zane.” He stands, moving towards the window that overlooks the pack grounds. “You're twenty-three years old. Your wolf should be at its peak, yet…” he turns to face me, disgust flickering across his features. “Your wolf is dying. You are weak and weakness has no place in this pack.” 

The words sting, but I keep my face blank. He doesn't know about my other problem. The erectile dysfunction. That secret will be the final nail in my coffin. 

“I've given you every advantage,” he continues, his voice cutting. “The best education, the best training, the position on the hockey team to build your reputation. And still you disappoint me.” 

“Father, I—”

“I'm done making excuses for you,” he cuts me off, walking back to his desk. He plants his hands on the surface as he leans towards me. “You have until the next full moon to find your fated mate and claim her. If you fail, you will forfeit your position as future Alpha and your hockey career to Warren.”