Chapter 1

My name was Aria Scarlett.

That day marked the most important medical assessment of my life. If I passed, I would be accepted into the patrol squad of my dreams after graduating from the werewolf academy.

When I rushed to the health center located in the heart of our pack grounds, the lobby was empty. Only a he-wolf dressed in a silver-colored-trimmed white robe stood by the moonstone window.

His powerful, crushing presence seemed to still the air. He carried the scent of winter, filling the air with a crisp, icy, and wild rosemary scent.

"I'm here for my assessment, Doctor," I said, tightening my grip on the assessment scroll. My voice was tense with instinctive respect.

The Doctor turned and studied me with his amber eyes. "We would have closed if you'd arrived a minute later. You know the rule. Being late is considered a forfeit."

"My apologies, Doctor."

I offered no excuse for my mistake and simply lowered my head in apology. From the corner of my eye, I caught the name on the badge pinned to his chest—Kael Goliath.

I heard a faint sigh.

"Never mind. Follow me."

He led me into the inner room. It was an assessment room filled with various runic instruments.

"Sit on the table and remove your outer clothes," he said, pointing to the stone table in the center. It was connected to numerous crystal conduits.

"Excuse me… are there no other healers available?" I mustered the courage to ask.

The idea of a stranger he-wolf performing a medical assessment on me made my nerves prickle in fear and nervousness.

"Then you should've come earlier, unless you don't actually wish to join the patrol squad," he replied flatly with a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

Of course, I wanted to join the patrol squad, so I complied.

After slipping out of the gray trainee robe, I climbed onto the cold stone table, only dressed in a thin linen petticoat.

Moonlight filtered down from the domed ceiling, and my body trembled slightly at the thought of what was to come.

Kael slipped on medical gloves and stepped behind me, carefully studying my back. "Not many she-wolves have such well-defined back muscles."

"T-Thank you," I politely replied. Deep down, I was eager for this medical assessment to be over as soon as possible.

"Spinal palpation is the first test. Relax your body."

His fingers pressed precisely against my spine, and a shudder ran through me.

'Wait!" I gasped and tried to sit up, but the hand on my shoulder remained unmoved.

"Relax, Aria."

As he leaned closer, his cool breath brushed the sensitive skin behind my ear. His voice was low and commanding.

My Omega instincts told me to obey.

That was when his examinations began.

It wasn't just simple touching. His fingers explored every curve of my spine, and tingling sensations sparked through my mind like electric currents.

Intense waves of resonance crashed over me, pushing me to the edge of losing control and nearly making me scream. It felt… way too good.

"Get a grip, Aria Scarlett." I inwardly chided and reminded myself that this was just a medical assessment.

At last, Kael stopped. His expression turned solemn as he fixed his amber eyes on me and asked, "Have you gotten injured before? I noticed abnormal blockages."

My heart missed a beat. "Injury? Blockages?"

"I'm not sure, but we'll need to go deeper," he said, removing his gloves to reveal his long, slender fingers. "Come on. Take off the rest of your clothes; I'll have to examine your wolf."

I had no choice but to comply. With my skin exposed to the cool air, goosebumps raised along my skin.

Kael picked up a searingly hot detection stone and pressed it to the center of my chest.

A wave of scorching heat crashed over me. My consciousness began to fray at the edges of an overload, and all I could see were the dark, unreadable currents in his amber eyes.

My body finally buckled under the sheer weight of his power, and the world went black.