Who are you?

The wind carried a gentle breeze, softly swaying the leaves of the garden trees, while the sound of music drifting from the grand house hovered over the tense moment unfolding there. Andriel kept his hand on Taylor’s neck, their eyes locked in an unwavering gaze.

Philip’s Beta couldn’t muster any reaction to the man gripping his neck; he seemed frozen by the emotions surging within him. A tingling sensation spread where he was being held, and the scent of fresh pine filled the air. Andriel, too, felt a spark at his fingertips, his inner wolf seeming to settle within him.

“Andriel, are you feeling this?” his wolf asked, sensing a connection with the wolf of the man before him.

“Who are you?” Andriel demanded, his eyes still fixed on Taylor’s.

“I’m the Beta to Alpha Philip Dorson. I got held up a bit, but I’m no intruder—I have an invitation. Could you maybe let go of my neck?” Taylor placed his hand on Andriel’s wrist.

The same sensation that had gripped the Beta now pulsed where Taylor touched him. Andriel released him and pulled his hand back, turning to the side.

“Did you feel what I just felt?” the king asked, unable to meet Taylor’s gaze.

“Yes, I felt the connection. How can this be happening? Does this mean we’re…” 

“I don’t want you to tell anyone,” Andriel cut in, stopping Taylor from finishing. “Not until we’re sure this is even possible.”

Taylor didn’t respond but nodded in agreement, keeping what was happening to himself. He could hardly believe that on his birthday, of all days, he’d be going through this. Philip’s Beta was stunned by the possibility that the man before him could be his mate—something he’d never imagined.

“I need to go inside now, but we have to talk about this. After the party, I want you to stay here. We can’t deal with this right now. I’ll head in, and you follow after me.”

Andriel spoke without fully facing Taylor. The whole situation unnerved him. Even as king, the possibility left him reeling, and he didn’t want to look into Taylor’s eyes and feel his heart race again.

Taylor didn’t even have a chance to ask the man’s name before he turned and headed back to the house. He watched Andriel walk away, still unsure of what to do. His first instinct was to find Philip and talk to him, but he didn’t know how to explain what had happened in the garden.

Brian, who had gone looking for his brother, spotted Taylor in the garden and approached him.

“Taylor, what are you doing out here alone? Have you seen my brother around?” Brian asked, clearly worried.

Taylor gave a slight bow and tilted his neck before responding. “Sir, I just arrived and was about to head inside. As for the king, I haven’t met him personally yet, so I wouldn’t know if I passed him.”

Brian’s concern was evident, unsure of where his brother could be, and he was about to ask Taylor for help in searching when he received a message from Stella saying Andriel was already back inside.

“Looks like my brother’s in there now. Let’s go, Philip’s probably waiting for you.”

Taylor nodded, and the two headed inside, with Brian leading the way. Taylor wasn’t sure if he could keep up appearances around his Alpha and friend; Philip knew him too well and might notice something was off.

Brian led Taylor straight to the table where Philip was, and then slipped away to search for his brother among the crowd. His mother reached out through their mind link, saying Andriel wasn’t in the ballroom, so Brian headed to the office to find him.

Andriel was seated in his chair, elbows propped on the desk, hands cradling his head, a glass of whiskey near his arm. The sight made Brian uneasy.

“If you don’t want to go back to the party, and if you think you’ll lose control in front of everyone, then stay here. I can come up with some excuse.”

Frost, Andriel’s wolf, had calmed down after the encounter with Taylor, and it wasn’t fear of losing control that had driven Andriel to hide in the office. He lifted his head, meeting his brother’s worried expression.

“That’s not why I’m here. Something happened in the garden, and I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. I don’t know what to do.”

Andriel wasn’t used to keeping things from his brother and began to broach the subject that, for him, was complicated.

“My wolf is calm because I met someone in the garden, and I felt a connection. Frost felt it too, with that person’s wolf.”

Brian grinned at his brother’s words, realizing Andriel had found his mate. Excited, he stepped closer and showed his enthusiasm.

“Are you serious? You found your mate? You should be thrilled, celebrating! Who is she?” he asked, his excitement clear.

“Philip Dorson’s Beta, the Alpha of your mate’s pack.”

Andriel’s tone was serious, and Brian’s smile faded. He ran a hand over his face and asked again to make sure he’d heard correctly.

“Did I hear you right? You’re saying the connection you felt was with Taylor? Are you sure?”

“Do you really think I could mistake what I felt?” Andriel shot back, standing up, his agitation clear. “I caught his scent, and I can tell you it was the most incredible thing I’ve ever smelled in my life. Frost calmed down when I grabbed his neck. I’d lost control again, and just being near him, the way he looked at me, it steadied me.”

Brian understood what his brother might be feeling and was at a loss for words. This was his brother’s chance, and Taylor was the key to keeping him from turning feral. Yet, at the same time, Brian knew this went against all the traditions and the legacy his brother was expected to uphold.