Finding his mate.

Sweat beaded heavily on Britney’s forehead, rolling down her temples as a fierce, unnatural heat radiated through her veins. Every nerve ending felt raw and over-sensitized. Her limbs grew heavy yet restless, her pulse pounding wildly in her ears as the synthetic drug tore through her system.

Glancing back through the crowded, flashing lights of the venue, her vision swam, blurring the edges of the room. She spotted her boyfriend, Alex, and her best friend, Sophia, pushing through the crowd toward her, their expressions masked in false concern.

"I have to get out of here," Britney muttered to herself, her voice trembling as she fought off a wave of dizziness. "I need to stay away from this drug, and I sure as hell won't fall into the hands of those two cheaters."

Her breathing turned shallow and ragged, her chest heaving as her heart hammered a frantic rhythm against her ribs. Before she could take another step, strong arms wrapped securely around her waist, pulling her flush against a solid, unyielding chest.

Gasping, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. A sudden rush of electric sparks rippled across her skin, a strange, dizzying jolt that made her breath hitch. The man buried his face near the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply before a deep, gravelly voice vibrated against her skin.

"Mine."

The single word sent a violent, thrilling shiver straight through her entire body.

Blinking against the blurriness, Britney tilted her head back. Standing right in front of her was a man of breathtaking, intimidating presence. He possessed sharp, chiseled features, a jawline that could cut glass, and piercing eyes that gleamed with an untamed authority. He carried the effortless, dangerous elegance of modern royalty—a man who looked straight out of the elite circles of Greek gods.

This was Cole, the Alpha of the Ravenwood Empire. Headquartered deep within the vast territories of North America, the Ravenwood pack was a force of absolute dominance. Cole had crossed into the human world on a relentless search; having found no trace of his destined mate within the werewolf territories, his instincts had dragged him here.

Looking up at him, a desperate calculation formed in the haze of her drugged mind. Britney decided right then that this enigmatic stranger would be her only salvation from the poison burning through her veins. The radiating warmth of his body pressed against hers offered an immediate, soothing anchor, washing away the panic.

Desperation clawing at her throat, Britney turned slightly in his arms, looking back one last time to see Alex and Sophia closing the distance behind them.

"Please help me," she whispered against Cole's chest.

***

An hour back

The lights of the crowded disco pulsed to a heavy bassline, casting neon shadows across the floor where Britney and Sophia celebrated. Tonight was supposed to be the celebration of years of hard work—their graduation night. They had finally finished their degrees, and the atmosphere was electric with excitement.

Amidst the dancing and laughter, a sharp, dull ache began to throb behind Britney’s temples. Blinking against the sudden dizziness, she excused herself to find the washroom, hoping to splash some cold water on her face.

When she returned, the vibrant energy of the room suddenly felt suffocating. She searched through the flashing lights for Alex and Sophia, but they were nowhere in sight.

Pushing past the edges of the dance floor, she slipped into a dimly lit corner near the VIP booths and froze.

There, half-hidden in the shadows, stood Alex and Sophia wrapped in each other's arms, locked in a deep, passionate kiss.

The sight hit Britney like a physical blow, rooting her to the spot as her breath caught in her throat. Before she could process the betrayal, snippets of their whispered conversation drifted through the noise.

"Alex, stop—don't kiss me like that here," Sophia murmured, though her hands stayed tangled in his hair. "What if Britney sees? Everything will be ruined."

Alex chuckled, pulling her closer by the waist. "Relax, she’s completely out of it. There's no way she'll catch us."

Sophia let out a dark, cruel laugh. "I have slipped a heavy dose of drugs into her drinks; by now, she shouldn't even know what year it is. Tonight, Mr. Mathew is going to take advantage of her. Once she's completely ruined and broken by morning, she’ll come crawling right back to us, completely helpless."

Her eyes glinted with malice as she smiled up at him. "Then, we can easily strip away what's left of her property and inheritance, and she'll be out of our lives for good."

Craving more of him, Sophia pulled Alex back into a fierce kiss, whispering against his lips, "I can't wait much longer for the day I can finally call you my boyfriend out in the open."

Horror and nausea washed over Britney. The pounding in her head and the heavy dizziness weren't from too many drinks—it was the drug Sophia had slipped into her system.

The terrifying realization of what the substance did, and what they had planned for her, sent a jolt of pure panic through her veins.

Without waiting another second, Britney turned and fled from the corner, gasping for air as her vision swam.

Desperation clawed at her chest; she needed someone, anyone, to counteract the burning fire of the drug tearing through her body, but she refused to let herself fall prey to just any stranger in this wretched place.

Scanning the VIP lounge through her blurred vision, her eyes landed on a man standing near the bar. He was devastatingly handsome, radiating an effortless, high-class wealth that commanded the room. In the haze of her feverish mind, he looked like her only lifeline—her chosen escape for the night.

Driven by the fierce urgency of the drug and her desire for survival, Britney closed the distance without a single hesitation.

Before she could reach the man, he was already approaching her and was hugging her from the waist.

**

“Help me,” she pleaded and kissed him hard before anyone of them could process.

The moment their lips met, a palpable, electric shockwave rippled through both of them, sending an intense jolt of heat and raw awareness crashing over their senses.