TWO

Nora’s POV

The sight of those two together burned my eyes, I couldn’t bear to continue looking at them. By the time I shoved through the pack hall doors, I was practically running. Cold night air felt harsh against my skin, but I kept moving down the stone steps, my vision blurred with tears.

I hated this. I hated him. I hated that after everything my stepfather had done tonight, Ethan still managed to hurt me worse. I wrapped my arms around myself tightly as I hurried toward the quieter side of the estate.

My ribs still ached from the beating earlier. Every breath hurt and my cheek throbbed but none of it compared to the ache sitting in my chest. Two years had gone just like that. Two years of loving him, two years of choosing him, two years I spent envisioning my future with him, it was gone.

I let out a shaky laugh. Maybe Selene had been right all along, maybe nobody would ever truly choose me.

Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t notice someone approaching from the opposite direction until I slammed directly into a hard chest.

A strong hand caught my waist before I could stumble backward. “Easy.” I heard a deep voice that sent an unexpected shiver through me.

I jerked in shock from the effect his voice had on me, I looked up quickly to see I had bumped into a man. Not just any man, he was tall with a hard chest and body that belonged to one sculptured with extra care by the moon Goddess. The moonlight barely reached this side of the grounds, hiding most of his face in shadow.

“I’m sorry,” I muttered automatically, trying to step away. But then, I suddenly caught a whiff of a scent that made me almost go mad. It was so agonizingly appealing and addictive that the world around me seemed to still.

The stranger seemed to freeze too. My wolf tensed and everything inside of me screamed Mate. I shakily swallowed, realizing what was going on.

My mate.

This person, this stranger was my mate. My heart started pounding violently as an intense attraction towards this man arose.

The stranger stared at me silently, his grip on my waist tightening slightly like instinct had taken over.

“Mate,” he murmured.

Hearing the words out loud made my stomach twist.

I should’ve been happy. This was supposed to be the happiest moment of my life.

Instead, tears burned my eyes again. Of course, tonight would end like this. The Moon Goddess really had a twisted sense of humor. I didn’t know if I was supposed to laugh or cry. Tonight was the most heartbreaking night of my life, yet it was the night I met my mate.

His gaze moved slowly over my face, lingering on the bruise forming near my cheek. His expression darkened immediately.

“You’re hurt.” The concern in his voice almost shattered me completely.

Ethan didn’t even care enough to come outside. This stranger noticed instantly.

I looked away quickly. “I’m fine,” I mumbled.

“You’re crying.” He spoke again, and the effect his voice had on me was incredible.

“I said I’m fine.” My voice cracked anyway.

He remained silent this time. My wolf stirred restlessly beneath my skin, desperate for closeness.

The stranger slowly lifted his hand and brushed his thumb gently beneath my eye, catching a tear before it could fall. The small touch sent heat rushing through my body.

His jaw clenched slightly, as he felt it too. “Who did this to you?” he asked softly.

“It doesn’t matter.” I shook my head.

Ethan’s face flashed through my mind again. Reminding me of his wicked betrayal again. Something reckless rose inside me suddenly.

My boyfriend has already betrayed me, so what’s wrong with giving myself to the mate chosen for me by the Goddess?

The thought should’ve scared me. Instead, it made me feel strangely free. Like I had nothing left to lose tonight.

I stepped closer before I could stop myself. The stranger went still at my movement. “You don’t even know my name,” he murmured.

A smile tugged at my lips. “Maybe names are overrated,” I said lamely.

His eyes darkened slightly at that. Every second apart felt wrong. It felt like my body already recognized him even if my mind didn’t.

I grabbed the front of his shirt and kissed him before I could overthink it. The second our lips met, heat exploded through me. A sharp breath left him as his hand slid firmly around my waist, pulling me against him. The kiss turned desperate almost instantly, messy and consuming.

The mate bond amplified everything and every touch burned. I forgot where we were, I forgot Ethan, and the entire world. All I could feel was him.

His fingers tangled gently in my hair as he kissed me again, slower this time, almost like he was trying to memorize me through touch alone.

When we finally pulled apart, both of us breathing unevenly, his forehead rested briefly against mine.

“This is dangerous,” he whispered.

I laughed softly, though there wasn’t much humor in it. “My whole life is dangerous.” It was the truth.

His grip tightened slightly at the words. For a second, I thought he might ask questions. Instead, he just pulled me. “Come here” he said and without another word, he picked me up in bridal style. My eyes widened and I let out a little gasp as he started walking.

Before I knew it, we had ended up in a dimly lit room. He shut the door with a loud bang and pressed me against the door, his lips slamming hotly against mine.

I melted into him immediately. Everything about him was overwhelming yet crazily good. His hands on my waist, his breath against my skin, the strange emotional pull between us that made me feel safe and vulnerable at the same time. No one had touched me this intensely, ever.

He pulled back slightly, his forehead resting against mine again. “We can stop,” he said softly.

I shook my head immediately. “I don’t want to stop.” I didn’t care about the consequences anymore. I was going into this blindly and I didn’t mind.

Then he kissed me again and this time, neither of us held back. His hands moved slowly to even more dangerous places and I moaned in his mouth. Our clothes were scattered all over the floor and I allowed myself to melt to his heated touch.

The next morning, I woke up with an ache between my legs. For a minute, I stayed still, confused by the unfamiliar room. Then memories rushed back all at once. My eyes widened in shock when I remembered what I had done and I sat up quickly.

I looked around and saw that the other side of the bed was empty. My heart dropped immediately.

“Hello?” I called but my voice simply echoed in the now-empty room. Had I been hallucinating last night? Was what happened just a dream and nothing more? However, the sight of the messy bed and clothes scattered around the floor together with the clear memory of what happened last night told me that I was far from dreaming. It really happened last night, I had a one-night stand with a stranger. No, not just a stranger with my mate!

Slowly, my hand lifted to my neck, to the place where a mate mark should’ve been. My fingers touched my bare skin and I froze. I didn’t feel anything. I stood up and rushed to the mirror in the side of the room and my eyes fell on my reflection, my heart sank when I saw that there was truly no mark there. There was a red spot on my neck, a hickey, proof of the passion I just had. However, there wasn’t any mate mark. He didn’t claim me as his mate. My chest tightened painfully at the realization.

A hollow laugh escaped me. Of course. Even my mate didn’t want me enough to stay.