CHAPTER 3: ONE MONTH 

COLE

Mate!

That was the only word that echoed in my head. I could never ignore it—the sizzling feeling when I touched her.

It was electric. Almost frightening.

But that was impossible, she was human. Clearly forbidden to me and my world, so it makes absolutely no sense how she ended up as my mate. 

I was a werewolf. The heir to my pack. It just makes sense to have a human mate. It all seemed bizarre to me and I knew my father would never accept it.

The entire pack wouldn't.

The last time it happened, everywhere was turned into chaos. There's no better way to take care of this than to forget about it.

She's not my mate and I'd never acknowledge her. The best thing to do is to forget it happened and make sure that no one finds out about it.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, making me flinch a little bit. I turned to see Noah—his hands up in the air. I let out a sigh of relief I didn't know I had been holding back earlier on.

“Whoa, looks like I touched a nerve there,” he chuckled.

I glared hard at him, which made his chuckle turn into a whimper. Noah was the kind of person who joked around a lot, and I was used to his antics, but I wasn't in the mood for it today.

“What do you want?” I asked, distracting myself with anything. Going through my drawers, like they were the most interesting thing in the world..

“Your dad wants to meet with you,” he revealed. “Tonight. You have to be there.”

I paused for a moment, stared at the empty space before groaning loudly. “Why would you think to inform me now? Where were you all day?”

“Sorry,” he apologized. “I just got the message now and what's got you all worked up. You're usually a dick but today adds an extra flavour.”

I ignored his questions and just walked right past him, grabbing my jacket. “I'd be back by midnight,” I said, and walked out the door.

Different thoughts crossed my mind, trying to figure out why my dad was asking of me. He approved of my studying in the human world.

I loved hockey and wanted to make a name for myself, from scratch. Being the son of an Alpha. Everything came to me so easily.

No one argued. Dared to go against me.

And I wanted a break from that.

 I shifted and ran through the woods, all the way to the pack. I changed back to my human form once I arrived there. 

The pack was in a desolate area. Another world that only werewolves had access to, making it impossible for humans to find.

The moment I stepped into the black mansion, the air around me shifted. My dad didn't notice me at first. He was engrossed in his conversation with a bunch of elders.

Then his gaze landed on me. His lips curved into a small smile. “Cole, you're here!”

I nodded and stepped further into the room. The elders were still sitting there, watching me like they always did. My father raised his hand and waved them off. “Leave us. We’ll finish this later.”

One by one they got up and left without saying much. The heavy door clicked shut behind the last elder, and the big room felt quieter. Too quiet. I could hear my own heartbeat loud in my ears.

I shoved my hands into my pockets and looked straight at him. “Why did you call me here so suddenly? I was in the middle of stuff at school.”

My father leaned back in his big chair, studying me the way he always does. Like he’s trying to see if I’m hiding something. He didn’t answer right away. He just tapped his fingers on the wooden table a few times before speaking.

“The pack has been talking, Cole,” he said finally. His voice was low and heavy. “A lot of gossip is going around. You’re almost twenty-five now and you still haven’t found your mate. People are starting to wonder what’s wrong.”

I let out a breath and shook my head. “I don’t care about gossip. You know that. The moon goddess will give me my mate when the time is right. I’m not rushing it just because some people in the pack have nothing better to do.”

He stood up slowly, walking around the table to stand closer to me. His face didn’t change much, but I could see the impatience in his eyes. My father never liked waiting. 

Status was everything to him. Being Alpha meant control, power, and keeping everything in order. And right now, I was messing up that order by not having a mate yet.

“Patience is running thin, son,” he said. “I’ve given you time. You wanted to go live among the humans, play your hockey, and have your freedom. I allowed it. But this… this situation is becoming a problem. An Alpha heir without a mate makes the whole pack look weak. Questions are being asked.”

I swallowed hard. The memory of Lena’s wrist in my hand flashed through my head for a second. That electric feeling.

 The word “mate” is screaming inside me. I pushed it away fast. She was human. It couldn’t be real. I wasn’t going to let it be real.

“I’m handling it,” I told him. “You don’t have to worry.”

My father smiled, but it wasn’t a warm smile. It was the kind he gave when he was done talking nicely. “One month, Cole. That’s what I’m giving you. One month to find your mate and bring her here. If you don’t…” 

He paused, letting the words hang there. “Then you will marry the girl I choose for you. Someone from a strong bloodline in the pack. And if you refuse that too, then you can forget about the throne. I won’t hand leadership to a son who can’t even do this one simple thing.”

My chest felt tight. One month? Just like that.

I stared at him, trying to keep my face calm even though everything inside was spinning. “You’d really do that? Take everything away because of some gossip?”

“It’s not just gossip,” he said, stepping even closer. His voice got quieter but harder. “It’s about strength. About the future of this pack. You know what happened the last time an Alpha ignored the rules. Chaos. Blood. I won’t let that happen again. One month. Don’t test me, son.”

I didn’t say anything for a while. The room felt smaller. All the thoughts about Lena, the strange pull, the way my wolf had woken up so strongly when she touched me… it was all crashing around in my head.

 But I couldn’t tell him any of that.

“I understand,” I said finally, even though I hated every word.

My father nodded once, like the matter was settled. “Good. Now go back to your school. But remember the clock is ticking. Don’t disappoint me.”

I turned and walked out of the mansion without another word. The night air hit me cold when I stepped outside. 

I shifted again fast, bones cracking, fur pushing through my skin. The wolf felt stronger tonight, restless, angry. 

As I ran back through the dark woods toward campus, only one thing kept repeating in my head.

Lena.

She was human. Forbidden. And somehow, she was mine. But I couldn’t have her.

I wouldn’t.