chapter 1

Tamara

"Tamara, get down here immediately. We need to make our appearance in ten minutes."

The moment I heard my mother's voice echoing up the staircase, I let out a quiet sigh and turned back toward the full-length mirror for one final inspection, smoothing the delicate silk of my emerald green dress and pinning up my dark hair.

After spending almost an hour getting ready for the annual Moon Gathering, I refused to walk downstairs looking anything less than perfect.

"I'm coming, Mom," I called back, brushing off some imaginary dirt from my dress.

Tonight was incredibly important. The annual Moon Gathering was a massive event that brought together packs from all over the entire werewolf territory. While the Alphas and Betas attended to discuss pack politics, and shifting alliances, the younger generation had a completely different agenda. Almost every unmated wolf walking into that hall secretly hoped for one thing.

Finding their mate.

I was no different. I desperately wanted what my parents had. Growing up watching them lead our pack and still loving each other had completely heightened my expectations of love. Even after decades together and raising seven children, my father still looked at my mother as if she was his world.

I wanted a mate who looked at me like that. I didn't need perfection, power, or even wealth…I just want someone who would love me enough to stay, to build a life and a family with me.

When I finally descended the stairs, my family was already waiting for me. My mother immediately looked me over, reaching out to adjust a stray curl near my cheek. Her expression softened into a warm, knowing look.

"I hope you find your mate tonight, Tammy," she murmured softly, easily ignoring my brothers' groans and teasing in the background.

I smiled, a flutter of nervous anticipation blooming in my chest. "I hope so too."

Soon afterward, we left the pack house and headed toward the massive pack hall.As the hosting family, we spent the first long twenty minutes caught in an endless blur of formal greetings,forced smiles, and numerous introductions.

By the time the formal part was over, I was completely exhausted. While my parents were cornered by a group of visiting Alphas, I slipped away to a quieter, shadowed corner near the terrace doors to catch my breath.

"Trying to hide?"

I looked up to find my eldest brother, Ryder, approaching with two glasses of drinks. He handed me one.

"Just taking a break," I admitted, taking a grateful sip.

For a moment, we stood together in comfortable silence, watching the pack members laugh and dance. But the relaxed atmosphere shifted when Ryder leaned in, his voice dropping to a hushed, serious tone.

"Alpha North is here."

I blinked, nearly choking on my drink. "The Alpha of Night Sword? You're joking."

"I'm not," Ryder replied, his eyes scanning the crowd. "Saw him briefly near the entrance. He looks exactly how you'd expect…massive, intimidating, and like he'd rather be anywhere else but a party."

That made absolutely no sense. Alpha North never attended annual gatherings. He was a like a myth, a man known mostly through dark, whispered stories of brutal violence, and the ancient savage traditions his pack still followed.

Before I could even process why he could gave shown up this year, a warm sensation suddenly washed over me. My stomach tightened into knots and the sound of the ballroom seemed to fade into a dull hum.

"Tammy?" Ryder’s expression shifted from casual observation to immediate concern.

"You don't look okay. You're completely pale."

I placed a trembling hand against my chest, my heart suddenly hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird.

"I don't feel okay. I just... I need some air. Right now." Without waiting for his response, I shoved the glass back into his hands and practically fled through the terrace doors.

The cool night air hit me the moment I stepped outside, but it did absolutely nothing to calm the feeling in my blood. My skin felt flushed, my senses heightened to an agonizing degree.

Then, his scent hit me. Rain-soaked pine, and an intoxicating, spicy musk. It was completely unfamiliar, yet the moment it hit my nose, it felt like coming home. It felt like the answer to a question my soul had been asking since I was born.

I froze on the steps. Every romance book I had spent years reading, every biology lesson about wolf instincts, suddenly made terrifying, beautiful sense.

Mate.

My wolf howled, clawing at the surface of my mind, desperate and completely entirely awake. The realization hit me so hard that my Instinct took over. I let my feet move, following the invisible pull of that scent.

Each step I took away from the pack house kept leading me straight toward the empty training grounds. When I got there, the area was bathed in the dim glow of the moon.

Then, I finally saw him. A figure stood near the center of the dirt field. He was exceptionally tall, with shoulders so broad they seemed to block out the light behind him. His back was to me, but the intoxicating scent was radiating from him in heavy waves. My wolf vibrated under my skin, purring with absolute, undeniable certainty.

“That's him. That's our mate.”

My heart hammered hard as the man slowly turned around… then everything went silent. I knew those features. Everyone in the South knew that face and those green devilish eyes.

Not to mention his dominating aura that demanded submission from everything within a ten-mile radius.

It was Alpha North. The most dangerous wolf in the country was my destined mate.