My Wolf Knew You Then

ALPHA XAVIER

Aria Hawthorne, the mate the moon goddess had chosen for me since five years ago. I still remembered every detail on that fateful day.

My wolf had howled too loudly in my head, and I had expected her to feel it too. Maybe to have a shock or anything to show she felt the connection. Yet, she kept wiping and frowning like a cat caught with a fish.

Cute, but I felt irritated.

Especially when I felt my other leg bulging and my wolf incessantly howling.

" Mark her now. Mine. She belongs to us. Make her ours right now, Xavier!"

My hands clenched tightly with brows furrowing when I realized the one the moon goddess gave me was wolfless. I spat out, in my head. " She doesn't have a wolf, Sky. I can't have a fat wolfless trash as my mate."

The words tasted ashen in my head, but I couldn't help myself. I frantically looked around, my claws elongating with my eyes slowly turning darker. The air became damp and the other workers in the room had bulging eyes and wobbling legs.

But that wasn't enough to satisfy me. I wanted the splashing of red on the marble floor as heads and limbs rolled on it. That would probably satisfy the piercing realization in my heart.

Yet, my oblivious little kitty kept wiping, not the least aware that behind her, more than fifteen workers were almost on the verge of collapsing. She wasn't affected by my aura like those people.

As she continued wiping my suit frantically, I perceived another scent. It was weak, too weak and perhaps suppressed.

Sky let out again in my head." She has a wolf, Xavier. That's why she could resist you. It's just..."

I cut him off," It's just an illusion. Besides, even if she does have a wolf, do you think I would accept her? Come on, Sky, she CAN'T BE A LUNA."

I pushed her away roughly at the same time relieving everyone of my aura, my eyes taking her in 320+ size only for a second before walking out of the office.

I muttered, wishing I could burn everything down." I am my own fate, Moon goddess."

I hated what the Moon Goddess did back then, and I hate what she's doing to me right now.

The tires squealed as the car tore into Hawthorne territory, bringing me back from my thoughts. Sky let out another low, vibrating growl. “You are making a big mistake, man.”

He was still the same with her, even after five years. He had refused to acknowledge Liora as my future Luna. If he was stubborn, he should know he was part of me too. He can't do anything without my permission.

I shut my eyes, refusing to give Sky an audience. He’d been ranting ever since the news of Aria's divorce spread like wildfire. That bastard Alec couldn't even keep her. Why on earth did I let him mate her in the first place?

I dragged out a long sigh. When the news of her intending political marriage with Alec got to me, I had thought since I wasn't going to accept her, it would be better if Alec takes her. I never thought he only wanted her as a political tool.

My mind spun in circles until a sharp mind-link cut through the noise.

“Alpha, we are here.”

I scowled, wishing for any other alternative. The moment the banquet hall came into view, that familiar, agonizing pull slammed into my chest. It was just like five years ago, but this time, the air carried a different weight.

I tasted the clawing pain of heartbreak from the walls of Hawthorne Mansion. The sharp, bitter tang of fresh tears hung invisibly in the air, making my sulking wolf, Sky, roar.

“You let her get hurt. You fucking let her shed tears!”

A sharp sting bloomed in my palm. I looked down, realizing my nails had punctured my skin, sending a soundless drip of blood onto my sleeve.

"Alpha, you're bleeding," Dan, my Gamma and best friend murmured, pressing a handkerchief into my hand.

I snorted, wiping the crimson away with a harsh swipe. "It's nothing. Let's go in."

The heavy oak doors swung open before we could touch them. I strode inside, my gaze instantly cutting through the crowd, searching for the one person I had no right to care about.

"Sweetheart, you're finally here!"

Liora’s singsong voice shattered my focus. I forced my lips into a rigid smile, letting her pull me toward the head table near the roaring fireplace. She was my fiancee, yet I kept craving for another. Dismissing The lingering urge to look for Aria, I let Liora cling to me like an octopus, until it hit me. The thick, cloying cloud of her perfume hit me like a wall.

My wolf recoiled, retreating into the shadows of my mind.

Frustration boiled over, and I snapped, "I hate perfume. As my future Luna, you haven't figured that out yet?"

Liora flinched, her eyes dimming before she quickly recovered, nudging my arm with a pout. "I... I just wanted to smell nice for you, Xavier."

I sat down, staring straight ahead and ignoring her entirely. My eyes scanned the perimeter of the room again. Nothing. Empty space. Should I ask about her? How do I bring her name up without giving myself away?

My chest felt suffocated. I dragged a finger inside my collar, loosening my perfectly tailored Tom Ford suit. The jacket cut sharp at my shoulders, but tonight, it felt like armor I couldn't breathe in. This was supposed to be my engagement celebration, yet the air in the room felt entirely hostile.

Another wave of Liora’s perfume drifted over, and I gripped the edge of the table, turning toward the bar. The fireplace popped, throwing jagged gold light across the floor.

"Get me a tequila," I muttered to Dan. "Something strong enough to burn the back of my throat."

Dan gave a low, amused huff. "Taking shots of tequila with the amount of steam coming off your shoulders? Do you actually plan to burn the Hawthorne pack to the ground tonight, boss?"

"Just get the drink, Dan."

He returned with a glass, but changed it to an eighteen-year whiskey. I swirled the liquid amber around the glass, watching the ice melt, but I couldn't bring myself to take a single sip. Ten minutes passed.

Then twenty.

Restless.

My palms grew slick against the heavy crystal glass. The heat from the fireplace baked the left side of my face, while the rest of the room felt entirely like ice. Beside me, Liora chattered loudly to a passing guest, her laughter grating against my nerves.

Then, the entire banquet hall fell dead silent.

A side door clicked open.

My head snapped up. There she was. The glittering eyes, the soft, round face I’d kept locked away in my memory. The silence in the room shattered instantly, erupting into a frenzy of hurried whispers.

Aria.