Chapter 1

- Emory -

The sun had barely dipped below the horizon when the distant rumble of engines signaled their arrival. My senses prickled—the anticipation, the tension, the underlying hunger for what was to come. I stood rigid in the hall, muscles coiled tight, every nerve tuned to the moment of my ascension, of stepping into the role I was born to claim, Alpha. Today was the day I would show them I was ready. Today was the day i would finally be seen as an Alpha, not just the Alpha's son.

The sound grew louder, and then a sleek, dark figure of a car pulled up outside the compound. From the window, I saw it—an elegant vehicle, its windows tinted, a symbol of power. It slowed to a stop, and the door swung open. Out stepped Alpha Dominic of the Ice Meddow Pack, tall and commanding, his dark eyes scanning the grounds with a calculating gaze. Beside him, his daughter Alice, her face guarded but her posture regal, her eyes flickering with a mixture of defiance and something else.

My father, Matthias, was already waiting, sitting by the large oak desk in the office, looking pale but proud. His health had worsened, and I knew each day with him was a gift. His Beta, Ivan, a broad-shouldered man with a sharp glare and a smirk that spoke of disdain, walked beside them. His eyes flicked over Alice and Dominic with obvious judgment, as if he found their arrogance and desperation distasteful.

“About time,” Ivan muttered under his breath as they entered, voice cold and dismissive. He looked at them with thinly veiled contempt. “Thought you’d never get here.”

Dominic’s lips curled into a tight smile, but his eyes held a calculating gleam. “We’re only here because it’s necessary. No need for pleasantries, Ivan. We’re just here to discuss the future—nothing more.”

Alice kept her gaze steady, but I caught a flicker of something—fear, maybe? Or was it regret? I barely had the chance to process her presence, i was so caught in my own thought walling the weight of my own expectations. I was so focused on projecting strength, on making sure everyone saw I was ready to be alpha, that I didn’t even notice her.

They sat at the table, opposite my father, and I took a seat beside him, my body tense with anticipation. My gaze fixated on her—her brown hair spilling over her face in luscious curls, just the way I imagined running my fingers through. A primal, almost uncontrollable urge surged inside me. I wanted to grasp a fistful of that silky hair, pull her close, and claim her—feel her heat, taste her lips. The craving burned deep, raw and unfiltered, and I fought to keep my desire in check, knowing I was on the edge of losing control.

She looked up and her eyes met mine. The room seemed to fall silent. Her gaze was cautious, wary, but in that instant, there was an undeniable spark—something electric, like a wild flame flickering to life inside her. I felt my breath catch, my heart pounding harder. The world around us faded, and all I could see was her—her face, her scent, the subtle tremor in her stare.

In that moment, both of us whispered the same word—mate.

It was like a jolt to the system, a thunderclap in the quiet room. My entire body went rigid, and I could feel the heat rising—dangerous, intoxicating. I was so wrapped up in the rush of lust and desire that I almost forgot where I was.

Dominic’s face darkened instantly. Turning to my dad, Matthias, “What is this?” he snapped, voice low and furious. “I came here to talk alliance, and now I find out my daughter is his mate?”

My father, trying to keep his composure, gestured nervously. “We didn’t know—”

“Didn’t know?” Dominic cut him off with a snarl. “I offered her as a token of peace, as payment for an alliance. Now I find out she’s your mate? That changes everything.”

Alice’s eyes shimmered with tears, her jaw clenched as she sat rigid in her chair, silent but visibly trembling as if she was expecting... punishment. Her gaze flicked to her father, then back to me—uncertain, confused. I could see the hesitation in her, the wariness that she might be dragged into a war she didn’t want.

Her voice was barely a whisper. “Dad… please…”

Dominic’s expression twisted with anger. “If your son wants her, then he will align with the Ice Meddow Pack—or he will never see her again.”

Without warning, Dominic grabbed her arm roughly, yanking her upright. I surged forward instinctively, heart pounding, wanting to reach out, to pull her away. My muscles tensed with the urge to claim her—her scent, her heat, her fire. I was so consumed by lust, by the desire to make her mine, that I almost forgot the danger.

Ivan stepped in, blocking my path with a sneer. “Be careful, Emory. Some things aren’t worth risking.”

Liam and Angora rushed into the room, grabbing my arms to hold me back as I struggled against their grip. The door slammed shut behind them, and I was left standing there, furious and frustrated, with only the echoes of her trembling breath lingering in my mind.

She was crying softly, clutching her arm where her father’s rough grip had left a mark. Her tears—fragile and desperate—made my stomach ache with a strange mix of longing and helplessness. I wanted to erase her pain, to pull her into my arms and make everything right.

Matthias, too weak to stand, watched silently out the window, his eyes filled with regret and indecision. I looked at him, knowing I had to find a way to save her—that I had to prove I was worthy of her heat, her trust.

Because if I didn’t—if I let her slip away—I might never feel her fire again.