Chapter 1
Jasmine
I could hear my heartbeat inside my head, I felt my stomach tighten and ache with nervousness, I couldn’t eat anything after breakfast, because it was today.
Today was the day I would meet my mate, my first Moon Ball after the age of 21, if my mate were younger than me, it wouldn’t be today, but I felt like it was, and in fact, I already had a guess as to who it could be, one no, three.
If it weren’t enough to be the Ball that would define my life and my Pack forever, it would also be the first time I would see the three of them together again.
My three ex-boyfriends, together, in the same room.
Oh, Goddess.
I was the daughter of the Alpha of the Aurum Pack, and I always accompanied my parents to the meetings, just as they accompanied their respective parents.
The four of us grew up playing together, but as soon as adolescence arrived, it was inevitable.
My first relationship was with Erik, Erik Bellator, we simply couldn’t keep our hands off each other. It was with Erik that I lost my virginity, and my connection with him was pure chemistry, our sex was intense and incredible, it was as if our bodies were one as if our souls spoke to each other through sex.
Erik gave me strength, with him by my side I would rule the world. But we were too young, and had different goals, and different paths, we ended up breaking up, and he started avoiding Council meetings.
We didn’t break up out of anger at each other, it was just frustration, and that hurt even more.
I was devastated, and since the three of us were very close, the meetings were no longer the same.
Aaron had warned me that this would happen, but I ignored it.
After a while, with all the love and patience he had, it was Sebastian Wolfheart who won me over, the most beautiful man I had ever seen in my life, and my connection with him was heartfelt, it was a complex feeling of love and affection, he never tired of pampering me and complimenting me, with him I felt confident.
But his Pack was the most distant, and the distance wore us down, there were obstacles that we ignored and that got in our way and piled up, and even with all the love in the world it wasn’t enough, and him doing Alpha training to take over his father’s Pack made everything even more difficult.
My heart hadn’t recovered properly when it broke again, and I was left without ground.
I wanted to close myself off to love, I couldn’t give myself over again, and I felt groundless and directionless.
I supported myself with my best friend who was left, Aaron Scire, who was the reason, our connection was mental, rational, and cerebral. Not that there was no love or sex, but our strong point was that we thought alike.
The ideas, strategies, plans, and goals were all very similar, he was my vision of the world seen from the outside, and I loved that.
He was the one who challenged me the most, pushed me to the edge, forced me to be better, and even though he sometimes irritated me, he was able to bring out the best in me.
But Aaron, completely rational as always, chose to break up with me before the Ball.
He said it would be better, that thinking rationally was what made the most sense because it was very rare for someone to connect with their life mate before the Ball.
And he asked me the question that has haunted me ever since.
Did I feel complete with him?
I froze when I heard it, I choked, swallowed hard, and couldn’t answer.
Because the biggest truth was that no, I felt complete in parts, mainly intellectually.
But I felt complete emotionally with Sebastian, and I felt complete physically and sexually with Erik.
None of them completed me 100%.
And a mate completes you 100%.
Since I didn’t answer, Aaron understood and hasn’t spoken to me since.
Now I was finishing getting ready and putting on my jewelry, which was the trademark of my Pack. We were mining experts, our jewelry was famous and was our greatest source of wealth.
And put on my navy blue dress, a fluid dress that outlined my curves while flowing freely down my body and that I expected to be torn apart by my wolf when I found my mate.
A mate who would become the Alpha of my Pack, because I was my father’s only daughter. So, in addition to the whole process of having to face my three ex-boyfriends, I still had to deal with the pressure of finding a mate who would have to lead my pack by my side.
That sent a shiver down my spine that kept me awake.
“Knock knock,” My mother’s voice entered the room.
“Come in, Mom,” I said and she came in, wearing a beautiful green dress, walked over to me, and looking at the reflection in the mirror, she smoothed the waves of my hair back.
“Nervous?” She asked me, making me shiver, as my eyes met hers in the reflection in the mirror. I swallowed hard. I couldn’t lie to her, I just nodded.
“What are you worried about, my daughter? It’s your night, you should enjoy it,” she told me, brushing my hair.
“Everything, Mom, the pressure of my mate having to be the Alpha of our Pack, and the fact that I need to see them again…”
She sighed.
“I wish I could take your pain away with my hand, Jasmine, but try not to worry about it, my love, enjoy your night, you might not even find your mate today, and you might have worried for nothing, my princess,”
I tried to smile, it was going to be quite a party, and I needed to enjoy it.
“Do you think it could be one of them, Jasmine?” My mother’s question was the one I feared the most, the one I was afraid to ask myself, but I knew the answer to.
“I don’t know,” I replied with a sigh and soon followed my mother outside, it was time for us to go.
Arriving at the ballroom, it was adorned adorably with gold and green colors and a lot of flowers, my eyes roamed the room, contemplating its beauty and magic, on ball days we felt the moon closer, more present, it was as if the whole aura of the place was different, more tense and pleasant at the same time.
Even though it was my first ball, even though I had some friends, I felt lost there.
It was always the four of us, the four best friends together, and thanks to the fact that I had dated all of them, now I had lost it, and it was strange when we were in the same place.
In fact, after I started dating them, the four of us had never been together in the same place, today would be the first time.
Great, I felt out of place and anxious there, I looked around everyone smiling and chatting and I felt frustrated with it all, my best option was a drink.
I went to the bar to order a glass of champagne or wine, I needed alcohol.
I went to the counter but when I went to ask the bartender what I wanted, I felt a presence near me, forcing me to look to the side and see none other than Erik. With his right arm raised, he asked the bartender.
“A shot of whiskey and a glass of champagne.” It was inevitable to feel the electric shocks, the shivers that ran through my body, and the almost bizarre effect that the attraction for him made me feel.
He wore the formal uniform of their guard, which was like a dark blue suit covered in insignia and medals, the jacket hugged his muscles making me search in my memory every curve of the sculpted body that I knew he had.
Erik’s pack, known for generations as fierce guardians, also carried the legacy of forging the finest weapons—tools of war made only by those who knew the true weight of battle.
Their strong point was the guard and military, their greatest investment was always in the guard and security, and both Erik’s father and himself grew up training with the soldiers, he had more medals and decorations than any soldier his age, just like all the Bellators, Erik was absurdly determined and focused.
He smelled like the sea, vanilla, and freedom, a salty smell with a hint of mint that made my legs weak, it was unique and hard to describe.
I swallowed hard when his honey-colored eyes met mine. And my heart was beating so fast and I was so nervous that I was afraid it would show on my face.
“Good to see you, Minnie,” His husky voice reverberated inside me, and him calling me by the nickname he usually called me made me lose my breath to the point that I could barely respond.
He called me my Minnie, and I had forgotten how special that made me feel. But I took a deep breath and smiled, before saying.
“Good to see you, Erik,”
He smiled back, challenging the thought I had of whether he was capable of getting any more beautiful than that, and he smiled.
And when the bartender handed over the glasses, he handed the glass of champagne to me.
“You still prefer champagne for special occasions, right?”
I nodded as I took a sip of champagne without looking away from him, Erik’s honey-colored eyes locked with my green ones.
“And wine to drink casually,” I added, my heart fluttering realizing how much he remembered my tastes.
“But today is a special day,” He said walking to the side of the bar, making me follow him.
“Of course. Anxious?” I asked but at the same time, I feared the answer. Being close to Erik again made me realize that I still liked him, and I already felt a pang of jealousy just imagining him finding a mate and that person not being me.
“A little,” Erik said smiling and looking down, walking slowly beside me. “But I know that not everyone finds their mate at the first ball, so…” He headed towards one of the balconies on the side of the ballroom.
“True, it still doesn’t make this day any easier,” I said, leaning against the balcony, my gaze drifting to the dense forest landscape before my eyes, and up to the moon. “I just hope she chooses the best path,”
Erik joined me, staring at the full moon. “She always chooses,”
Strangely enough, his saying that comforted me.
“Erik, come here, I want to introduce you to someone,” The voice belonged to Ragnar, Erik’s father, and he turned around immediately.
“I’m going,” He shouted in his direction, before turning to me and turning his face slightly, he was so close that I could feel his breath on my face. “I need to go, but it's always wonderful to have your company. See you around?”
He asked and for a second my lips parted and if I was giving in to my real will I would stretch my feet to reach him and kiss his full lips that I missed so much.
I couldn’t, even more so today.
I sighed in frustration at that.
“I’ll see you around,” I answered and saw Erik leaving, I still analyzed him entering the room, he stole glances, as he always did.
He was an imposing figure, always was, the commanding posture he had matched the power and leadership he exuded, he would be an incredible alpha, and his mate would be very lucky.
I just didn’t know if that lucky one would be me.
I watched him walk away, and my heart sank a little.
The part of me that once felt whole with him seemed to stir, like an ember reigniting.
But I couldn’t act on it, not tonight, not with so much at stake. I had to focus on the future, on finding my true mate.
Yet, as I stood there, the lingering scent of sea salt and mint still in the air, I couldn’t help but wonder if it was really possible to move on from someone who had once been my entire world.
I present to you, Erik.
