Chapter 1
POV: Liam
Fifteen years.
For fifteen years, I have waited. Hunted. Endured.
Every Moon Ball, I have stood among my kind, watching others find their mates, feeling the bond snap into place for them—never for me. I have told myself to be patient. That the Moon Goddess has her reasons. That my mate will come when the time is right.
But the time has never been right.
Not for me.
And now, I am barely holding on.
The potions the magicians give me are losing their effect. My wolf—restless, on edge, half-mad with the need to claim what is his—scrapes at the inside of my mind, a storm I can barely contain. He howls for his mate, for the one who will complete us, for the missing piece of our soul.
I grit my teeth, locking my hands behind my back as I stand at the edge of the grand ballroom. The scent of roses and moonlit air drifts through the open hall, mingling with the crackling energy of unmated wolves searching, hoping, praying.
This time, I don’t pray. I don’t let myself hope. I only stand there, jaw clenched, forcing my breathing to stay even.
Because I know what will happen.
The bond will not snap into place. The night will end, and I will walk away alone. Again.
An Alpha without his mate is a beast on the verge of losing control.
I have ruled my pack for years, but without her, I am incomplete. My wolf knows it. He feels the void like an open wound, festering, rotting, growing worse with each passing year. The only thing keeping him in check are the spells and potions crafted by my magicians—temporary fixes, numbing the unbearable. But even those are failing now. Every day, I feel myself slipping. Every day, my wolf pushes harder to break free.
And tonight, at yet another Moon Ball, I stand here, waiting for a miracle I no longer believe in.
I swirl the whiskey in my glass, watching the amber liquid catch the light of the chandeliers above. Around me, laughter and music fill the grand hall, the scent of anticipation thick in the air. The Moon Ball—another year, another gathering of unmated wolves searching for the piece of their soul.
Another year of nothing for me.
I’ve stood in this very spot fifteen times. Fifteen years of hope turning to disappointment, of watching others find their mates while I walk away alone. The Moon Goddess must be laughing at me by now.
The ballroom is alive with movement—wolves dancing, mingling, their eyes scanning the room with excitement. I don’t share their enthusiasm. Instead, I stand at the edge, whiskey in hand, forcing myself to keep my expression unreadable.
A familiar presence approaches before I even hear his voice.
Magnus.
My Beta, my closest friend, the only one who truly understands what I’ve endured. He has his mate now—Ein. She stands beside him, her arm looped through his, their bond unmistakable.
“Alpha,” Magnus says, voice low enough that only I can hear. “How are you holding up?”
I exhale sharply, taking a slow sip of my drink. “Same as every year, Magnus. And you?”
He gives me a look, the kind only a brother-in-arms can give. “You know damn well how I am. But that’s not what I asked.”
Ein tilts her head, studying me with soft, knowing eyes. “Do you think this could be your year?” she asks gently.
I let out a short, dry laugh. Cold. Bitter. Hollow.
“The Moon Goddess has a cruel sense of humor,” I say, shaking my head. “If she wanted me to find my mate, she would have done so by now. I’ve stopped believing in fairytales.”
Magnus frowns, but before he can respond, I place a firm hand on his shoulder. “It’s midnight,” I say. “Time for the speech.”
He gives me a reluctant nod, stepping back as I move toward the raised platform.
The music fades. The room stills. Hundreds of eyes turn to me.
I project my voice across the hall, steady and commanding. “Tonight, we gather once more in honor of the Moon Goddess. To celebrate love, to welcome fate. This is the moment where paths align, where soulmates find each other. May the Goddess bless you all.”
The words are empty in my mouth. I have spoken them before. I have heard them before. But I have never felt them.
And I never will.
I lower my glass, preparing to step down—
Then it happens.
A jolt runs through me, sharp as lightning, bone-deep and undeniable.
My breath catches. My entire body goes rigid.
What—?
A scent—warm, soft, sweet, intoxicatingly familiar though I’ve never smelled it before—wraps around me, seeping into my very marrow. My heart slams against my ribs.
No.
It can’t be.
I move before I even realize it, descending the stairs, my eyes scanning the crowd with a desperation I can’t control. My pulse pounds and I could hear my heart beats into my ears. My wolf—silent for so long—surges forward, howling, clawing, demanding.
Where is she?
And then—
I see her.
Across the dance floor, standing near the edge of the crowd.
Dark blonde hair cascading down her back, and she was wearing a beautiful red dress. Warm, deep brown eyes searching the room. Unaware that she has just shattered my world.
The breath leaves my lungs in a single, staggering exhale.
The bond snaps into place, more powerful than I could have ever imagined. Every cell in my body locks onto her, every fiber of my being screams mine.
The world, tilted and wrong for so many years, suddenly shifts into perfect alignment.
And then—she looks at me.
I see it in her eyes. The shock, the recognition, the pull.
She feels it too.
Her wolf—beautiful—pushes forward, changing eyes with her, mirroring my own.
I can’t think. I can’t breathe.
I can only move.
One step. Then another.
She doesn’t run. She doesn’t speak.
She waits.
And I know—she is mine, and I am hers.
Without a word, I reach for her hand.
The moment her hand slips into mine, something inside me snaps.
Her touch, is the most perfect.
My wolf is roaring, wild, relentless. I have waited too long. I have suffered too much. And now, here she is—my mate. Warm, soft, breathtaking. Mine.
The celebration erupts behind us. Cheers, howls, voices raised in excitement. They know. The pack has waited almost as long as I have for this moment. Their Alpha has finally found his Luna.
But I don’t care about them.
I only see her.
Her eyes are wide, searching mine, still caught in the whirlwind of what just happened. She smells like the forest after a summer storm, with a hint of vanilla and fire—clean, warm, irresistible. My restraint is hanging by a thread, every inch of me screaming to take, to claim, to make her mine in every way possible.
I pull her to me, gentle but firm, my hands finding her waist, her delicate frame fitting perfectly against me. She’s so much smaller than me, and the realization destroys me. She needs my protection.
Her lips part, her breath shaky. She doesn’t move away.
I can’t stop myself.
I tilt her chin up and press my lips to hers.
It’s supposed to be soft. Controlled. A simple first kiss.
But I am not a man who does anything softly.
The second our lips touch, fire explodes inside me. My wolf growls in approval, and I lose myself in her warmth. Her taste.
She gasps softly, but then—she kisses me back.
A low, possessive growl rumbles in my chest as her hands slide up, pressing against my chest. So small. So fragile.
And yet, she is the only one who could ever bring me to my knees.
I deepen the kiss, one hand sliding up to cup the back of her neck, the other tightening around her waist, holding her to me, feeling every inch of her pressed against me. I need her closer. I need all of her.
A shiver runs through her, and I feel the exact moment she surrenders. She melts into me.
The world disappears.
Nothing exists but her.
My mate. My salvation.
The sounds of the ball blur into the background, distant and meaningless.
Until she breaks the kiss, her breath coming fast, her forehead pressing softly against mine.
I exhale, trying to ground myself, trying to keep control. I can’t terrify her with the sheer force of what I feel.
She’s mine, but she doesn’t know me yet.
She lets out a soft, shaky laugh, her fingers clutching my shirt. I nearly groan at the sight.
I brush my nose against hers, breathing her in. “Come with me,” I murmur.
She nods.
I take her hand and lead her through the crowd, past the cheers and the knowing grins, ignoring every wolf who calls my name. They’ll celebrate without me.
Right now, nothing else matters but her.
I pull her into a quiet room, closing the door behind us.
Only then do I let myself truly look at her.
She’s perfect.
Her hair is slightly messy from my hands tangling in it. Her lips are red, swollen from my kiss. Her chest rises and falls with uneven breaths, and she’s watching me with something undeniable in her eyes.
Fate.
Destiny.
And want.
I lean against the door, exhaling slowly. “Your name,” I ask, my voice rough. “Tell me.”
She hesitates, like she’s caught between the moment and reality, but then she whispers, “Vanessa Cameron.”
Vanessa.
My mate’s name is Vanessa.
I roll the name over in my mind, branding it into my soul.
And then I smirk. “You already know who I am, don’t you?”
Her lips twitch. “Liam Nightfang,” she says, her voice softer now.
I chuckle, shaking my head. “I suppose the whole ‘Alpha’ thing gives it away.”
She gives a small laugh, and I swear it’s the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard.
I step closer, my fingers tracing her jaw, feeling the sparks dance between us. “Vanessa,” I say, tasting her name.
She shivers.
And then, before she can second-guess this—before I can second-guess this—I kiss her again.
This time, there is no hesitation.
No restraint.
She whimpers into my mouth, and my control shatters.
I lift her, pressing her back against the wall, devouring her, tasting her, losing myself in her completely.
Her hands tangle in my hair, her nails grazing my scalp, and a deep growl rumbles from my chest. I want more.
I need more.
But I force myself to slow down. To savor.
I pull back just enough to see her eyes, to watch the way she looks at me.
Like she feels it too. Like she knows she’s mine.
I brush my lips against her cheek, down to her neck, inhaling her scent. “Say my name,” I murmur.
She exhales shakily, her fingers digging into my shoulders.
“Liam.”
Fuck.
I capture her mouth again, sweeping her into my arms.
Tonight, nothing else exists.
Just me.
And my mate.
