Chapter 2

Lucas's POV:

The leather-bound portfolio in my hands contained all the details for the upcoming mating ceremony.

I studied the terms one final time as my sports car glided through the streets.

My family had tasked me with finalizing the arrangements between my nephew Ethan and Fiona Price.

"We should arrive at the Price estate in fifteen minutes, Alpha," My Beta—Jack Green announced from behind the wheel, his eyes briefly meeting mine in the rearview mirror.

I nodded, returning to the documents.

The alliance between Ethan and Fiona wasn't my making—Ethan's father Richard had arranged it, believing it would strengthen both families.

As Alpha and Ethan's uncle, I was simply tasked with finalizing the details and representing our family's interests in the ceremonial arrangements.

My mother, Elizabeth Grayson, had been particularly insistent that I handle this personally, a not-so-subtle reminder of her growing impatience.

"Even Ethan has found his path to mating." My mother's words from our morning call echoed in my mind.

"Lucas, you're thirty-one. It's past time you found your Luna. Every Alpha your age already has pups running around their territories."

I suppressed a sigh. She never missed an opportunity to remind me of my failure to find a mate.

Most Alphas found their Lunas by their mid-twenties.

At thirty-one, I was an anomaly—something my mother found increasingly concerning.

"The council is beginning to talk," she had added. "An Alpha without a Luna is seen as incomplete."

But I had remained steadfast in my solitude, much to my family's frustration.

Unlike other Alphas who chose mates based on political advantage or compatible bloodlines, I'd waited for the one wolf the Moon Goddess had chosen specifically for me. My fated mate.

I refused to settle for a convenient pairing that would leave me eternally wondering if she was out there somewhere, searching for me as I searched for her.

The sports car slowed as we approached a traffic light in the outskirts of Moonhaven.

Then it happened suddenly.

A violent surge erupted in my chest, like nothing I'd experienced in my three decades of life.

My heart pounded against my ribcage with such force I thought it might break through. My wolf, Duke, suddenly awakened with a ferocity that stunned me, howling and clawing to take control.

LUNA. MATE.

The primal thoughts weren't my own but Duke's, flooding my consciousness with an intensity that made my vision blur. My fingers involuntarily crushed the portfolio's leather edge, claws partially emerging without my permission.

"Stop the car." My voice emerged as a guttural command, laced with Alpha timbre that allowed no disobedience.

Jcak reacted instantly, pulling over with practiced efficiency. "Alpha? Is everything alright?"

I couldn't answer immediately. I was fighting for control against my wolf's unprecedented uprising.

Duke had always been disciplined, almost as controlled as I was. This reaction defied everything I knew about our shared existence.

FIND HER. CLAIM HER. PROTECT.

Taking a deep breath, I attempted to center myself.

That's when her scent hit me—delicate notes of moonflower and winter frost, with an underlying sweetness I couldn't identify. It bypassed all rational thought, triggering something primal and ancient.

"Alpha?" Jack's concerned voice finally broke through my haze.

"I'm fine." The lie tasted bitter on my tongue. "There's someone at that bus stop. Do you see her?"

Jack's eyes followed my gaze to where a young woman stood alone.

Even from this distance, I could sense her unease, the rigid posture that spoke of someone trying to appear stronger than they felt.

"The girl in the faded clothes? Yes, sir."

The dismissive description irritated me inexplicably. She wasn't just a "girl in faded clothes." She was... everything.

The realization hit me with stunning clarity: this reaction could only mean one thing. After thirty-one years, I'd found my fated mate.

I watched as the bus pulled up to the stop, its doors hissing open.

Just before she stepped aboard, she turned her head in my direction. Her silver-gray eyes seemed to find mine unerringly.

That single glance—lasting barely a second—sent a bolt of electric confirmation through my entire being. Duke howled in triumph within me, and I gripped the armrest so hard the leather cracked beneath my fingers.

MATE. OURS. FINALLY.

Duke snarled and paced within me, the primal urge to leap from the vehicle and claim her overwhelming.

MARK HER. SHOW EVERYONE SHE'S OURS.

But my rational side fought back with equal intensity.

I'd waited thirty-one years for this moment—I wouldn't ruin it with a crude public display that would terrify her. No, when I claimed her, it wouldn't be a rushed encounter at a bus stop.

She would come to me willingly, completely. I would possess her body, her mind, her trust—everything. And for that, I needed patience.

I watched the bus pull away from the curb, disappearing around a corner with my mate inside it.

Every muscle in my body tensed with the effort of not ordering Jack to follow it. Duke's frustrated howls echoed through my mind, but I forced myself to remain composed.

"Jack," I said, my voice carefully controlled despite the storm raging within me, "find out who that girl is."

"Yes, Alpha." Jack didn't question the order, though curiosity radiated from him. "And the Price meeting?"

I glanced down at my hands, where my claws had fully extended.

"Reschedule it," I ordered, flexing my fingers with effort to retract the claws. "Tell Alexander Price something urgent has come up. We'll meet tomorrow instead."

"Of course, Alpha." Jack's tone remained professional, but I caught his concerned glance in the mirror.

"Take me home. I need to... regain my composure before I deal with pack matters."