Zara’s POV

I could hear the cheers and applause coming from the event arena down below. The party lights flashed across the night sky just outside my window, complementing the full moon that shone radiantly in the sky.

I smiled inwardly. Tonight is mine!

“Ugh! Can you go any slower?” I asked in disgust, giving the maid who was doing my hair an irritated look.

I had assigned the task to my friend, Selene, who decided that today, of all days, was the best time to ditch me.

“It’s done, miss Zara. You can look in the mirror now.” She said timidly, stepping away from the stool I sat on.

“Wow!” I exclaimed, patting my hair and examining my reflection in the mirror.

“Sorry I was mean to you the other time, I’m just really nervous about tonight,” I apologized to her. What if I didn’t mate with Storme? How would I handle the awkwardness?

“I know, miss, I could never take offense with you,” she replied with a bright smile.

I opened the bedside drawer and brought out my treasured hairpin, the only belonging I had in memory of my late mother. She had given it to me as a little child, just a few days before she went on that long journey that my father talked about. I knew she died, something in me told me, but I was never allowed to see her dead body.

The few memories I had of her were starting to fade away from my memory, but one thing I could never forget was her sweet, reassuring smile and those jade green eyes that seemed to be always moist, like she was always ready to cry, but even that was slowly starting to fade away from my mind.

I put it on my hair and looked in the mirror once again.

“Dear mother, I know you’ll be here tonight watching me,” I said as a tear rolled down my face and dropped on my chest.

Careful to not ruin my makeup, I quickly dabbed the tear away with a towel and went downstairs where my best friend and the incoming alpha, Storme, was waiting for me.

We would finally be paired as mates tonight, I had waited my whole life for this moment.

“I just hope nothing goes wrong,” I said to my self.

“Wow, you look drop dead gorgeous, Zee!” He said and grabbed my waist for a hug.

“Thank you, Storme,” I replied with a sweet smile and wiggled out of his arms.

“Let’s go, they’re waiting for us, for you,” he said and held my hand, leading me out of the entrance into the open compound.

The applause rose to a deafening tempo as the spotlight turned to me.

Storme held fast to my hand and led me through the crowd to the stage.

The crowd parted to give us space as we moved towards the front.

I looked sideways and spotted Maya, my sister, clapping wildly and giving me the sweetest smile.

Beside her was Melissa, my other sister. She didn’t look very pleased, and gave me a look of indifference, but I couldn’t let that bother me. Not tonight.

We passed them and headed towards the stage, where the moderator stood waiting.

I sighted my father seated on a high chair at the corner of the stage, his smile urging me forward.

I had just returned his smile when suddenly, a wave of something I couldn’t describe overpowered me.

I stopped dead in my tracks and almost fell, but Storme’s hands held me steady.

It felt like something in me was awakening. My insides were on fire, something was stirring inside of me.

The hair on my body rose up and I felt a strong force pulling me away from Storme towards the crowd, but I didn’t let go of his hand.

Hundreds of people had their eyes on me and I couldn’t afford to let this spoil it, whatever it was.

“Are you okay?” He asked and held me tightly to himself, still guiding me.

“I think so,” I whispered with a rasp breath.

Then without warning, a strong scent hit my nose. It was musky, woody, and earthy all once, with a slight tone of crushed peppermint. All my senses suddenly jerked awake and my wolf let out a satisfying purr.

It was happening, I think I just scented my mate. The scent was musky and strong and satisfying.

I almost squealed out in delight, forgetting totally that Storme was still beside me, holding my hand.

I looked at him now, expecting that the scent I had perceived earlier was his, but no! He looked like he knew what had happened too, but he didn’t act like it and continued leading me to the stage.

We were finally at the front of the crowd after what seemed like a hundred mile walk.

I climbed up the stage with Storme and stood between him and the moderator.

“Tonight, our charming Princess, Zara, will be paired with her mate…!” His voice had lost the intensity he bellowed with just a few moments ago.

A round of applause erupted from the crowd, and amidst the cheers and laughter, I looked at the moderator, Noah, who was staring at me now with worried eyes.

My father, too, had stood up from his chair and joined us at the center of the stage, Storme adjusted his position to let him stand beside me.

I guessed they had all seen what happened to me.

He held my hand reassuringly, though I was still unsettled. His forehead was creased with lines of worry.

The scent I had perceived earlier clung to my nose, and my wolf raged within me, urging and pushing me to run into the crowd and find who the scent belonged to, but I reined the urge in and held myself.

I knew one thing. It was not Storme. He was not my mate.

One look at him and I knew that he knew. I would not be his Luna, we would not be together, my mate was in this gathering and it was not Storme.

My face fell in disappointment. But I caught something like a ghost of a smile at the corner of his mouth.

Did Storme just smile?

“Hm..hmm…” moderator cleared his throat.

“It seems that err…” his voice trailed off.

There was a commotion somewhere in the crowd. A fight had broken out between some people and in seconds, the whole place was in disarray.

Quickly, some soldiers came and escorted my father and I away from the stage and took us into the main building.

I ran up to my room and watched the scene from my window. A few moments later, the soldiers got a hold of the situation and things became calm, but the crowd had dispersed and the arena was almost empty.

I was about to close the windows when my eyes caught sight of a shadow fleeing from the dense cluster of trees just a few meters away from the tall fence bordering the mansion.

“Who could that be?” I asked myself as I took off my dress and put on a more comfortable outfit. My day was ruined already, I was yet to process the events of tonight, the strong scent of my mate which was not Storme, my party being ruined, and now this shadow?

My curiosity got the better of me and I slipped out of the mansion unnoticed.

Outside the estate gates, my nose pricked up and I picked up the scent again.

I let out a small howl, involuntarily shifted into my full wolf form and ran.

My wolf ran with a mind of her own, I didn’t know where she was leading me to. The scent grew stronger with every leap and turn I took.

I ran, occasionally stopping to howl at the full moon, it was all a new experience for me. I felt complete and free.

Suddenly I bumped into something, or someone.

I shifted back into my human form and saw the person I had been chasing.

The scent came from this person.

“Who are you?!” We asked at the same time.