Chapter 2

Lucianna’s POV

“Hi!” I greeted a group of girls: female wolves like me. We had just arrived at the Shadow pack, and the van we had ridden in had dropped us off in front of the pack guesthouse. Of course, I wanted to make some friends! The Shadow pack would be my new home; it was better to know someone.

The three of them looked at me without any sign of friendliness. They eyed me from head to toe, and I felt a cold shiver run down my spine.

I recognized that look; I was familiar with it.

They didn’t say a word or greet me back; instead, they walked away. Okay, they didn’t like me. I got it.

The nerve! We had come from the same pack, we were the same age, and I even knew one of them! That was Leslie, one of the Regal pack’s well-known whores! How could they ignore me like that?! Argh!

Okay, calm down, Lucianna. There are other girls who’s from the other pack. You will gain a friend.

I tried to shake off the negative vibes and looked around. It seemed better to befriend strangers than those from my former pack.

Looking around, I noticed that most of them were in groups, in pairs or more. Every girl—there were around forty-five of us—seemed to be getting along.

Except for me.

I sighed.

Back in the Regal pack, I had only one friend: Ashira. And seeing how hard it was to make friends here made me miss her even more.

I had thought the reason no one wanted to be around me back at the Regal pack was because I had grown up alone, without anyone. I had no parents to protect me from bullies as I grew up, and I had no other relatives. I had believed that was the reason, but coming here…

Maybe I was just not meant to have friends. If there was such a word.

Okay! No worries! I will find my mate tomorrow and he will be my one and only savior from this lonely world!

I was sure of that! One wolf was destined to only one mate. That’s how it worked. A male wolf could only produce a child with his fated one. The mate bond was so strong that no one could break it. One look, and boom! Absolutely magical. I was certain he would love me wholeheartedly.

Ahhhh!

I couldn’t wait to meet you, darling, husband, love of my life! I would call you every name I could think of once I found you!

Just like that, just thinking about my mate and the prospect of finding him washed away my negativity. It had been helpful to me ever since I learned about mates and bonds.

When I discovered that there was one man destined to be with me until my last breath, I felt as though I had been given a reason to live.

Reflecting on it, I was around eight and a half when we were first taught about mates in school. At that age, I was on the verge of giving up, allowing my loneliness to consume me, feeling hopeless after learning of my parents’ deaths and believing I was truly alone.

That one school lesson about mates gave me the will to live up to this day. It instilled in me the hope that I wouldn’t spend the rest of my days in solitude, that someone out there was waiting for me!

Oh, and I had also heard that intimacy with one’s mate was mind-blowing! I couldn’t wait to experience that level of connection!

“Hello, everyone.” said a deep voice that made my head turn to the guesthouse entrance. There, a man in his early twenties stood, facing us. He was wearing a suit, and his expression seemed very formal.

A man made of stone. That was what I thought of him.

“Welcome to the Shadow pack. You have the rest of the day to enjoy yourselves but it is highly suggested to not stray beyond those red signboards.” he pointed to a spot, and I noticed signs that read, ‘Do not go beyond this point.’. “The purpose of that rule is to prevent your mates to catch your scents and cause ruckus before the Ball.”

The Mapping Ball will be held tomorrow night. It’s a pack tradition: an event where the she-wolves, whose mates reside in a specific pack, attend the ball to meet their fated ones at that party!

Ahhhh! I’m so excited!

I was in awe that my mate was from the Shadow pack, the second strongest in the North Region. This also meant there were more werewolves here than in my previous pack. I always loved crowds, though they didn’t always love me back. Regardless, I loved people! I was a sucker for get-togethers and such. We seldom had those in Regal, and I wondered how often the Shadow pack held parties here.

“Everyone will have each room to stay in, the invitation for the Ball will be given together with your breakfast tomorrow. Never lose it. That’s all and—”

“I’m sorry, but can we ask your name?” one of the girls asked, squealing like a fangirl with her newfound friends.

I had to agree that the guy looked handsome, but he hadn’t smiled even once. He appeared annoyed that someone had interrupted him, his jaw clenched tightly.

I couldn’t believe the audacity of these girls! I hadn’t met my mate, but I felt as though I’d devoted my whole life to him. Yet these girls were fawning over the guy up front like crazy! Hello! They were going to meet their mates tonight! And that guy surely wasn’t theirs!

He wouldn’t answer them. I’d bet my coins on it; he wouldn’t.

“Have a great day, everyone.” the guys said and walked away.

Pfft! I knew it! I had been observing people for a long time, mainly because I could only observe; no one wanted to be with me. But that had honed my skills in reading people well.

“Ugh! What a snob!” said the girl who had asked for the guy’s name. Everyone began to enter the guesthouse and collect the keys to their designated rooms while I waited for the line to shorten. It was okay to be last; I didn’t want to mingle just yet since my first attempt had been a failure.

I chuckled to myself as I watched the girls, feeling a mix of rejection and embarrassment. No, they were ashamed. Even if no one talked about it or teased them about what had happened, they still felt embarrassed because of that aloof guy.

I was lost in my thoughts and subtly observing the ladies around me when I was suddenly pushed to the ground!

Ouch!

“Oof! Sorry!” said a guy with shoulder-length dark hair. He held some boxes that smelled like meat, probably for dinner. “Wait,” he placed the box down and extended his hand to me. “Here, let me help you up.”

Okay, he seemed like a good guy, though clumsy. And he wasn’t my mate; I couldn’t feel the connection even though we were looking each other in the eyes.

I grabbed his hand and he pulled me up. “I’m really sorry. I was in a hurry.” he apologized.

I nodded and smiled at him. He didn’t mean to, so why would I be angry, right?

“It’s okay, just be careful, some girls can be bitch anytime.” I said in a friendly voice.

***

Jacob’s POV

It’s her.

She’s my mate.

I looked at the girl from afar, using my enhanced vision. I couldn’t be seen closer to the guesthouse, and I knew I was breaking the rules, but damn it! I couldn’t stand the sweet scent lingering all over my pack since they arrived. Since she arrived.

She was tall, and even in those shabby clothes, I could tell she was fit and curvy. Her long golden-brown hair had natural curls at the ends. I loved how the shape of her eyes matched her high cheekbones and— Oh, fuck. Not again.

I could feel my cock reacting just from looking at her. And even from this distance, her scent was so intoxicating that I couldn’t help but be enticed by it.

Fuck. If I hadn’t been an Alpha, I wouldn’t have had this much control! I might’ve run down this hill to reach her, to claim her, mark her, kiss her—oh, damn!

Watching, I observed her approaching three girls. Were they her friends?

I enhanced my hearing and decided to listen to their conversation.

“Hi!”

Oh, damn! Her voice even sounded so damn erotic to my ears! Why was I torturing myself? Why did I even come here to check on her?

My jaw dropped when the girls she had greeted turned their backs on her. Had they just ignored my mate?!

A low growl escaped from my chest. I hated seeing her cheerful face turn gloomy, because— Oh, wow. She was smiling again.

I guessed she wasn’t bothered by those rude girls, huh. I smiled, finding myself even more intrigued by my mate, wanting to know more about her.

Alright. Time to check her shadow.

Move forward, mate. Expose yourself to the sun, let me see your soul.

I was the Alpha of the Shadow pack, the second strongest pack in the North Region. Our pack’s name wasn’t without meaning; there was a secret behind it.

The Shadow ability.

For centuries, this ability had been passed down through our bloodline. It was a gift bestowed by a powerful enchantress when she mated with my ancestor, an Alpha at the time.

If one possessed this ability, he or she was called a “shadow eye.” And I had it. I could perceive a person’s intentions, discerning whether they were weak or strong. Whether they were happy, sad, envious, angry, or even aroused, I could see it in their soul.

To my eyes, a person’s shadow was colorful, varying depending on their emotions. It remained black, but a shade of a specific color tinted their shadow based on how they felt.

Red indicated anger. Green denoted envy or insecurity. Yellow signified happiness. Blue represented sadness. Purple implied arousal or being turned on.

The shadows of the strong were pitch dark, while those of the weak bore a gray shade.

To my dismay, my mate possessed a full gray shadow. What the hell!

I was in a daze as I watched her shadow; I wasn’t mistaken. She was just a weak wolf. I had been matched with a weak being!

I observed her as she talked with a guy who had bumped into her. That was Lawrence, one of our most experienced fighters. Instinctively, I enhanced my hearing and focused on their conversation.

“I promised, I will.” Lawrence replied to my supposedly weak mate. And why the hell was she being so friendly with a stranger?! What was with that smile? Did she like him?

“Oh, let me help you with this.” my mate offered and grab on the box the same time Lawrence grab on it. Their. Fucking. Hands. Touched.

A loud growl escaped my throat, and it was my wolf, feeling possessive over our mate.

I saw how Lawrence’s shadow turned purple! That dog was getting aroused by my mate!

Enhancing my vision further to observe my mate’s shadow, I couldn’t discern any other shade in her gray hue. How could she not— fuck, no one lacks emotions! And she was smiling sweetly at a male wolf. How could her shadow not react?!

“Oops.” my mate almost whispered, and her voice sounded so damn luscious! Was she trying to seduce Lawrence?

I found myself trembling as I watched the two of them part ways.

My eyes never left my mate as she followed Lawrence with her gaze. I could feel the anger inside me growing at that unsettling sight.

I got a weak, flirt wolf as my mate.