Chapter 3

Nathan’s POV

“Alpha Ryan, the rogues have invaded the eastern border!” a panicked guard shouted to the newly announced Alpha of the Gray Moon pack.

Chaos erupted in the Grand Mating Hall. Screams filled the air as pack members rushed for the exits, fear etched onto every face.

I didn't care about Ryan’s pack or his borders. I kept staring at the empty hallway where the strange girl had vanished. The dirty Omega with those haunting silver eyes and white-blonde hair.

"She’s gone," Asher growled in my head, his anger burning hot. "Find her!"

Before I could move, Beta Blake stormed into the hall, stopping right before my father. “Alpha King Garrett, rogues are attacking near the cliffs. We need to evacuate.”

My father stood up calmly, adjusting his black coat as if nothing were wrong. “Prepare the convoy.”

I slid into the backseat beside my father, but Asher wouldn't calm down. By the time we left the Gray Moon pack, the storm was in full force. Rain hammered the roof as our convoy sped down the dark mountain roads.

Over the past few years, I’d met hundreds of she-wolves: Alpha daughters, perfect future Lunas. None of them ever made my wolf react. But with just one touch from a dirty, broken Omega, Asher lost control.

If she were truly our fated mate, the bond should have snapped into place the moment I touched her hand. Instead, it was weak and muffled, as if an invisible wall stood between us, blocking the connection.

Suddenly, the brakes screeched.

The SUV jerked violently, throwing us forward.

Blake slammed his door open and jumped out into the storm.

“What happened?” my father asked sharply.

Blake opened our passenger door, rain soaking his shoulders. “There’s a body blocking the road, Alpha King. Looks like a rogue. Barely alive. Should we just throw them aside and clear the path?”

I stepped out into the pouring rain.

“Nathan, wait! Stay inside!” my father commanded.

I ignored him, trying to see the rogue on the road, but the lead SUV blocked my view.

Lightning flashed across the sky, lighting up the ridge. Up there, the Gray Moon warriors were fighting a massive group of rogues.

Suddenly, a few of them spotted our cars. They started charging down the rocks toward us, their eyes wild and hungry.

Blake stepped up beside me, wiping rain from his face. “Nathan, they’re closing in, and we don’t have enough warriors to hold them off. We need to leave, now.”

I didn’t answer. My eyes were fixed on the road.

Blake shouted over the wind. “Nathan, so should we just toss this rogue aside?”

“No,” I commanded, my voice cutting through the thunder. “Bring them with us. Throw them in the car.”

Blake blinked, confused. “Are you serious? You want to drag a rogue into the Alpha King’s convoy?”

“We never get the chance to capture them alive,” I said, my gaze hardening. “We’re taking them with us.”

I climbed back into the rear seat beside my father. I strained to see through the front windshield, but the wall of blinding rain made it impossible to see anything clearly.

The Beta dragged the unconscious figure into the back of the first SUV and climbed in after them. Before he even finished closing the door, our driver slammed on the gas, and we tore down the road, heading home.

“What is going on with the rogues?” I muttered, staring at my father. “They’re getting bolder.”

“They have become organized,” my father said, folding his hands over his stomach. “Many Alphas have noticed this over the last few months. But they aren't what’s worrying me right now...”

He turned and looked me straight in the eyes. “Did you find your true mate at the Gray Moon pack? I saw one of them catch your attention.”

I looked out the rain-covered window, watching the dark trees blur past. “No.”

"Liar," Asher snarled in my mind.

"If she’s our true mate, then why didn't the bond snap into place?" I snapped back at my wolf.

"Maybe we’ve searched for too long," Asher said, his voice hurt. "Maybe waiting so long broke something in us."

"Or maybe she wasn't our mate," I thought back. "That is the simple answer."

I turned to my father.

“That girl wasn’t my mate,” I said, trying to sound sure.

My father watched me for a long moment before letting out a heavy sigh. “Nathan, I don’t understand why you keep fighting this and why you are so reluctant to find your true mate. You know it is the most powerful thing in our world.”

“A true mate can also become a weakness,” I answered coldly.

Lightning flashed inside the SUV, showing the sharp lines of my father's face. He knew what I meant.

“We both remember what happened to my sister,” I added, my fingers digging into the leather armrest.

After that, the car was tense and quiet. That tragedy was why I never wanted a true mate. Picking a Luna made more sense. It was safer, more controlled, and predictable. Stella, my chosen mate, understood her role.

The royal gates finally appeared through the storm. We were back in the Blackwood pack. It was well past midnight.

“Home, sweet home,” I muttered as the convoy entered the pack.

The streets were empty, and most of the houses were dark; everyone was asleep. We drove past the packhouse and went deeper into the territory until the convoy finally stopped in front of the royal residence.

My mother, Meredyth, hurried down the front steps with an umbrella. Relief washed over her face the second her eyes landed on me. Behind her stood Stella.

Her blonde hair was perfect, her dress tailored, and her makeup stayed flawless, untouched by the storm. She stood with perfect posture and wore the ideal future Luna smile.

The moment I stepped out of the SUV, Stella ran to me. She held her umbrella over us with one hand and wrapped her other arm tightly around my neck.

“Nathan,” she pressed her body against mine. “I was so worried.”

Her jasmine and vanilla perfume was suffocating. I used to enjoy that scent, but now it turns my stomach.

"Too much," Asher growled. "She is wrong for us. We need our true mate. I told you I’ll never—"

I slammed my mental shields shut, blocking Asher out. I knew what was coming next, and his voice was already making my head throb again.

“I’m alright, Stella,” I said shortly, pulling away from her touch.

I stepped back, letting the icy rain run down my neck just to escape her strong perfume.

“And?” she asked carefully, her eyes searching mine. “Did you find her? Did the Alpha King's son find his mate?”

“No.” The answer came too fast, too sharp.

Stella’s smile grew. She was happy about it, and for some reason, that only made me more irritated.

I watched my father walk into the house with my mother. I started to follow them up the steps, but Blake came over through the heavy rain. “What should we do with the rogue, Alpha?”

“Dungeon,” I ordered. “I’ll interrogate them later.”

“And after?”

"Then they die."

Blake turned to leave, but I had only taken two steps when the air changed.

A sharp, sweet scent of strawberries swirled around me. I froze. It couldn’t be, but the rain washed it away right away.

I looked around the courtyard, but the SUV with the rogue was already driving off.

“I’m losing my mind,” I muttered and shook my head.

But deep inside, Asher was wide awake, pounding against my mental shields until my head throbbed with pain.

I grabbed my head, wincing.

“Nathan, are you okay?”

Stella was at my side right away. Her perfume was overwhelming. But all I wanted was to smell those strawberries again.