Chapter 3

Matteo’s POV

“Make sure you investigate everything related to the Howlers Pack,” Dad—the Lycan King—said. I was sitting in his office with my future beta, Calvin.

Worry was written all over his face as he thought about what had happened to that pack. Its sudden destruction confused him. He couldn’t understand how it happened without him knowing. He kept asking whether the pack had sent any reports about rogue attacks or fights with other packs. Normally, the Howlers Pack would inform the palace right away if something like that happened. But this time, we received nothing so that we couldn’t respond in time.

“Matteo, are you even listening?” my father said sharply, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“Yes, Dad. I heard you,” I replied. The incident had happened years ago, but we still hadn’t found any clues. That’s why he decided to send me there. He wanted me to solve the case before I took the throne. Ever since he discovered what happened, he hadn’t been able to rest. Now that he planned to pass the throne to me, he wanted to make sure something like this would never happen again.

Only Calvin and I—and a few trusted Lycan friends—knew the real reason for this mission. Some of them stayed behind at the palace, while others would join us later to help with the investigation.

We arrived at the Midnight Pack without telling them the real reason for our visit or our long stay. They believed we were simply checking on their pack and the nearby territories.

But the moment I stepped out of the car, my life turned into chaos.

I tried asking Calvin what was going on, but even he didn’t have an answer.

Eunice walked over to me, and for some reason, I suddenly felt the urge to put on my sunglasses and scan the area, like I was searching for something. My eyes landed on a she-wolf standing nearby with her head lowered.

I tried to focus my senses and catch her scent.

Nothing.

She had no scent at all.

Alpha Daniel led us inside while Eunice stayed glued to my side. I growled at her more than once, telling her to give me space, but she ignored me. In the end, I gave up. Her strange behavior was my fault anyway, so I had to deal with it.

During our stay, the Midnight Pack let us use their villa. Honestly, I was relieved not to stay in the alpha’s pack house. It wasn’t that I disliked them, but it became clear very quickly that their future alpha wasn’t very impressive.

Four months passed.

One evening, Calvin and I were in a room talking about everything that had happened since we arrived—and about the strange reaction my Lycan had when we first got here.

“Maybe your mate was here,” Calvin suggested.

“I hope so,” I said. “But remember—I told you I smelled her scent at the palace nine years ago.”

He nodded.

Nine years earlier, when we returned from a vacation, I caught my mate’s scent the moment I stepped out of the car at the palace. I followed the smell, but it stopped at the front porch. After that, it disappeared completely.

To this day, I still don’t know who she is.

I told my father about it back then. He questioned everyone with high ranks in the palace about whether any visitors had come while we were away. Ronaldo—the palace financial adviser and Eunice’s father—said no one had visited.

That left me confused.

If my mate had been at the palace, why couldn’t I smell her again?

For Lycans, finding a mate can take centuries. I was about to turn one hundred in a few months, and yet my Lycan had reacted differently than expected.

“Then why do you think your Lycan reacted like that?” Calvin asked.

I shook my head. I honestly had no idea.

“Speaking of mates,” Calvin continued, “if she really was here, and that’s why your Lycan reacted like that, you need to deal with the situation with Eunice.”

I knew he was right. But I still wasn’t sure what to do. Eunice and I had agreed that what we had was purely physical—nothing more. Still, the situation felt messy.

“Why can’t she just show up already?” I said in frustration.

I came here to solve a case, not to search for my mate. But it looked like I’d have to deal with both.

I closed my eyes and sighed. “We should focus on the investigation first. The sooner we finish it, the better.”

Calvin nodded.

When I stepped out of the room, Eunice was standing right outside the door.

“Didn’t I tell you I hate it when you eavesdrop?” I said, irritated.

She walked up to me with a seductive smile, placed her hand on my chest, and kissed me.

That was my mistake.

I couldn’t resist. Soon I was touching her too, and before I realized what I was doing, I carried her into the next room and took her there.

Even after decades of sleeping with her, I had never finished inside her. Only my mate had the right to carry my pups. If Eunice hoped for that, she would never get it.

I also never slept with her in my own room. It was always in hers—or in some random room when the mood struck.

“Leave,” I told her once I pulled myself together.

Then I heard it again.

A painful howl—full of accusation.

My eyes widened as my Lycan roared inside my head.

Mate. She’s in pain because of you. She knows we belong to her, and being with that ungrateful woman hurts her.

Then tell me where she is, I said. I want to see her too. Why can’t I find her?

Because you’re an idiot! We’ve been talking for almost a hundred years, and you still don’t know my name!

He was right.

I had asked him many times what his name was, but he never answered. Now he blamed me for not knowing how to call him.

“What was that?” Eunice asked. She had heard the howl, too.

“There are plenty of weak wolves in this pack,” she said mockingly. “One of them must be hurting because their mate is cheating.”

“Didn’t I tell you to leave?” I said coldly.

My Lycan wanted to kill her.

She fixed her clothes quickly—she had only needed to pull her pants back up—and walked out.

I sat down in a chair and started thinking.

I wanted to go to my mate, wherever she was. But I knew I wouldn’t be able to find her.

She had no scent.

Then suddenly I remembered the she-wolf from earlier—the one I couldn’t smell.

My eyes widened.

I rushed out of the room and went straight to Calvin.

“Let’s organize a friendly fighting tournament for the Midnight Pack,” I told him.

He looked at me carefully.

“I want to find my mate,” I explained. “And I think this might help.”

He nodded.

The next day, I informed Alpha Daniel about the tournament. Whether he liked it or not, he would have to agree.

After that, I headed to the school to announce the tournament in every class—hoping I might finally see a certain someone.