Chapter 97. Mate Bond (1)

Three hours before midnight… Three hours before Elina turns eighteen

The palace was already humming with preparations for the Mating Ceremony. Lanterns hung on ropes, servants rushed through corridors, guards doubled their patrols, and the excited chatter of she-wolves swept through the courtyards.

But inside Damian’s private study, the atmosphere was quieter—warmer—almost intimate.

Elina sat with her hands folded tightly on her lap, her heart pounding with excitement and anxiety. Tonight, she would know her mate.

A future Alpha female… discovering her other half.

And yet, every time she thought of Damon, a painful flutter passed through her chest.

She tried to crush it or Ignore it totally but the closer midnight approached, the harder it became.

Damon, on the other hand, slouched comfortably in his chair as though the night meant absolutely nothing. His arms crossed, his expression bored—even though Elina could see the tiny muscle twitchin