CHAPTER 3: Connected

Ava's heart pounded in her chest as she pushed open the door to the Grand Hall. Ulrica, her wolf, was frantic, screaming "mate" in her mind. Ava's curiosity got the better of her, and she couldn't help but wonder who her mate was.

As she stepped into the hall, her eyes locked onto the figure seated on the grand chair.

The Alpha King's piercing red eyes seemed to bore into her soul, and his smirk made her skin crawl. Ava paled, her mind racing with denial.

"No, it can't be," she thought.

She was not a coward but at this moment she felt fear for the first time.

“The moon goddess must be joking, the Alpha King was her mate?!”

Ulrica, however, was over the moon, purring like a lovesick puppy. Ava tried to shake off the feeling of unease, reminding herself that she was the Alpha of the Crescent Claw pack now.

Ava gathered her thought staring at him with a solemn look and thought to herself. “I am not about to abandon the Crescent Claw just because of a mate bond, not even for the Alpha king himself........”She couldn't let a mate bond dictate her actions.

With a deep breath, Ava began her steady approach, her gaze fixed on the Alpha King. The hall, once a celebration of her coronation, now felt like a trap. The scent of apple pine and mint wafted through the air, making her head spin.

As she reached the middle of the room, Ava bowed, her eyes fixed on the floor. "Greetings, Alpha King, in the name of the moon goddess," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

The Alpha King's low growl sent shivers down her spine, but Ava pretended not to have heard him. She raised her head slightly, still avoiding eye contact. Ulrica whined in her mind, urging her to move closer to their mate.

Ava's determination wavered for a moment, but she steeled herself, remembering the stakes. "Settle down, Ulrica," she tried calming her wolf down.

“We can't just abandon our pack for a mate bond."

The Alpha King's gaze never wavered from Ava, his eyes burning with intensity.

Dolion Starkov, the formidable Alpha King, was torn between amusement and irritation as he awaited his mate's arrival. Just hours before, he had been en route to a European summit, but an inexplicable pull had drawn him back to Australia.

The sensation was overwhelming, refusing to let him board his flight. Instead, he followed the unsettling feeling to the Crescent Claw pack.

As he stepped into the hall, the pull transformed into an intoxicating scent that left him breathless. A sly smile spread across his face. "Got ya," he whispered, his eyes gleaming with excitement and complexity. A century ago, he had given up on finding his mate, but here she was.

The Crescent Claw pack was in unease which was palpable, and Dolion's reputation preceded him. He only visited packs to address abnormalities, and those who faced his wrath were left shaken.

The guards at the border had been too stunned to alert their Alpha, and now the entire pack trembled with fear.

As Dolion entered the hall, he was struck by the absence of females. "Where is the new Alpha?" he asked, his voice low and husky. Terrance, the former Alpha, signaled for Beta Charlie to get her, Dolion's gaze narrowed, his eyes scanning the room.

"Is this a kind of gay party?" he asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm. Terrance shifted uncomfortably, understanding the Alpha King's implication. Dolion's flaming eyes seemed to bore into the souls of those around him, and Terrance couldn't help but panic.

What if the Alpha King chose one of their she-wolves as a mate, or worse, a slave? The thought sent a shiver down Terrance's spine.

Dolion's gaze, however, was fixed on the door, his senses on high alert.

As the door swung open, Dolion's eyes locked onto the vision before him. The most beautiful and ravishing she-wolf with a flaming red hair he had ever seen, stood frozen, her eyes wide with surprise. Dolion’s beast growled loudly, threatening to break free, but he forced it back, his eyes drinking in the sight of his mate.

His red gaze burned brighter, his lips curling into a smirk. He waited, his entire being focused on Ava's next move.

Would she run, or stand her ground?

The air was thick with tension as Dolion's patience and desire for his ravishing mate was tested,

As Ava's voice filled the room, Dolion's eyes lit up with intrigue. "So seductive and coaxing," he thought, his mind wandering to the possibilities. But his fascination was short-lived, as her words cut through his reverie like a knife. A low growl rumbled in his chest, a warning sign that his patience was wearing thin.

Ava, however, seemed unfazed, her gaze still fixed on the floor. Dolion's red eyes narrowed, his long legs folding as he sat up, his movements fluid like a predator. "Was his little mate planning to ignore the bond?" he wondered, his mind racing with the implications.

Her next sentence confirmed his suspicions "Thank you for gracing the Crescent Claw pack with your presence, Your Highness."

Dolion's growl grew louder, sending shivers down the spines of the Alphas present. Ava's head jerked up, her eyes locking onto Dolion's, and for a moment, time stood still.

Their gazes met, one green, the other red

Ava's breath hitched as the mate bond snapped into place, a spark of electricity that ran through her veins like liquid fire. "Goddess" she muttered, her voice barely audible.

Dolion's smirk grew wider as he sauntered towards her, his movements deliberate and calculated. He wrapped his hands around her waist, pulling her flush against his chest. The contact sent shivers down Ava's spine, a current that seemed to awaken every nerve ending in her body.

The room seemed to hold its collective breath.

As the Alpha King's hands came into contact with Ava's bare back, it was like a key turning in a lock, unlocking a floodgate of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her.

Alpha Terrance was on his feet, his eyes wide with anger, his glare fixed on the Alpha King.

But before he could intervene, Dolion's voice cut through the tension, his words dripping with intimacy. "Are you going to pretend not to recognize me...?" He bent to take a long sniff of her neck, his voice trailing off into a whisper. "Little Mate?"