Chapter one - Scent

Arianna felt an excitement unlike anything she had experienced before. She had finally completed her university journey and had become a successful doctor. To top it off, right after delivering her valedictorian address, her longtime boyfriend, Valentin, had surprised her by proposing to her.

It was an unforgettable surprise, and of course, she accepted his proposal. Her parents were thrilled for her and organized a celebration to honor both her graduation and engagement.

The occasion was meant to be full of joy, and she enlisted her best friend, Maya, to assist with shopping for the party. They made their way to the mall where Arianna parked the car, and then joined Maya inside, where they began choosing dresses for the event.

After picking out the most stunning dress she could find, they moved on to shoes and other essentials that would ensure Arianna was the center of attention. Though she was already a beautiful girl, the extra glamour was just to let her shine as the guest of honor.

Maya then informed Arianna that she needed to use the restroom, and Arianna agreed. While her friend was away, she began to browse perfumes, trying to find a scent that appealed to her.

Suddenly, she caught a whiff of a mesmerizing and intoxicating fragrance that seemed to draw her closer to its source. 

Compelled by the scent, she wandered around the expansive mall, guided only by the irresistible aroma. 

She stopped in her tracks when she spotted a handsome man browsing through the clothing section, seemingly engrossed in looking at the outfits.

He was slightly turned away from her, allowing her to catch a glimpse of his striking features, and he looked like one of those rare Adonises you rarely encounter. 

Despite knowing it might send a confusing message, she felt compelled to approach him anyway. Her only intention was to inquire about the perfume that had mesmerized her senses.

Just as she took a few steps closer, Maya's voice called out to her, stopping her in her tracks. "Arianna! What are you doing?" Maya called out, quickly making her way to her friend, who appeared lost in thought a few meters away from the man.

Maya approached her friend and teased her gently. "Arianna, how could you? I’ve been looking for you everywhere. You’ve been here eyeing a guy?" she joked.

"No, I just loved his perfume and wanted to ask him where he got it so I could buy some too," Arianna clarified, though her explanation didn’t seem to make sense to Maya.

"What perfume?" Maya asked, confused. "Don’t you notice it? That amazing scent coming from him?" Arianna responded, still aware of the captivating fragrance that lingered in the air. 

Maya looked at her as if she was being ridiculous and simply shook her head. 

"I don't smell anything. I think you've spent too long in the perfume section; it’s messing with your senses," Maya jested, but Arianna was quite serious.

She was confident about what she was perceiving, and she was certain it was emanating from that man, but she realized that arguing with Maya would lead nowhere, so she chose to let it go.

"By the way, we need to leave now. Your mom just called and said she’ll be at your house in twenty minutes. We don’t have much time, and the party will be starting soon. We're finished here, so let’s go," Maya said, pulling the seemingly hesitant Arianna along.

Loki turned around as a surge from his inner wolf coursed through him. He wondered what was the matter. 'Our mate was just here, only a few feet away, and we didn’t even realize it before she left,' his inner wolf seemed to convey.

He quickly dropped what he was holding and searched the area; there were very few women around since he was in the men's section, and none caught his interest.

He wandered through the mall, scanning for his mate but came up empty-handed. Many women shot him flirtatious looks, and some even had the audacity to approach him for a date, which he pointedly ignored.

This was why he hadn’t rushed into the human world; many of the women were superficial, and he had no patience for that kind of behavior. The only reason he was here was for his best friend, Valentin. His sole human friend was getting engaged today, and he definitely wouldn’t miss that.

No one who laid eyes on him would have an inkling of his true nature. Not even Valentin was aware that he was a werewolf, let alone the alpha of the most renowned pack in the region.

Valentin believed Loki was often unavailable because he lived abroad, a pretense Loki had diligently maintained. They had crossed paths under unusual circumstances and had become best friends ever since, often communicating solely through their phones, which surprisingly did not weaken their bond.

Loki had confidence in Valentin and trusted that his choice in women would be excellent. Although he had never met her or had the opportunity to lay eyes on her, he sensed that she would be the ideal match for his friend.

After searching for twenty minutes without any sign of her, he concluded that she must have already departed. His inner wolf felt despondent, sharing in that disappointment.

"Don’t fret; we’ll locate her, I promise. We just need to hold off for a little bit longer because there’s something else we need to prioritize today.

We have to be present at our friend’s engagement, and afterwards, it’s straight to searching for our Luna," he reassured himself as his inner wolf reluctantly agreed.

He returned to the men’s section to grab the clothes he had previously chosen. After that, he proceeded to the checkout, made his payment, and then ent

ered his car with the shopping bag before driving away.