Chapter 1: The Mating Ball

Deep-set eyes, a clean-shaven face, an angular jawline that seemed chiseled from stone, an aristocratic nose that added an air of regal elegance, and lips pursed in a grim line. His brute features were what I noticed first when I laid my eyes on him, a striking blend of strength and refinement.

He was the only man who went to the dancefloor without a mask, and for the first time in my nineteen years of existence, my heart leaped because of a male.

Standing there amidst the swirling sea of dresses and suits, I couldn't help but feel a magnetic pull toward him. He was tall, towering above the crowd at perhaps around six feet, and his tie was loosely knotted as if he hadn't had the time to properly adjust it.

As he stepped into the room, an almost palpable shift occurred. The atmosphere seemed to change, and most girls, even those who were already in the company of partners, couldn't help but turn their heads towards the newly arrived man. It was as though an undeniable aura surrounded him, drawing everyone's attention.

And then there was me, standing at the center of the bustling crowd, without a partner for the evening. My heart raced with a mix of anticipation and nerves, my palms slightly sweaty against the fabric of my dress. My gaze kept drifting back to him, unable to resist the allure he exuded.

And then it happened—he began to walk towards me. At that moment, my feet might as well have turned into blocks of ice beneath my shoes. My pulse quickened, each step he took feeling like an eternity. He was, without a doubt, the hottest guy I had ever seen in my entire life, and the thought of him stopping right in front of me, extending his hand, and asking me to dance was almost too surreal to comprehend.

You know that moment when you felt like the main character of a romance novel? It was literally what I felt when he stopped right before me. His magnetic blue eyes looked down at me, and my heartbeat boomed in my ears like a bomb.

It was the mating ball, the most important night for young werewolves, because the moment midnight struck, we would shift into our wolf forms and be able to recognize our mates. Could it be that this man was my mate?

"May I have this dance?" His voice was low and smooth, sending shivers down my spine. I managed to nod, but my voice caught in my throat. He held out his hand, and I placed mine in his, feeling a rush of warmth at the touch.

"You seem to be unfamiliar to me," he muttered when we started to dance, making my heart skip a beat.

"How do you know? I am wearing a mask." I tried to hide my nervousness, but with how my frail voice trembled at the end, I knew I gave myself away.

His lips curled up into a small, knowing smirk, and in a quick attempt to redirect the conversation away from my unease, I posed a question before he could further explore the topic. For a gatecrasher, it was too early for me to get caught.

"Why don’t you have a mask like everybody else?"

"Think about it," he replied like I’d most likely get an answer by myself.

Slowly, my eyes widened. Realization dawned on me and his eyes narrowed, giving me a dark look that was somewhat mischievous.

"You are not one of the debutants!"

Young werewolves who turned eighteen before the year’s annual blood moon were called debutants, because it was the time of the year when they’d be blessed by the Moon Goddess with the ability to shift, and chances were, they would also recognize their mates among the other debutants.

"You thought I was a debutant?" he asked like something was funny about it. "Do I look like an eighteen-year-old boy, young lady?"

He pulled me closer and my knees felt like jelly under his scrutinizing gaze. I didn’t answer because I was too nervous.

"Every pack’s mating ball is exclusive for the pack members, but you…" He trailed off, his eyes narrowing darkly. "You don’t belong here, do you?"

I stopped breathing for a second.

I wanted to run, to escape even though it was a futile attempt, but I was torn between leaving and continuing this good night with this handsome stranger.

I wasn’t sure why he knew I wasn’t from this pack when all of the debutants were wearing masks, but one thing was for sure now. I’d probably be detained for a few days for trespassing and gatecrashing such an important event.

The only consolation I had was knowing that my father would surely buy my freedom and that I wouldn’t be harmed in any way.

After all, I was the only daughter of one of the four alphas in the region.

"You have a good pair of eyes, sir," I said with a smile, trying to convert my nervousness into grit. "I-I had fun dancing with you, but I think I need to see myself in the bathroom. My…" I glanced at my abdomen, "my stomach is aching so bad!"

I pulled myself away before he could say anything. While I was making my way out of the crowd, I didn’t look back, because I knew that if I did, I would probably regret running away from the blue-eyed man.

And while I was running away, suddenly, the pack’s clock tolled, signaling that it was already midnight. I looked up at the blood moon in the sky briefly and continued to run, until I burst into my wolf in the forest.

Then I stopped.

I was in utter awe. I couldn’t believe I was finally able to shift. I turned eighteen last year before the year’s blood moon and I attended my pack’s mating ball but I did not shift. After a whole year of waiting, I thought something was wrong with me. But tonight, I finally did!

And what’s more surprising, I recognized a potent scent all over me. It was my mate’s, and the image of the blue-eyed man flashed in my mind.