Meet with the mayor of humans

KNOX'S POV

The air was bitterly cold tonight, the kind that seemed to seep into your bones. The scent of pine and damp earth mixed with the city’s pollution made me groan. My mood was sour enough to match. A sharp gust of wind ruffled my hair, and I cursed under my breath, swiping my hand through it. My wolf stirred restlessly beneath my skin, irritated by the delay.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a cigarette, desperate for a moment's peace.

"Knox, we don't have time for that," Logan, my Beta and at the same time my uncle, growled. "The pack's future depends on this. The mayor will be at the theater, and we’ve already missed half the damn show." Before I could light the cigarette, He smacked it out of my hand, his claws briefly flashing.

"God, Logan, I just wanted a moment." My voice came out sharper than I intended, my wolf's frustration coloring my tone. But I followed him, begrudgingly. My wolf didn’t care about politics or humans. It wanted freedom, a hunt, and a mate, a distraction I couldn’t afford tonight.

 The scent of humans and their over-applied perfumes thickened as we approached the grand doors of the John H. Koch Theater.

The scent of it irritated me more.

"If we miss this meeting with the mayor, we could lose the land to the rival pack, the Black Claw Pack", Logan said, his tone low but urgent . "That expansion is vital for the pack’s survival, Knox. This city is our territory, but without the mayor’s approval, the Silver Claw pack could take what's ours. You do want to protect our pack, don’t you?”

"What a stupid question," I shot him a glare. "Of course I do", My wolf growled in agreement then shrugged off his hand when he reached for my elbow. I hated being touched without consent. "But don’t touch me again, Logan. If you weren’t my uncle, I’d have broken your arm for that."

Logan chuckled, the sound rumbling deep in his chest. "Careful, pup. Don’t forget who trained you how yo fight."

I ignored him, the click of my leather shoes on the pavement punctuating my irritation. The grand façade of the John H. Koch Theater loomed ahead, its glass walls gleaming under the city lights. The smell of human sweat and perfume hit me as we entered, sharp and cloying. It was stifling, but I could endure it for the pack.

"The first intermission is almost over," Logan muttered, scanning the crowd. "We need to catch the mayor now. before anyone else does.

. He’s the key to ensuring the land stays in our control not in the Black Claw's Pack."

I rubbed my temple, trying to ignore the pounding headache that had plagued me all week. My wolf snarled beneath my skin. It didn’t like being confined here, surrounded by fragile humans who wouldn’t last a second against a predator. The beast longed for freedom, for the forests outside the city where it could run and hunt. Instead, I was here, rubbing elbows with humans, pretending to care about their mundane politics.

But the pack came first, as it always did. I pushed my instincts down and nodded.

"According to my sources, the mayor always gets a whiskey during intermission," Logan said, his tone conspiratorial. "Let’s make sure we intercept him before anyone else does. Then you can have your drink"

"Fine," I muttered. "But after this, I’m getting a drink, too." My wolf huffed in agreement, eager to escape this suffocating place.

We spotted the mayor, near the bar a wiry man with gray hair in his sixties. He had tired eyes and the scent of stress clinging to him. My wolf sneered when it noticed his status. He was prey, weak, nervous, and easily swayed but his signature could secure the pack’s future or ruin it.

Logan approached him with his usual charm, weaving tales of our business proposal while I stood back, scanning the crowd.

"Mr. Mayor, what a pleasant surprise to see you here!" Logan exclaimed, his voice smooth, his demeanor practiced. He was good at this, better than me. While I stood off to the side, letting him work his charm, I scanned the crowd more. The mingling humans didn’t interest me. My wolf growled in disdain at their frailty, their obliviousness to the predators among them.

But then, her scent hit me.

It was faint at first, like the lingering aroma of wildflowers carried on the breeze. My wolf went still, its restless pacing ceasing instantly. I inhaled deeply, letting the scent flood my senses. It was intoxicating , fresh, pure, and entirely out of place in this glittering, artificial world.

Mate.

The word roared in my mind, my wolf howling in triumph. My eyes darted through the crowd, searching for the source. I searched for a pretty good time but unfortunately my eyes didn't fall on her. 

Where the hell is she?! My wolf growled. 

"Knox!" Logan's voice snapped me back to reality. "Focus. The mayor is ready to hear more."

But I couldn’t focus. Not with her here. I wasn’t seeing her but her scent was wrapping around me, calling to every primal instinct I had. Before I could stop myself, I moved to go and look for her. I badly wanted to see her.

"Knox!" Logan barked again, his tone sharp. "We don’t have time for distractions."

My wolf growled, low and dangerous, at the interruption. But Logan was righ, there was too much at stake tonight. I forced myself to step back to them, the distance already aching.

I spoke to the mayor for some good time until when he accepted. 

"Wow, that's a substantial offer . I would love to hear more about this, but it's time for the show, do you want to watch it?", The old man looked conflicted.

"We're going in too. My nephew and I love the ballet!", Logan jerked his head for me to follow and I gave the mayor a large performative smile. I wasn’t interested, I just wanted to look for my mate.

The pack came first but now, so did she. And I’d find a way to balance both. Because no one , not the Black Claw, not even fate—would take her from me.

This was seriously going to be a long night.