Chapter 2

"Congratulations, Dante! I'm happy for you and Darlyn. You make such a stunning couple," Mrs. Smith, one of the company investors, beamed with delight. The engagement party was in full swing at Rossi's Mansion, and the celebrations were in honor of Dante's fiancée, Darlyn Taylor.

But Dante could never think of Darlyn as his true mate, despite what their fathers had arranged. The marriage between them was a mere formality, a ridiculous agreement made by their family. He could never force himself to love her, no matter how beautiful she was. There was no deep connection between them that he could feel, no matter how hard he tried.

Darlyn, the daughter of Leonora Taylor, the successful entrepreneur and female Alpha of the Red River Pack, had always been kind and thoughtful towards him. Yet, Dante could never bring himself to like her daughter, and he didn't know why.

But as the future Lycan King of the Black Pearl Pack, he couldn't refuse his father's request and risked putting Darlyn in an awkward situation. Dante knew he had to obey his father and set an example for the other pack members.

Donovan Rossi, Dante's father, had always taught him the importance of being a man of his word and standing by his principles. He knew that without integrity, people would not respect him. That's why Dante couldn't just call off his engagement with Darlyn, even though he had no desire to marry her. He couldn't take back what he had said.

Everyone in Henesy, the werewolf hub where they currently reside, knew that Darlyn was meant to be Dante's mate, his future wife, and the future Luna. Additionally, Leonora Taylor, the successful entrepreneur and kind-hearted Alpha of the Red River Pack, had always been there for him. Dante had lost his mother at a young age and longed for a mother's love. Leonora filled that void and became like a second mother to him.

Dante had also grown fond of Seth Taylor, Darlyn's younger brother. They regarded him as a member of their family, showering him with reverence and love. Despite all of this, Dante couldn't bring himself to love Darlyn the way he should. There was no connection between them that he could feel, no matter how hard he tried.

If it weren't for Leonora Taylor, Dante would have never known what it felt like to have a mother's love. His own father showed little affection towards him, seeing him only as a means of carrying on their family's legacy and business. Donovan Rossi had no intention of passing down the leadership of their pack to anyone but his own son. He would go to great lengths to ensure that Dante succeeded him as the Lycan King of their pack.

Despite this, Dante couldn't bring himself to marry Darlyn just to appease his father. He had tried to see her as a woman and make an effort to love her, but his heart couldn't force itself to feel something that wasn't there. They had nothing in common, and compatibility was crucial to him.

However, he couldn't bear the thought of hurting Leonora by refusing to marry her daughter. She had been like a second mother to him, and he owed her so much. Leonora had expressed her desire for him to marry Darlyn many times, and he didn't know how to say no to her.

Despite being engaged to Darlyn, Dante struggles to feel any genuine affection towards her. He finds her demeanor and personality repugnant, and despite his efforts to see her as a potential partner, he simply cannot force his heart to feel anything for her. In fact, he has even prayed to the Moon Goddess for help, but to no avail.

To make matters worse, Darlyn's behavior is in stark contrast to that of her mother, Leonora, who Dante regards as a mother figure. Even her younger brother, Seth, doesn't have a close relationship with her. In the werewolf hub of Henesy, most wolves live and behave like humans, making it difficult to differentiate them from humans.

Despite all this, Dante puts on a brave face for the engagement celebration at Rossi's Mansion. "I can't thank you enough. Please have a good time at the celebration."

However, he cannot help but feel trapped in a situation that he never wanted to be in, but feels obligated to fulfill due to his father's wishes and the pressure to maintain the leadership of the pack.

Dante left the bay, feeling overwhelmed by the multitude of questions being thrown at him. 

His comrades in the pack are greeting him every time he walks by.

"Congratulations, Lycan Prince!"

“Thanks. Please make yourselves comfortable," Alright, the smile he's giving to everyone around him isn't genuine.

At the VIP table, he saw Leonora and Seth having a conversation with his father.

Many of his business associates came up to him and congratulated him on his approaching marriage by shaking his hand.

"Anyway, Dante, where's Darlyn?" One of the guests asked him.

He did a light tap on his forehead. Dang! Just how in the heck did he forget about Darlyn? She really ought to be here. Where can he find her?

Perhaps he isn't all that interested in this party, as evidenced by the fact that he hasn't bothered to look for her at this moment.

"Oh, she just informed me that she isn't feeling well and she went inside to get some painkillers," He lied. 

But that's not the case. He is completely clueless about where she is right now.

The guests gave a casual shrug of their shoulders. "Alright. Please tell my congratulations to Darlyn,"

He puts on a phony smile. "Yeah, I will. Thank you. I will just entertain other guests. Excuse me,"

The gathering had a lavish atmosphere. Even though it was merely an engagement party, his father almost spent close to approximately forty thousand dollars on it. Well, this is not a problem for his family, but he does not feel good about squandering the money they have worked so hard for just to fulfill Darlyn's unreasonable expectations.

Dante couldn't help but notice Darlyn's socialite friends at the party. This was another trait of Darlyn's that he didn't find appealing. Despite her mother being a wealthy businesswoman, he couldn't understand how Darlyn could still come across as a gold digger. Her personality was unattractive to him, and he trusted his instincts when it came to judging people.

While he was looking for Darlyn, he saw Janine. She is Darlyn's socialite best friend. She looks so concerned.

"Dante!" She screamed his name.

His eyebrows met. "Janine, did you see Darlyn? Where the heck is that woman? She was supposed to be here, she wants this party! But I can't find her!" He didn't attempt to hide his rage.

Janine is pausing for a moment to catch her breath. "That's why I'm here, Dante! Darlyn... well, she's..."

"What? Did she do something?"

Janine looks anxious. She seemed to be in deep trouble. "D-Darlyn is fighting with one of the servants! Please stop her from destroying that woman's face before it's too late!" 

Dante suppressed his breath and his fist clenched. It was never safe that Darlyn was out of his sight. It should be obvious to him that once Darlyn is nowhere to be found, she's doing something bad behind his back. He should know this already.

He followed Janine as they went inside the mansion.

"Why didn't you even bother to try to stop her?" He asked her.

Janine appeared guilty and apologetic. "I'm sorry, Dante. You know how Darlyn is. She's relentless when she wants to fight with someone."

Dante let out a heavy sigh. "The party started at six in the evening, and where was she? Nowhere to be seen! She wanted this engagement, but she left me to deal with the guests on my own. And now she's brawling with a housemaid in the kitchen! What is wrong with her?"

Janine remained silent, biting her lower lip. "They're in the kitchen. Let's not waste any more time."

Dante felt his anger rising. He wasn't ashamed that Darlyn wasn't with him; he was annoyed that he had to fake his smile and sacrifice his time for this engagement just to be alone at the party. And now Darlyn was causing a scene with one of the servants. It was exasperating.

Goodness!

As he stepped into the kitchen, Dante's eyes fell on Darlyn, who was violently attacking a crying servant. He was momentarily frozen in shock and horror, his palms turning white and his heart stopping for a beat. But then, his gaze was inexplicably drawn to another figure in the room - a stunning woman with curly hair, emerald eyes, and cherry-red lips that seemed to beckon him from across the room. Her hourglass figure and flawless skin only added to her beauty, and Dante found himself inexplicably drawn to her. The scent of her perfume was intoxicating, and he felt like he could drown in it.

Dante was bewildered by the suddenness and intensity of his attraction. He had never felt this way before, especially not toward a she-wolf. She was undoubtedly the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, but he couldn't understand why he was feeling this way.

Dante's mind was racing with confusion and bewilderment. He felt like he was in a dream, seeing colors and rainbows that weren't really there. This was a sensation he had never experienced before. He felt like a young boy seeing a pretty girl for the first time, but he couldn't understand why he was feeling this way towards a she-wolf.

The woman in front of him was undeniably stunning. Her curly hair, emerald eyes, and scarlet lips were a sight to behold. He was drawn to her perfect hourglass figure and flawless skin, and her scent was intoxicating. He couldn't help but wonder what was happening to him. This feeling was new, and he didn't know how to react to it.

What the hell is this… feeling?