CONFUSION

ADRIANO'S P.O.V

I've never hated my position as the Alpha King of the Northern region like today, it was like the mere thought of it made me want to gag. I have to go with my so-called brother's to that event.

And to make everything worse, our greatest enemy, the Rodriguez family, would be there as well. I mean it's a great thing that the man died recently, but I won't forget the fact that he left a family behind and my extension, the enmity has to affect them too.

All my teenage years, that man made life miserable for me, always attacking the main pack where I was still living, claiming he was the rightful owner of two regions and he needed to kill one of the Manos sons to claim it back.

My mom spent her entire life shielding me from him, before she died and I was able to defend myself.

“The party is to let the entire packs in the four regions know that peace is secure with their leaders” Rico my wolf stirred at the mention of the party, for some absurd reason, he has been restless since I was informed about this party.

Letting him free, I broke into a run, wondering if it was his need to stretch that was fueling his unease.

I continued running, feeling the tension melt away with every stride. Rico’s energy surged through me, his raw power and instincts taking control. The wind whipped against my face, and for a moment, it felt freeing. This was one of the rare times I allowed him full reign without restraint, trusting his judgment.

But as we neared the edge of the forest, something changed. The ease and exhilaration of the run were replaced with an urgency I couldn’t understand. Rico wasn’t just running anymore he was racing, his determination seeping into me like a wildfire.

What’s wrong? I questioned, trying to pull him back, but his growl echoed in my mind, silencing me.

“You’ll see,” he rumbled cryptically, his focus sharp.

I cursed under my breath, realizing I was losing control. The tree line thinned, and the faint sound of chatter and laughter from the gathering reached my ears. The party was closer than I thought, and Rico wasn’t stopping.

I had no choice but to wrestle for dominance, forcing him to relent as I skidded to a halt just outside the gathering area. With a deep growl, I shifted back into my human form, panting as the shift left a dull ache in my muscles.

“Explain yourself,” I demanded inwardly, but Rico only growled again, this time softer, as though he’d sensed something I hadn’t.

I walked back to my pack house in frustration, making a mental note to find out what was truly wrong with Rico.

In a few minutes, I was ready for the party, I had no choice but to go. I would meet those annoying brothers of mine there. For years there had been a tensioned rift between the three of us, the cause wasn't really clear but our mother's rival played a big role in it.

The party hall was booming with music as I stepped out of the car. I wasn't interested in parties, heck I hated the crowd, so I scrunch my face in a frown.

I walked into the hall, as I ignored the stir Rico just made inside of me. I silently pleaded with the moon goddess to help me calm Rico, I couldn't afford his discomfort.

Rico has never acted like this before, so I was utterly surprised. I sighted my brother Nicollo at the Eastern part of the party, he glared at me for a fleeting second before flashing a tight lipped smile at him.

I returned the feigned show of pleasantries and followed the man who was currently ushering me to the Northern region side. The high seat in the middle of the area was meant for me and as I sat down, I took a deep breath. Enjoying the attention I was getting from the female in the hall.

I looked around for Carlo, my last brother but he was nowhere around her. I concluded that he might not have arrived yet.

Then it hit me. A scent faint but strong floated on the breeze, and my entire body froze. It was intoxicating, a mixture of wildflowers and honey, but beneath it was something deeper, something primal that called to me.

Rico stirred again. “She’s here,” he said, his voice a mixture of triumph and longing.

“Who?” I asked aloud, my throat dry, but I already guessed what was happening. It sounded surreal. In the past centuries,no male in the Mano house could get a mate. They said something of a curse, so all my hopes of ever finding a mate has been dashed.

My mate.

I had stood up from my seat abruptly, rather I was led up by Rico's continuous pacing, and wagging and with my nose in the air, I sniffed my way to the female restroom. Rico was getting increasingly aggressive and I couldn't knock, as I opened the door and came face to face with a green eyes beauty.

The primal need in me seemed to intensify as Rico growled excitedly, guess that was what drew the attention of the others in the party.

To my utter surprise, the girl is the daughter of Rodriguez, a dangerous territory, the moon goddess mated me with an abomination. As much as I wanted to watch her leave with her brother, I had no power to, Rico was in full charge, his possessiveness was blurring my vision.

The shock that appeared on Romano Rodriguez's face was iconic,if the situation wasn't so serious,I would have taken a picture of it.

“Wh… what do you mean,” he said, glancing between me and his sister like he had just seen a ghost.

I was just about to repeat myself when a feral growl echoed through the hall, cutting Romano off mid-sentence. The sound was deafening, and I instinctively stepped in front of my mate, shielding her from whatever threat was coming.

Within moments, Nicollo burst into view, his eyes blazing an unnatural red, his wolf dangerously close to surfacing. His presence was suffocating, commanding attention and radiating a raw, unbridled power I hadn’t seen in years.

But what made my blood run cold wasn’t his aggression, it was the way his eyes locked onto her. My mate.

"Mate," Nicollo rasped, his voice guttural, as if it had been ripped from his very soul.

For a second, the world seemed to stop. My breath hitched, and Rico roared in fury within me, his possessiveness surging like a tidal wave.

What did he just say? Mate?