Chapter 2

• Camellia's POV
• Cedarwood and iron tang hit my nostrils.
• I sniffed deeper, craving more of his scent.
• Then it hit me – that aggressive, intoxicating musk only a prime Alpha could emit.
• The rock-hard muscles under my fingertips tensed.
• A calloused hand clamped around my wrist, yanking me away from the warmth I desperately wanted to explore.
• Moonlight caught the glint of his eyes as he spread my arms, scanning me head to toe.
• His gaze lingered on my curves.
• "Wrong room?"
• I sidestepped and tripped him with my leg, sending him sprawling onto the floor.
• I gasped and covered my mouth. "S-sorry! Didn't mean to—"
• My words slurred. I blinked a few times.
• I was drunk.
• Propped on one elbow, he laughed.
• "Most entertaining crash landing I've ever seen." His palm slid up my thigh.
• My neck gland throbbed. Lyra howled in my skull – it was the signal of a true mate.
• But this silhouette was human. Moonlight haloed his disheveled head.
• What the actual hell?
• My true mate was some random human call boy?
• Lyra growled, pushing my trembling fingers to yank down my lace strap.
• Since the temporary marking, Esmond never made me burn like this.
• The full moon turned my wolf's hunger into molten need.
• His golden eyes narrowed to slits as my bra clasp snapped – predator's gaze. Those were not human eyes.
• Then it hit me – the pleasant cedar scent might not be from body wash.
• "Wait—" My protest drowned in his pine storm.
• When he pinned me against the wall, Alpha dominance crushed my lungs.
• Lyra howled approval. My knees hit granite thighs as his rough palm slid under my red minidress.
• The roughness of his palm made my heart skip a beat, my pulse racing wildly.
• Lyra was just beneath the surface, urging me to act, to feel everything.
• "You're shaking," he purred against my ear, fangs grazing skin.
• The temporary bond mark flared white-hot.
• I tried to push him away, but he easily sensed my movement and pinned my hands above my head.
• "Let... go..."
• His laugh vibrated through me. "Cut the act, gorgeous."
• Moonlight revealed emerald wolf eyes.
• Lyra went feral – damn full moon madness.
• "Mark me!" I clawed his back.
• He tossed me onto the mattress.
• The mattress was soft. I didn't feel any pain, but the fall made my head even dizzier.
• A tall figure loomed over me.
• If Esmond could cheat, why couldn't I claim my true mate?
• His fingers closed around my throat, forcing my gaze up.
• Moonlight showed our tangled reflection – my scarlet dress around his hips, his golden strands smeared with my lipstick.
• Then I saw his face.
• "Lionel." The name tore from me.
• He was MY MATE's uncle.
• Lionel's POV
• When that woman called out my name, my muddled consciousness snapped into clarity.
• I pushed my wolf, Leroy, back into the recesses of my mind.
• I flew back to LA for the Ironclaw Pack Gathering hosted by my father, Alpha Drogo.
• But here's the kicker—I didn't tell a soul from the pack about my whereabouts.
• Only my Beta knew I was holed up in this overpriced hotel suite.
• So, I immediately turned on the desk lamp.
• The sudden light made me squint. When my vision cleared, I looked at the woman lying in bed.
• She had long brown hair, and her eyes were filled with panic.
• When I looked at her neck, I saw a faint, incomplete mark.
• The sight hit me like a punch in the gut—I immediately realized the gravity of the situation.
• I looked at her face again.
• By then, she also saw me clearly. Her already pale face turned even whiter. It was obvious that the alcohol had worn off.
• "... Uncle Lionel?"
• Hearing her address me, I remembered something. A few years ago, I attended Aljean's son's wedding when I was back at Ironclaw Pack. Aljean was my brother. He was older than me.
• The she-wolf who had made a mate vow with Esmond was the woman in front of me.
• Her name was Camellia, a she-wolf with Alpha blood.
• "Uncle Lionel... I..." She opened her mouth, nervously trying to say something.
• "Shut up." I snapped.
• My mood was terrible, filled with anger and disappointment. I couldn't believe this had happened.
• She seemed scared. She wanted to explain, but I didn't want to hear it.
• Leroy protested in my mind. He still wanted her.
• I looked at Camellia's face. When my gaze fell on the skin of her chest, Leroy roared again.
• "Get. Out." The words came out harsher than I intended.
• As I stood up, Camellia's eyes glanced at my body.
• She froze for a moment, then awkwardly looked away. Her ears were turning red.
• She had no idea how attractive that reaction was to me.
• "Get out of here! I don't want to see you again!" I shouted, my voice filled with anger.
• Camellia scrambled for her dress, that damn floral scent still messing with my head.
• After she fled, I chain-smoked by the ruined bed, dialing my cleanup crew.
• "Scrub all security footage. Tonight never happened."
• Leroy kept whining about lost chances while I stared at the city lights.
• My nephew's wife. My mate. The universe really needed to lay off the tequila shots.