Chapter 2

• We got into Nina's fancy Mercedes as she drove us to a club located far from our pack. I still didn’t know the name, as she said it was going to be a surprise. I hated surprises because they never ended well.
• If my dad found out that I had snuck out of the pack without a warrior escorting me and without notifying him, I’d be grounded for life—or worse, beheaded. Literally.
• My father never wanted me exposed to the world. When I was fifteen, he slapped me across the face when I barged into his office, insisting I be trained as a warrior or accompany him on his tax collection trips. He told me a she-wolf could never be an Alpha—it was an abomination—and he wouldn’t let his only daughter embarrass him. That was the beginning of my fairy tale: a Luna locked in a castle.
• “Stop exaggerating, Aurora,” my wolf Kira said. “You know father would never do that. He’s not that wicked.”
• I didn’t respond. What did she know? She was inside me, but she wouldn’t be the one to feel the pain.
• Nina’s plan had been reckless and dangerous. She seduced the two pack warriors on duty by giving them a drink laced with a substance that made them fall asleep. She said it was silver, as that was the only thing that could knock out a wolf.
• First, she shifted into her wolf form, then shifted back into her human form naked in front of the two mate-less, horny males. I hid behind a large tree, watching as she gave them a seductive smile and handed them the drink, which they eagerly accepted before slumping unconscious. Fools.
• Now, I wished my brain could be erased, as the memory of my best friend standing naked, seducing wolves, lingered in my mind. I couldn’t argue as she dragged me out of the tree and into her Mercedes. After everything she had done, reducing her dignity to give me a little fun, I had no choice but to follow her.
• “Where are we going, Nina? This is too far from the pack, and I’m already feeling scared and nervous. I really think this is a bad idea. Let’s go back and pretend this never happened,” I panicked, watching the unfamiliar, dangerous-looking buildings outside. The whole place had a ghetto vibe.
• “Oh, calm down. Will you? You only have one life to live, so let’s live it to the fullest,” Nina said, rolling her eyes. “And after the humiliation I put myself through, do you think we can turn back now?”
• I shook my head. “I like my life as it is. I don’t need danger. And if you’re worried about being humiliated, don’t. Silver washes away a wolf’s memory, so the guards won’t remember seeing you naked. But I will,” I said, wishing I could take silver myself to erase the memory.
• We entered an even more dangerous-looking part of town, filled with people who seemed like rogues or gangsters. It was terrifying.
• “This club I’m taking you to is one of the best in the city. You need to live a little, stop being so uptight,” she said, and I could hear the faint trace of hurt in her voice. Her boyfriend had told her she was boring, which inflated her ego and made her desperate to prove him wrong. But he wasn’t her mate, and she didn’t want to admit how much his words still hurt her.
• I understood her pain, even though I was trained to keep myself for my mate and not entertain any distractions. Nina was in a grieving phase, and she wanted to prove her ex’s words didn’t affect her. But we both knew that wasn’t true.
• “Look, Nina, I know you want to try new things... but seriously, I’d rather be in the kitchen, baking a new cookie recipe or studying lyrics than out here partying,” I grumbled, picturing my cozy kitchen.
• “Don’t be silly, Aurora,” she replied. “After tonight, you’ll thank me for making you have the best time of your life.”
• I sighed. “I hope so, Nina. I hope I don’t regret this.”
• Nina wore a stunning red dress with black heels, and her long, blonde hair flowed freely, making her look like a goddess. She was beautiful, but I couldn’t understand why she was going through this phase. Her boyfriend was an idiot. Everyone knew it, but she was too blinded by love to see it.
• I, on the other hand, had been forced into wearing an uncomfortable short white dress and silver heels. But if I was honest with myself, I thought I looked pretty sexy.
• We entered the club, thanks to Nina’s connections. The place was packed with people dancing, drinking, and singing along to loud music. They all looked carefree, as if they had no worries. I had never seen wolves like this before; I thought we were all supposed to be so uptight. And the music was too loud, considering how sensitive our wolf hearing was.
• “Two shots of tequila, please!” Nina yelled to the bartender, who nodded. She turned to me with a wide grin. “God, I love this! It’s full of energy and happiness.”
• “It’s too loud,” I complained, feeling out of place. I just wanted to go back to my room, change, and bake cookies.
• “Oh, shut up, Aurora,” Nina teased. “You only have one life to live, so what better way to live it than having fun?”
• I reluctantly followed her to the center of the dance floor, where she started dancing while I stood awkwardly, trying to blend in but failing. Slowly, I began moving to the beat, letting the alcohol take effect.
• “I’m going to get more drinks. Wait here,” she said, leaving me alone in the middle of sweaty bodies.
• I sighed, looking around for Nina. Where had she gone? I grunted when I noticed her laughing and talking with a guy I didn’t recognize. They seemed too comfortable with each other.
• I could tell she was probably getting laid tonight.
• I watched from the sidelines, sighing. At least one of us was having the time of our lives. Nina waved at me, but made no move to come back.
• Great. Now I was stuck here, alone, in a club I never wanted to be in.
• “Let’s explore, Aurora. It’s better than sitting here like a lost princess doing nothing,” my wolf Kira suggested.
• “Yeah, right. Let’s find some hidden treasure,” I said sarcastically.
• “Just go in the last room. I have a feeling there’s treasure there.”
• I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, right. A box of gold?”
• “Just go in and shut up.”
• “Fine, fine.”
• I left the connection with my wolf and crept into the last room. The sounds of moaning—both male and female—filled the air, and my wolf screamed out the last word I wanted to hear.
• “Mate.”
• Then, the most intoxicating scent overwhelmed my senses. My world stopped. Everything disappeared. There was only him—a very handsome man with a beautiful woman, both of them locked in a passionate embrace.
• I was snapped back to reality when the man let out an inhuman growl, causing me to jump.
• “Mate!”
• I widened my eyes as he pulled away from the woman, much to her displeasure, and walked toward me.
• He was tall, nearly hitting the ceiling, with broad shoulders and exposed muscles. His short, brown hair reminded me of melted chocolate. He was so handsome, I could barely breathe. I just wanted to run into his arms.
• But what caught my attention the most were his eyes—cold, striking, steel blue eyes. He stared at me in surprise, which quickly turned to anger.
• Before I could move, my legs acted on their own and carried me out of the room, away from him, as fast as I could.