Chapter 3

• Azrael's POV:
• "I know, Dad. I will be back for the ceremony, okay? And besides, it's still a month from now," I said with a frown, pinching the bridge of my nose in exasperation.
• "Who knows, maybe your mate will be there," my father, Kevin Draconis, suggested with a hint of hopefulness in his voice.
• "Dad, can you stop talking about mates? I don't want one," I replied, my tone clipped.
• "I know you've told me and your mother several times, but you can't keep chasing women, getting them in your bed, and not settle down. You are the Alpha King; you have to have a Luna Queen beside you." His words carried the weight of a concerned father and the authority of the former Alpha King.
• "Dad, I have to go. I have a meeting in a few moments." I tried to steer the conversation away from the topic of mates, knowing it would only lead to more nagging.
• Before he could protest further, I ended the call abruptly. My assistant and Beta, Otticus Luca, chuckled softly. "My King, your father will never rest until you find a mate. Maybe you should just go for a chosen mate."
• I shook my head adamantly. "No, Otticus. I have to find my fated mate. You know I've been to almost every pack, but I still can't find her. Maybe I don't have one." The frustration was evident in my voice as I ran a hand through my dark hair.
• Otticus gave me a sympathetic look. "That is impossible, my King. Of course, you will find your mate soon. Just be patient."
• I pinched the space between my brows, feeling the onset of a headache. "I am 30 years old, with no mate. How long do you think the packs will wait for their Luna Queen?"
• Otticus was at a loss for words for a moment. "Well, let's push that aside for now. Maybe your mate is in the Novilian Pack."
• I scoffed at the mention of that particular pack. I had been receiving troubling reports about the Novilian wolves, and attending the coronation of their new Alpha would give me a chance to investigate what was really happening there.
• Shaking off my thoughts, I refocused on the task at hand. "Is everything ready for the meeting with Miss Wildheart?"
• Otticus realized I was changing the subject and replied swiftly, "Yes, my King. Everything is ready, and I think this is a very good business opportunity."
• I sat down, pouring myself a glass of water to ease my parched throat. "Very well, then. Let's meet this well-spoken-of Raven Wildheart and see what she has for us."
• The truth was, I was intrigued by this human woman who had built a successful design empire in such a short time. From what my team had gathered, she was a force to be reckoned with in the business world, someone who had clawed her way up from nothing to amass a considerable fortune and reputation.
• Perhaps part of me was hoping she could be a distraction from the constant nagging about finding a mate. Or maybe, just maybe, my inner wolf sensed something more, a connection waiting to be uncovered. Either way, I intended to meet Raven Wildheart with an open mind and see where this potential collaboration could lead.
• For now, the mundane matters of business deals and capital would be a welcome reprieve from the weight of supernatural politics and the unending question of when—or if—I would ever find my fated Luna.
• With a resolute nod, I rose from my chair, straightening the impeccable lines of my suit jacket. "Let's not keep the lady waiting any longer."
• Striding out of my office with Otticus at my side, I could not shake the feeling that the arrival of Raven Wildheart in my world was about to upend everything in ways I couldn't yet begin to imagine.
• As we walked towards the meeting room, something hit me—a scent, a rare combination of vanilla and jasmine. It was intoxicating, stirring something primal deep within me.
• "Can you smell that?" I asked Otticus, my voice strained.
• "No, sir. What smell?" he replied, brow furrowed in confusion.
• As soon as he denied detecting the alluring aroma, I felt my heart rate spike, my inner wolf Nightshade spinning wildly out of control. Otticus must have sensed the change in me because he asked with concern, "Are you okay?"
• I could no longer respond with words as my eyes shifted to the emerald shade that signaled Nightshade's awakening. A feral growl rumbled in my throat as the beast within clawed for dominance. Otticus's eyes widened in understanding, and he quickly grabbed my arm, guiding me into a secluded corner.
• "What is going on? Why are you so out of control?" he demanded in a hushed tone.
• I was no longer the one in command of my body and mind. Nightshade had fully taken over, his instincts overpowering my rational human side. He snarled one guttural word through my bared fangs: "Mate."
• Otticus's eyes flew open, stunned, but then a slow smile spread across his lips. "That's great, but we're in the human world. Give the Alpha King back control. Humans are not supposed to know about us."
• I grappled internally, using every ounce of my willpower to rein in the raging wolf desperate to locate the source of that intoxicating scent—the scent of my fated mate. After what felt like an eternity of battling Nightshade's feral urgency, I finally regained tentative control, panting heavily as if I'd just run for miles.
• Otticus clapped a supportive hand on my shoulder. "Congratulations on finding your mate. Now, let's go inside and see which of those two human girls is your mate. Keep that growl in your throat; you don't want to scare the ladies away."
• I could only nod, my heart still thundering erratically in my chest. The anticipation of finally meeting my other half, the one destined for me by the Moon Goddess Herself, was almost too much to bear.
• Squaring my shoulders, I followed Otticus into the sleek, modern conference room, my gaze immediately locking onto the two human women sitting at the glossy table. One was a petite blonde I paid little mind to, as it was the other woman, a striking raven-haired beauty, who drew the whole of my attention.
• The instant our eyes met across the room, that same dizzying aroma slammed into me with the force of a tidal wave. Vanilla and jasmine, rich and heady, making my mouth water as my wolf side yearned to bury my nose in the source of that divine fragrance.
• This woman...this Raven Wildheart...she was my mate, my fated Luna at last.
• My body went rigid, and a tremor rolled through me as I fought down the urge to surge across the room, sweep her into my arms, and claim what was mine in front of her startled human companions. Only years of iron discipline kept Nightshade leashed, albeit barely.
• Raven blinked owlishly at me, betraying no inkling that she sensed the cosmic forces binding us together. Of course, she wouldn't—she was just a human, oblivious to the supernatural world and her role in it destined by the Goddess ages ago.
• But I knew the truth, felt it searing through my veins with each shuddering breath I took. This was the moment I had been simultaneously dreading and craving for decades. After endless years of loneliness and emptiness, I had finally found my mate...my eternal partner and queen.
• And the Moon Goddess would not be denied Her will, no matter how I might try to resist. Whether Raven realized it or not, her fate was now eternally intertwined with mine.
• As I struggled to compose myself, I could only think one thing—
• The Games have only just begun.