Chapter 1: The Unexpected Encounter

The silver light of the full moon hanging high in the sky had brought the most powerful werewolf clans together in the great hall. The leaders of each pack engaged in tense small talk, masking their true intentions behind tight grins, and the atmosphere hummed with tension. Aria stood straight and crossed her arms as her golden eyes swept the room. She looked regal, her black hair falling in luxurious waves down her back, but her thinking was everything from calm.

As the Alpha of her pack, Aria was a formidable and well-respected fighter who had attained her rank via perseverance and hard work. Her father, the Alpha, sent her to this important event on behalf of their clan, the Crescent Moon Pack. It was a conversation regarding a shaky peace that would decide the packs' existence in an increasingly dangerous environment might result in an alliance between them. Aria's views, however, were far from diplomatic.

She detested these get-togethers. She found none of it appealing—not the whispers, not the political games, nor the subtle power moves. She was more about action than words. Nevertheless, she was here by necessity, and her feeling of duty held her grounded even when her gut screamed her to go.

She was thinking about leaving early when something odd happened.

At first it was mild, like a soft tickling in the atmosphere. Aria felt her wolf rising restlessly inside her, and her senses intensified. Then she suddenly smelled something. It smelled amazing—fresh and earthy, unlike anything she had ever smelled before—with a little tinge of heat. Her breathing became irregular, her pulse quickened, and her body responded instantly. The smell was overpowering, calling up a primordial part of herself.

What is this? A rush of excitement shot through her veins as she pondered. Her heart was pounding.

Her wolf was more restless than ever; it was pacing and roaring, and the feeling was taking over her mind. Her wolf then howled one word in a voice so clear it was nearly deafening.

MAT.

Aria's body froze in place and her eyes widened. Friend? It is not possible. This moment, particularly not here, in the middle of an official function, was something she had never dreamed would happen.

As she followed the scent, her senses sharpened to the point that her eyes focused on a figure on the other side of the room. With his back to her, he stood with his wide shoulders tensed beneath a fitted, black suit. She felt a strong attraction to him and was unable to resist it. Inside of her, a wolf was roaring, pushing her onward.

The guy turned slowly, and Aria felt her breath catch in her throat as their eyes locked.

Kel.

Her veins filled with chilly blood. It had to be him, of all the wolves in the world.

Kael, the Shadow Fang Pack's Beta. His reputation as a cold-blooded, ferocious warrior with a keen mind and an even sharper temper preceded him. For many centuries, the Shadow Fang Pack and the Crescent Moon Pack maintained bitter rivalry characterized by violent altercations and disagreements over territory. The very notion of Aria's skin crawled at the thought of being related to someone from that clan.

However, her wolf was unaffected by politics or rivalries. Her partner was the only thing her wolf saw.

She could see the astonishment reflected in Kael's dark eyes as they were fixed on hers. His mouth was tensed, his towering, powerful figure strained. However, the faint crimson tinge at his eye corners revealed his identity. He had felt it too—the unbreakable connection, the relationship, the pull.

The sounds of the room died for a minute, leaving only the two of them, standing on opposing sides of a battlefield neither of them had ever intended to enter.

With a blink, Kael took a stride in her direction, his visage hardening. "You," he snarled, his tone menacing and low.

Aria's heart was racing frantically as her hands clinched into fists at her sides. Despite her desire to resist the strong bond she felt with him, her body deceived her and she found herself pulled to him in every way.

"It's not happening," she muttered to herself. How might we be partners?

Now that he was within a few feet away, Kael's presence was overpowering. It was difficult to think coherently up close since his aroma was considerably stronger. Aria saw something flicker in his eyes as his piercing stare swept over her for a brief moment—something timid, something vulnerable.

But it was gone, replaced every day by the cold, calculated mask he wore. "There has to be an error," he remarked in a rough voice. "It is impossible for me to mate with a member of the Crescent Moon Pack."

Aria had a sudden wave of rage as the humiliation of his remarks pierced through the delusions of infatuation she was harboring. She said, "I feel the same way; trust me."

Kael's lips curled into a smile as his eyes grew gloomy. Alright. Then we both agree. We disregard this link, whatever it may be.

"Very happily," she answered, but even as she spoke, she knew it wouldn't be that easy. The mate relationship was no insignificant matter. Nature used this method to unite two souls; it was a more profound and potent form of pact or coalition. It was something they could never really understand. Get away.

Even when Kael turned on his heel and strode away with his broad shoulders straight, Aria could still feel the pull between them, as if there were an unseen thread binding them together.

She stood there, stunned by the unexpected meeting, her mind racing, but one thought stood out above the rest.

This was only the start.