Chapter 3

After breakfast, Lucy and I are whisked away to our rooms for a little ‘sprucing up’, as my mom likes to put it.

I’m pretty sure I’ve lost a ton of brain cells by now.

I’ve been sitting here for four hours, with women yanking at my hair, slathering stuff on my face, and even waxing my legs.

Which, by the way, is a form of torture.

I’ve never experienced this much pain before.

In an hour, the party kicks off and everyone will be on the hunt for their mates.

Mom’s the one in charge of the party this year. It’s a different luna’s turn each year.

Mom’s gone with a Lovely Summer theme.

She’s ordered a truckload of flowers and I’m sure it’s going to look stunning.

Suddenly, the woman tugging at my hair lets go.

“All done.” I let out a sigh of relief.

One of the makeup artists hands me a mirror.

I’m taken aback.

My makeup looks surprisingly natural, except for the dark lines under my eyes.

But the blue of my eyes looks striking against the darkness.

My hair is full of tiny curls and I have to admit, I’m impressed.

I look damn good! I’d even date myself at this point.

I let out a few appreciative noises, which make the women beam.

“Your mom said not to put on your dress yet. She’s worried you’ll spill something on it. Or run off into the woods and get it dirty.” I shrug.

Sounds about right.

Sounds like something I’d do.

I take one last look at myself while the women pack up their things and leave the room.

A few minutes later, my door swings open and Lucy walks in.

She looks absolutely stunning. We both stand there, mouths agape.

“Holy Goddess, we look amazing,” Lucy says, grinning from ear to ear.

She’s already in her cherry-red dress.

Her brown curls are straightened and fall to her hips.

Her lips match her dress and her eyes are done up in a smoky style, making the green pop like a firework.

Her heels are sky-high, making her legs look even more gorgeous.

She’s definitely a knockout.

“I’ve been sneaking peeks out the window, but I think your mom’s keeping the wolves at bay. She’s probably worried you’ll either bolt or end up killing one with ‘kindness’.

We both burst into giggles at that.

“You know, if that doesn’t work, I can always set them on fire.” Lucy playfully smacks my arm, laughing.

We continue to joke around for a few more minutes.

When there are only fifteen minutes left on the clock, Lucy helps me into my dress.

We stand side by side in front of the massive mirror in my walk-in closet.

We look incredible.

We quickly snap a few selfies and a mirror picture before deciding it’s time to head downstairs.

Just as I’m about to open the front door, my mom comes over to us.

She pulls us into a hug.

“You both look so beautiful. You’re everything a mother could ever wish for.” Tears stream down her face, and she quickly wipes them away.

“Your mother would have been proud.” Tears well up in Lucy’s eyes, but I quickly slap her on the arm.

“Don’t you dare ruin your makeup,” I hiss through gritted teeth.

I don’t care about her makeup. I just hate seeing her cry.

We look at each other for a moment before taking a deep breath.

Here we go.

The moment I step onto the grass, I realize the downside of wearing heels.

I’ve never been great at walking in heels, especially not when they keep sinking into the ground.

I grip Lucy’s arm tightly, trying to walk as slowly as possible.

A mix of unfamiliar scents wafts over to us.

We both take a deep breath.

So far, I haven’t caught a whiff of absolute heaven, so I’m safe for now.

Lucy, however, stiffens next to me. I can hear her heartbeat quicken.

She lets go of me and sprints—yes, actually sprints in those ridiculously high heels—towards the party.

I kick off my shoes and run after her.

I see her collide with a guy who looks a bit older than her.

He has blonde hair and, judging by the looks of it, is exactly Lucy’s type.

I’m happy for her, a little sad, but mostly happy.

After a nauseating make-out session, she drags the boy over to me.

“HE’S MY MATE. HIS NAME IS ERIC.” She’s so excited that now the whole party knows that Eric is her mate.

I give him a respectful nod.

Lucy drags him off to who knows where, so I decide to just head up to the party.

So far, I’m still in the clear.

I see some wolves eyeing me, but no one’s scent is drawn to me.

I head over to the drinks table and grab a vodka from the wolf behind it.

I dump my shoes in a corner and venture further into the party.

I was right about it being beautiful.

There’s a massive dance floor.

The dance floor is heart-shaped, surrounded by flowers.

I can see Mom’s chosen flowers that aren’t too fragrant, but it looks beautiful.

A car drives up onto the grass, causing everyone to stop talking and turn around.

A big SUV pulls up and several men get out.

I don’t recognize them, but judging by the whispers around me, they belong to someone unexpected.

When the last man gets out, I’m struck by his beauty.

He’s at least 6’2” tall.

His head is turned to the side, listening to someone next to him.

That jawline, jeez, that jawline could cut through steel.

His face slowly turns towards the crowd.

His black hair shines on his head, styled in a just-got-out-of-bed look.

His green eyes find mine.

When I look into them, I’m lost.

Mate.

He slowly walks towards me, like a predator stalking its prey.

People move out of his way and I can feel the power radiating off him in waves.

My throat is dry and my heart is pounding in my ears.

He doesn’t walk the final steps but instead pulls me towards him.

His nose buries itself in my neck, leaving goosebumps wherever he touches me.

I can hear him sniffing me and I stand completely still.

I’m not sure if I’m even breathing. He pulls back slowly.

“What’s your name?” His voice is deep and commanding, making my heart pound even louder. I stare at him in awe, before realizing I haven’t answered his question yet.

A nearly boyish smile spreads across his face, revealing his dimples.

“Katelynn, daughter of the Alpha,” I say, my voice sounding too girly for my own liking.

“Roman, soon to be Alpha King,” he replies. His voice distracts me for a moment before I realize what he just said. Alpha King?

Oh shit, I’m in deep trouble. Before I can process it, I take a step back. His smile quickly turns into a scowl, and he steps forward. I step back again.

“Pack your things, we’re leaving. Don’t bother with clothes, you won’t need them,” he says, his accent now noticeable.

Italian, I realize.

The Alpha Kings are from Italy.

Italy!

Oh shit, I’m going to have to move to Italy.

I quickly search my mind for any knowledge I have of Italy.

The only thing I can think of is pizza.

I know I’m in shock, because who thinks of pizza when they just found their mate?

Roman takes my hand, pulling me forward a little.

I feel tingles shooting up my arm, and I stare at our hands.

My body is reacting without my permission.

I’m walking with him to the house.

He looks down at me and frowns.

“Where are your shoes?” he asks. A blush creeps up my face as I realize that I’m standing in front of the Alpha Prince barefoot.

“They were uncomfortable, so I tossed them,” I blurt out.

Roman laughs, making me relax a bit.

Maybe this won’t be so bad after all.

I see my parents approaching us, and they bow politely.

Should I have bowed too? Do mates bow to each other?

How does one behave around an Alpha Prince?

Damn, I should have paid more attention in class.

Somewhere in the distance, I can hear my father and Roman talking, but I can’t focus on their words.

My mind is racing.

I have to move to Italy. I’ll be miles away from my parents.

What’s the distance between England and Italy?

Where will Lucy go?

I pull my hand away from Roman.

“I’m sorry, I need to do something,” I say, and run off to find Lucy.

Her scent is buried beneath the hundreds of other wolf scents.

I hear Roman calling after me in a commanding voice, but I ignore it.

I keep running and soon find myself in the forest surrounding our territory.

“LUCYYYYYY,” I yell. I think I’m having a panic attack. My heart is racing, and I’m struggling to breathe. Lucy appears from between the trees, and we crash into each other.

I can already smell her mate on her.

“Wow, what’s wrong?” she asks, concern written all over her face. I’m still struggling to breathe.

I’m sure I’m as white as a ghost by now.

I pull her back into me, inhaling her scent.

I have it memorized so deeply that I’d recognize it anywhere.

She slowly pulls back and looks at me.

I hear quick footsteps coming from behind me.

“Did you find your mate?” she asks. I nod, unable to speak. “Who is he?!”

“The Alpha Prince,” I manage to say before everything goes black.