Chapter 4

　　(Bastian''s POV)

　　I hate these ceremonies. All the politics. All the fake smiles. All

the speeches about pack unity and strength.

　　I''m only here because I have to be. The Lycan King attending your

Alpha ceremony is an honor. Good for trade agreements. Good for pack

relations.

　　Doesn''t mean I have to like it.

　　Grover Kane is decent enough. Young but strong. His pack is well-

organized. They''ll probably do fine under his leadership.

　　The ceremony is taking place in their main hall. Hundreds of wolves

from dozens of packs. Everyone dressed in their finest. Everyone

pretending to care.

　　I''m sitting at the head table with the other dignitaries. Watching.

Waiting for this to be over so I can go home.

　　Grover is at the altar with his chosen Luna. Daphne something. Blonde.

Pretty. Forgettable. She''s wearing red silk and too much perfume.

　　The ceremony begins. Traditional words. Traditional promises. I''ve

heard it all before.

　　Then my wolf Juno goes completely insane.

　　MATE.

　　The word explodes in my head. I sit up straighter. Look around

frantically.

　　WHERE??I demand.

　　HERE. SHE''S HERE.

　　I scan the crowd. Hundreds of faces. None of them right. None of them

her.

　　My mate. After eight hundred years, she''s finally here.

　　But where?

　　I stand up. People look at me strangely. I don''t care. I need to find

her. Need to find her now.

　　The scent hits me then. Faint but unmistakable. Wildflowers and rain.

The most beautiful smell in the world.

　　I follow it. Push through the crowd. People move out of my way. They

can sense my urgency. My desperation.

　　The scent leads toward the back of the hall. Then stops. She''s not

here. Not in this room.

　　"Where is everyone?" I interrupt the ceremony. My voice echoes off the

walls.

　　Grover looks annoyed. "Excuse me, Your Majesty?"

　　"Is everyone from your pack here? Every single person?"

　　"Yes, of course. This is a pack celebration."

　　"Don''t lie to me." I step closer. Power rolls off me in waves. Several

wolves whimper and bare their necks. "Where is she?"

　　"Where is who?"

　　"My mate." The words are a growl. "She''s here. I can smell her. WHERE

IS SHE?"

　　Grover''s face goes white. His father steps forward.

　　"Your Majesty, perhaps there''s been some mistake—"

　　"There''s no mistake." I grab him by the throat. Lift him off the

ground. "My wolf doesn''t lie. She''s here. In this territory. Now tell me

where before I kill everyone in this room."

　　Someone in the crowd whispers, "The cells."

　　I drop the old Alpha. Turn toward the voice. "What did you say?"

　　A young warrior steps forward. Trembling. "The... the prisoner, Your

Majesty. In the cells. But she''s just—"

　　I don''t wait for him to finish. I run.

　　The cells are underground. Stone corridors. Iron bars. The smell of

fear and pain.

　　And wildflowers. Stronger now. Leading me deeper.

　　I follow it like a lifeline. Like salvation.

　　My mate is in the dungeon. In chains. While I was watching some

meaningless ceremony, she was suffering below.

　　Heads will roll for this. Literally.

　　The scent is overwhelming now. Right here. Behind this door.

　　I grab the bars. Rip the door off its hinges.

　　And there she is.