Daniel Pov

　　I watch Emma walk away from me with a pang in my chest, strange how the feeling surges at seeing her leave.

　　"Make her stay, big head!" Remus, my wolf, says in my mind, his voice so warm that I let out a laugh before heading back to my motorcycle.

　　"She didn't want to stay, Remus. I can't force her, you know that," I reply patiently. "Besides, she's right... our packs have a huge rivalry."

　　I sit back on the bike and start the engine, feeling the power's vibration as I head back onto the street, towards Direwolf Pack, my pack, and home. I drive without haste, cutting through the traffic. Things are so complicated at Direwolf Pack that I don't particularly care to arrive quickly.

　　"Just because your father married your mother who was promised to Alpha Tim Davis?" Remus asks sarcastically.

　　"I believe so, among other territorial issues as well," I reply humorously.

　　Direwolf Pack and Moonshadow Pack have had hostile relations for as long as I can remember. My father, Alpha Peter Garcia, formed his mate bond with my mother, Helena Madrigal from Moonshadow Pack, but at the time, she was already promised to Moonshadow Pack's alpha, they were even engaged, with a set date.

　　I make a U-turn with the bike to take the other side of the avenue. The car lights illuminate my face since I'm not wearing a helmet. The wind cuts with coldness against my skin, especially my face. I have a bit of difficulty seeing if it weren't for my sharp lupine vision that Remus provides. In less than twenty minutes, I'm already at the security gates of our pack's private condominium.

　　"Home sweet home," I comment to myself as I slowly pass the security gate of the condominium. Direwolf Pack is the pack with the most hectares of built condominiums. We have a real estate empire, and my parents, mainly my father, want me to manage the business.

　　"That last challenge was fun, don't you think?" Remus comments excitedly within me.

　　"Yeah, speaking of challenges... where's Vini? I need to collect from him the bet and give him a punch in the face," I reply with a laugh escaping my lips.

　　I drive my bike into the garage at home. We have a rich collection of top-of-the-line cars and motorcycles. My father is looking to venture into the world of vehicles as well, always wanting to expand our empire.

　　I take my phone out of my pocket before heading inside and sending a message to my best friend, Vini, asking him to meet me at the football field in five minutes.

　　Upon entering the house, I'm greeted with a delicious smell of food and blues music playing. I glance at the clock and realize it's almost dinner time.

　　"Damn," I mutter to myself. My father would want to know why I was out all day today and didn't attend the investors' meetings.

　　I try to pass through the living room without drawing attention. My father must still be in his office, and my mother is organizing the dinner table with our employees. But as soon as I reach the other side of the house, in the garden where the entrance is our sliding door, my mother calls me.

　　"Daniel, help me here for a second, please, son." Helena, my mother, calls warmly from behind.

　　"Damn," I curse, turning my body and offering a friendly smile to my mother as I enter the kitchen. "Hi, mom! Do you need my help with something?" I ask cheerfully.

　　My mother, Helena, hands me a bowl filled with well-seasoned salad and a glass dish with succulent pork cuts. The smell makes my stomach rumble, not from hunger, but from the flavor all this must-have. "Yes, take this to the dining room for me, my angel," Helena asks calmly and attentively.

　　I hastily take the food dishes and place them on the long wooden table we have. The table is already well set with cutlery and plates, as well as glasses and napkins.

　　"Need anything else?" I ask upon returning to the kitchen and notice my mother supervising the oven. My mother has light blonde hair tied in an elaborate bun, with braids made at the nape of her neck that rise and wrap around the bun.

　　"Yes, that you're here for dinner. Since we haven't seen you all day," my mother replies with a humorous smile on her lips and winks at me.

　　"I promise not to be late," I reply before leaving the house.

　　The football field isn't far from my house; in less than five minutes, I already see the goalposts' bars and Vini sitting in the stands smoking a cigarette.

　　"You're late, idiot," Vini replies as soon as I approach.

　　"What are you complaining about, imbecile? You're a wizard, you used a dimensional map to get here as soon as I sent you the message," I retort to my best friend's complaint.

　　I sit next to Vini on the stands, and he offers me the cigarette. I take a long drag before handing the cigarette back to my best friend. I hold the smoke in my mouth for as long as I can, releasing it slowly, trying to form circles like Vini can do.

　　"You owe me three hundred bucks," I declare proudly, "and this," I quickly punch Vini in the stomach, not using my true strength. But even so, I catch him off guard; he bends forward, coughing. "For leaving me naked in the middle of the forest after my fight with the grizzly bear."

　　"I didn't leave you naked in the middle of the forest. You went further into the forest while fighting the bear, and I couldn't keep up. After all, you're lucky you found someone with a potion. Your dad would kill me if he knew you almost died today."

　　"My dad already wants to kill you for being a wizard and hanging out with his son," I reply sarcastically.

　　Werewolves and wizards get along well, most of the time. However, my father doesn't like the supposed influence Vini has on me for being a wizard.

　　"Yeah, that's true. But he'd definitely use the bet of you fighting a grizzly bear naked, something much more worrying and reason enough to kill me if he knew." Vini replies before taking another drag of the cigarette. "And the girl who saved you? Who was she?"

　　My eyes light up at Vini's question, and I open a smile before answering him. "You have no idea which pack she's from, man." I declare with amusement in my voice.

　　Vini hands me back the cigarette and stares at me with curiosity. Vini has medium-length hair, almost reaching his shoulders, in a blue-black color, with a red streak near his ear. We're the same age, twenty years old, Vini accompanies me in training at the gym, but his physique is slightly less than mine. His eyes are very dark black, and he has the Coloboma condition, which makes it look like his irises are those of a feline. I think that's super cool.

　　"The pack may be the least of it, in your case, the important thing is: is she your destined mate?" Vini asks playfully.