*****LUCIAN POV*****

“Get out…” I muttered to the woman staring at me with desperate love in her eyes.

She dropped to her knees. “Please, Alpha… I love you. Don’t do this to me,” she cried, clutching her chest like the pain was physical.

I clenched my jaw. I hated this.

Love. Emotions. Romance.

They weren’t meant for men like me. Men like me valued power, respect, and loyalty—nothing more

“You broke the rule, Heather,” I said coldly, lifting her chin to meet my eyes. “You were never supposed to fall in love. Now you're just—worthless.”

Her eyes shattered, wide and glistening with tears, but I felt nothing. No sympathy. No regret. She knew what this was.

There was never a relationship…. only sex and passion.

“Jules,” I barked, stepping away. “Get her out of my house.”

She wailed behind me, but I didn’t turn back. I couldn’t be bothered with such weakness.

I stalked to my room, frowning with irritation. What a ridiculous way to start the morning.

Within the quiet of my sanctuary, I lit a cigarette and switched on the radio.

The announcer's voice buzzed through the static, reporting the discovery of werewolf tracks near the outskirts of Rome.

Humans.

Always poking their noses into things they don’t understand.

As the Council Leader of the werewolves in Rome, it was my duty to keep our existence hidden. To protect my kind from their ignorant curiosity.

Pathetic, all of them.

“Oh, come on, Lucian. Another heartbreak this month?” Selene—my Delta teased as she strode into my room, mock outrage on her face.

I chuckled as I inhaled the smoke. “They always break the rules, Selene. Don’t judge me.”

She threw her head back in laughter. “Classic alpha bad boy story,” she teased.

I shrugged. Bad boy was an exaggeration. They all knew I didn’t do love yet they were foolish enough to fall for me anyway.

Selene sauntered forward, slow and seductive, before settling between my legs. She leaned in, licking and gently nibbling my neck. I let out a low chuckle.

“Then what are you going to do when you find your mate?” she whispered in my ear.

My jaw tightened.

That word—mate.

Disgusting.

The whole concept was a weakness. Something that made alphas fall from glory, lose their edge.

I couldn’t afford that. Not as the alpha of the strongest pack in Rome.

It was the 20th century, for crying out loud. Love bonds were for fools and fairytales.

“I’ll reject her, of course,” I growled.

Selene laughed, wrapping her legs around my waist, but my mood was already sour.

The thought of a mate…. of fate dictating who I should care for… was enough to ruin the morning.

Without warning, I shoved her off.

She landed on the ground with a painful thud. “Ouch, Lucian!” she hissed, rubbing her back.

“Sorry,” I muttered, a half-hearted apology at best. Truthfully, I didn’t feel the slightest bit of remorse.

She glared at me and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

Dramatic.

If it weren’t for her father’s contributions to the pack, Selene would’ve never been made Delta. She was far too emotional and far too reckless.

But being Alpha required diplomacy, and I knew how to play the long game.

I stubbed out my cigarette in the ashtray, about to sit when I heard a soft knock.

I opened the door to find Jules bowing his head.

“Have you thrown Heather out?” I asked.

He nodded. “Yes, Master.”

I frowned. “Then why are you here?”

He raised his head. “The warriors at the border say that Alpha Stormson’s daughter is on her way here.”

Aurora Valoric.

I’d heard whispers of her intelligence, beauty, charm. A perfect addition to my harem of women… but something felt off.

My wolf was restless. Uneasy.

Alpha Stormson was a greedy man. It didn’t surprise me that he’d offer his daughter as a tribute.

“Kill her the moment she steps into the pack house,” I said coldly.

Jules’s eyes widened. “But my Lord… that could start another war.”

I resisted the urge to punish his stupidity. I hated having to explain myself.

“She’s not here for peace,” I snapped. “She’s most likely a spy, sent by her father.”

Jules blinked in shock, realization dawning.

I rolled my eyes. “Kill her on sight. I don’t need anyone sniffing around my pack.”

“Yes, Master,” he said with a bow.

People called me ruthless. Maybe I was.

But I did whatever it took to protect what was mine.

With a final bow, Jules left the room to carry out my orders.

I was bored. Restless. My wolf paced furiously, clawing at the edges of my control as if begging me to move, urging me to go outside.

No matter how many cigarettes I lit, I couldn’t calm down. My wolf was agitated.

With a sigh, I grabbed my gun and tucked it into the back of my pants.

Contrary to popular belief, werewolves weren’t immortal. We could die, just not from regular bullets.

Silver bullets, though? That’s another story.

I always carried my gun. Just in case Jules lost his nerve and I had to handle Aurora Valoric myself.

At the very least, I should be the one to look her in the eye before ending her life.

I descended the stairs, each step heavy with anticipation. My wolf was vibrating with something I couldn’t quite name.

Anxiety?

No… excitement.

Maybe it was thrilled by the coming bloodshed. Like me, my wolf enjoyed the rip and ruin of combat.

Jules stood by the front door, his face etched with surprise when he saw me. I ignored him, loading my gun with calm precision, the cold metal familiar in my hand.

Then… I heard it.

The hum of an approaching engine. Tires on gravel.

A sleek black Mustang pulled into view.

I raised my gun, aiming directly at the passenger seat.

The door opened.

She stepped out.

Aurora Valoric.

Nothing like I’d imagined. If not for the elegant shimmer of her clothes, I might’ve mistaken her for a servant. Understated. Effortless. Curvy, mildly beautiful.

And then…our eyes met. It was as if the world tilted.

A spark.

A bond.

> “Mate!” My wolf screamed—loud, desperate—in the back of my mind.

No.

No.

This couldn’t be happening. I didn’t want a mate. I’d made peace with that long ago. Was this the Moon Goddess’s idea of a cruel joke?

Panic surged through me.

And before I knew it…I pulled the trigger.

The sound of the gunshot tore through the silence. Blood sprayed. A body dropped.

Aurora’s eyes widened in horror… Not from pain… but from fear.

She collapsed to the ground.

And I stood frozen, staring at her.

My mate. Covered in blood.

What the hell did I just do?