Nikolai

Restless, I pulled at the tie on my neck, easing it a bit. A silent groan escaped my lips, as that did nothing to ease the tension I felt. Igor, my beta’s eyes met mine through the mirror, holding my gaze for a second longer than necessary.

“You good, Alpha?” His voice floated into my head the next second. I grunted, averting my gaze, trying to calm myself as I peered outside, watching as trees flew past.

Absentmindedly, I finagled the pendant on my neck. I felt some relief course through me, but I knew it wouldn’t last long. My Lycan was restless, and being confined in a car with a female so killable wasn’t helping.

We were currently on our way to the Black Mist Pack for the Blue Moon Ceremony, which marked the start of a new year for us wolves. It’s a day of joy for us wolves as we feel a closer connection to the moon goddess, and also, this is some form of mating event, as the blue moon triggers the mating pull more than ever.

But the Blue Moon Ceremony was a mere formality, a social gathering that held little interest for me. Mates, destiny, and the will of the Moon Goddess—none of it mattered in the grand scheme of ruling a kingdom. Power was not granted by fate; it was seized, molded, and wielded with an iron fist. And that was exactly what I intended to do.

The sky was already dark, blanketing the Black Mist Pack as our entourage rode through the towering gates. The scent of pine and damp earth filled my lungs, but I hardly noticed. My mind was elsewhere—on the looming threats, the delicate alliances I needed to forge, and the weight of the crown I was set to inherit.

Igor’s expression was grim as we approached the heart of the Black Mist Pack’s territory. “The alphas have gathered,” Igor murmured. “They’re waiting for you at the banquet hall. This is your moment to solidify our position, my king.”

My jaw tensed at the title. I wasn’t officially crowned yet, but Igor and my men had already begun addressing me as such. It was a reminder of what lay ahead—an empire divided, political rivals watching my every move, and the ever-growing shadow of rogue vampires spilling over their borders.

Despite my inhibitions, their trust and faith in me is why I allowed Esmeralda, the princess of the Lunaria kingdom, to accompany us. A union between the Veridian and Lunaria kingdoms would cement my place as the king, but with Veridian divided, an informal meeting with all the alphas in the kingdom is what was more necessary.

The car pulled up to a stop in front of the largest building I’ve seen so far since we entered the pack. My door flew open in the next second, and I exited the car.

The Black Mist Pack’s Alpha, Brian, waited at the entrance of the packhouse, his stance casual, but his eyes calculating. I could sense the pride wafting from him even with the distance. My shoes crunched against the gravel as I strode forward. Alpha Brian bowed, his greeting normal, but I felt the slight hesitation.

"Welcome, Your Highness. We are honored to have you here."

"Are you?" My voice was even, but my eyes gleamed with something darker. "Your warriors seem uneasy. Do they fear something I should know about?"

Brian’s smile faltered for a fraction of a second before he regained his composure. "The Blue Moon Ceremony always brings tension. Mates are found, instincts run wild—it puts everyone on edge."

I hummed in response but wasn’t convinced. There was something else beneath the surface. I could feel the weight of unseen eyes on me, an itch at the back of my skull that told me I was being watched.

As I followed Brian into the packhouse, the scent of pinewood and burning fire filled the halls. I half listened to Brian as he yapped about being proud to host this ceremony with me in attendance.

I ignored him, paying attention to my surroundings. There was something wrong with this pack; it was reflected in the wolves I saw moving past us. I came here for an alliance, but I believe an investigation is necessary.

“Igor, I need you to find out more about this pack throughout our stay here.” I ordered through the mind link as we entered what I assume would be the pack hall.

“I guess you feel it too. I’d get on with it, Alpha,” his reply came soon after.

Lorelei’s POV

Time had wound down, and the blue moon ceremony was going on in full swing.

I paced the length of my room, stopping only when I felt a contraction from the blue moon’s effect. I clutched my stomach as I felt another wave of pain course through me.

Instantly, I recalled my mom’s soothing voice encouraging me to breathe. Taking one deep breath after another and pushing them out until I felt steady.

Tears pooled in my eyes, distorting my vision as my mind went back to my mom, who was still locked in that cell. My blood boiled as my mind wandered to Alpha Brian. If I weren’t wolfless, I would definitely have attacked that bastard. Instead, I was left with cursing him in my mind, hoping that one of these days, his small dick would fall off.

After glancing at the time, I quickly hurried to my closet, bringing out a pair of spandex pants and a black tank top. Donning them and tying my hair in a high ponytail, I checked the time again, and it was currently 8 pm, the perfect time to enter, take, and exit without being noticed.

I locked the house behind me and moved as fast as I could; the sooner I get this over with, the sooner I get my mom back.

It didn’t take me long to get to the packhouse. Luckily, there was no one around, with everyone at the pack hall. Climbing the steps two at a time, I finally landed in front of room 4A. I let out a sigh, knowing that this room belonged to one of the alphas currently at the party.

Wasting no time, I inserted the key I was previously given by Alpha Brian. I held my breath as the door slid open. I wouldn’t put it past Alpha Brian to make my job difficult by giving me the wrong keys.

I peered at the room, taking one step in and shutting the door behind me. Sweat trickled down my neck as I took in the sheer size of the room. A strange but sweet smell hits my nostrils and travelled to my brain, almost making me go nuts. I let out a silent groan as I felt my stomach churn, but instead of the blinding pain I was accustomed to, the pain fizzled out as quickly as it came.

I pulled the flashlight I carried from my back pocket. Turning it on, I stood there observing my surroundings. This was one of the largest rooms in the pack house, second only to Alpha Brian’s room.

I have never been drawn to scents, courtesy of being wolfless, but the more I stayed in this room, inhaling this scent, the weirder I felt. My head swooned with dizziness, causing me to reach out to the nearest object to steady myself.

Shaking my head, I swiftly moved around the room before stopping at the drawer and rummaging through it. As expected, there was nothing here. I moved to the closet next and met the same thing. It was empty. If it weren’t for the strange, soothing scent, I would have believed the room wasn’t in use.

I spent the next couple of minutes frantically combing through the room, but I turned up empty. Stepping back, I ran my hand through my hair as I surveyed the room.

There was nothing here.

A pained scoff escaped my lips. I brought out the picture I had previously stashed in my pocket and peered closely at it. My eyes went to the bottom, where the room number 4A was boldly written.

So, I hadn’t made a mistake; I was in the right room, but there was no necklace—in fact, there was nothing. I ran a ragged hand through my hair as confusion clogged at my insides.

My eyes flitted to the wall clock; it was currently 9pm. The party would still be in full swing, so I still had a bit of time to check a couple more rooms.

Wasting no time, I went straight for the door; the last thing I wanted was for anything to happen to my mom because I made a mistake.

I stood in front of the door, about to reach for the handle, when my worst nightmare happened.

I thought finding the necklace was the hard part, but nothing prepared me for when the door opened.