The scent of fresh pine and burning torches occupy everywhere, but it does nothing to ease the growing feeling pressing down on my chest. The grand hall is set. The ceremony is waiting. Wolves stand in perfect rows, their whispers like insects buzzing in my ears.

Everything is in place.

Except for Serena.

My jaw tightens, my wolf growling in my head. The moment I woke up, the pack had already begun their preparations. The elders took their places. Even I, who have never given a damn about ceremonies, stood ready to bind myself to the one woman who could break me.

And now, she's missing.

I scan the hall one more time, my patience thinning with every second. Where is she?

I inhale deeply, sharpening my senses, trying to smell her. The scent is floral perfumes, the musk of alphas, the scent of burning candles. But none of it belongs to her.

I turn on my heel and stride out of the hall.

Alec steps into my path, frowning. "She's not here?"

I don't answer. He already knows.

"Damn," he mutters. "I'll have the guards...."

"No." My voice is sharp, cutting him off. I don't need a search party.

I'll find her myself.

I block out the sounds, the murmurs, the waiting crowd. Instead, I focus on her.

I searched through the environment, trying to catch a bit of her smell and then, I finally did.

A faint trace of her scent, but it's laced with something bitter.

Tears?

A growl rumbles deep in my chest. I follow the scent, moving swiftly, my boots striking the stone floors with purpose. Through corridors, past empty hallways, I track her until I find her.

She's curled in the corner of the old training hall, her arms wrapped around her legs, her head buried in her knees. Her shoulders tremble. She's trying to keep quiet.

She doesn't see me.

She doesn't have to.

I already see everything.

Something sharp twists inside me, something I don't want to name.

I step forward, my voice cold but calm. "Little hellfire."

She flinches, her head snapping up. Her eyes are red, rimmed with tears. For a moment, she looks like she wants to run.

She won't get the chance.

I close the distance, blocking any escape. "Why are you crying?"

She grips the fabric of her dress, her breathing uneven. At first, she doesn't answer. Then, in a whisper that barely reaches me, she speaks.

"I don't want to do this."

Ice spreads through my veins.

She swallows, her lips trembling. "I can't go through with it, Ryker. I don't want to be your mate."

The words slapped hard, but I say nothing.

I don't need to.

She's already said enough to drive a knife straight into my chest.

I crouch in front of her, my fingers tilting her chin up, forcing her to look at me. "You had time to run." My voice is low, dangerous. "Why didn't you?"

"I tried." Her breath shudders.

A muscle in my jaw twitches.

"The guards wouldn't let me. They surrounded the exits." She keeps going, her voice shaking.

Of course, they did. I gave the order myself.

She should have known better.

I exhale, my grip tightening slightly before I release her.

"If I cancel the mating... will that make you happy?"

Her lips part slightly, like she wasn't expecting me to ask.

Then, slowly, she nods.

A long, stretched-out silence lingers between us.

I let out a breath and stand to my full height. "Then it's canceled."

She blinks.

For a second, she looks... shocked. Like she thought I'd refuse. Like she expected a fight.

I offer none.

I stand and pull her up with me. She doesn't fight me when I take her by the wrist, guiding her through the corridors like a ghost leading its prey.

The pack sees us, but they don't dare question where I'm taking her.

I don't stop until we reach her room.

I open the door, push her inside, and step in after her.

She backs away, her throat moving as she swallows hard. "What are you doing?"

I take slow, deliberate steps toward her. "I'm putting you exactly where you belong."

She presses against the wall. "You just said-"

"I said I'd cancel the mating." My voice drops to a dark whisper as I trap her between my arms, our bodies inches apart. "I never said I'd let you go."

Her breath hitches.

I lower my head, my lips brushing her ear. "You're mine, Serena. That hasn't changed."

A shiver runs through her, but she clenches her fists. "You...."

I pull away before she can finish.

Without another word, I turn and leave, locking the door behind me.

The hallway is quiet as I walk back to the grand hall. My movements are slow, calculated, each step measured with cold finality.

By the time I return, the murmurs have grown louder. The elders shift uneasily, confused by my absence.

I don't let them wait any longer.

I walk to the center of the room and raise my chin, my voice carrying through the silence like a death sentence.

"The mating is canceled."

The room erupts. Gasps. Murmurs. A stunned, suffocating silence that follows like an echo.

I don't explain.

I don't need to.

I turn, ignoring the chaos behind me, ignoring the questions, the whispers, the judging eyes.

The only thing I care about is the woman locked away in that room.

Later that night, the pack is still restless, whispers of the canceled mating ceremony spreading like wildfire. I don't care. I only have one thing on my mind as I stride through the halls, the scent of her pulling me in like a drug.

I pushed the door open, the room is dim, the faint glow of candlelight flickering against the walls. But it's the soft sound of water splashing that makes my steps slow. The bathroom door is slightly open, steam curling out in a breathy exhale.

I push the door wider.

And my blood turns molten.

She's in the tub, naked, her wet skin glistening under the soft golden glow. Her back is to me, smooth and bare, the delicate curves of her waist leading down to hips I've already memorized with my hands. Her knees are drawn up, thighs parted just enough to make my breathing slow, dark thoughts creeping in.

I step inside. My voice comes out low, rough, filled with the hunger I no longer bother to mask.

"You should know by now..." I drag my gaze over every inch of her exposed skin. "You're never alone."

Chapter 10 A mate who won't be mine

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