Chapter 2

JARED

Even with the wind shifting against me, a sudden instinct told me I wasn't alone in these woods. The forest was dead silent, save for the occasional rustle of a rabbit scurrying through the underbrush. I couldn't see a soul, but the feeling settled deep in my bones, subtle and undeniable.

I pushed forward, and within seconds, a heavy, intoxicating wave of arousal hit my nose. My body reacted instantly—blood rushing, instincts sharpening—and I accelerated my pace through the shadows.

After a ten-minute trek, I broke through the treeline into our usual secluded spot: a clearing shielded by four tightly woven pine trees around a flat stone ledge.

Roxane was already there, stretched out completely naked on the smooth rock, waiting for me.

"You really know how to provoke a man," I rumbled, my voice turning raspy as my eyes slowly dragged down her curves.

A smug, triumphant smile spread across her lips as she watched me adjust the heavy drop of my pants. "Looks like you're just as eager as I am," she purred, spreading her thighs wide to show off her wet readiness. "You can use me, Jared... claim me if you want..."

"Use you, hmm?"

A low growl ripped from my chest as I lunged forward.

There was a tantalizing, sweet scent lingering at the edge of my consciousness, driving me insane—a scent I knew didn't belong to Roxane. But the sheer pull of it stoked my lust to a boiling point, making me desperate to lose myself in the heat of a willing body.

Without a second thought, I gripped Roxane’s thighs, forcing them wider, and settled between her legs. Her center glistened in the pale moonlight. I pressed the broad head of my shaft against her entrance, teasing her for a split second before plunging all the way in with a single, hard thrust.

She gasped loudly, wrapping her legs around my waist, but as the strange, intoxicating perfume in the air grew stronger, another woman’s face flashed through my mind.

The image sent a jolt through my blood. My wolf roared to the surface, demanding release with every relentless, punishing drive inside her. Instinct took over, blurring the line between man and beast.

My fangs lengthened, cutting into my bottom lip, and my cock expanded further, stretching her tight, slick flesh until Roxane’s desperate moans turned into sharp cries of pleasure echoing through the quiet forest. I hammered into her again and again, completely consumed by the primal rush, until I flipped her onto her stomach and took her fiercely from behind.

When my climax finally hit, it was a brutal, physical satisfaction—yet, as always with her, it left me completely hollow inside.

Panting heavily, I pulled out of her wet body and leaned back against the cool stone, waiting for my ragged breathing to even out.

"When you get this intense after a challenge..." Roxane gasped, running a polished nail lazily down my chest with a sly smile, "I almost hope you get challenged more often. I’ll always be here to give you whatever you need."

I opened my eyes, staring down at her in mild disbelief. "You're kidding, right?"

"What do you mean?" She sat up, using her teeth to lightly nip at the base of my neck—a not-so-subtle attempt to mark her territory.

"You know that frequent challenges put the whole territory on edge," I said coldly, leaning away from her touch. "It keeps the pack on high alert, which breeds internal conflict."

Roxane huffed, crossing her arms in frustration. "Why do you always bring everything back to the pack? I'm talking about us, Jared!" She locked eyes with me, her tone turning sharp. "Sometimes you need to keep your personal life separate from your work."

"Work?" I echoed, a humorless laugh escaping me. "You truly have no idea what it actually means to be an Alpha, do you?"

I stood up, stepping well out of her reach.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she snapped, scrambling to cover herself slightly.

"The pack isn't a job, Roxane—at least not to me," I growled, taking a deep, steadying breath. "It's my life. It will always be personal."

It had been a mistake to let this arrangement go on for as long as it had. I needed to put an end to it right now.

As I turned to leave, the breeze shifted again, carrying that exact same sweet, intoxicating scent back to me. It hit me like a physical force, sharp and wildly stimulating. My senses flared to life. With the wind working in my favor, the ambient sounds of the forest cleared, and beneath the rustle of the leaves, I caught it: the faint, hurried footsteps of a female retreating into the dark.

KATHERINE

I had wandered deeper into the territory than I intended before realizing I didn't recognize my surroundings. And then, through the thick brush, I saw them.

Roxane was lying completely naked on the stone, and Jared was towering over her, his eyes dark with undisguised lust.

A sharp gasp nearly escaped me. Panic seized my chest as I scrambled backward, ducking behind the thick trunk of an ancient pine tree. I held my breath, clutching my hands to my heart. Following them was the biggest mistake of my life.

I needed to get back to the bonfire, but the fastest way was to shift into my wolf—which was impossible. The moment I transformed, the crack of bone and the sound of my wolf's presence would give me away instantly.

Desperate, I slid down the rough bark until I was sitting in the shadows, paralyzed with silence. If I just stayed completely still for a few minutes, maybe they would finish, leave, and no one would ever have to know I was here.

I squeezed my eyes shut, holding my breath until my lungs burned. I didn't want to hear them. I didn't want to witness this. Jared was so deeply aroused that his musk was heavy in the air, thick and overwhelming, while Roxane made sure her loud, breathless moans echoed across the clearing, proving just how much she enjoyed being under him.

Sitting there in the dark, listening to the man I secretly craved give another woman absolute pleasure, felt like a slow death.

JARED

The mysterious scent surged in the air again, completely shattering my focus. I turned away from Roxane, my head snapping toward the dark treeline as my inner wolf clawed at my chest to track the female down.

I had never chased a female in my life. I had never lost control of my emotions like this. But my skin was tingling, and my wolf was growling at the back of my brain, demanding that I hunt her down and claim her.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Roxane’s hand suddenly shot out, grabbing my wrist. Her face was flushed with frustration, clearly annoyed that I was walking away immediately after we had finished.

I looked down at her fingers on my skin, feeling nothing but cold detachment. "You should put your clothes on and go back, Roxane."

"Why?" she challenged, standing up and pressing against me. "The moon is still high... we can stay a little longer. You're usually much more affectionate than this."

"Roxane," I warned, my Alpha aura flaring just enough to make her flinch. "We’ve had our fun, but this ends tonight."

Her face went pale. "What? What are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I mean," I said, raising an eyebrow. "This—whatever this was between us—is over. Here and now."

"Jared, calm down!" She forced a nervous laugh, trying to brush it off. "We're just having a good time, right? Why do you have to ruin it and change things all of a sudden?"

"Because I want to," I replied flatly.

"But why?" she demanded, her voice rising in irritation. "I don't understand this sudden mood swing!"

"Are you sure you don't?" I took a step closer, letting my dominant stance tower over her. "Then let me make it crystal clear: I am never going to place my mark on your neck, and I am never putting a ring on your finger. If that's what you were waiting for, you're wasting your time."

Roxane gasped, her eyes wide with shock. "Why not? We make a great team, Jared!"

"Maybe we do in bed," I said plainly. "But you are not the female for me."

She might have been a convenient bed partner, but she lacked the depth, the instinct, and the understanding of what it took to lead a pack. She wasn't my soulmate, and she was entirely unfit to be my Luna.

"How can you possibly be so sure?" she gritted out through clenched teeth.

I let out an impatient sigh, refusing to dignify that with an answer.

"Don't tell me..." Roxane scoffed, a bitter, sarcastic edge to her voice as she snatched her clothes off the ground. "Don't tell me you actually found your true mate tonight? Right this very second?"

"Maybe," I answered honestly. "I'm not sure yet."

The right woman for me was out there. She had to be strong, resilient, and capable of loving me without reservation. She needed to understand that the lives of our pack members would always come before our own comfort. I didn't just need a warm body in my bed; I needed an equal. A Luna with purity and strength—traits Roxane simply didn't possess.

"You can't be serious," Roxane whispered, gaping at me.

"I am."

Without another word, I turned my back on her and walked away into the dense brush.

I spent the next twenty minutes tracking the lingering trail through the trees, desperate to find the female whose scent had driven my wolf wild. But luck wasn't on my side. By the time I reached the outer border of the territory, the breeze died down, taking her scent with it.

She was gone. She had fled—whether out of fear or sheer coincidence, I didn't know.

But as I stood alone under the moonlight, listening to the distant rustle of the forest, one thing became absolute certainty: I was utterly fascinated, and I would hunt her down... sooner or later.