Matthew's P.O.V.
"Alpha, you up?"
Someone was shaking my shoulder—again and again. I had no clue how long I'd been out.
"Where are we?" I mumbled, trying to ease the tension in my back.
"We're almost there. Landing soon."
"Then why didn't you just let me sleep until we landed, Elliot?"
"I couldn't, Alpha. You've got that meeting with Lady Isabella tonight. We need to hit the ground running."
I blinked at him, surprised. Yeah, I'd definitely picked the right man for the job. Elliot Stone, top Beta candidate from the long list Grandpa and the Elders gave me.
Sometimes, the pressure of this role gets under my skin. Always being compared, judged, measured. But Elliot? He never misses. Always on point. Reliable to a fault.
I turned toward the window. Clouds drifted lazily past, calm and distant. That peace was short-lived though—because just like that, the nightmare returned. After nearly thirteen years. The memory of that day came crashing in. It dragged me back into something I've spent over a decade trying to forget.
"What's on your mind, Alpha?" Elliot slid a few pages onto my tray. Documents for the memorandum of understanding I was about to sign.
After finishing everything back in the Land of Landrabaros, I'd boarded a flight to Canada. I'd been looking forward to this moment: finally seeing Camilla again after months of radio silence. My sister had been buried in her studies, always claiming she couldn't meet. But now here I was, ready to see her—though I couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right.
"Just dreaming of the past," I muttered, scanning the papers again.
"What kind of past?"
"Memories that belong to me, and me alone."
"That sounds selfish. Don't you want to share some of it with me?"
I laughed under my breath. "You really care, huh?"
"Maybe I just want to be prepared. Worst-case scenario and all."
"Elliot… you're overthinking. It was just a dream, and that's all it'll ever be." That should've sounded casual, but something about it stung. I hated how final it felt. Like accepting something that had already been taken from me.
"You're not who I thought you were, Alpha."
I didn't answer. Just smiled faintly. His words weren't new. Everyone saw it. Everyone knew how much I'd changed since Grandpa stepped down ten years ago. Things had slowed down since… well, since thirteen years ago.
I leaned on one hand and pretended to focus on the documents Elliot gave me. My eyes skimmed over the text, but my mind was elsewhere. Back in Landrabaros. Back to him.
He wasn't my fated mate. I knew that. But his pheromones still haunted me. Sweet like caramel, warm, rich, unforgettable.
That scent. Sticky and cloying in the best way. Like walking past a bakery, drawn in by something you can't name but desperately crave. It made me feel ridiculous, because some part of me was still chasing that feeling.
I'd pressured Doctor Chad more than once to spill the beans about where his family was taking him, but I got shut down every time. He stood firm, said it was his parents' decision, protected under the hospital's privacy policy. Didn't matter that I was now Alpha of The Howling Crimson Pack. He still refused to tell me where Chad had gone.
"Hey Alpha, is this because your heat cycle's coming up soon?" Elliot suddenly threw the question at me.
What?
"Aren't you nearing your in-heat phase?" he repeated, like he'd already done the math, something I usually had to do for myself.
I sank back in my seat. "Yeah. It's gonna be hell if I don't wrap things up fast, especially with the Isabella meeting hanging over me."
Going into heat feels like absolute torture. After the incident, I couldn't go through that phase with anyone. Pheromones made me sick to my stomach. I nearly pushed away anyone who might've been a second-chance mate. It's like my body refuses to respond to anyone but him.
Hardly anyone knows. Just Camilla and Elliot. Ever since my cycle kicked back in, I've been avoiding home. Too many She-Wolf pheromones in the air. I've got a second place, one even Mom and the Elders don't know about. It's safer that way.
"So you're still not down to hooking up with Lady Isabella?"
"Why are you even asking that?" I shot back, not caring about his curiosity.
Elliot sighed and slipped something from his suit pocket.
"The doctor said no to this stuff, but if you're set on riding things out alone, this is the best option I've got. I just hope I won't have to play full-on princess tower guard duty while you're locked away."
He dropped a vial of suppressant on the table, his go-to backup plan for me. Not even my doctor knew about it. It wasn't technically illegal, but it was strictly off-limits in my case. My doctor made it clear: no more suppressants, no more injectors. I needed to get through this phase with someone, or risk overdosing and a boatload of side effects. Worse, staying on the meds too long could cause my inner wolf to fade.
That's the kind of news no one wants to hear, but I can't deal with it right now. I'd rather take something that dials down everything and hole up with someone whose scent won't send me spiraling.
"Use it carefully. You don't want to make things worse," Elliot warned.
"Do I look like someone who'd down the whole thing in one shot?"
I didn't. But there was a strange pull. A weird, unplaceable familiarity. Like my Inner Wolf was urging me to remember something buried.
We left the café and drove straight to a massive mansion at the heart of the city, heavily secured and clearly prepared for fireworks. I almost laughed. Did they seriously think I'd come here to cause trouble?
"Welcome, Alpha Wayne," came a voice.
That was Alpha Killian. Arms open, aiming for a hug. I extended a hand instead, let's keep it professional. He looked a little disappointed but managed a tight smile. I didn't care much for his approval.
"It's good to finally meet, Alpha Killian. First time in person, but somehow, feels familiar."
"Familiar and dangerous," he chuckled. "Come on, let's chat somewhere more comfortable."
"Of course."
We stepped into the meeting room. Let me tell you, it wasn't civil. We clashed repeatedly. Voices raised, tempers flared. At one point, we were inches from trading blows. Thankfully, our Betas stepped in to keep things from going nuclear. In the end, Killian agreed to send a group of his warriors to support the hunt for the rebel leader.
"This is madness! Keep that up and you'll wind up behind bars, Alpha," Elliot muttered.
I didn't argue. He wasn't wrong. Killian's pack had a knack for avoiding blame where it counted most.
"Try to be patient," said a new voice from behind us. "Killian Fayez has always been like that, arrogant, stubborn."
I turned. Of course. "Father."
He'd told me he'd be arriving later, and sure enough, he waited until all the chaos calmed down before showing up.
I wrapped him in a hug. We'd been apart too long. After a brief chat, I suggested we head somewhere else. No more politics. No more posturing. Just a father and son catching up.
We ended up at a quiet city park, coffee in hand. Elliot stayed in the car to catch up on emails. I finally got a moment to breathe.
"How's Camilla?" I asked.
"Busy with her studies. She said she'd call once she wraps things up."
"She really worries me...."
"And Isabella? Are the Elders still trying to force that marriage to you?"
My father changed the subject so abruptly it felt like whiplash.
"That's not coercion. It's just business," I replied flatly.
"And you accept that business?"
"No. But I guess I don't—"
Bam.
My cup hit the ground, coffee splashing across my shirt. A guy had collided into me hard enough to knock both of us back.
I barely had time to react before I was hit with a shockwave of sensation. Like touching a live wire. My skin tingled. Breathing turned shallow. Sweat beaded on my forehead. What the hell was that?
"Hey! Are you okay?" I asked, concern cutting through the haze.
"N–no! I'm so sorry, sir. I'm in a hurry. Please forgive me," he stammered, trying to get up.
Then, awkward but sincere, he added, "Your clothes... I'm really sorry. I'll cover the cleaning. Here's my card—call me if you need a replacement shirt or anything, and sorry once again...."
He handed it off and ran like hell. No goodbye, no second glance.
"He must be in a real hurry," my father muttered.
But I couldn't look away.
That feeling, that jolt it wasn't just adrenaline. It was something old. Something familiar. Something I thought I'd dreamed… now walking right back into my reality.
"I finnaly found you...."