Matthew's P.O.V.
I crushed the last cigarette into the ashtray and chased it with a swig of vodka, barely an inch left. Second bottle, way past what I planned. But hell, I needed my head cleared. Smoke coiled up and vanished into the air, yet its sharp scent still clung to the room like guilt.
Outside, it was pitch-black. I hadn't blinked in ages. No clue what time or day it was, but I was wired, no sleep tugging at me, no dreams waiting. My mind was a hot mess, and even the pills Elliot slipped me weren't doing squat. Time had blurred, twisted itself into this endless loop of me stuck inside this damn room, with him.
So no, that night I didn't return to Landrabaros to meet Isabella Raudolf, the Alpha's precious daughter from the Mourin Pack. Grandfather vouched for her as Luna material, but I wasn't buying it. Too many things didn't add up, and with my mind still fogged by his scent, I couldn't think straight.
I tipped the last of the vodka down my throat when the door creaked open. Irritation flared, but then again, why wouldn't someone barge in? I'd been locked up in this space with him for God knows how long. The guy was still sprawled across the bed, one leg kicked free from the blanket, smooth pale skin stretching all the way to—
"Damn, this is wild. Any idea how long you've been holed up in here?" a woman's voice sliced through the haze.
I set the glass down and looked up. It was the owner. She moved with practiced grace toward the wrecked bed and pulled the blanket down to cover his feet.
The sheets were tangled like a crime scene, and random clothes lay scattered, proof that someone hadn't just slept there; they'd collapsed. My pulse kicked up. I threw on the suit and tie that had been draped over the chair, dressing in a rush like I was trying to outrun what had just happened.
"He must be exhausted, dealing with an Alpha like you," she said, more amused than annoyed.
"If anything happens, just take him to the hospital, okay?"
"You heading out, Alpha of the Howling Crimson Pack?"
That title made me freeze. She said it like she was reminding me who I really was. Her face was all drama, cherry-red lips, fake lashes like wings, hair in a tight bun held by a jeweled stick that twitched every time she moved.
"He's lucky, you know. But maybe I shouldn't have told him who you are calling you 'Alpha'—kind of rude, huh?"
Rude? No. If anything, I'm the one who crossed the line.
I followed the guy across half a continent just to grab a drink and clear my head, only to fall headfirst into the Heat-choked scent he carried. It wrapped around me, sticky, sweet, like burnt caramel melting on my tongue.
I came here just needing to unwind, to breathe after all the crap at the Landrabaros border and another round of verbal warfare with Dad. Instead, I walked straight into a disaster that could blow up two Packs if I wasn't careful.
Elliot had fought me hard on this. Told me we needed to leave Canada, stat. That I was being reckless. And maybe he was right. But my brain kept replaying him. His scent. His stare. I needed to see him one more time before heading back.
And then, like some twisted cosmic joke, there he was. Weaving through the crowd in a neon-lit bar casino hybrid, chaotic, loud, intoxicating. That familiar scent struck me again, and I followed it like a moth to a flame.
It's a big mistake.
The door opened, and the smell hit me like a freight train: wolves in Heat, pheromones thick enough to drown in.
My vision tunneled. Chest tight. Energy slipping like sand between fingers. It wasn't just a scent, it was her scent. That Omega. A bomb of pheromones erupting in every corner of that place, smothering me in its pull.
"You good, Alpha?! Want me to get you outta here?" Elliot's voice cut through the fog, eyes sharp with worry.
"Yo, what's wrong with him?" someone else piped up, catching sight of the mess I'd become.
She strutted over in a skin-tight outfit that screamed confidence, flanked by two massive guards. Curves, eyeliner, command. This was her domain.
"Seriously? You walked in here without noticing the sign?" she asked, raising a perfectly sculpted brow. She looked at me, sweating, dazed, but didn't comment on the fact that an Alpha like me didn't belong.
"W—what even is this place?" Elliot asked, his voice cracking with disbelief. Dude was pissed.
He clamped his hand over his nose, scanning the room. It wasn't exactly packed, but the couples lounging around weren't subtle, they were tangled together, putting off pheromones like they were seconds from mating.
"A nightclub, obviously," the woman said, clearly getting irritated. But since Elliot still hadn't gotten a straight answer.
"No, I mean—what kind of place is this?!" he fired back, a little panicked, keeping his hands clamped over his nose like it might block out the She-Wolf's scent messing with his head.
"Did you even bother reading the signs before barging in, sweetheart?" she snapped, tossing him a look like he was a clueless kid at a grown-up party.
Outta nowhere, she flicked a signal to one of her towering bodyguards. They grabbed Elliot and started dragging him back toward the entrance, telling him to read every single posted rule so he'd quit asking dumb questions. Elliot resisted, reminding them, and me, that we came in here blind, no backup, just the two of us. That had him on edge. Understandably.
While they tugged him away, I forced myself to stay calm, even with omega pheromones coiling through the air like invisible chains pulling at my instincts.
"So, are you an Alpha?" she asked, setting her sights on me this time.
I glanced at her, puffing on a long cigar, the heavy aroma wafting around her like opium-laced confidence.
"Is identity something people just question in this place?"
She chuckled, her lips curving into something sly. "Not usually. But this is a first, we've never had an Alpha come here looking for an omega to burn through the Heat with."
"You think I'm here for that?"
"You tell me, Alpha. What made you show up at a spot like this?"
"I was following someone."
She whistled low, practically gleaming now. "Oooh. Chasing someone down, who's the lucky one?"
"I can't say. But I saw him come in."
"People come and go all the time here. Can't help you if I don't know who."
"It's a guy."
Her brows lifted, amused. "A guy, huh? Just a guy?"
I pulled out the business card he'd handed me earlier. "He's not tall. Kind of skinny. Messy hair. Thought maybe you'd recognize him."
She studied the card, her grin widening. "Why don't you follow me, Alpha?" she said, stepping ahead and motioning for me to fall in behind. No hesitation, just ease. Like she'd done this a thousand times, but I was her first Alpha.
At first, I thought we were heading into some wild, crowded room, lots of wolves, pheromones swirling, that whole dance of chaos. But nope. Instead, she walked me down this long, dim hallway lined with doors, each one as anonymous as the next. Until we reached the one at the very end.
"Here," she said, practically beaming now. Like she'd uncovered a hidden gem she couldn't wait to show off.
She pressed a tiny button behind the knob, and a peephole shutter slid open. "Take a look, Alpha," she teased, her voice syrupy.
I leaned in to peek, and got hit by a wave of rich, sticky caramel-scented pheromones pouring through the glass like they'd been waiting just for me. I almost stepped back. Almost.
But then I looked.
And there he was, Theodore Rainer. Same guy I saw saunter into the club. Sprawled on a bed like he belonged there. And beside him? Some guy I didn't recognize. Sharp features, high fade under medium-length hair, and a snowflake pentagram tattoo inked along his neck that gave off major don't-mess-with-me vibes.
This was how he chose to spend his night? After ghosting me?
"Are they partners?" I heard myself say, voice low, eyes locked on the sight in front of me.
Their kiss was intense, and the guy's hand slipped under Theo's shirt, which clearly turned Theo on even more. The sweet scent of caramel wafted through the air, making my head spin.
"Nah, they're just friends with benefits, always coming here to wrap things up in the Heat of the moment. What do you think, Alpha?" The woman shot me a curious glance, and I returned the look, both of us sharing a silent understanding.
"We had a room up there with the best view. Just give us five more minutes," she told me.
I didn't say a word. She offered me something I never dreamed of a deal I couldn't turn down. A room that smelled like caramel, intoxicating me like nothing else ever had.
"Hey, Alpha," she called, stopping me in my tracks. "Do you like vodka? If you do, I can get you a free bottle." She flashed a grin.
I could really use a drink to clear my head. But with all this sweet caramel scent in the air, I doubt a bottle of vodka will help much.
"Could you grab me some bottles and a bucket of ice?" I asked her.
"What a steamy night, right?" she make a smirk.
A staff member guided me into a V.V.I.P. room that exceeded my expectations. It felt like stepping into a presidential suite. Still, there was a table overflowing with all sorts of adult toys, from lubricants to much more.
I've seen my fair share of things, but having it all laid out under a bright red light is awkward. Shaking off the embarrassment, I decided to stroll over to the window and take in the chaotic beauty of the city below.
While I was lost in the city's chaos outside, the door burst open with a loud bang. Suddenly, the room was saturated with that rich, sticky-sweet caramel scent. I instinctively covered my nose.
That's when I knew, Theodore Rainer was here.
He was unraveling, just like the first time we met. Theo, caught deep in his Heat, began crawling toward me. His flushed face, his sweat-drenched skin, he was panting like he couldn't breathe. And it wasn't just his pheromones hitting me, there was another stench tangled in with his, something foul and unfamiliar. A guy's scent. Some other guy's.
I didn't wait. I grabbed his hand, pulled him into a hug, and kissed him, hard. But that other guy's scent clung to him, and it made my skin crawl. Kissing Theo felt like kissing him, and it almost knocked me sideways.
I was spiraling, completely losing it. He gripped my neck, trying to steady himself, leaning into me like I was the only solid thing left.
That's all I wanted. Just him. But was that enough? Could I really accept him as my fated mate when everything inside me still burned with doubt? I could've dominated her, taken him by force, but that wouldn't earn his love. And knowing he was with someone else? That wrecked me more than I thought possible.
"You—I know who you are," he whispered, his hand pressing against my chest to keep some distance.
"Are you even thinking straight?" I snapped. "Your Heat's messing with your head."
He sighed. Slowly, I began reclaiming him, my scent blanketing his skin, drowning out that other man's mark. This entire room now reeked of me. And I wouldn't let him stay wrapped up in someone else's scent.
"You—that man. His scent... it's the same. You are—"
I seized a handful of his hair, tilting his head back until I could see the soft curve of his white neck.
"Do you still remember me?"
"Ye—yeah...of course I do," he said, breath catching.
He nodded, holding my gaze, his eyes clouding over, flickering with the wild pull of his inner wolf. He was right on the edge, barely hanging on.
I leaned in. Kissed him again.
We disappeared into the night, into thirteen years of unfinished longing and Heat that never found its end. I never thought I'd find myself here again, with him. My mate. The one who vanished all those years ago.
When morning came, the room was wrecked. Clothes scattered, sheets everywhere. He lay curled in a blanket on the floor, completely cold. Drained. It could be hours, or days, before he stirred.
"So... you gonna let me tell him about your night or not, Alpha?"
The woman's voice cut through the fog. She brought back the reality I was trying to outrun. I turned to look at her,still stunning, even in her forties or fifties, radiating confidence like it was a birthright.
I reached into the pocket of the suit I'd tossed earlier, pulled out a check, and scribbled five million dollars on it. Set it on the table.
I didn't know how long I'd been here. But five million felt like a small price for a secret that deep.
"I'll meet him again," I said, steady. "Just do what I asked. If he wakes up... take him to the hospital."
But just before I stepped out, I looked back one last time.
He hadn't moved. Still lying there, right where he was when the wolf inside me took over.