Zara

I quickly showered and threw on some clothes. It was only ten in the morning, and I had too much time to process today’s events.

A knock on the door saved me from Dad’s knowing look. I let out a loud sigh of relief when Sofia appeared from behind the front door, a confused expression on her face.

"Bad morning?" Sofia chuckled.

"Not at all." I shook my head, giving Dad a stern look.

"Want some coffee?" she shrugged, pulling me out the door.

I didn’t mention that I’d already had it. Dad was clearly trying to coax me out of the house, which I would have gladly done. His knowing look made me shudder, making me wonder how much hidden information was swirling around in his head.

Sofia and I decided to walk to the café, since driving her car was pointless.

"Excited for the evening?" I grinned, looking at Sofia’s slightly nervous expression.

"Excited." She nodded. "Petrified."

"Petrified, why are you petrified?" I shook my head, a quiet laugh escaping my lips.

"Things are different now." She frowned. "People aren’t afraid to reject their mates. They just do it."

"I don’t think he’ll reject you, Sofia." I frowned, shaking my head. "I don’t think there’s such a stupid man alive."

"Marcus is alive," she remarked.

"Okay, so there is one such stupid man alive." I nodded. "But Marcus isn’t your mate."

"Thank goodness." She faked a gag reflex, making me giggle.

We visited a café in the center of the Sterling Empire. The Empire was quite busy this morning, with many people strolling around. The atmosphere was still tense, but things had calmed down a bit.

"I’m going to go for a walk, look for him," she shouted over the music.

I nodded, watching her closely. Another twenty minutes passed, and we returned to the bar. She looked completely dejected, her gaze wandering expectantly.

"I should have found him the last time we were here." She frowned. "I missed my only chance."

"That’s not true." I shook my head. "We’ve been here for twenty minutes, he’s probably not here yet!"

I ordered drinks for us, smiling encouragingly at her as she downed hers.

"You’re right." She nodded. "You’re right. He’s probably on his way." I don’t know why she was so confused.

"Exactly." I nodded, "We’ll walk around this club a thousand times if it helps you find your match." I encouraged her.

We continued walking through the club, pushing past sweaty bodies. A hundred different smells assaulted my nose. Body spray, sweat, arousal, drugs, cigarettes, alcohol, and something slightly sweet.

It all hit my nose, confusing it. Places like this usually overwhelm the senses. I relied entirely on my hearing, managing to catch the words Sofia shouted over the din of the music.

"Let’s go to the balcony!" she shouted.

We climbed the curved stairs to the balcony, which overlooked the entire club. From this height, there was a good view of everything going on. Both bars were full, dozens of people ordering drinks.

The dance floor was filled with sweaty bodies, swaying and jumping to the beat of the music. The flashing red lights made everything around them seem much more crimson from the balcony. It was as if a bucket of paint or some other red substance had been poured onto the floor and people.

A new group of people streamed into the club, and Sofia turned expectantly.

"Let’s go down!" she shouted. "The bouncer’s letting more in."

I followed her. It became increasingly difficult to stay close as more and more people poured into the building. I bumped shoulders with countless people, my eyes never leaving her retreating figure.

"I never thought I’d see you here again, beautiful," came a familiar, flirtatious voice.

I turned at the sound of his voice. I could probably pick him out of the crowd if I had to. He was rough, but there was a certain delicacy about him that I found appealing. A whisper of accent escaped his lips, accompanying his words.

"I never thought I’d see you here again, beautiful." I turned and met his sparkling blue gaze. Brighter than the sea, more like the sky on a clear day.

"Come out with me, beautiful," Marcus said, giving me a captivating smile. "It’s hard to hear your beautiful voice over all this noise."

I nodded, letting him lead the way. He led me up the stairs to the balcony door. This balcony was outside the club, off to the side. The view was terrifying down into a dank alley, but the noise here was just a fading thought. The thumping music pulsated dully through the glass doors.

I leaned my back against the railing, watching with bleary eyes as he stalked toward me like a wolf. His movements were slow, but incredibly smooth. He moved as if everything else in the world had frozen for him; it was... He was strangely graceful.

His blond hair reflected the moonlight, making it seem almost white. The scent of his cologne was much stronger here, a musky scent with a hint of something sweet. He approached me, taking my face in his hands.

His palms were cool, but the touch did something to my heart. It pounded in my chest, heating my skin almost unbearably. Only his touch cooled me, and so I pulled him closer.

"Beautiful, Zara," he murmured, his lips dangerously close to my ear. His voice was light, but the words were heavy. "How long I’ve waited for you."

"You were waiting for me?" my voice murmured dreamily.

My mind was swimming with information I couldn’t access. I couldn’t remember my family or my life in the pack. All I knew was Marcus and me, that’s all I could think about. His touch, his face, his voice, his scent. It all swirled seductively in my head.

"Of course, beautiful," he murmured, his cold teeth brushing the soft skin beneath my earlobe. "You’re destined to be mine."