Chapter 7

Sylvia shook as she looked up.

A second silver light bathed Kaelen, who sat upon the throne.

The two beams converged in the center of the shrine, like a silvery bridge linking Sylvia and Kaelen.

The whole place erupted in an uproar.

Kaelen rose from his throne, descending step by step. His black suit shimmered with a chilling sheen under the moonlight, and his gaze cut through the crowd, locking straight onto Sylvia.

In his eyes, there was certainty, delight, and the primal satisfaction of a hunter claiming his prize.

"I've been searching for you for half a year, my sweetheart," Kaelen said, his voice low but clear enough for everyone to hear.

Sylvia's legs gave out, and she collapsed to the floor.

"No way! This has to be a mistake." Vivian rushed forward, her snow wolf form flickering behind her, her eyes narrowing into slits with rage. "She can't even shift into wolf form. How could she be the Alpha's fated mate?"

Kaelen didn't spare her a glance.

His gaze never left Sylvia, so intense it felt like it could sear through her.

He approached her and got down on one knee, an act that sent another shockwave through the crowd. The Alpha never did this to anyone.

"Look up," Kaelen said, his voice deep and authoritative, but with a subtle tremor betraying his emotion. "Let me see you."

Sylvia couldn't bring herself to look up. She stared at the floor, at the tip of Kaelen's polished black shoes, and at the ghostly reflection of her own face in them.

"Alpha Lord." Sylvia's voice was barely audible. "T-This is a mistake. I'm wolfless. I-I don't deserve this."

"Worthiness is for the Moon Goddess to decide." Kaelen lifted her chin, making her meet his eyes. "It's also up to me."

His eyes turned gold in the moonlight, pupils narrowing into predatory slits. This was a sign that the Alpha was excited.

Kaelen's thumb gently traced her cheek. "That rainy night half a year ago, she patched up my wound.

"Her fingers were soft, and she smelled of herbs and sunlight. I remembered the scent."

Tears welled up in Sylvia's eyes.

"The smell on the moonstone bracelet that day was the same as hers. I knew it was you," Kaelen continued. "Why don't you admit it?"

Sylvia parted her lips, but no sound could come out.

She was scared and full of self-doubt because she was a low-born who couldn't shift, while he was the Alpha, the one everyone followed without question.

She was terrified that if he saw who she really was, he'd be disgusted, regret everything, and, like everyone else, call her trash and say she was never worthy.

Sylvia forced out the words. "I-I don't want this."

The whole place fell into a stunned silence.

Kaelen's hand froze against her cheek. "What did you mean?"

"I don't want to be your mate." Sylvia shut her eyes as tears slid down her cheeks. "Alpha Lord, p-please choose someone else."

To refuse the mate bond was a serious insult among werewolves.

A fated mate was the Moon Goddess's decree, and turning it down meant going against the Goddess's will. Both would pay the price: unbearable mental agony, and more.

Kaelen's golden pupils snapped into razor-sharp slits.

His hand clamped down on the back of her neck, so hard it felt like he might crush her. "Repeat that."

"I don't want the bond." Sylvia's voice shook, but she forced herself to say it all. "P-Please spare me."

"Spare you?" Kaelen suddenly smiled. But the smile wasn't from his eyes. It was like a crack in a glacier, revealing the molten fury churning beneath.

"Sylvia Ashby," Kaelen called her full name for the first time. "Did you believe I changed the ball's rules to 'spare' you?"

His fingers slid from the back of her neck to her wrist, hauling her up from the floor. The gesture was rough, but he held her steady.

"I changed the rules to force you to show up." He lowered his voice so only she could hear. "I've waited half a year.

"I acted soft, sent you money, showed off my abs, played the victim, and said I couldn't sleep missing you.

"But you still refused to meet me. I had no choice but to widen my trap, waiting for you to walk into it."

Sylvia's eyes widened in shock.

Kaelen's lips quirked in a self-mocking smile. "Sylvia, I dug into your background. Your age, address, scent, and psychology classes all lined up."

He pressed his forehead to hers, their breaths mingling. "I get all your worries, but no matter what you are, I want you."

Sylvia's heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might leap out of her chest.

Kaelen's voice was commanding and impossible to argue with. "So, don't say 'no' to me again. The Moon Goddess's will can't be defied, and neither can mine."