I felt my face pull into a frown as my foot seemed to sink into the moist ground on the Crimson Rose pack lands. As great as they claimed this pack to be, the quality of their land wasn’t as great as they were. There was part of me that doubted the quality of their members too, but I had no right to do such a thing.

“So, Alpha Lucious really didn’t say anything else? I find that difficult to believe. He already betrayed his daughters trust by telling you she was still on the territory. He could have told you where.”

I turned to Malcolm, noticing that he was sporting a frown very similar to mine. The sun was starting to rise, and by the discoloration underneath his eyes, I knew he had been here all night leading the search party.

“I agree. Part of me feels like he’s hiding something, but I just can’t think of anything that could actually be a possibility.”

I hadn’t shared the information that Luciana was meant to be the first Alpha Female in history. It seemed like it wasn’t my business, and I knew that the council would handle it as they deemed fit.

“Well, we shouldn’t be focusing on him right now if Luciana is around here somewhere. I haven’t been able to pick up her scent, and none of the locals are speaking to us, much less allowing us into their homes.”

I allowed my gaze to wander across our surroundings, feeling the morning sun on my bare arms. There are many things in life that are circumstantial, and this moment was one of them. If I had been back on the lands of my own pack, I would be sleeping in, uncaring for the scenery around me.

I allowed the foreign air to fill my lungs, the smell of dirt and moist somehow calming my senses.

A light wind was blowing through the air, carrying my hair with it, and it was in that moment that I realized something. The breeze was carrying a scent. I couldn’t pinpoint the exact fragrance, but it was a mixture of what I’d imagine rain to smell like in a vineyard.

The scent seemed to draw me, and it was then that I realized I might have caught the scent of my mate. Malcolm was looking at me, clearly noticing that something was off about my demeanor.

“Is something the matter?”

He sounded irritated—which was to be expected after a restless night. I knew the way that his mind worked. The likelihood of him wanting to find Luciana and move onto the next task, which was undoubtedly sleep, could even be guessed by a stranger.

“I’m going to take a walk. Do me a favor and keep moving forward with the search party.”

I didn’t bother waiting to see his reaction, my feet walking in the direction that the wind was coming from. It felt as if some type of numbness was setting into my bones, my erratic heartbeat carrying the blame for that.

The slight tickle on the back of my head alerted me of the fact that my hairs were starting to rise, my body being more alert physically than I was mentally. It felt as if I was waking up from a dream.

Somehow I found the strength to stop myself from moving. My chest was heaving, and my body felt warmer than it was supposed to be. I could actually smell the scent now. It was more than just a whiff in the breeze.

I forced myself to sit down, unbothered by the fact that I could see people peeking at me from behind their curtains. It wasn’t everyday that their was another Alpha on your lands. It wasn’t everyday that he was a hostile one too.

What was I going to do if this scent did indeed lead me to my mate? Part of me didn’t even know why I was still doubting it. I had read about these things. The seemingly uncontrollable need to find the source of the scent.

I’ve never experienced anything like it before.

But that wasn’t really the problem was it? That wasn’t why I stopped. The problem was that I didn’t think I was ready to to find my mate. I knew that the moon goddess would never introduce you to your mate if you weren’t deserving of it, but there couldn’t be anything more horrid than the timing of it all.

It would be naive of me to except my mate to accept all of the responsibilities that I have when it comes to running the rebellion against the resistance, as well as the responsibilities that come with being Alpha.

“Are you just going to sit there?”

My eyes snapped upwards and I found my eyes drawn to the girl who had taken a seat on the ground some ways away. She was looking at me in the same manner that I was looking at her—minus the gawking part.

All the reasons that I had just given myself in an attempt to leave without finding her were forgotten. I had been stupid to believe that I’d be able to bring myself to leave without finding her.

I stared at her, openly, drinking her in inch by inch. Her hair seemed to shimmer in the sunlight, the color of coffee with very little creamer. Her skin was a rich caramel color—something that she must have inherited from Luna Diana.

“Cat got your tongue?”

Even from this distance I could tell that she was fighting down a smile. I could hear it in her voice. I craved the ability to see her eyes, even if just for a second. I needed to fully memorize her features.

“Who are you?”

I was surprised at the stability that my voice projected, as I felt like a nervous wreck on the inside. It felt like I was having trouble breathing, my breaths coming in shorter than they were meant to be.

“My name is Luciana. Luciana Clinton. I assume you’re the Beta of the pack that’s been trying to find me? Their Alpha has been stomping around here the entire week.”

Her name alone was enough to hit me like a bucket of cold water. My mate was Luciana Clinton. Alpha Lucious’ daughter, the girl I’ve been trying to find for the last few weeks.