Chapter One
As the pair of heels clicked down the hallway, the silence was palpable, save for the sharp clanking of each step. The rest of the house was alive with activity, but this floor seemed like a shadow of itself, quiet and away from the pleasures of the world. Only one man resided here.
The heels came to a stop in front of a huge door, where they knocked twice before pushing it open. The room was not just big, it was huge. Two large, thick-gold-embroiled curtains hung by the window, blocking any light from filtering into the room. In the darkness, lazily laid a man; probably the most beautiful man on earth. On his hand swirled a glass of dark red wine.
"Ronan?" A beautiful voice called out from the door, her eyes resting on the man whose eyes were closed.
The low growl replied her.
"Sorry, Alpha Ronan." She bowed slightly in respect.
He didn't open his eyes, even at her words. "What do you want?" His voice was a perfect combination of hell and heaven. Calm and gentle, yet carrying an undertone of power that made one’s toe curl.
The lady swallowed hard, shifting her entire weight from one foot to the other. "You didn’t come down for breakfast this morning."
A low chuckle escaped his lips. "So, I’m answerable to you now?"
She swallowed, every word from his mouth making her want bolt off and run away in the direction she had come. "N-no. The others asked after you s-so I decided to check up on you."
He swirled the glass in his hands before slowly taking another sip. "The others?" He finally opened his eyes to look in her direction. "Who are the others?"
Sonia gasped at the sight of his eyes. Those obsidian eyes always seemed to glow in the dark and had the ability to sweep every female off their feet. She couldn’t look away. His eyes seemed to suck her in, so hard that she forgot to breathe.
"Cat got your tongue?" His voice pulled her out of her reverie. She jerked slowly before murmuring an apology. "The Beta and the other werewolves."
He chuckled, one of his signature devilish chuckles that didn't always mean good. "Raphael knows better than to ask you of me."
She let out a resigned sigh. “I am your chosen mate—”
“Chosen mate.” He interjected with a fierce growl. “How many times do I have to tell you not to use that word in front of me?”
Everyone knew that Ronan despised the term 'mate'. Legend had it that he had been waiting for his mate for over two centuries, and after failing to find her, he developed an intense hatred for the word.
“I apologize.” She murmured meekly.
For a moment, he stood motionless, his eyes fixed on hers. Sonia knew that Raphael was using the mind link to communicate with Ronan. Werewolves possessed the power to communicate telepathically, but Ronan blocked her every time she tried to establish a mind link with him.
He stood up from the couch, his black robe trailing behind him, and addressed her curtly. “Excuse me for not being a good host, Ms. Arwin. I must take my leave now.”
He strode past her through the door and took a few steps before halting in his tracks. “Aren't you supposed to be getting ready for the ritual? Or are you that free?”
He resumed walking, his footfalls barely audible in the quiet hallway. Sonia stood by the door, her fists clenched. The ritual was just a few weeks away. During the ceremony, Ronan would mark her and name her Luna in front of the entire clan. She was about to become the mate of the most coveted bachelor in the land, the most powerful of them all. But she wasn't his true mate. She was only a substitute, selected to fill the position because of some nonsensical agreement between his clan and hers.
Ronan descended the stairs, dressed in a simple shirt and jeans instead of his flowing robe. He glanced sternly at his Beta, who stood waiting for him at the foot of the staircase.
“What's the matter?” He asked in a somber tone.
“We spotted a stranger on our territory. A werewolf.”
He paused, his expression darkening. “Is that why you called me down here?”
“He's untraceable. As sly as a serpent in the grass. And he took one of our men's…” The Beta's voice trailed off as he uttered the next word. “…mate.”
Ronan's lips curled into a smirk. “How troublesome.” He clenched his fists, his eyes flashing with excitement. It had been more than thirty years since his last fight, and now he had the perfect opportunity to unleash his rage.
