The scent hit me like a punch to the gut, sharp and undeniable. It cut through the cool night air, drowning out everything else—the familiar smell of pine, the damp earth beneath my feet, even the lingering presence of the other wolves. For a moment, I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. My wolf stirred restlessly inside me, and I knew. I knew what that scent meant.
Mate.
The word hit me with a force I wasn’t ready for, and my heart pounded in my chest, the bond crackling like lightning through my veins. I could feel it, pulling me, tugging at something deep within me that I couldn’t control.
But it wasn’t right.
I forced my legs to move, stumbling forward toward the scent, my mind reeling. It couldn’t be. I couldn’t have a mate, not like this. I was a warrior, a protector, someone the pa
