Celeste's POV

"I would like a room for the night," I told the receptionist at the hotel I found closest to Kane's college.

Kane was my chosen mate. And he was in Breach, the Capital City of the Werewolf Kingdom, for university. He told me that he had felt that he could find his parents here, and this was our secret.

However, we lost contact since last week. I also kept this a secret, but I did need to find him as soon as possible.

"Maybe Kane had found his mate and betrayed us, that's why he stopped contacting us!" My wolf, Athena, said dramatically in my head, "We should find our real mate, let's go, I could feel that our mate is around!"

"Shh! Kane is my REAL mate, Athena. I know him and so do you. For the last time, I am not interested in finding that bloody "real mate". If he wants me, he should show up years ago."

Kane would never hurt me. And I wanted so desperately to believe that.

When I grew up to 18, I didn't meet that mate arranged by the Moon Goddess in my pack, but it didn't matter, I had Kane. We grew up together and we loved each other, and Kane had always been thoughtful and considerate with me, that's enough.

As the only child of my father, who was the Alpha of the Ironclaw pack, there was much responsibility on me, and I preferred to use the time in the training and learning pack business rather than finding that "mate" all over the world.

Athena rolled her eyes dramatically, and back to the corner quietly.

The receptionist looked at me like she didn't believe I wanted to lodge there. Maybe it was because I wasn't dressed as luxuriously as the other people moving around the lobby.

"Here is your bill." She slipped me a paper and my jaw nearly dropped when I saw the bill.

Just one night cost almost as much as a year of rent at the Ironclaw Pack!

My father had disagreed with the Alpha King for many years and had forbidden me to step into Breach, so it was my first time to be here.

The receptionist looked at me expectantly and my pride would not let me leave the hotel to find a more affordable option.

I handed my card over to her and as the receptionist processed my payment, I came to a complete stop when I saw the news playing on the TV behind her.

"A plot to assassinate the Alpha King has been thwarted by the Royal Guard, the culprits will be tried before their execution and…"

I could have cared less about the Alpha King. All my attention was on the culprits to be executed. Kane was one of them!

Only my hold on the reception desk stopped me from falling over due to the shock.

That was why Kane had lost contact. Not because he abandoned me but because he had been arrested.

"Your card." The receptionist tapped the card against the table impatiently.

"Those people on the news, did they really plot to kill the Alpha King?" I asked the receptionist, my heart racing.

I knew Kane. He couldn't even stand the sight of blood, he believed all disagreements should be talked out and if we had let him in the pack, he would have had us mediating peace with rogues. It was one of the many things I loved about him.

How could such a peaceful person be a part of an assassination? Something wasn't right.

The receptionist shrugged nonchalantly. "They will be killed soon. It doesn't matter."

Killed?! Kane was innocent. I was sure of it. I couldn't let this execution happen.

"Do you know where they are being held?"

The receptionist gave me a strange suspicious look. "I'm guessing the palace or the bureau. Why do you ask?"

"No reason." I had no idea where either of those places were but I intended to find out. Sliding my card back into my pocket, I headed out.

"You forgot your room key!" The receptionist called out but I was already out of the door.

I asked around for the directions to the palace and while I wasn't completely certain I was on the right track due to the many turns I had taken, there was no other option.

I guess I could have asked the receptionist for directions but she already seemed suspicious of me because of my earlier question and the last thing I needed was for anyone to suspect me of being involved in the assassination attempt.

Assassination attempt. Goddess, what had Kane gotten himself into?

I was so lost in thought that I didn't see him coming.

One minute I was in a deserted alley contemplating how to break into the palace to get Kane away from execution, the next minute somebody was pushing me up against a wall and slamming his mouth down against mine.

I instinctively reacted and tried to knee him in the balls but his scent and the taste of his lips against mine ground me to a halt.

No. It couldn't be.

"Mate! Mate!" Athena cried out with so much joy and relief that I didn't feel it. "It's our real mate!"

I pressed my hands to his shoulders to shove him away.

His fingers winded in my hair tugging me into his arms, his tongue slipped into my mouth opened to protest and I just melted.

No! No! No! This was a betrayal to Kane, I can't do it.

I shoved him away from me.

"You asshole, get your hands off me!"

"But we want his hands on us," Athena grumbled inside my head but I was quick to shut her down.

No, we didn't. My body might ache for his touch right now but that was only the mate bond.

His pulled back and those startling green eyes met mine, and whispered in his cello's voice,

"What's your name? My mate?"

"Celeste!"

Shit! I immediately pop my name out.

"Beautiful name, I love it."

He kissed me again before I could think what he meant.

Maybe it was because of the mate connection, I just lost control of myself for a moment but my hands that should have pushed him away tugged him closer as his scent, his possessive touch, and his kiss drugged me senseless.

I could sense his surprise at my response to his kiss before he growled and deepened the kiss, his hands traveling dangerously upward of the red dress I was wearing, leaving a burning trail on my body.

I moaned into the kiss, my nails digging into his shoulders and I could faintly hear the pounding of feet moving past us but I was too far gone in his touch to do anything but arch up against him.

Until suddenly he pulled away.

I reached out to him before I was fully aware of what I was doing.

"You—"

He cut me short, "Remember, my name is Thorne. We will see soon, Celeste."

Then faster than I could blink, he was gone.

Wait. What the hell?!

I looked at the empty space where he had stood completely stunned.

That bastard just interrupts my world, kisses me, and leaves?

Athena whined inside me, her longing to see her mate rekindled after that kiss but her longing held nothing on my anger.

Enough was enough.

I was going to track down that son of a bitch and reject him!