Kim sat at an empty table, his sleeves rolled up and the top button of his shirt undone, revealing a hint of his toned chest. He wore fitted jeans and a silver stud in one ear. His bright blue eyes sparkled under the soft lighting, and his pink lips curved in a subtle frown as a familiar, intoxicating scent wafted past him—roses and citrus. His wolf stirred immediately, whimpering in anticipation.
Where is she?
That scent—it was hers.
Just then, Frank approached and cleared his throat. "Kim, you didn't even notice I was here?"
Kim's eyes darkened, a clear sign that his wolf was close to the surface. Without a word, he stood up and gave Frank a light shove—firm enough to make a point, but not enough to hurt.
He began tracking the scent, weaving through the crowd. And then he saw her.
It was the girl from the shopping mall.
She stood there, radiant. Her emerald eyes sparkled, framed by thick lashes. Her lips were soft and pink, and she wore a blue top paired with black jeans and sneakers. A black bag hung from her shoulder. Kim's wolf howled inside him. The bond was there. Faint, but undeniable.
He wanted to hold her. To protect her. But he knew better.
If he approached now, he might scare her away.
So he stayed still—watching. Wanting. Waiting.
But his wolf didn't like waiting.
The longer he held back, the darker his eyes became. Alphas were naturally possessive when it came to their mates, and keeping his distance felt like torture. He crouched down, trying to hide his shifting eyes from the nearby humans. They couldn't know what he was. What he felt.
Finally, after a few deep breaths, he managed to calm his wolf.
He returned to the table, finding Frank already seated. Kim sat heavily in his chair and let out a deep exhale.
Frank looked at him carefully. "Alpha, you seem... off. What's wrong?"
"I'm fine," Kim muttered.
"You don't look fine to me."
Kim glanced at him, then sighed. "Do you really want to know?"
"Yeah, why not?"
"She's here again. My wolf won't calm down. I don't understand it—he's restless."
"Well, that's to be expected. But... didn't she recognize you? I mean, if she's a wolf, she should've felt the mate bond too, right?"
Kim shook his head slightly. "I don't think she's aware. Not yet."
At that moment, Zeta Adriel and his wife, Mariciel, approached. The Zeta was sixth in the pack hierarchy, and both Kim and Frank stood out of respect.
"Good evening, Alpha Adriel. Good evening, Luna," they greeted.
Adriel gave a small nod. "Evening, Alpha Kim."
Then, Loisa walked over. She smiled—a soft, radiant expression that lit up her whole face. Kim's heart skipped. His wolf whimpered again.
"Hi," she said, her voice sweet and light.
"Hi," Kim replied, offering her a dazzling smile that showed off his white teeth. She didn't recognize him as the guy from the mall. Not yet.
"Excuse me, Alpha," a voice chimed in. It was Thema, a pretty teen girl with wide eyes and a cheerful smile. She turned to Adriel and gave a small bow. "Good evening, Zeta."
"What is it, Thema?" Adriel asked gently.
"Well, I wanted to steal Loisa for a bit," Thema said, her tone playful. "We haven't had a girl chat in forever, and I really need to catch up." She winked at Loisa.
"Of course. You have my permission," Adriel responded with a warm smile.
Thema turned to Loisa. "Wanna grab a drink and chat?"
Loisa's eyes sparkled, and she nodded enthusiastically.
As the two girls walked away, Kim's eyes followed Loisa's every movement. His wolf growled softly under his breath.
Frank leaned in, nudging him. "Dude, you okay? You've been staring for a while."
Kim blinked, his eyes returning to normal. "Yeah, I'm fine."
But even as he said it, his gaze followed Loisa across the room.