Ashleigh had barely taken two steps out the door when she felt a sudden heat sweeping over her body. Her senses were on fire. There was no pain, only heightened awareness of everything around her.

Taste and smell fought for dominance in a struggle to savor the sweetest scent she had ever known.

An aroma that made her breathe deeply, desperately hoping to pull the sweetness into her lungs and hold it there forever. A flavor that made her mouth water, she bit her lower lip painfully. Distracting herself from the maddening desire for more.

The air around her brushed against her skin, warm and tenderly, as though a firm hand caressed her. Her body reacted to this ‘touch’ without her permission. She arched her back and let out a soft moan. Then, she caught herself against the wall as the sensation trembled through her body down to her toes, making her almost lose balance.

Her heart raced. It pounded so hard she felt as though it might escape her chest entirely. The sound got louder and more potent. But, no, it wasn’t coming from her. That sound, the heartbeat, came from the same direction as that powerful scent. Her body was moving before she could even register the thought of following it.

The closer she got, the louder the beats became. It should have hurt, driven her mad, but this heart, this beat, this was a melody that called to her. A lullaby that filled her with only a desire to find the owner.

Taste, smell, hearing, her senses were being assaulted in a way that made her blush. She found herself stopping several times, bracing herself against the wall as a wave of pleasure crashed over her again and again.

In the back of her mind, a small voice was screaming and shouting, trying to tell her something, remind her of something. However, she was too distracted by the scent, the flavor, and the sound of his rhythmic heartbeat. She could only think of them.

Her body wanted it, needed it.

Ashleigh turned down yet another hallway she didn’t recognize. Again, her senses were leading her, but somehow, she knew her goal was on the other side of this door. So she didn’t hesitate to shove it open.

The music echoed off the walls, some kind of techno trash that only interfered with the melody of his heart._.

The large room was dark, a black light dance, flashes of light highlighting random people, no one she wanted to see, no one she cared about.

Ashleigh searched the crowd of faces desperately. He was here; she could feel him. Her chest heaved with force, practically panting now.

‘Where is he?’ she thought to herself

There was a flash of light and then another. Then, finally, her eyes landed on him, a feeling of recognition, an electrical burst of pleasure through her entire being.

And then confusion.

‘Why isn’t it black?’ she asked herself.

Another flash of light fell over him. Dark auburn hair, short, but just enough length to fall over one eye. His eyes met hers for a split second before she gasped. Ashleigh stumbled back, desperate to escape the room.

Grey like the clouds before the harshest blizzard of the northern territories. There was only one wolf in the four packs with eyes as cold as these.

“No. No…. No!” she screamed as she pushed the doors open, roughly stumbling as they gave way. She barely caught herself from falling entirely to the ground. Quickly she gathered herself up and ran.

Ashleigh ran hard and fast for as long as her lungs allowed. She fell heavily on the stone floor below her when she finally stopped, scraping both knees. The burning sensation brought a hiss from her throat. It was enough to let loose the hot tears that filled her eyes.

She lifted her pained eyes to the night sky, to the Blood Moon that shone brightly above her.

“What have you done?” she asked quietly, painfully, before loudly screaming. “What have you done to me!”

The moon, the recipient of her words, offered no reply in return.

***

Back in the dance hall, a man called out over the music, “He definitely came this way, but there are too many scents now. I can’t track him in here.”

“Then open your eyes, damn it!” another replied.

“There! I see him. He is over there!” a third called out, barely audible above the music.

The three young men ran towards the same goal, a tall man that stood in the center of the crowd. Though the bodies around him swayed and bounced to the beat of the music, he stood perfectly still.

Even in this dark room, he stood out. His auburn hair, a rare color among most wolves, was highlighted every time the light flashed in his direction. If that was not enough, his broad shoulders, the way his shirt clung tightly to his body. The power that simply emanated off of him.

He was one of a kind.

“Alpha!” called the third man. He was a large man with blonde hair, his full beard gave him the appearance of maturity, but he was young, both of age and heart.

The auburn man stared at the door, unmoving. He didn’t respond as they called to him, just continued to stare at the door.

“Alpha Caleb?” the blonde man called out as he got closer.

Caleb stirred. He turned his head to look at the blonde-haired man for a moment, his grey eyes focusing once more as though he had been caught in a trance.

“Galen?” he asked.

“Yes, Alpha,” Galen replied, reaching a hand to his shoulder. “Are you ok? You suddenly ran from the gateway with no explanation. We almost didn’t find you, and here of all places.”

Galen looked around, clearly concerned about why his Alpha would have come to a place he would usually stay far away from.

“I assume it was the midpoint between us,” Caleb replied more to himself than anyone else.

He stepped past Galen and looked up once more towards the door. He cocked his head to the side, staring at it as though he expected someone to walk through at any moment.

“Are you waiting for someone?” Galen asked, looking at the door as well.

“I think they have come and gone already,” he replied, his attention still focused almost entirely on the door.

“My Alpha, the other Alphas will be waiting. We already arrived later than we should have,” one of the other men commented.

Caleb nodded and motioned for the others to go ahead of him.

“Was it a meeting? I didn’t think you had anything arranged beyond the events you are required to attend,” Galen asked. Wondering if he had somehow forgotten something from Caleb’s schedule.

“A meeting?” Caleb thought about this for a moment, a slight grin forming on his lips. “Yes, you could say that.”

“Strange,” Galen commented, “I’m usually the one who schedules all your appointments, but I don’t remember anyone asking to meet….”

“Do you expect the Goddess to confirm her appointments with you?” Caleb laughed, “This meeting was scheduled long before either of us were ever born.”

Galen stopped in his tracks. He stared at his friend and leader in complete and utter shock.

“Your mate?” he asked. “You felt your mate? Here?”

He looked around as though he would somehow recognize the future Luna if he could just lay eyes on her.

“Yes.”

“Where is she?” Galen could not hide the excitement in his voice. This was a historic moment in his life. To meet the future Luna, to know there was one.

Dismay laced Caleb’s voice. “Come and gone.”

“What? But… why?” he could not hide his disappointment as his Alpha moved to follow their pack members out of the dance hall.

“I don’t know.”

Galen stared at Caleb’s retreating back. He had questions, concerns, comments. But in the end, he had only one clear thought, and it made him chuckle.

Caleb turned and looked at Galen curiously.

“She is definitely meant to be our Luna, then.” Galen laughed.

“What hidden meaning is there in your words?” Caleb asked.

“To think there is a woman out there who would actually run away from the glorious Alpha Caleb.” Galen smiled.

“She won’t get far,” Caleb replied with a tilt of his mouth and a sparkle in his eye that Galen recognized.

His Alpha had found a worthy hunt.