1 Chapter 1 : The Moon Goddess Masquerade Ball

Scarlett felt like her heart was going to beat out of her chest—whether from excitement or for going against her parents’ wishes though, she wasn’t sure.

It wasn’t fear as she weaved through the trees, walking further from her family’s cottage in the forest and closer to the town.

Her parents had tried to keep her home this evening with excuses and whatnot, but, seeing as they hadn’t expressly forbidden her from going out, she was taking advantage of this fact to join in on the celebration.

When was she ever going to get a second chance to see The Moon Goddess Masquerade Ball?

It was the only celebration they held where status meant nothing. Where everyone popped on a mask and had fun.

It was also one of the few times Scarlett would ever be able to see what true peace among their people might look like.

She glanced around as she popped out of the forest, before blending into the crowd and taking one of the free masks being passed out. It was just a plain white half-mask that went over her eyes, but she didn’t need anything fancy.

Her eyes lit up when she saw two dancers in the crowd—two very familiar ones.

She kept her steps silent as she crept up on them, and, when she was close, jumped up a bit to throw her arms around both their shoulders, making them yelp.

“So, what did I miss?”

“Scarlett! It’s been too long!” said Velma, grinning and spinning around to hug her.

Meanwhile, Gavin rolled his eyes.

“One day you’re gonna give us a heart attack doing that. Make some noise, godd*mn.”

“And ruin the surprise?” she snickered. “Not a chance.”

Velma was in a beautiful blue dress full of beaded flowers. Gavin, on the other hand, could’ve benefited from something more fashionable. He was dressed in his signature green camo hoodie Scarlett had yet to see him without.

“Did your parents let you out?” asked Velma.

“Or were we just too much to resist?” said Gavin, wiggling his eyebrows.

This time, it was Scarlett’s turn to roll her eyes.

“They didn’t say I WASN’T allowed. You know how they are.” She tried to wave it off like it was nothing.

“You better stay away from the community building, then. They’re hosting shifted sparing matches.”

Scarlett winced at that. Her father was one of the Omega soldiers that helped protect the town’s borders from rogue shifters, he was one of the best she knew of! That also left her with a few… expectations from the rest of the town.

“Ahhh, it doesn’t matter—no sparring, no shifting. I’d like to not have to spar until I’m dead—and dad would kill me for doing either of those. Besides, I’m just here to enjoy the Ball, not stick out like a sore thumb.”

Which would be impossible if she did shift.

‘Scarlett’ was a bit too on the nose, but she WAS a shifter with blood-red fur. The only problem was that the last red wolf was seen about 20 years ago.

Red fur was a sign of being a descendant of the red wolves, who were said to be powerful warriors. Her parents were worried that if such news about her status reached the king, then she’d be taken away and forced to be one of his soldiers.

She wouldn’t put it past him either so despite how the drills and spars became repetitive, and how her parents’ protectiveness could often be smothering, she usually listened to their worries and rules.

“Look at you, all dressed up though!” Scarlett praised, making Velma flush. “Think the Moon Goddess will smile down on you tonight?”

“Well, Alice from the town over found her mate so who knows, maybe I’ll get lucky.”

Velma did recently turn 18 so it wasn’t impossible to find her mate, and right now was one of the best times to try.

With so many people attending, especially from all over the kingdom, there was a good chance that you could find your mate.

That’s why it was a Masquerade Ball. Whether someone was rich or poor, with a mask on, they were just another person enjoying the ball.

“Good luck, Velma. We’ll cheer you on.”

“Hey, what about my luck?” griped Gavin. “I could be looking for my mate, too.”

Velma looked him up and down before giving him a look.

“Not in that hoodie.”

They laughed as Gavin heavily protested, and Scarlett was glad she had come now.

This moment, where everyone was able to relax and enjoy the celebration for once… that was what Scarlett didn’t want to miss. With the way things were between the king and the people, this was as close to peace between them as they were going to get.

Scarlett was just about to suggest them going to one of the food stands and get something eat when she smelled… something.

It was hard to put into words, but it was like someone had just put on perfume. Powerful and a bit overwhelming, but it was overall pleasant.

No, better than pleasant—it was lighting up her senses like fireworks, the world sharpening into that one, wonderful scent she couldn’t get enough of.

She knew this scent, and yet it had never been this strong, this intoxicating. It was… pine. Pine like trees in the forest and freshly cut grass. Woodsy and warm, but so much more.

It was…wow—

—And then her eyes landed on where it was coming from.

It was a man, standing with a group of friends, the others of whom she couldn’t even be bothered to notice—not when he was like a supernova to her.

He was tall, wearing a pale blue button up that made his blue eyes pop behind the black mask he wore. What little of his face she could see were chiseled features and a smirk that made her knees a little weak. She had never found someone this attractive before.

And then it hit her, and Scarlett felt almost stupid for having not realized it sooner.

This gorgeous man who smelled like perfection… was her mate.

Scarlett was at a bit of a loss for what to do. Meeting her mate here was supposed to be a romantic dream, not something that actually happened. She wasn’t at all prepared for it, too shocked, too awed, too—too everything.

Their eyes connected, and she unconsciously felt herself take a step forward when he stiffened.

There was no way he didn’t notice her when it took just a whiff for him to have all of her attention. She wondered what she herself smelled like, if it was just as tantalizing as his own was to hers. He looked just as awed as she was, eyes wide, stepping forward. The desire to know each other, speak to each other, was practically a physical need by this point.

And then he took off, running in the opposite direction.

Scarlett watched, stunned, as he shoved his way through the crowd, disappearing into the forest.

What?

What had happened to their romantic moment? They were supposed to be having a moment!

“Hey—Scarlett! Where are you going!?” shouted Velma.

But Scarlett did not stop, her feet carrying her forward as if of their own volition.

Like hell she wasn’t going to chase after him!

Scarlett dodged through the crowd, weaving around them, going by scent alone to track her mate.

She couldn’t have been wrong, that scent couldn’t be anything else but her mate—yet he was running from her!

She saw him run off into the forest and hurried after him. Thankfully the Ball was always held on the night of the full moon, and there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. Perfect for tracking—or hunting down wayward soulmates.

She was so close, the smell getting stronger—it was just behind that tree!

She swung around the trunk, only to freeze.

There was no man in the forest, just a pile of clothes.

It was both vexing and ingenious. He created a fake trail by shifting down and leaving his clothes behind. Their wolf forms were always faster than their human forms—but she was the fastest in town.

She could catch up, and then—!

Before Scarlett could do anything, before she could shift down and expose herself or even attempt to run after her mate, a hand enclosed around her wrist.

Her head snapped back, only to meet a very disappointed gaze.

“Uh… Hi, dad,” Scarlett said, flashing a pretty smile, grimacing when his expression didn’t change.

She was sooo f*cked at tomorrows training. He was gonna run her into the ground for this.