Chapter 2

Michelle's pov

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The graduation ceremony began with the faculty members and the guest speaker taking their seats on the stage. Apparently, the mysterious stranger was the guest of honor. He was a tall and muscular man, with short dark hair and piercing blue eyes that seemed to scan the crowd with an intense focus. He sat upright in his chair, with a confident and commanding posture that demanded attention.

When he took the podium to deliver his speech, he stood tall and spoke with a clear and powerful voice.His voice was deep and commanding, drawing the attention of the entire audience. He stood tall and confident, his broad shoulders straight and his posture exuding strength. His eyes swept across the audience as he spoke, but as I looked at him, it seemed like he was speaking directly to me. His facial expressions were focused and intense, his eyes never leaving the crowd as he spoke about the importance of hard work and determination in achieving one's goals.I listened intently, my eyes never leaving his, even though his eyes were focused on the crowd.

His facial expressions were a mix of seriousness and humor as he delivered his speech. He had a few moments of levity where he cracked jokes and made the audience laugh, but he also had moments of solemnity where he spoke about the importance of perseverance and determination. His hair was styled neatly, with just a hint of gel to keep it in place. It was a dark brown color that seemed to shine under the bright lights of the stage.

He was dressed impeccably in a charcoal gray suit, which fit him perfectly. His white shirt was crisp and clean, with cufflinks adding a touch of elegance. The black tie he wore was perfectly knotted and hung just right against his chest. It was clear that he had put a lot of effort into his appearance, and it showed in how put together he looked.

The moment I had been waiting for finally arrived - the calling of names. As each name was called, the graduate walked proudly across the stage to receive their degree. As Nathan handed out the certificates, he moved with grace and precision, his movements fluid and confident. I clapped enthusiastically for my fellow graduates, proud of their accomplishments and grateful for the friendships we had forged during our time at university.

As my name was called, my heart began to race. I took a deep breath and stepped onto the stage. The dean of the college looked at me with a warm smile, and called my name. I walked forward to receive my degree, feeling a sense of pride and accomplishment wash over me.

Nathan's eyes met mine as I approached him, and I could feel my heart skip a beat. As I reached out to take my certificate, our hands touched, and I felt a spark of electricity run through my body. I looked up into his deep blue eyes, and for a moment, I felt like I was the only person in the room.

I quickly pulled my hand away and looked up at Nathan, who was staring back at me with an intense gaze.

For a moment, we simply stood there, lost in each other's eyes. It was as if time had stopped, and nothing else mattered except for the two of us. Eventually, Nathan broke the silence.

"Congratulations, Michelle," Nathan said as he handed me the certificate. "I'm proud of you."

I looked up and saw Nathan's hand, adorned with a striking tattoo on the back. It was the symbol of a wolf pack, one that I immediately recognized from my father's old stories.

My eyes widened in surprise as I took my certificate from his hands. "You're my m..mate?" I asked, incredulously.

Nathan nodded, still smiling. "Surprised?"

I nodded, making my way off the stage.

As I walked away from the stage, my heart was racing with excitement, but not the kind of excitement I had expected. How could this be? How could I have already found my mate? And to make matters worse, Nathan has the same symbol tattooed on his hand, the very same symbol from my father's old werewolf stories. This cannot be happening, not today of all days when I'm graduating. Today was supposed to be a happy and joyful day, but now everything had changed.

My mind raced as I tried to make sense of what was happening. I had heard stories about werewolf mates, but I never thought it could happen to me. And now, on the day of my graduation, I had discovered that my mate was Nathan, the guest speaker. It was all so overwhelming, and I didn't know how to process it.

I felt a mix of emotions - excitement, fear, confusion, and a sense of urgency. What if I didn't get the chance to see Nathan again? What if he didn't feel the same way? What if he already had a mate? My mind was filled with questions, and I couldn't seem to find any answers.

As I walked out of the auditorium, I couldn't help but feel like my life had taken an unexpected turn. My graduation, which was supposed to

be a celebration of my achievements, had turned into something else entirely. The realization that I had found my mate was both thrilling and terrifying, and I didn't know what the future held for us.

I made my way outside the school hall, badly needing some fresh air in order to process everything.I sat on a nearby bench, just outside the building. It was calm and quiet.

As I sat on the bench, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with emotions. I felt a sense of excitement, but also fear and uncertainty. My mind was racing with questions and doubts. What does this mean for me and Nathan? What will happen to my future? My thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of my phone, and I saw that it was my dad calling.

"Sweetie, where are you?" he asked hesitantly.

I told him I was outside the school building, sitting on a bench. He didn't say anything for a few moments, and I could sense that he knew something was wrong.

"Don't move, we'll be there in two minutes." And with that, he hung up the phone.

True to his word, my dad and mam were soon seated on the bench with me.

"What's going on, Michelle? Is everything okay?" my dad asked with concern in his voice.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down. "Dad, I... I think I found my mate," I said, my voice shaking.

There was a brief silence. "What do you mean?" my mother asked, sounding confused.

"I mean that I think I found the person I'm supposed to spend the rest of my life with," I explained.

Another silence followed before my dad spoke up. "Is it Nathan?" he asked, his tone serious. I nodded, looking at my fingernails.

"I can't believe this," my dad said, his voice rising in anger.

I could sense the shock and disbelief in his voice. I had never heard my dad speak like this before. "Yes, dad," I replied, my own voice shaking. "Nathan, the guest speaker, the one who gave me my certificate, is my mate. And he has the same symbol on his hand as the one from your stories."

"Michelle, are you sure about this? Are you certain he is your mate?" my mother asked.

I was about to answer my mother's question when my dad interrupted.

"What symbol?"he asked.

My heart skipped a beat as I replied, "The symbol of the wolf pack, the same one you used to tell me stories about, but the wolf symbol also had a striking golden eye color"

There was a moment of silence before my dad spoke again, his voice now stern and controlled. "Michelle, we need to go home right now. I'll explain everything when we get there."

"But dad, I can't leave. What about my friends, what about the graduation cerem..."

"I'm sorry sweetie."

As we drove to my parents house, the atmosphere in the car was tense. My dad was lost in thought while my mom was trying to calm him down, but I could sense the anger simmering beneath the surface. I couldn't blame him though, he had always been protective of me, and the idea of his daughter being mated was enough to make any father worried.