I remember when I first heard about it. 

Ian found a mate. And I was not the one.

Ironically, I laughed. Such a contrary to what I was feeling inside. It felt like a rough edged knife was being twisted and turned in my chest. The pain, I never thought I could feel something like that ever, and that’s all I remember about that day. Nothing else. How I got home, what I did, who I was with, nothing. I just remember that excruciating pain which I can’t erase from my mind no matter how hard I try.

Since then, I have never been able to even think about another person romantically. Because, as much as I wanted to, it didn’t end with just the news of him being with someone else. At least not for me. Maybe it was far worse than when I first got to the news. Every day and night, I was lost in his thoughts, unable to move, to think, to breathe about anything but him. All there was to me was him. Even Ace couldn’t rub him off of me. He tried with his jokes, his random adventures, late nights with him holding me while I cried. Nothing worked, until time did.

And now here, somehow I could understand what Ian had felt when he first saw his mate. Perhaps I was not having the same reaction he had but this strange sensation did not scare me even though it should have. I could sense him near me. I could smell his scent like it was the air that I needed to breathe to live, desperately.

Heart pounding, I pushed myself up onto my hands and knees, peering through the foliage. My senses heightened, I could feel eyes upon me, a presence lurking in the shadows. It was as if the forest itself had come alive, whispering secrets and hidden truths. And right there, partially concealed behind a curtain of shadows, stood a figure—tall, mysterious, and undeniably powerful.

A shiver ran down my spine, a mixture of fear and curiosity intertwining within me. The air seemed charged, crackling with anticipation as our gazes locked. The stranger's eyes held a mesmerizing intensity, reflecting the flickering moonlight filtering through the leaves. I could sense a strange pull and a primal energy emanating from him—a captivating magnetism that drew me closer despite feeling skeptic.

Though hidden within the depths of the forest, the stranger's presence felt undeniable, as if we were intrinsically connected by a force greater than ourselves. I didn’t say anything, nor did he. We just looked at each other like we were searching for a needle in a haystack, and finally found our needle. 

With each passing moment, the stranger's aura became more palpable—a mixture of strength, protectiveness, and an underlying wildness that sent a thrill coursing through my veins. I could sense the presence of something extraordinary—a secret that had been hidden, waiting for this very moment to be revealed.

My labored breaths fogged up the chill in the night air while I just sat there on the ground looking up at his tall form. There was this strange anxiety and urge in me to do something and I didn’t know what, but anything except sit still. I wanted to know him, who he was and where he came from. I never saw him before. So he was definitely from a different pack.

“Wh-who are you?” The stutter in my voice could not have been helped, and he seemed to enjoy it.

The stranger's lips curved into a faint, enigmatic smile, his expression a blend of mystery and feral hunger. "I am sure you have figured that out by now." his voice resonated through the forest, carrying a deep timbre that stirred something within me. 

His answer was as little helpful as I was feeling. I didn’t want to move away to another pack, I didn’t want to let go of my usual life and dump that all to go live somewhere else where I knew nobody and nothing. And I won’t have Ace with me.

I stood up and looked at him while he walked over to me in a slow trance, grasping every detail of me with his eyes and stopped only when he was standing just a breath away from me. I could sense him breathing deeply as well when he whispered, 

“What’s your name?”

He stood before me, a vision of captivating allure. With his lustrous, chestnut hair framing a strong jawline, he exuded an air of quiet confidence. His penetrating brown eyes held a depth that drew me in, hinting at something dark and dangerous.

Tall and commanding, his presence filled the air around me, demanding attention without uttering a word. His physique, lean yet sculpted with rippling muscles, spoke of strength and domination. Every movement he made seemed purposeful, his gestures fluid and deliberate, setting a grace that negated his powerful build.

His chiselled features were accentuated by a subtle five o'clock shadow, adding a touch of ruggedness to his face. 

But it wasn't just his striking appearance. It was the way he carried himself, the confidence that radiated from within, hinting at a depth of mysteries and a captivating gravity that hypnotized me. But there was something else I felt, sort of like a premonition that told me he was everything that trouble called for. He was hiding something for sure behind that mask of his, and I knew it was not going to be pleasant.

“Amber.”