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THREE

DRAKEN

T he sleek black SUV glided through the downtown traffic, its tinted windows shielding Draken from the morning sun. He adjusted his crisp navy button-down as the fabric pulled slightly across his broad shoulders. The magnetic pull in his chest grew stronger with each block they passed.

“Take a left here,” Draken said, the leather passenger seat creaking as he shifted his weight.

Chuck smoothly turned the wheel. “Getting closer, boss?”

“Much.” The pull was becoming almost painful now. Draken’s wolf paced restlessly beneath his skin, eager to find their mate after centuries of waiting.

Scorpio leaned forward from the back seat. “You seem tense. Having second thoughts about meeting your Luna?”

“Just wondering how this will change things.” Draken’s gaze swept the bustling sidewalks. The pull yanked sharply right. “Stop here.”

The SUV eased to the curb outside a gleaming office building under construction. Through the glass walls of the lobby, Draken spotted her immediately. His heart stuttered, then began racing. She wore a sleeveless charcoal dress that hugged her curves, and her brown hair was swept into an elegant twist. She moved with quiet confidence, gesturing at blueprints spread across a table while speaking to a group of suits.

But something was wrong. Terribly wrong. The magical signature surrounding her was unmistakable - the same earth magic that had shaken the ground last night. Yet she was clearly, impossibly human . No shifter blood ran through her veins that he could detect.

Draken’s hands clenched into fists. This had to be a mistake. The Moon Goddess wouldn’t saddle him with a human mate. His pack would never accept a human Luna. The very idea challenged everything he believed about the natural order between shifters and humans.

Yet his wolf recognized her, yearned for her with an intensity that left him breathless. The earth magic danced around her, wild and beautiful. His own powers reached for hers instinctively, though he forced it back with an iron will.

Through the glass, she smiled at something one of the suits said, and despite himself, Draken felt an answering warmth spread through his chest. The pull toward her was undeniable like gravity itself insisted he go to her. But everything he believed, everything he’d built his life around, screamed that this was impossible. A human Luna would be unprecedented. Dangerous. His wolf whined, wanting nothing more than to go to her right now, human or not.

His jaw clenched as he continued to watch her through the glass. The summer sun caught her hair, highlighting strands of gold among the brown. His wolf started pacing, fighting his steel control to rush inside.

“You know,” Scorpio’s voice cut through his brooding, “just because it’s unprecedented doesn’t make it impossible.”

“A human mate?” Draken’s lip curled. “The Moon Goddess wouldn’t be so cruel.”

Chuck adjusted the rearview mirror. “With all due respect, boss, she’s clearly got some serious magic. Those tremors weren’t exactly subtle.”

“Magic alone doesn’t make her suitable for our world.” Draken dragged his gaze away from her. “Book us rooms at the Ritz-Carlton. We’re staying through the weekend.”

“Planning to stalk her?” Scorpio’s tone was tinged with amusement.

“Surveillance,” Draken corrected, his shoulders tensing. “Something must be wrong with my inner compass. Centuries of waiting... it’s probably malfunctioning.”

“Right.” Scorpio didn’t bother hiding his skepticism. “Because that’s definitely more logical than accepting the mate the goddess chose for you.”

The SUV pulled away from the curb. Draken’s chest ached as the distance from her grew, his wolf howling in protest. He pressed his knuckles against his sternum, trying to ease the pressure.

“The Four Seasons might be better,” Chuck suggested.

“The Ritz.” Draken’s tone brooked no argument. If he was going to spend time here proving this was all a cosmic mistake, he’d do it in comfort.

An hour later, Draken stood at the floor-to-ceiling windows of his suite, staring out at the city sprawled below. The pull toward her remained steady like a compass pointing true north. His reflection frowned back at him, his brown hair slightly disheveled from running his hands through it in frustration.

“I still think you’re being stubborn about this,” Scorpio announced from the doorway.

“Noted.” Draken didn’t turn around. “ Tomorrow, we’ll start surveillance for a few days. I want to learn as much about her as we can. For now, I need space to think.”

“And brood?”

“Out.”

Scorpio’s chuckle followed him as he left. Alone, Draken unbuttoned his shirt and poured himself some scotch from the minibar. The amber liquid burned pleasantly as he swallowed but did nothing to settle his restless wolf or quiet his troubled thoughts.

A few days later, Draken watched his supposed mate from their parked SUV. She walked with purpose down the sidewalk. The pull in his chest had grown from uncomfortable to nearly unbearable over the past two days.

“She’s heading to that construction site again,” Chuck said from behind the wheel.

“Third time this weekend.” Scorpio lounged in the back seat. “Almost like she’s an architect or something.”

Draken tuned out their conversation. His attention fixed on how the ground seemed to ripple subtly beneath her feet as she walked like the earth itself reached up to cushion her steps. Most humans wouldn’t notice, but his enhanced vision caught every detail.

“Did you see that?” He leaned forward as she paused to check her phone. A crack in the sidewalk sealed itself near her feet.

“Yeah, boss. Just like yesterday when that pothole fixed itself after she complained about it.”

“Or this morning when that tree outside the coffee shop moved its branches so she could see the sunrise better,” Scorpio added.

The evidence was becoming harder to deny. She wielded earth magic as naturally as breathing, though she seemed completely unaware of it. His wolf preened with pride at their mate’s abilities, even as Draken’s human side struggled with what it meant.

“She’s still human,” he growled.

“A human who harnesses earth magic tied specifically to our pack’s powers.” Scorpio’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “Totally normal.”

Movement caught Draken’s eye. A construction worker had lost control of a wheelbarrow full of rocks. It careened toward her, but before Draken could leap from the car, the ground buckled. The wheelbarrow stopped dead, its contents frozen in place by partially liquefied earth that immediately solidified again. She blinked, looked around confused, then continued walking as if nothing had happened.

The magnetic pull in Draken’s chest surged. His wolf howled, desperate to go up to her. He gripped the door handle until his knuckles went white.

“Still think your inner compass is malfunctioning?” Chuck asked.

“Shut up and drive.” Draken’s voice came out rough.

His wolf’s certainty was becoming harder to ignore with each display of her magical powers. Human or not, she was clearly meant to be their Luna. The thought terrified his human side just as much as it excited his wolf side.

He leaned back in the SUV’s passenger seat, his shoulders tight with tension. “We’re leaving tomorrow.”

“What?” Scorpio asked, his voice filled with confusion. “But she’s clearly-“

“There is no Luna.” The words tasted bitter in Draken’s mouth, his wolf howling in utter protest. “Not here.”

“You’re going to lie to the pack?” Scorpio’s eyes narrowed. “That’s not like you.”

“It’s not a lie.” Draken’s jaw tightened as he watched his supposed mate through the tinted windows. “A Luna must be a wolf. That’s how it works. That’s how it’s always worked.”

“Boss-“

“A human can’t handle what comes with being my partner,” he barked. “The politics alone would break her. The physical demands of running with the pack? Impossible.”

“You’re making excuses.” Scorpio’s voice hardened. “And they’re going to cost you.”

“Watch yourself.”

“No, you need to hear this. The moment her powers awakened, the clock started ticking. Every day you spend denying her, your strength will fade. You know the legends.”

“Legends are just stories.” But Draken felt the truth of it in his bones. Already his wolf felt restless, unsettled in a way he’d never experienced.

“Really? Then why did you nearly drop that coffee cup this morning? When’s the last time you fumbled anything?”

Draken’s silence was answer enough.

“Just know, the longer you stay away from her, the weaker you’ll become. And when you finally accept what’s right in front of you - because you will - you’ll be more powerful than ever. Her earth magic will amplify your powers tenfold.”

“Enough.” Draken’s voice dropped to a dangerous growl. “Take me back to the hotel.”

Later that night, Draken once again stood at his suite’s window, staring out at the city. His wolf paced relentlessly, angry at being denied their mate. The logical part of his brain insisted this was the right choice, but every instinct he possessed screamed otherwise.

Sleep would be impossible tonight. Again. He’d have to face his pack tomorrow with this lie heavy on his tongue, all while fighting his wolf’s desperate need to run to her.

The following morning Draken adjusted the collar of his charcoal dress shirt, his reflection in the hotel mirror revealing the strain of the past three days. The dark circles under his blue eyes stood out against his tanned skin, and his usually perfect hair refused to stay in place. His hands trembled slightly as he reached for his watch - a simple task that should have been effortless for someone with his enhanced abilities.

“Dammit,” he muttered, fumbling with the clasp. His wolf stirred, practically radiating smugness at this display of weakness. The message was clear - deny their mate, deny their strength.

The magnetic pull in his chest throbbed like a fresh wound. He braced his hands against the marble countertop, meeting his own gaze in the mirror.

“I’ve never lied to them,” he said to his reflection. “Not once in two centuries.”

His wolf’s response was immediate - a surge of joy and anticipation that nearly brought him to his knees. The beast knew they’d already made their decision.

The elevator doors opened to reveal Scorpio and Chuck waiting in the lobby. One look at their alpha’s face told them everything.

“So,” Scorpio drawled, “I take it we’re not heading home empty-handed?”

“We’re staying. And if either of you say ‘I told you so,’ I’ll have you running patrols for the next decade.”

Chuck’s lips twitched. “Wouldn’t dream of it, boss.”

“Good.” Draken rolled up his sleeves, exposing his forearms. “Now let’s go get our Luna.”

His wolf howled in triumph, and for the first time in days, Draken felt his strength beginning to return.