Chapter 2

LOGAN “How long before we get to Red Bane Pack?” I glanced at Oliver, my red-haired Beta, while the chauffeur drove. “An hour or less,” he answered while checking his wristwatch. “Are you bored already?” he queried with a tiny smile. “You know how much I hate long drives, Oliver. We should have simply boarded my private jet.” I pulled my suit jacket off in a distressed manner. “For a two-hour drive, don’t be dramatic, Logan,” he taunted. “Besides, when you get to Red Bane pack, I’m sure it’s going to be worth the stress. I hear they have quite a number of flawless beauties.” His hazel eyes gleamed with so much passion. I glanced at him while a tiny smile lifted the corner of my lips. “I do like the sound of that.” “And who knows, you might be lucky to find your mate there,” he added. That statement killed every iota of joy that I'd felt earlier. I looked out through the window, hoping the view of the houses we drove by would sway me from my negative thoughts but it didn’t. I rubbed the left side of my neck, where a small broken moon tattoo was imprinted. I grunted a bit, feeling a sharp pain just fazing the area a bit. Ten years ago, I was cursed and the only cure was finding a mate. One would have thought it would be easy considering my status as alpha but it seemed like the moon goddess had destined me to remain alone forever. My right palm curled into a fist as my insides burned with rage and pain intertwined. “I know that look, Logan,” Oliver commented in a worried manner. “You’re thinking again.” “Nah.” I shot him a fake smile which he was not buying. “Should I not have mentioned anything about your mate? You’re usually not this way whenever I mention it.” I sighed. “It’s been ten years Oliver,” I started, staring at the car's roof. “I still haven’t found a mate regardless of how hard I’ve searched.” “You’re going to find her soon.” “That's what you all keep saying but it’s getting hopeless.” I exhaled deeply. “I mean, look at you. You already have your mate, you have kids. And then there’s me, with barely any hope in sight. Most of my friends already have their own families. We’re even heading to Red Bane pack to witness another of our friends get hitched to his mate.” “Hey,” he shifted closer to me, tapping my right hand for a brief moment. “Don’t talk like that. If anyone is going to lose hope it shouldn’t be you. Hell, it’s just been ten years. We have a lot of years to live as werewolves. What makes you think you won’t get to meet her today, tomorrow, the next, or in the next few months or years?” He donned an endearing smile with eyes that strongly affirmed hope. “Get yourself together, Logan, and be the Alpha King that you are.” I nodded with a slight smile. “Besides, I just have a feeling one of those ladies in Red Bane might be your mate." He beamed. “You’ve been yapping about the ladies of that pack ever since we embarked on this journey, don’t tell me you wanna go back to your old ways?” I smirked and his eyes quickly shot up. “I have a mate, for goodness sake!" But the Oliver I know was a serial flirt. His tall, muscular frame aided him so well — just like mine, except that my hair was black and styled in a pompadour fashion and my eyes were golden. I wondered how Sarah had managed to tame wild Oliver. He raised his hands in surrender. “Don’t give me that look, Logan. I would never dream of cheating on Sarah.” “Don’t worry, I’ve got eyes on you.” We both laughed, but our attention was diverted to the chauffeur as he pulled to a gentle stop. “What’s wrong, David?” I queried. “I apologize, Alpha Logan, our car seems to have a flat tire,” the young man answered courteously before alighting. “And just when I thought the journey couldn’t get longer.” I rubbed the area between my eyebrows. “Come on, we’ll just take one of the escort vehicles,” Olivier mumbled before getting out too. I exhaled deeply before opening my door. As I stepped out into the warm afternoon, I felt a strong pull while the breeze gently warmed past me. The front tire was already flat. “It must have run over a nail,” the chauffeur explained. “We’ll get the tire changed in a few minutes.” I nodded. “Logan, come on, let’s get going. He’ll join us later. We can’t afford to be late,” Oliver muttered while he came to my side. I put my suit jacket back on and briskly fixed my hair in the window's reflection. My black suit and white shirt were complemented by a matching pair of shoes and a diamond-encrusted watch. “For goodness sake! You look good, let's go!” Oliver blared and as I took the first step. That was when my wolf jeered to life within me. I turned back sharply, scanning the quiet road and the houses that all looked empty. It was that pull again, but it was stronger now. Strong enough to cause a fold of current jolt through me. “What’s wrong?” Oliver sported a quizzical look. “Can you hear that?” I mumbled as the sound became clearer by the moment. “I think there’s a celebration somewhere nearby,” he answered. My brows arched. “Where are we, anyway? What's the name of this town?” “I think—" Oliver started. “Lilyview, sir,” David answered while pulling out the spare tire from the trunk. “Yes, Lilyview!” Oliver confirmed. Something was definitely up with this place. I hadn't felt my wolf like that in years. “Logan, are you picking up something?” Oliver held my gaze so hard as if he were trying to read my mind. The wind blew again and the pulses of current jolting in me doubled in a flash as a faint scent of jasmine filled my nostrils. “Something is wrong with this place. I can feel it to my bones, Oliver.” “I hate to sound like a jerk, but I don’t think you owe this town shit. One sniff around and you’ll know that this place is inhabited by humans. Let them deal with their issues.” He stood in front of me as if he wouldn’t let me go even if I wanted to. “But that’s the thing, I can feel something calling to me and I need to find it.” “We have a wedding to attend, Logan. Now’s not the time to play superhero!” “Get out of my way,” I ordered in my alpha tone while his eyes mirrored my beaming red ones. “Wherever this noise is coming from, I need to find it quick!” He stared at me for a moment before exhaling. “Fine, but at least let me accompany you. If things turn out to be dangerous, we’re leaving okay?” I hurriedly walked back to the street we'd just driven past. I was attracted to that noise like a moth was to a light bulb. Dangerous or not, I had to find wherever this mysterious scent came from.