Tabitha stepped out of the house and surveyed her surroundings. Her knees felt weak, her throat burned from holding back tears, and her body trembled.
Tabitha was both physically and mentally distressed. Her heart raced as if she had just finished running a marathon. The more she thought about everything she had just discovered, the thirstier she became.
Taking a few forceful deep breaths to calm her heavy breathing, Tabitha walked over to where her car was parked. With her head down, she rested her arms on the car's hood.
In this position, Tabitha couldn't help but recall how sincere her ex-fiancé and stepsister had appeared to her.
A chuckle escaped her lips because she desperately wanted to cry, but holding back the tears had led to a fit of laughter. Trying to reassure herself, she repeated, "I am fine. I am totally fine."
With that, Tabitha entered her car and noticed that her phone was on. Coincidentally, it was ringing.
Tabitha wondered if it was Sarafina, but it turned out to be her parents calling—her adopted parents.
Tabitha was about to answer the call out of reflex, but then she remembered everything that had transpired back in the living room with her ex-fiancé and stepsister. As a result, she chose not to pick up the call.
With another deep breath, Tabitha tightened her grip on the steering wheel and drove away from the area.
In truth, Tabitha didn't want to attend the party Sarafina had invited her to, and she also didn't want to stay at her house.
Tabitha realized that she had to find a place to spend the night. Going back home was out of the question. The thought of her 'family' being there and her pride made it impossible for her to return.
Since her friend was at a party, the only way Tabitha could stay with Sarafina was to attend the party.
Tabitha picked up her phone and dialed Sarafina's number.
"Hello!"
Sarafina answered the call, but it was too noisy at her end, making it difficult for Tabitha to hear her. Likewise, Sarafina couldn't hear Tabitha clearly.
In the end, Tabitha followed the address Sarafina had sent her three hours ago and found the club where her friend was. After locating the parking lot, Tabitha parked her car.
Tabitha got out of the car and looked around.
Even outside the club, the surroundings were noisy. She could only imagine how much noisier it would be inside the club. But Tabitha needed to get her mind off the harsh reality she had just faced.
It had been an overwhelming experience, and Tabitha was desperately seeking distraction. She entered the club, bumping into a few intoxicated people on her way.
Upon entering the club and seeing the crowd of people everywhere, Tabitha's shoulders slowly dropped, knowing that she would never find her friend in the midst of this chaos.
*********
It was supposed to be a meeting in the VIP section, but the business associate whom Silas was waiting for was running quite late.
Silas stood by the huge glass window in the VIP room, which provided a great view of the club below. He observed the people enjoying their evening.
Some were holding drinks as they danced with their partners, while others were engaged in conversations over a drink without joining the chaos. Some simply stood in areas away from the club's main crowd, enjoying their drinks, and a few used alcohol to drown their sorrows.
Silas kept his hands in his pockets as he observed the scene below.
Suddenly, an aroma filled Silas's nostrils.
'This smell...'
Initially, it had a fruity quality, reminiscent of peaches. It was a unique scent that conveyed a sense of ease and comfort.
"This smell..." Silas muttered aloud before he felt a warm sensation in his chest, followed by a faint, distant howl in his ears.
"This..."
Silas knew what it meant.
After twelve years of searching and waiting, he finally felt her presence. He finally felt her.
While his wolf was excited, and the warm sensation in his chest increased, Silas felt a sense of moodiness and pain.
"What's going on?" Silas wondered, his hand resting on his chest where he felt the unfamiliar emotions of pain and sadness.
Silas knew they weren't his feelings; they were coming from his mate, who he could now sense was feeling sad.
Silas turned to look at the people below from the VIP window.
"I can smell her. She must be here."
He scanned the area where people danced, but he couldn't find his mate like this.
Determined, Silas turned around and headed for the exit of the room. He needed to find his mate and know why she was sad.
'How beautiful.'
Silas hadn't even seen the woman the moon goddess had gifted him, but he could already feel the connection forming between them.
Silas's assistant followed him, but he couldn't be of much help. Silas didn't know his mate's name, and he couldn't describe her appearance since he had never seen her before.
Silas was eager to meet his mate because he had just found her after shifting twelve years ago. Despite the elders, particularly his family, advising him to get married to another she-wolf during these years of searching, he refused.
They had gone to great lengths, even setting up blind dates and arranging potential marriages for Silas, but their efforts had all been in vain. Eventually, they gave up.
'Why this heavy feeling of sadness, though?' Silas wondered.
He was keen to meet his mate not only out of excitement but also due to the deep sadness he felt in his heart. Silas wanted to know what had happened to his mate to cause such profound sadness.
Silas navigated the crowd, knowing that finding his mate wouldn't be too difficult now that he could feel her presence. The moment he laid his eyes on her, his wolf would recognize her.
"I feel so excited!" Silas's wolf, Kevin, exclaimed.
"Same here, Kevin. We should be excited, but please control your excitement. We're in public, so let's not draw unnecessary attention," Silas replied. His wolf had the ability to take control, especially when it was something significant, but they needed to maintain composure in a public setting. Silas definitely didn't want to expose his father's pack.
"I bet she's so beautiful! Her scent is getting stronger," Kevin continued to express his anticipation, while Silas concentrated on finding his mate.
"I wonder what her name is," Silas said to his wolf.
"Her name must be beautiful as well. Silas, I can't wait to meet our mate. I want to feel her even more!" The excitement was making Silas a bit unfocused because his wolf was distracting him.
"I feel like…" Silas stopped and inhaled deeply for a prolonged moment. "The scent is stronger and intoxicating. It's making me hungry and filling me at the same time. She must be close!"
Silas had done an excellent job navigating through the crowd. Now, he was close to the counter, searching for his mate.
As Silas approached the counter, the scent became even more potent.
His wolf was also agitating inside him, adding to Silas's excitement.
Silas scanned the area until he set his eyes on a lady who was drinking. A man sat beside her, attempting to touch her.
The moment Silas saw this, although he couldn't see the lady's face, just her back, something in him couldn't tolerate the scene.
Silas intervened, removing the man's hand from the lady's back.
The lady turned to her side to witness the scene.
Tabitha was already drinking, and when she felt someone else's presence, she looked up and met his gaze.
Meanwhile, Silas's heart began to race when he saw his mate for the first time, and she happened to be human.