Hope

Alpha Roman’s POV
The preparations for the ball were taking shape, but my mind was elsewhere-scattered and volatile, like a storm bottled up in my chest. Every command I issued seemed to sharpen the air around me, amplifying the tension. Servants and guards scurried out of my path as I moved from one corner of the room to the next, reviewing final touches. The usual rush of authority was now marred by something darker, something too potent even for me to subdue.
I took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. I could feel my wolf simmering beneath my skin, pacing with a restless intensity that left my nerves jagged and strained. Next week had to go perfectly. I didn’t have time for whatever was going on inside me, clawing at my self-control, making it tremble.
But the pull… I could almost feel her in the back of my mind, a constant, taunting presence. Whoever she was-my mate, my addiction-she had woven herself into my every thought and instinct. And with each second that passed without her, the ache grew sharper.
The door opened, and my Beta, Luca, stepped in, eyes averted with due respect. “Alpha Roman,” he said, his voice steady as he guided a woman to his side. “I wanted to formally introduce my mate-”
She didn’t get any further. The moment she set eyes on me, her legs buckled as she fell to her knees, hands pressed to the floor, head bowed as though weighed down by some invisible force. The room suddenly felt electric, and I realized what was happening. My Alpha aura was seeping out, unchecked, in waves, radiating so fiercely that even my Beta’s knees were beginning to give. No no no. This can’t be happening. I had this in check. I could control it. Why now?
All I could feel was the pull-my wolf surging forward, craving something I could hardly explain. The force of it overwhelmed me, thickening the air with my Alpha aura until even my Beta, Luca, felt its weight. As he knelt with his mate beside him, fighting to stay upright, I knew I was losing control. My fists clenched, the ache of my wolf pushing against my skin, desperate to unleash its power.
“Alpha… Roman?” Luca struggled to speak, each word strained as he fought against the crushing energy radiating from me. I tried to rein it in, but my wolf was too powerful.
“Out.” The word escaped through gritted teeth as I forced my fists tighter, willing myself to contain the raging power within. Luca and his mate crawled to the door, their bodies shuddering under the weight of my authority, and as they left, my vision blurred. My wolf fought me, teeth bared, every muscle straining to break free.
Then I heard her-Riley’s voice cutting through the fog. “Clear the room. Now,” she commanded, her tone steady as steel.
The moment the door shut behind them, Riley turned toward me. She placed a hand on my shoulder, a familiar touch grounding me, calming the storm within. But my wolf lashed out, and a guttural roar erupted from my chest, filling the space with the raw edge of untamed power. My instinct wanted to tear everything apart, to let the beast out.
“Roman,” she whispered, her voice taut but firm. “Control it. Don’t let it win.”
Her presence kept me tethered, but it felt like I was being torn in half. My mind filled with her-my mate. Her laugh, her warmth. That night under the full moon, her mask glittering as her gaze held mine. Her voice, the way she had whispered to me, unaware of who I was or the bond that had sealed itself between us. I had left her for mere hours, intending to return, only to find her gone, leaving nothing but the memory of her touch.
Slowly, my breathing steadied, the red haze lifting. I looked around, realizing the damage I had done. The room was a mess-claw marks scraped into the walls, the mahogany desk split from my fist, the bed shredded to pieces. And against the door, Riley leaned, a gash along her arm from where I’d caught her. Blood dripped down, but she didn’t flinch.
“Riley…” I moved to her, guilt churning in my gut as I reached out, hesitant.
She let out a soft laugh, shrugging as though the wound was nothing. “Don’t worry, big brother. It’s just a scratch. You know I’ll heal.”
I could still feel the remnants of my wolf’s rage, a simmering fire that hadn’t completely died. But Riley’s eyes were watching me closely, her usual smirk edged with something I couldn’t quite place.
“So,” she said, crossing her arms, “you planning on doing this every time you can’t keep it together? You’re lucky it was me in here, not one of your precious guests.”
The corner of my mouth twitched. “Don’t start.”
Her gaze sharpened, and for the first time, I saw the flicker of something deeper, a wariness that spoke of years under the weight of our curse. “Roman… what is this?”
I hesitated, feeling the words lodged in my throat, but the truth forced its way out. “I found her. I found my mate.”
Riley’s jaw dropped, her usual smirk vanishing as she stared at me in silent shock. The sarcasm, the biting retorts she usually had ready, seemed to vanish as her eyes searched mine, disbelief evident.
“You… found your mate?” She said it like she couldn’t quite believe it, her voice barely above a whisper.
I nodded slowly, feeling the weight of the words settle between us. “I didn’t plan it. Didn’t think it was possible.” I took a steadying breath, my thoughts returning to that night. “I was just… blending in with the crowd, for once, pretending not to be Alpha Roman. And then I saw her.”
Riley’s eyes narrowed, her shock giving way to a cautious curiosity. “So… this poor girl… has no idea what she’s in for?”
My mouth tightened as the memory replayed in my mind-the way she’d looked at me, unaware, untouched by the curse that had plagued our family for generations. “She didn’t know who I was. Didn’t even know about the bond. I left her for a few hours to handle pack matters, and when I came back, she was gone.”
A slow smile tugged at Riley’s mouth, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “So you’re telling me… the almighty, heartless Alpha Roman finally found his mate? And she just… left?” She laughed, a little hollow, as though the reality of it was only beginning to sink in.
“It wasn’t her fault,” I said, the words sharper than I intended. “She didn’t know.”
Her expression softened, a rare flash of sympathy crossing her features. “So that’s why you’re doing all this,” she said, glancing around the room. “Throwing this whole ball… hoping she’ll come back.”
I could feel the desperation in me, raw and painful. “Yes,” I admitted, my voice low. “I have to find her, Riley. If I don’t… I’ll lose control completely.”
Riley sighed, shaking her head. “Roman, I don’t even know what to say. We’ve spent our whole lives cursed, unable to feel what they call a mate bond. And now… you’re telling me you have one?”
I nodded, swallowing the weight of her words. “She’s the only thing keeping me from…” I gestured to the mess around us, my voice trailing off.
Riley raised an eyebrow, her tone edged with dry amusement. “So, some helpless woman out there has no idea she’s about to be queen? That she’s the reason the mate trials will close?”
The thought hung between us, heavy and foreboding. She was right-my mate, this unknown woman, had no idea what awaited her. The trials would be meaningless; she was mine. And I would do whatever it took to keep her, even if that meant shattering every rule we’d ever known.
Riley shook her head, her usual smirk creeping back. “I can’t believe it. My heartless brother… giving his heart to some random girl.”
I met her gaze, unflinching. “It’s not just anyone, Riley. She’s mine.”
The words settled, their weight reverberating in the silence, and for the first time in years, I felt the faintest glimmer of hope.