Chapter 1 CHAPTER 1

Sienna Valerius POV

CHAPTER ONE

The mirror reflected someone I couldn't even recognize. This is my nineteenth birthday yet it doesn't feel like I've experienced life like a nineteenth year old girl. My reflection in the mirror doesn't really define who I am.

Staring back at myself in the mirror is a girl in a scarlet gown, a golden mask sitting perfectly on my face, and nervous excitement shining in her emerald eyes. Someone who, for once, wasn’t weighed down by the burden of being locked up by her father in a house all in the name of protection and showing love.

Tonight was my nineteenth birthday, the night I would finally be able to sense my mate like my mother would always say

I have dreamed about this moment for as long as I could remember. Every she-wolf longed for the day she would meet the one the Moon Goddess had chosen for her. A bond so strong, so unbreakable, that nothing in the world could compare. My mother had told me stories of it before she died of how my father had been different when they first met, how love had softened his sharp edges, if only for a short while.

But the question is, how long would it take for me to find my mate?

“What if it's tonight?” My subconscious whispered silently to me.

I exhaled slowly, hugging my arms around myself. Deep down, I knew my father, the infamous Rogue King, had no interest in fairytales or happy endings. He had built an empire of power. But still, I needed to know what it feels like to have a mate. I just want to experience that for the first time in my life

But tonight, something was about to change.

Tonight, I wasn’t going to allow my father to have his way .

Tonight, I will just be a girl chasing adventure and a girl wanting to have fun.

And possibly meet my mate. I turned away from the mirror, my heart thumping wildly in my chest as I hurried towards the window when I heard someone whisper my name.

Oh shit. Lyra

“I cannot believe I’m letting you do this,” Lyra hissed from the garden below, her arms crossed, her dark ponytail swaying as she glared up at me.

A grin stretched across my lips. “Technically, you’re helping me do this.”

She let out an exasperated sigh. “Your father will kill me, Sienna . Actually kill me and you won't get to see me ever again.”

“Not if he doesn’t find out,” I whispered, gripping the ledge.

Lyra muttered a curse under her breath but stretched her arms out. “Fine. Jump.”

I didn’t hesitate. I swung my legs over the edge and let myself drop. Lyra caught me barely but we both tumbled into the grass and we bursted into laughter.

“I swear, you are impossible,” she grumbled, shoving me off and dusting herself off. “Do you even know where this ball is?”

“Of course.” I beamed, pulling out my phone. “I may have stolen an invitation from Father’s study.”

Lyra stared back at me with her green eyes widened. “You’re out of your mind.”

I winked. “And you love me for it.”

She groaned but motioned toward the black car parked just outside the estate walls. “Let’s go before I change my mind.”

I gripped her hand. “You’re the best.”

“I’m an idiot,” she corrected. “Now move.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lyra drove like a professional Uber driver, which, to be fair, was part of her job as my bodyguard. When we reached the grand estate, my jaw nearly dropped.

The mansion was big and very huge compared to my father's mansion. I was expecting something big but not this big.

I could see the big mansion standing out. Lush red curtains framed the tall windows, and the scent of roses, candle wax, and expensive wine filled the air. Music was playing a sweet melody that made my body itch to move.

Lyra parked a few blocks away. “Last chance to back out, princess.”

I smirked. “Not a chance.”

She sighed. “Then at least try not to get into trouble.”

I rolled my eyes and stepped out, my heart hammering with anticipation. I walked towards the mansion with a fake confidence. I could barely contain my excitement and nervousness.

I stopped and adjusted the delicate gold mask over my eyes, my fingers grazing the patterns on it . The gown was glittering, hugging my curves before flowing into an elegant fall dress. There was a slit that ran up my leg, adding a daring edge to the beauty of the dress. Lyra had outdone herself picking this dress for me.

"You look so perfect, Sienna," Lyra whispered beside me, her voice carrying both awe and mischief. "Everyone is going to be staring."

"That’s the point," I murmured.

I have spent my life in the shadows of my father’s kingdom, hidden from the world, caged by his control. Tonight, I'm just a woman exploring.

Taking a deep breath, I squared my shoulders and stepped forward and Lyra stopped and went back.

The moment I entered, there was silence through the crowd.

Eyes turned. Conversations stopped. The air thickened, thick with something unspoken as I moved through the hall. I walked elegantly like I was a queen. Heck, I was so nervous but I was able to put myself together and walk through the hall without stumbling on anything.

I felt their gazes trailing over me. They looked curious, admiring and envious. Some whispered behind their masks, others simply stared. I had expected attention, but not like this. Not this level of breathless, stunned awe. In less than thirty seconds, they all carried on with their activities.

And I slowly walked to the bar, I needed to take something to kill my nervousness.

The moment I went to the bar, I felt it.

A thick sensational feeling that I don't think I've ever felt

It struck me like lightning, wrapping around my chest, tightening like an unseen force drawing me to something or someone.

My breath caught immediately.

And then, I saw him.

At the far end of the ballroom, he stood on the second-floor balcony, his golden eyes locked onto mine.

My heart slammed against my ribs.

Even from this distance, the air between us was so intense and celestial. He was dressed in a tailored black suit, his dark hair slightly tousled, his sharp jawline set in an unreadable expression. His mask covered part of his face, but it could not hide the raw beauty behind the mask .

I didn’t know his name, but I knew him.

Not by sight. Not by past meetings. But in the deepest, most instinctual part of me, my soul whispered his name.

Mate.

My knees felt weak, my wolf clawing at me from within, desperate to get closer, to touch, to claim. My hands trembled as I gripped the folds of my gown, barely keeping myself together.

One moment he was standing still, the next, he was walking no, striding toward the staircase.

Towards me!