As Antonio stepped into the hall, a palpable intensity crackled in the air. Eyes turned towards him, filled with a mix of mockery and concern. At 24, he was the first ever Alpha without a Luna. Every gathering and mating ceremony he had attended in the past held high hopes, but they had been dashed repeatedly.
Tonight, he wasn't just a figure of wealth and power, but a man poised on the edge of a personal milestone. His sharp, dark eyes scanned the crowd, searching for a hint of his destined mate, but there was none. Everyone seemed to be bonding, forming a group of two or four as the clinking glasses and murmured conversations blended with the soft piano notes.
As the minutes ticked by, Antonio's anticipation grew, and a sense of unease began to creep in.
Is this one of my fruitless searches?
Am I not destined to have a mate? He thought as he ran his hand through his hair.
"A glass of wine for you, Alpha," the waiter said, carrying a tray of glasses and wine in his hand close to his chin.
"Thank you," Antonio said, picking up a glass of wine.
As the waiter turned to leave, he caught sight of a woman standing alone at the edge of the hall. Her presence was commanding as she toyed with her glass of wine.
"Wait," Antonio said, gulping the wine down his throat. He returned the glass to the waiter and rubbed his sweaty palms together.
"Luca, Luca, are you there?" he said, reaching out to his wolf. "I think we found her."
As Antonio raised his head to take a second look at her, their eyes locked with an intensity that was hard to ignore and time seemed to stop.
"She would make a great Luna," Luca growled happily.
"You're right," Antonio agreed, completely captivated by her beauty.
As Antonio took a step forward, a bold and intriguing scent cut through the evening's typical fragrance of sweet wine and expensive cologne.
"She must be the one," Luca growled loudly.
"Keep it down," Antonio scolded softly as a satisfactory smile played on his lips.
Antonio's heart raced as the scent grew stronger. Without a second thought, he took a few steps towards her and the crowd seemed to blur with just the two of them in the hall. As he moved closer to her, just a few steps away, the lights in the hall flickered, plunging the room into momentary darkness.
Murmurs arose from the crowd, but Antonio seemed unbothered, not breaking his eyes from the glitter shining on her cloth.
Suddenly, the door flung open, and rays of light streamed into the hall. Antonio shielded his eyes from the strong rays, breaking his gaze with her. A huge gasp echoed in the air as a woman walked slowly into the hall, her heels clicking rhythmically on the tiled floor.
"Isn't that Olivia?"
"Olivia, the famous Alpha model?"
"Is that the saucy, female Alpha?"
"I can't believe that is Olivia?" were the words on everyone's lips as they marveled at the arrival of Olivia. Antonio turned to take a look at the great Olivia everyone seemed to be gossiping about.
Antonio's breath hitched, his throat tightening as he traced the strong scent to Olivia. His heart pounded harder with each step she took, his initial curiosity morphing into a cold knot of dread as Olivia's gaze shifted from mild interest to open disdain.
Olivia walked toward Antonio in her deep blue gown that seemed to flow like liquid silk, her movements drawing the eyes of everyone in the hall. Her piercing green eyes, not leaving Antonio.
"You're the alpha who's supposed to be my mate?" she asked, her voice dripping with disappointment.
Antonio swallowed hard, stretching his hand forward for a handshake. "Hi, I'm Antonio De Luca."
Olivia snorted, not taking his hand. She took a walk around him and stopped in front of him. "You're not what I expected?"
Her words hit Antonio like a physical blow. The polite tone of her voice did little to mask the disdain in her voice. The confident smile Antonio had maintained faltered, and he felt a rush of confusion creep up his neck, leaving him momentarily speechless. "Pardon?"
"Where's the muscles? The sexy abs, the broad and rigid chest I can bury my head on. I had high expectations, at least from an alpha," Olivia complained, throwing gum into her mouth.
Antonio stood fixed on the spot, stunned. His mouth opened to form a reply, but no words came out, his mind reeling from the shock and humiliation.
"What have you been doing all these years?" Olivia scoffed. I don't want a mate who's obsessed with the pack affairs; you need to work out and be fit."
Antonio glanced down at himself, noting how his black tuxedo clung perfectly to his body. His naturally broad shoulders and muscular frame were evident, leaving him puzzled by her critique. Confusion mingled with anger.
What on earth was she talking about?
"See, Olivia. I don't quite understand what exactly you're talking about," Antonio said, flexing his muscular arms beneath his tuxedo, certain that his physical appearance was more than enough.
"You don't have to understand," she said, tucking her hair behind her ears. "I, Olivia Ryker, Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack, reject you, Antonio... De…whatever," she said, flipping her hand in the air.
"What?" Antonio exclaimed, but his voice was soon swallowed by the loud gasps and murmurs from the crowd.
"It's your choice to either accept it or reject it," Olivia said, turning to walk away. "I'm done here."
Antonio watched in stunned silence as Olivia sashayed out of the hall. A mixture of disbelief and anger churned within him. "What the hell just happened?" he muttered, trying to make sense out of the whole scenario.
Just then, the camera lights began to flash as pictures and videos were captured.
"Let's get out of here, Alpha," Beta Jerome said, helping Antonio out of the hall.