A strange sensation brought Roxy out of her melancholy. The wolf in her howled with an intensity she'd never felt before.

She pressed her manicured fingertips to her forehead as the room spun around her.

Faster than it had when she'd danced. She tugged at the corset of her dress, hoping to take a bit of pressure of her chest which felt like it couldn't inflate anymore. Maybe her lungs could no longer breathe in the small amounts of oxygen the fashionable piece allowed. The glass of punch fizzled from where she'd placed it on a nearby table. Had someone spiked her drink? She thought of the snobbish bartender. No, surely not. Everyone else had been drinking it all night and didn't appear to be showing any strange symptoms. Besides, she would've smelt it.

The heat of the room was suddenly stifling, her entire body was burning inside. Hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

Becoming increasingly agitated, she clawed at her back, trying to find the string of the corset that would set her free from torment. Damn Cleo. Her sister had locked her in like a vault. Suddenly, the anxiousness left her body as an intoxicating calmness poured over her. Her eyes fluttered shut and she felt herself sway slightly. A pull in her stomach had her slowly turning around where she was met with the most vibrant pair of green eyes across the room.

The entire room faded away as they stared at one another. People passing between them couldn't break their intensifying stare. Roxy's breathing hitched and she suddenly felt parched, only it wouldn't be water to quench her thirst. Boy, he was handsome.

The definition of tall, dark and handsome.

She took in his decent height, the broadness of his chest which grew out to two muscular arms, obvious even beneath the jacket of his suit. The tone of his skin was a mixture of olive and brown, making her wonder what heritage he had. His hair, which Roxy craved to run her hands through was jet black, matching a shadow of stubble which covered his strong and chiselled jawline. The darkness of his features made the emerald green of his eyes sparkle like the gemstones themselves as they eyed her with intensity.

The desire she had to throw herself against him was frightening and she worried her weakened mind would allow her to do just that.

Suddenly the images of soulmates she'd dreamt of for months faded away. She couldn't imagine anyone else but him.

Roxy expected him to come to her, for them to meet in the middle of the room and unite in a mind-blowing kiss, but instead a nervous look came into his eyes and he turned away. Roxy stood stunned as she watched him wade through the crowd. Despite there being hundreds of people in the room, he'd left a trail of an alluring scent like a luminescent trail glowing in the dark. The wolf inside of her crashed against her human confines, making Roxy hoist up the skirts of her dress and charge after him as if an invisible rope tied them to each other. The ballroom blurred as she ran and voices merged together and echoed.

Within seconds she was bursting through the double doors of the ballroom, rushing to the edge of the balcony to watch him rush across the foyer below.

'Wait!'

He didn't turn around, instead flung the doors open to step into the night. A feeling of desperation filled Roxy as she approached the spiral staircase. She wanted him – needed him. Her quick steps thudded against the carpeted stairs, her jelly-like legs carrying her down as fast as they could go. With a gasp, the heels she was unaccustomed to made her stumble, falling the final few steps until she'd reached the shiny marble floor. Impatiently, she tore them from her feet and tossed them aside before following the magnetic pull. Her wolf wanted to burst from inside, her unbridled desire making it feel like they had a thirst which could be quenched by only one thing.

Him.

Outside, Roxy came to a stop on the concrete stairs, looking around wildly for any trace of him. The cool night air wrapped around her bare shoulders and she allowed a shiver to rattle her body.

Torches burned alongside the stairs, their orange flames sending sparks into the night. At the bottom of the staircase was the valet with a large and impressive water fountain taking centre place. Beyond that was the long driveway lined with lamps which led out to the secluded road. Had he left? Something made her look to the right. Like a fish on a hook, something tugged at her.

CHAPTER 4

The gardens.

With a new surge of determination, she bunched up her dress and ran. The ground was cool and damp beneath her bare feet, the manicured lawns tickling her skin. A small gate, almost hidden amongst a tall hedge had her skidding to a stop. She reached out, placing her hand against the wooden planks which should've been cold but was warm with the traces of his touch. Instead of satisfying her needs, it only amplified them. She needed more. All of him.

The gate squealed loudly as she charged through to the other side. Leaves of hedges brushed against her bare arms. Lamps lit a dim cobblestone path her feet slapped against. Her senses were on high alert, like a radar scanning for possible threats. It was as if a GPS had been installed inside of her, allowing her to track him wherever he went. She sniffed the air as she continued to run, her skin prickling at the scent which felt like it'd been custom made. Just for her.

Her senses told her he was nearby. The wolf inside her danced around and whined impatiently when she stopped to peak around the final corner of the hedge. She watched as he paced around a gazebo in the middle of a pond, with his tie loosened around his neck and hands locked behind his head. A feeling of doubt crept into her. Memories of her mum's dark days flashed through her mind along with visions of the sad werewolves alone in the palace. Why didn't he appear happier? And why had he ran?

Suddenly nervous, Roxy moved away from the hedge and walked towards the boardwalk. Fairy lights were wrapped around the white railing, travelling up until it covered the gazebo itself. The scents of all the different flowers in the secret gardens mingled with the fresh water of the pond. The scent of him overrode them all though, almost sending her tumbling over the edge of an uncontrollable euphoria. The optimistic side to her wondered if he'd led her out here on purpose, to make their first meeting more private and romantic. Maybe he was shy.

Her dress swished as she walked hastily, trying to restrain herself from running. The timber of the boardwalk creaked with each step she made, but he remained with his back to her, his arms now braced against the railing. When she looked close enough she could see his tight grip was sending cracks along the wood. Roxy's heart was beating in her throat when she came to a stop a short distance away from him. She drank in every handsome inch of him, her body shuddering with pleasure when her eyes caught sight of his pack tattoo peaking from the collar of his shirt.

Every werewolf was tattooed with the icon of their pack when they transitioned. She wore the mark of Saltwater Woods, a curling wave with a cliff of forestry to represent the territory based in the Coastline Region. The tips of her fingers itched to reach out and trace the lines of his tattoo, which appeared to be a group of mountains with pine trees. Was he from the Mountainous Region?

She couldn't quite believe it. It was him.

Her soulmate.

'Hi. I'm Roxy.' Her voice quivered, from nerves or desire she wasn't sure. He remained speechless, his back still to her. 'Are you... are you my—'

'Soulmate?' His rough yet soothing voice made something stir restlessly inside of her. His emerald green eyes were ablaze with the desire she was sure would be reflected in her own eyes when he turned to look at her. His hands were still firmly locked around the railing, as if trying to hold himself back. Roxy wished he wouldn't.

'Yes,' she replied breathlessly, allowing herself to inch towards him.

'I'm not your soulmate.' The aggression in his tone made her halt in her tracks.

Roxy gave an astonished laugh, despite her heart breaking a little. 'No, you must be. I experienced everything I've been told. The magnetic attraction, the heat, the desire...' She tucked her hair behind an ear while her cheeks burnt with embarrassment. '... Feeling like I'm finally complete.'

'They're just stories,' his reply was cold, making a shiver freeze the heat which had been coursing through her body seconds earlier. 'How can you possibly know they're true?'

Roxy's mind was scrambling, the lump forming in her throat making it hard to speak. 'I don't... I mean all the stories are the same. Surely they wouldn't make it up for so many years.'

He hesitated, seeming to have an internal battle with himself before speaking. 'Okay, you're right. We are soulmates. But that doesn't mean anything to me. I don't need someone else. I don't want someone else. So let's pretend that we never met and say goodbye, yeah?'

Tears began pouring down Roxy's face. 'Surely you don't mean that.'

'Oh, but I do. Goodbye, Roxy.' A look of remorse flickered across his face but it was gone as soon as it had come.

Roxy watched, completely numb, as he brushed past her and made his way down the boardwalk. Her inner wolf whined, howled and cried. She wrapped her arms around herself tightly, attempting to comfort her while she fought to breathe.

An ache filled her heart, as if it really was breaking down the middle. Feeling weak, she let her knees collapse beneath her. The skirt of her dress surrounded her in blue silk. One by one, tears began to roll down her face until she was sobbing uncontrollably.

A loud scream came from her mouth while the wolf inside roared. For so long they'd dreamt of this day. They'd dreamt of finding the person who made them complete.

Never did they possibly think they'd be rejected.