Chapter 8: The Supreme Alpha's Mate

The words seemed to spread through the party faster than wildfire.

Rowan Vale had found his mate.

And she was me.

By the time we returned to Moonveil Hall, almost every pair of eyes turned in our direction.

The whispers weren't even subtle anymore.

[That's Rowan Vale.]

[The Supreme Alpha's son?]

[I heard he never attends university parties.]

[Who's the girl holding his hand?]

[That's Nessa Arden.]

[Wait-the girl Knox transferred?]

I tightened my fingers around Rowan's hand.

He immediately looked down at me.

"Want to leave?"

"No."

"You sure?"

"Completely."

I had spent too many years wanting to disappear whenever people looked at me.

When I was heavier, I imagined every laugh was about my body.

Every whisper sounded like an insult.

Every stare made me want to hide.

I wasn't doing that anymore.

Especially not because Knox suddenly regretted throwing me away.

I lifted my chin and walked farther into the ballroom.

Rowan's mouth curved faintly.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing."

"You're smiling."

"I like this version of you."

"Which version?"

"The one who looks like she's about to conquer a kingdom."

"Maybe I am."

"Need help?"

"I thought Supreme Alphas conquered kingdoms themselves."

"Not this one. I'm apparently here to carry your luggage and buy ginger tea."

I couldn't stop myself from laughing.

Across the room, Knox heard it.

His expression darkened immediately.

Elodie was standing beside him, but he wasn't looking at her.

He was staring at us.

More specifically, he was staring at our joined hands.

Elodie noticed too.

She leaned closer to him and said something.

Knox barely reacted.

Her smile stiffened.

For some reason, I almost felt sorry for her.

Almost.

Then I remembered the messages she had posted in the freshman channel while believing I was an ugly girl she could humiliate.

My sympathy disappeared.

Tessa rushed toward us.

"Do you understand what you've done?"

"Attended a party?"

"You broke the freshman channel."

She shoved her phone toward me.

Hundreds of messages were appearing.

[ROWAN VALE IS NESSA'S MATE?!]

[Someone tell me this is a joke.]

[Knox transferred his girlfriend to the future Supreme Alpha?]

[This might be the stupidest decision in werewolf history.]

[He called her ugly too.]

[Imagine calling THAT girl ugly.]

[Forget her looks. She's Rowan Vale's fated mate!]

[Stormridge is going to hear about this.]

I frowned.

"Why would Stormridge care who Rowan's mate is?"

Tessa stared at me.

"Nessa, please tell me you're joking."

"I'm not."

"You seriously know nothing about Pack politics."

"I avoid politics because everyone involved is exhausting."

Rowan nodded solemnly.

"She's right."

Tessa ignored him.

"Nightvale and Stormridge have been competing for influence for decades. Rowan becoming Supreme Alpha someday already puts Stormridge beneath Nightvale."

She pointed toward Knox.

"And now Stormridge's heir publicly discarded the woman who turned out to be Rowan's mate."

I blinked.

"That's politically embarrassing?"

"That's politically hilarious."

Rowan coughed to hide a laugh.

I elbowed him lightly.

"Don't encourage her."

"Too late."

A professor stepped onto the stage and announced the beginning of the Freshman Ball.

Music filled the hall.

Couples gradually moved toward the dance floor.

Rowan turned to me.

"Dance?"

"I don't know how."

"Neither do I."

I stared at him.

"You're the heir to Nightvale and nobody taught you ballroom dancing?"

"They tried."

"And?"

"Three instructors resigned."

"You're lying."

"Only slightly."

He extended his hand.

"Come embarrass yourself with me."

I looked at his hand.

Then placed mine in it.

"Fine."

He led me onto the dance floor.

For someone who claimed not to dance, Rowan was suspiciously competent.

"You liar."

"What did I do?"

"You can dance."

"Basic survival skills."

"You said three instructors resigned."

"Two."

"Rowan."

"One considered it."

I laughed again.

His hand rested carefully against my waist.

The mate bond pulsed wherever he touched me.

Not overwhelming.

Warm.

Comfortable.

Safe.

I suddenly realized something.

For the past year, I had transformed myself because I believed I needed to become beautiful enough for Knox.

But the man holding me now had seen the old photograph.

He knew exactly what I had looked like.

And he had still flown across Pack territories with roses because he was terrified I wouldn't like him.

The thought made my chest ache.

"Rowan?"

"Hmm?"

"If I hadn't lost weight, would you still have come?"

His steps slowed.

"Of course."

"You don't have to say that because we're mates."

"I'm not."

He looked directly into my eyes.

"I booked the flight before I knew what you looked like now."

I fell silent.

"Actually," he added, "I thought you still looked like the photo you sent."

"Then why were you surprised at the airport?"

"Because I spent three weeks preparing myself not to make you uncomfortable."

"What?"

"I thought if I looked too shocked or too eager, you'd think I cared about your weight."

His ears reddened.

"Then you walked up looking completely different and asked for my socials. I thought some random beautiful girl was flirting with me while my girlfriend was about to arrive."

I laughed.

"You looked offended."

"I was terrified you'd appear while another woman was talking to me."

"We hadn't even officially met."

"Still cheating."

"You're ridiculous."

"Probably."

His expression softened.

"But I would've come either way."

Something inside me loosened.

The song ended.

Before we could leave the dance floor, applause broke out nearby.

Elodie had stepped onto the stage.

She smiled brightly.

"Since tonight is about meeting our classmates, how about we make things interesting?"

A training instructor brought out a crystal sphere.

Tessa groaned.

"Oh no."

"What?"

"Freshman wolf-form assessment."

Elodie continued sweetly, "Everyone knows Hollowcrest values strength as much as academics. Why don't we see which freshmen have the most impressive wolf forms?"

Her eyes landed directly on me.

There it was.

The challenge.

She knew my appearance had ruined her first attempt to humiliate me.

Now she wanted another chance.

Knox finally looked away from me and frowned at Elodie.

"You don't need to do this."

She smiled.

"It's just for fun."

Then she looked at me.

"Nessa, you're from Willowmere, right? I've heard your Pack produces very... sturdy wolves."

A few students laughed.

I understood the insult.

Willowmere wolves were traditionally larger and heavier.

Elodie expected my wolf form to still be bulky.

Tessa muttered, "She's asking for it."

Rowan leaned toward me.

"Want me to stop this?"

"Absolutely not."

I removed my earrings.

"She invited me."

Elodie shifted first.

Silver light flashed across the stage.

A sleek silver-grey wolf appeared.

Beautiful.

Elegant.

The crowd immediately applauded.

Elodie shifted back and accepted a robe.

Her score appeared above the crystal.

87.

Excellent.

She looked at me with a smile.

"Your turn, Nessa."

I stepped onto the stage.

Knox watched intensely.

Rowan folded his arms, looking strangely proud already.

I closed my eyes.

For months, instructors had praised how drastically my wolf had changed as my physical conditioning improved.

My wolf surged forward.

Silver-white light exploded around me.

Gasps filled Moonveil Hall.

When the transformation finished, I opened my eyes.

My reflection appeared in the polished floor.

A pale cream wolf stood there, long-legged and lean, with unusual golden markings running beneath the fur along my shoulders.

The crystal sphere began glowing.

87.

91.

94.

It kept climbing.

The instructor stepped closer.

"That's strange."

96.

The crystal suddenly flashed gold.

Then cracked.

Silence.

A thin fracture appeared across its surface.

The final score remained frozen.

99+.

Someone whispered:

"What kind of wolf is she?"

Rowan was no longer smiling.

He stared at the golden markings on my fur with an expression I couldn't understand.

Shock.

Recognition.

And something dangerously close to fear.