The two-week wait for the Starlight Pack's arrival was the longest fourteen days of Simon's life. To the rest of the Moonlight Pack, the heir seemed to have descended into a state of hyper-focused madness. He didn't just train; he overhauled the entire entrance to the territory. He personally inspected the guest wing of the Pack House three times, much to the annoyance of the head Omega.
"Simon Peter, if you fluff that pillow one more time, I'm going to tell the guest to sleep on the floor," Stella scolded, catching him in the royal suite for the fourth time that morning.
Simon straightened up, his ears turning a slight pink. "It has to be perfect, Mom. The Starlight Pack is… prestigious. We can't look like mountain brutes."
Stella walked over, her eyes softening as she took in the dark circles under his turquoise eyes. He hadn't slept. The "pull" in his chest had become a relentless tug-of-war, dragging his soul toward the Northern border. "You smell it, don't you? Even before she's here."
"I smell something," Simon admitted, his voice a low rumble. "Like the air before a thunderstorm, but sweeter. It's driving me crazy."
"That's the bond, Simon. It's preparing you," she whispered. "Now go get dressed. Your father is already at the gate."
The morning was crisp, the sky a pale, breathless blue. Simon stood at the front of the greeting line, flanked by Michael and Stella. He was dressed in a charcoal grey shirt that hugged his massive frame, his silver-teal hair neatly combed back. He looked every bit the Alpha he was born to be, but inside, his wolf was pacing a frantic circle, claws digging into the floorboards of his mind.
Then, the sound of tires on gravel reached his ears.
A fleet of sleek, black SUVs rounded the bend, the Starlight Pack's emblem, a silver starburst, glinting on the doors. Simon's heart hammered against his ribs. The scent hit him first. It wasn't the cloying perfume of the girls who chased him; it was pure, ethereal, and intoxicating.
Sandalwood and moon-lilies.
The cars came to a halt. The lead driver opened the rear door, and Alpha David stepped out. He was a man of quiet power, followed by the elegant Luna Roseline. They exchanged formal nods with Michael and Stella, but Simon didn't see them. He didn't see the Beta, Mark, or his mate, Angela.
His world had narrowed to a single point: the back seat of the second SUV.
The door opened. A slender leg, draped in a soft white fabric, stepped out. Then, Evelyn Starlight emerged.
Time didn't just slow down; it shattered.
She was exactly as he had seen her in his dreams, yet the reality was a thousand times more vivid. Her hair was a cascading waterfall of spun silver that seemed to catch and hold the light. Her skin was the color of fresh cream, but it was her eyes—wide, sparkling violet—that stopped Simon's breath.
BOOM.
The "Mate Fever" didn't just break; it exploded. The turquoise in Simon's eyes vanished, replaced by a swirling, molten gold that made the air around him ripple with heat. A faint, metallic shimmer raced across his skin, a sign of his Dragon blood reacting to its missing half.
Evelyn froze. Her violet eyes locked onto his, and she gasped, her hand flying to her chest. The invisible silver thread between them snapped taut, pulling them together with a force that made the ground beneath Simon's boots feel like it was vibrating.
'Ours,' his wolf roared. 'THE STAR IS OURS!'
Simon didn't wait for his father to speak. He didn't wait for David to introduce his daughter. He stepped forward, his movements fluid and predatory, closing the distance between them in three long strides.
The Starlight warriors tensed, their hands moving toward their sidearms, but David held up a hand, his eyes wide as he watched the Moonlight heir.
Simon stopped inches from Evelyn. He was nearly a foot taller than her, his shadow completely enveloping her petite frame. The scent of her was so overwhelming he felt intoxicated. He could hear her heart racing, thump-thump, thump-thump, matching the rhythm of his own.
"Evelyn," he whispered. The name felt like a prayer on his tongue.
Evelyn looked up at him, her lips parting in a small 'O' of wonder. She reached out, her fingers trembling, and touched the fabric of his shirt. "Simon?"
The moment her skin brushed against him, a golden arc of electricity, the "Bond Spark", snapped between them. Simon let out a choked, guttural sound, his hand reaching out to cup her face. His skin was burning hot; hers was as cool as a winter stream.
*'Hello, Simon,'* a soft, musical voice echoed directly into his mind.
The Soul-Link had slammed open. The loneliness that had plagued him for years vanished in a heartbeat, replaced by a flood of silver light and the presence of another soul.
Simon leaned down, his forehead resting against hers. He didn't care that their parents were watching. He didn't care about the border treaties or the pack politics.
"I've been looking for you my whole life," Simon growled, his voice vibrating through her chest.
"I know," Evelyn whispered back, her eyes fluttering shut as she leaned into his warmth. "I felt you in the stars."
Behind them, Stella wiped a tear from her eye, leaning into Michael's side. "I told you, Michael. A ton of bricks. He didn't even make it to the formal greeting."
Michael chuckled, though his eyes were fixed on the golden glow radiating from his son. "He's a Moonlight man, Stella. We don't do anything halfway."
The summit hadn't even started, but the borders of the two packs had already dissolved. The Tribrid Alpha had found his first Queen, and the fever that had nearly consumed him was finally, beautifully, at peace.