The wind carried laughter from the gardens. I could hear the voices of my stepsister, Mayla, and her mate, Garin. They were chasing each other like children, even though they were already mated for a year. And they now live a block next to our father's house.
I smiled a little but it didn't reach my heart. Their happiness only made the hollow feeling in my chest worse.
The house behind me was full—full of voices, footsteps, stories. Full of family. Yet I had never felt so alone.
"Luciana!" my father's deep voice echoed from down the hall. "Come join us for dinner!"
I didn't move right away. I stayed at the window a moment longer, watching the sky darken. Another day had passed. Another day I hadn't found my fated mate. Another day stuck here, feeling like I didn't belong.
"Luciana!" Father called again, sharper this time.
I sighed and pushed away from the window. "Coming," I said, though my voice was soft and probably lost in the thick walls of the old pack house.
When I reached the dining hall, the long wooden table was crowded. Pack members filled the chairs, and laughter bounced from wall to wall. I slid into my usual spot at the end of the table, hoping no one would notice me.
Of course, that was too much to hope for.
"There she is!" Mayla called, waving her hand dramatically like she hadn't seen me in years instead of hours.
I smiled weakly. "Hi, Mayla."
Garin leaned across the table. "We were just talking about the next pack gathering. Alpha Rydan's pack is coming. Lots of unmated wolves there, Luciana," he said with a wink.
The whole table chuckled. My cheeks burned. I stared down at my empty plate.
Father cleared his throat. "It's a good chance, Luciana," he said, his voice heavy with meaning. "You're past the right age. It's time."
I nodded because it was easier than arguing. I had heard it all before. I knew I was late. I knew I should have found my mate by now. Mayla had been mated at exactly 20—the age a female wolf is expected to be mated to her destined alpha. I was already twenty one.
I picked at my food when it came. Roast lamb, potatoes, fresh bread—everything smelled delicious. I barely tasted it.
Across the table, Adah—my father's mate—watched me with narrowed eyes. She never said much to me, but I could always feel her judging. I wasn't sure if she disliked me because I reminded Father of Aira, my real mother, or if she just thought I was a failure.
Maybe both.
"So, Luciana," Mayla said brightly, sipping from her glass. "Any plans tomorrow?"
I shook my head. "Just helping in the library."
She grinned. "Maybe you'll meet a bookworm mate."
The table laughed again. I forced a smile, but my stomach twisted. I didn't want a random mate. I didn't want to force something that wasn't right.
I wanted... I wasn't even sure anymore.
After dinner, I slipped away before anyone could pull me into another awkward conversation. I climbed the narrow stairs to the third floor, to my room at the very end of the hall. It used to be a storage room. Father had cleared it out when I got older, but it still smelled faintly of old wood and dust.
I liked it. It was the one place that felt like mine.
I sat on the bed and pulled my knees to my chest. The quiet buzz of the pack house faded away behind the thick door.
I thought about the others. Mayla, with her golden hair and loud laugh. She had found her mate so easily. One look at Garin and she had known. It was supposed to be like that for me, too. Instant. Clear.
But every Alpha Father had brought to meet me left me feeling nothing. Empty.
Was something wrong with me?
I rubbed my chest where the hollow ache lived. No matter how many times I told myself to be patient, it never really helped. The loneliness didn't care about patience.
There was a soft knock at the door. I wiped my face quickly, even though I wasn't crying.
"Come in," I said.
Father opened the door. His hair was graying at the temples now, but he still had the broad shoulders and sharp eyes of the Alpha he once was.
He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. "You're troubled."
I shrugged. "I'm fine."
"You're not." He crossed the room and sat beside me on the bed. "You think you are the only one struggling. But I know more than you realize."
I looked at him. "Do you?" I said, the words slipping out before I could stop them.
He sighed. "Maybe not. But I know the weight you carry."
We sat in silence for a moment.
"You will find him," Father said finally. "You must."
"Why must I?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "What if I never feel it? What if I'm broken?"
"You're not broken," he said, and there was real force in his words. "You are... special. It's just taking time. The right mate is out there."
"Maybe he got tired of waiting," I muttered.
Father chuckled softly. "If he is truly your fated mate, he will never tire."
I wanted to believe him. But the ache in my chest said otherwise.
"You should rest," he said, standing. "Big gathering tomorrow. New Alphas coming. Opportunities."
I nodded, though the idea filled me with dread.
A house too full... yet I was emptier than ever.
I closed my eyes, trying to chase sleep. But deep inside, I felt it—the same feeling I always did.
I'm just afraid of getting mated or getting involved with an alpha yet. I felt something was missing. Something important.
Something more than a mate.