"Lee, honey, eat something—"

"Mom, I'm not hungry."

His mother sighed, straightened, and returned to her seat. Lee's posture was rigid as he stared out over the sea of people. A hundred and twenty young women from all over Hecate City had responded to the invitations: thirty-two betas, forty-one gammas, and forty-seven omegas.

A hundred and twenty women to talk to before the night was over.

One woman to pick as his luna.

Lee's fingers twitched and he reached for the glass of water at hand, taking a huge gulp. No alcohol tonight, he promised. Not for a long time. But damn, he needed a drink to take the edge off.

A black-clad arm with a white cuff reached over his shoulder and a waiter refilled his glass. "Thanks," Lee muttered, eyes fixed on the women below. A sigh of bitterness left his lips as he shifted his posture.

Time was running out. He could feel the tension in his muscles grow the longer he remained in Uncle Ryan's territory. Each night he chased sleep, catching a few hours of relief before waking up to the constant call in his bones to fight.

He had to concede that he would never find his mate now. He had to concern himself with finding a smart wife, a strong and capable luna who would help him build a pack from the ground up. Someone willing to give up her life in Hecate City and forge a new path in the desert.

A woman who understood that he may never truly love her. Theirs would be a marriage of convenience, like alliances of old. But whoever she was, he had to remind himself to be kind.

They were both making sacrifices.

The plan after dinner was to go from table to table and spend a few minutes with each eligible lady. Nothing like speed-dating a hundred and twenty women in four hours to set the course for the rest of your life.

Lee sighed again and rubbed the back of his head as the tension in his shoulders crept up his neck and spread along the base of his skull.

Movement at the back of the room caught his attention and he spotted the wait staff clearing the trays and setting out desserts. Time's up, he thought miserably.

Lee curled his fingers, joints popping, and took a massive gulp of water. When he stood up, dozens of eyes fixed on him like laser-guided missiles. Cringing inwardly, Lee took a small step back and cast a pleading look toward his parents. His father shrugged helplessly while his mother offered a sympathetic smile. He was an alpha now; they could do no more for him.

"You've got this, man," Caleb said, gripping his forearm. Sawyer leaned around Caleb and gave her brother a thumb's up.

Lee flashed them a pained smile and descended the dais. He picked one of the tables closest to the front and stood there awkwardly until a member of the casino's staff brought him a chair.

"Good evening, ladies," he told the beta girls and their mothers/aunts/sisters/whatever.

The responding nervous giggles set his teeth on edge, exacerbating his neck and shoulder tension.

Lee sat there stiffly as the girls introduced themselves, desperate not to allow his irritation to show. He spent most of the previous night compiling a list of questions to ask and running them by his parents and sister. Mom advised against being too harsh, while Sawyer counseled him on finding someone who at least shared similar interests.

So, on the advice of the two most important women in his life, Lee's opening line was, "What are your hobbies?"

Two of the betas were brunettes, the other was bleach-blonde with brown eyebrows. One of the brunettes opened her mouth, but the blonde reached over and placed a hand on his thigh, dangerously close to his groin. Lee's eyes widened and he yanked his leg away. He was no stranger to women putting their hands there, but it had been in a consensual, romantic moment.

The blonde recovered and put her hand over her mouth, giggling. "Your luna wouldn't have time for hobbies, Alpha. She would be at your side, working to build the pack."

Lee looked at her askance.

"That's right, Alpha," an older woman who he assumed to be the blonde's mother said. "Olivia is a very loyal and dedicated young woman."

"Dedicated to Instagram," one of the brunettes muttered, shooting a glance at the other brown-haired girl.

"I'm an influencer," Olivia retorted. She turned back to Lee, flipping a lock of hair over her shoulder. "We could work with my sponsors to help fund the pack."

While having connections was helpful, Olivia's attitude and blatant disregard for personal space already crossed her off Lee's list of candidates.

"All two of your sponsors," the first brunette corrected.

She really should have stopped with the Instagram jab, Lee thought wearily as Olivia's eyes began to glow orange. Within a matter of seconds, whole situation quickly devolved into a heated argument over taking turns, class, and respect.

Ugh. He still had four hours to go.

"Excuse me," he said, standing up.

All six women immediately stopped talking. "But, Alpha," one of the brunette's mother protested, "you haven't talked to my daughter yet."

"Maybe later," he said, already moving to the next table, dragging the chair with him.

Sadly, that table proved no better than the first one. How in the world could there be so many "influencers" in one room?

After two hours and his patience wearing thin, Lee excused himself and practically ran for the balcony. The bartender's eyes widened as the alpha darted past him and ducked into a corner away from prying eyes.

"Oh!"

Lee froze, one hand on the back of a wicker chair. A young woman with thick, curly blonde hair sat in the corner, bookended by two massive potted plants, their huge leaves hanging over her head. She was on the pretty side of plain and wore a simple dress with pink printed flowers all over it. A large green quilted bag sat at her feet and a pair of heels rested atop a small table next to a half-finished drink.

And she was knitting.

Something blue and round was taking shape between her hands, the end of the yarn disappearing into the depths of her bag.

"I'm sorry, Alpha," the woman said, gathering up her things. "I'll leave you alone."

Now he felt like an ass making her move. "No, you don't have to go," he told her. "I won't be here too long."

She tilted her head slightly as if gauging the sincerity of his words. The movement of her hair brought her scent his way. Omega. No wonder she was nervous.

Lee gestured for her to sit. Slowly, she took whatever she was knitting out of the bag, sat back down, and picked up a strange purple hook. Her green eyes shifted back and forth between his face and her project.

"Can I get you anything, Alpha?" the bartender asked as Lee sat down with a groan. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as fingers pulled back the curtains on the other side of the balcony windows. Noses soon followed.

I'd like you to shoot vodka straight into my veins, Lee grumbled. Instead, he requested a ginger ale.

"That's so weird," the woman ventured, nodding at the girls pressing against the windows.

"No shit," Lee replied, accepting the tall glass of ginger ale from the bartender.

She grunted softly and returned to her work. Lee watched, fascinated, as she skillfully slipped the hook in and out without looking directly at her project.

"What're you making?"

Her head lifted, but instead of answering him directly, she plunged a hand into the bag and produced a small green dragon.

"You made this?" Lee asked. Duh, he thought as her eyebrows lifted curiously. Of course she did.

The blonde's lips twitched in amusement. "Yup." She put it on the table between them. Lee reached down and picked it up, marveling at its squishy little body and details, such as two tiny knitted fangs.

"Have you been here making these the whole time?" He wiggled one of the wings.

"Pretty much."

"Alpha Lee!" a girl called out.

Lee looked over his shoulder to see a dark-haired girl being guided back into the ballroom by Marcus, one of the casino's security. A job he had held until just recently. He turned his attention back to the dragon. This kind of stuff was right up his sister Sawyer's alley.

"Do you have any different colors?"

The blonde's face shifted into surprise. "Not on me, but I've got these and more to choose from on my Etsy store." She reached into the bag again and brought out a small business card.

As Lee took it, their fingertips brushed. An electric current leaped between their hands and his eyes widened. In a heartbeat, the world exploded into a kaleidoscope of color and his blood sang as his soul reached out and made contact with its mate. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a wolf howled: joyful, energetic, protective.

Another heartbeat and it was over. Reality crashed down around his ears and Lee took a deep breath as all the bright colors winked out of existence.

"That was some static shock," the woman muttered, shaking her head in bewilderment. She lifted her hand and studied her fingertips.

Lee stared at her.

"There you are."

Twisting in his chair, Lee looked over his shoulder to see Sawyer walking toward him. "Hi," his faerie sister greeted, giving the woman a little wave. "Hey, I'm sorry," she said, leaning down to whisper in his ear, "but Mom said you should probably come back inside now. It's getting late and you haven't gotten to half the room yet."

Lee blinked. "I, uh, yeah ..."

Sawyer took a step back as he got up. "Oh! That's so cute!" she exclaimed, picking up the green dragon. "Do you make these?"

The woman looked up at Sawyer, her green-eyed gaze slightly unfocused. She blinked before answering. "Yes."

Distantly, Lee remembered the business card. He found it on the tiled floor, near one of the table legs. "Here's her card."

"Cool!" Sawyer took the card and put down the dragon. "I'll have to take a look when we get home."

The woman nodded absently and picked up her hook as if nothing had happened.

It had happened, right? That had not been a simple shock. There was a current flowing between them, almost palpable in its strength. He could feel something—confusion, surprise? Whatever it was, those weren't his emotions. They were too ... feminine. How he knew that was beyond his understanding, but it was with a certainty he'd never felt before. Lee glanced back at the woman, then grabbed his sister by the upper arm. If it was what he thought ...

Sawyer looked at him, surprised. "What—?"

"Come with me," Lee said, practically dragging his sister across the balcony and back into the ballroom.

"Whoa! Slow down, Lee!" she hissed.

With her wings fluttering behind her like twin banners, Lee pulled Sawyer into the kitchen. The staff there stared at the alpha and his sister before giving them space. Lee guided Sawyer next to some boxes and quickly checked to see if anyone was listening.

"Goddess," Sawyer snapped, annoyed. "What the hell was that for?"

Lee released her arm. "I need to know what you felt."

Sawyer's head tilted. "Felt? Felt what? Are you drinking again? Lee, I swear ..."

Lee shook his head. "I'm not drunk, Sav. I need to know how you and Caleb knew you were mates. What did you feel?" He was desperate for confirmation.

His sister's eyebrows lifted. "Lee, I was four! I can't remember. I told you this years ago."

He groaned in frustration. That wasn't helping.

"Lee!"

Lee looked over at Sawyer.

"Why are you asking me this again?"

He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I—I think I found her, Sav."

"Found who?"

"My—mate." The word left his lips and an answering flutter sang in his heart. This had to be it! Goddess, after all this time, had he finally found her? All he needed was Sawyer's corroboration.

Sawyer stared at him, her face scrunched up. "Your—mate?" She blinked, understanding dawning in her blue eyes. "You mean that girl on the balcony? Her?"

Lee nodded, nearly giddy with excitement now. Sawyer's mouth dropped open and she did a little turn in the kitchen, her wings lifting then folding back into their resting position. "What happened?"

He quickly recapped the events. "It's hard to explain," she told him slowly. "Like I told you before, Caleb and I have always known we were mates. We're generally aware of where each other is, but we're not in each other's heads, reading each other's thoughts if you catch my drift." She took a deep breath and glanced up at the ceiling. "It's a feeling, a rightness, you know? A sense of compatibility on a level you've never known before."

He knew. Or he was beginning to. "Yes."

Sawyer's expression sobered. "What?" Lee demanded. "What is it?" He thought that his sister, of all people, would be happy for him. She'd chided him often enough about his lack of commitment.

She reached out and grabbed his hands between her two small ones. "It sounds like it," she admitted, drawing the sentence out. "But soulmates are so rare, Lee. Are you sure?"

"It's all I've ever wanted," he told her, squeezing her hands.

"Lee ..."

"I feel it in my soul, Sav. It's her."

"Does it feel right?"

He didn't even need time to think. "Yes."

Sawyer's eyes softened and she reached out to hug him. "If you believe it, I believe you." As they pulled apart, his sister began to chuckle.

"What?"

"If she's your mate, shouldn't you know her name, first?" She held out the business card.

Lee took it and turned it over: Kelsi Kohl. There in bold black type was his mate's name. "Kelsi." He tasted it on his tongue and it ... just felt right.

"C'mon," he said, grabbing Sawyer's hand. "Let's get this fucked up party over with."

The siblings exited the kitchen and Lee made for the dais. Without looking, he could sense Kelsi's return to the ballroom. A glance only confirmed what his soul already knew. There she was, walking along the edge of the room to a table in the back.

"Is everything okay?" Mom asked as he ascended the dais.

Lee grinned. "You'll see."

Mom shot Sawyer a look, but she shrugged and took her seat next to Caleb.

The room, once filled with chatter, dulled to silence as he held up a hand. "I'd like to thank you all for coming tonight, but I have an announcement to make."

A collective gasp rose, followed by the sibilant hiss of whispers. "But what about me?" he heard echoed across the room.

Grinning like a fool, Lee sought Kelsi out in the back. Their eyes connected and sensed her confusion through the bond. "I've come to a decision. My future wife and luna of Silver Rush will be ... Ms Kelsi Kohl!"

A heartbeat of silence, then shouts and exclamations of protest filled the air.

And Lee's future wife—his soulmate—stood up, her face white as a sheet—and ran out of the ballroom.