Chapter 2
TWO
CADE
The stone corridors of the Ice Moon royal castle stretched endlessly before Cade as the twin suns began their descent outside the towering windows.
Each step he took echoed with the weight of decisions he wasn’t ready to make, responsibilities he’d never wanted, and a future bearing down on him like an avalanche.
I’m thirty years old and I’m already feeling ancient.
His broad shoulders carried the tension of sleepless nights spent watching his father’s strength ebb away.
King Drake had always been a mountain of a man—unshakeable and eternal.
Now he resembled a shadow of his former self, the rare virus eating away at him with ruthless efficiency.
The healers spoke in whispers about months, maybe weeks until his father would meet his untimely demise.
How the hell am I supposed to fill those boots?
The thought of Zarik’s ice-blue eyes flashed through his mind, predatory and calculating.
That bastard had been circling like a vulture ever since the news of the High Sovereign’s illness spread through the packs in the Ice Mountains territory.
The Shadow Moon king saw opportunity where Cade saw only loss, and the knowledge that Zarik would challenge his claim to High Sovereign made Cade’s jaw clench.
Twenty more years. That’s all I wanted. Twenty more years to travel Nova Aurora, to be just... me.
But the ancient wolf shifter laws were immutable.
No unmated wolf could claim the High Sovereign position without facing a leadership duel.
And Zarik in single combat? The Shadow Moon king was a vicious fighter who’d killed his own father to claim his throne.
Cade was good—damn good—but Zarik fought without honor and without restraint.
Which brings me right back to the mate problem.
His boots carried him past the great hall where portraits of previous Ice Moon kings gazed down with stern approval. Each one had found their mate and had ruled with the strength that came from a balanced partnership. Each one had made it look effortless.
Cade’s wolf stirred restlessly beneath his skin, frustrated by the endless pacing, the circular thoughts, and the weight of duty crushing down on what should have been prime exploring years.
The beast wanted action, wanted to run through the crystalline snow under Nova Aurora’s twin moons, and wanted to live.
Instead, they were trapped in political machinations and death watches.
The communicator at his wrist buzzed with an incoming transmission, the familiar Earth frequency making him pause mid-stride. Only one person contacted him from that particular planet.
“Gerri?” He activated the display, and the matchmaker’s face materialized, her white bob perfectly styled despite being an entire galaxy away.
“Cade, darling!” Her voice carried that peculiar mix of maternal warmth and barely contained excitement that always made him wary. “I have the most wonderful news!”
Here we go. His sister Lyra had insisted he contact the Paranormal Dating Agency weeks ago, when the council first started pressuring him about the mate requirement.
At the time, it had seemed like a reasonable solution to an impossible problem.
Now, faced with Gerri’s glowing enthusiasm, he felt like a man standing on the edge of a cliff.
“You found someone.” It wasn’t a question. Gerri’s success rate was legendary, her instincts supposedly supernatural. Which didn’t make this any less terrifying.
“Oh, honey, I didn’t just find someone. I found her.” Gerri’s eyes flashed that distinctive gold that meant she was particularly pleased with herself. “Her name is Mila Eldridge, and she’s absolutely perfect for you.”
Electricity shot through Cade’s chest at the name. Mila. His wolf perked up with sudden, inexplicable interest, as if hearing a howl from across vast distances.
“Tell me about her.” The words came out rougher than intended, his primal instincts responding to something he couldn’t quite identify rationally yet.
“She’s a human senior paralegal with a brilliant mind and handles pressure like she was born for it.
” Gerri’s grin could have powered half of Nova Aurora.
“She organized a charity event for me in less than a week that should’ve taken months to coordinate.
And Cade—she has this inner strength, this resilience that’s absolutely rare. ”
His heart hammered against his ribs for reasons that made no logical sense. A human. The rational part of his mind immediately cataloged the problems. His world would terrify her, pack politics could destroy her, and the physical demands of being mated to an Ice Moon wolf might break her.
But his wolf was practically vibrating with anticipation, recognition sparking through every nerve.
“A human though, Gerri.” He forced his voice to remain steady and controlled. “Can she survive my world? The council politics, the dangers—“
“Oh, you sweet, worried Alpha.” Gerri’s laugh was bright and teasing. “This woman has been surviving just fine for thirty-two years, thank you very much. She’s been managing an entire law firm for the past eight years while being completely undervalued and overlooked. Sound familiar?”
The barb hit home. Cade had spent years feeling invisible in his father’s shadow, capable but unrecognized, strong but constrained by expectations.
“She’s extraordinary, Cade. The kind of extraordinary that changes kingdoms.” Gerri’s tone grew serious. “Your wolf knows. I can see it in your face even through this transmission.”
Damn her supernatural intuition. His beast was practically clawing at his control, demanding they go to Earth immediately, and demanding they claim this mysterious human who’d somehow captured their attention without ever meeting them.
“When can I meet her?” The question escaped before he could stop it, his alpha need overriding careful planning.
“That’s my boy.” Gerri’s smile turned predatory. “Pack a bag, handsome. You’re going to Earth tonight.”
“I should bring Lyra.” The diplomatic part of his brain finally engaged. “A human might be more comfortable with a female wolf shifter present.”
“Smart thinking. Though honestly, if Mila is half as resilient as I think she is, she’ll handle you just fine on her own.”
We’ll see about that.
“Gerri.” His voice dropped to the tone that made his pack warriors snap to attention. “If this doesn’t work—“
“It will work.” Her certainty was absolute and unshakeable. “Trust me, Prince. Fate doesn’t make mistakes.”
The transmission ended, leaving Cade staring at empty air while his wolf howled with anticipation inside him. Mila Eldridge. The name rolled through his mind like a promise, like destiny calling from across the stars.
Well, shit. This is happening fast.
The familiar weight of duty pressed against Cade’s shoulders again as he strode through the castle corridors with newfound urgency toward Lyra’s chambers. The conversation with Gerri replayed in his mind, each word sparking electricity through his veins.
Mila.
His wolf prowled restlessly under his skin, anticipating something momentous.
He didn’t bother knocking on Lyra’s door—royal siblings had long since abandoned such formalities. The heavy wooden barrier swung open to reveal his sister lounging on her bed, still wearing her training clothes from the afternoon’s sparring session.
“We’re leaving for Earth. Now.” The words tumbled out before he could temper them with explanation.
Lyra’s emerald eyes snapped to his face, her book forgotten as it slipped from her fingers. “Earth? Tonight?” She sat up straighter, reading the tension radiating from his frame. “Gerri found her, didn’t she?”
Damn her sisterly intuition. “Pack light. We leave in twenty minutes.”
A grin split across Lyra’s face, bright and wicked. “About time! I was beginning to think you’d end up mated to paperwork.” She bounded off the bed with characteristic enthusiasm. “What’s she like? Human, I’m guessing, since we’re going to Earth?”
“Her name is Mila. She’s...” Cade paused, searching for words that wouldn’t reveal how thoroughly unsettled he felt. “She’s a paralegal. Intelligent. Capable.”
“And you’re vibrating with nervous energy.” Lyra’s laugh was pure delight. “Oh, this is rich. The unflappable Crown Prince is rattled by a woman he’s never met.”
Heat climbed his neck. “I’m not rattled.”
“You’re practically bouncing on your heels, brother.” She grabbed her travel pack from the wardrobe. “Twenty minutes, you said? This should be entertaining.”
Cade escaped before she could dissect his behavior further, his long strides carrying him to his private chambers.
The familiar space felt foreign now, charged with anticipation that made his skin itch.
He yanked his travel bag from the closet and began throwing essentials inside—shirts, slacks, and a formal suit jacket in case they needed to blend into human society.
What the hell am I doing? His hands moved without conscious thought, muscle memory taking over while his mind spun. I don’t know if she’ll even like me, let alone consider—
His wolf snarled at the doubt, insisting with primal certainty that she was theirs. The fated connection Gerri described felt real despite being impossible, a pull across galaxies that defied logic.
The bag sealed with a decisive zip. Seven minutes. Fastest I’ve ever packed in my life.
Lyra waited by the castle’s side entrance, her own pack slung casually over one shoulder. Her knowing smirk made his jaw clench.
“Ready to meet your destiny, big brother?”
“I’m ready to entertain diplomatic relations,” he corrected stiffly.
“Right. And I’m just along to admire Earth’s architecture.” She fell into step beside him as they headed toward the royal garage. “You know, I’ve never seen you this wound up. Not even before the council meetings with Zarik.”
The mention of his rival’s name sent cold purpose through Cade’s veins. “This is different.”
“Because everything changes now.” Lyra’s voice gentled with understanding.
Everything’s already changed. The thought should have irritated him. Instead, it felt like waking up after years of sleepwalking.
They climbed into his sleek transport vehicle, the engine purring to life with quiet efficiency. The wormhole station lay twenty minutes outside the castle grounds, hidden among crystalline peaks that caught Nova Aurora’s twin moons like jewels.
As familiar landscape flashed past the windows, Cade’s mind raced ahead to tomorrow’s meeting with Mila.
How does one approach a human woman who had no idea wolf shifters existed until now? How does he balance the magnetic pull of recognition with the need for caution?
“You’re overthinking this,” Lyra observed, watching his white-knuckled grip on the steering controls.
“I’m strategizing.”
“You’re panicking.” Her tone was maddeningly cheerful. “What’s the worst that could happen? She says no after meeting you?”
The words hit like physical jabs. His wolf recoiled at the possibility, but his human mind cataloged all the ways this could go wrong.
She could be uninterested. She could reject everything about my world. She could—
“She won’t say no.” The certainty in his voice surprised them both.
“There’s the alpha confidence I know and love.” Lyra grinned. “Though you might want to dial it back a notch when you meet her. Humans aren’t used to our intensity.”
Intensity. That was one way to describe the fire burning through his veins and the constant hum of anticipation that made sitting still torture.
The wormhole station materialized ahead—a sleek building that looked deceptively simple from the outside. Inside, advanced technology hummed with energy, maintaining the delicate balance required for interplanetary travel.
The attendant recognized them immediately, bowing respectfully. “Your Highness. Princess Lyra. The Earth portal is prepared.”
Cade’s pulse hammered as they approached the control station. The small metal egg floated serenely above its pedestal, waiting for destination coordinates.
“Salem power plant,” he murmured to the device.
Blue light erupted from the egg’s surface, expanding into a perfect circle that revealed glimpses of another world—darker sky, different air, the scent of a planet he’d only visited twice before.
“After you, Your Nervousness,” Lyra teased.
Cade stepped through the portal, energy crackling around him like lightning. The sensation lasted only seconds, but his world tilted on its axis the moment his boots touched Earth’s concrete floor.
She’s here. The knowledge slammed into him with the force of a tidal wave. His wolf lifted its head, nostrils flaring as it caught traces of something ethereal—lavender and rain and something uniquely hers that made every nerve ending come alive.
“Holy hell,” he breathed.
Lyra emerged beside him, her own senses clearly picking up the shift in his energy. “That strong already? And she’s not even in the same building?”
What’s going to happen when I see her face to face?
“We need a hotel.” His voice came out rough. “Somewhere discreet. Near her law firm.”
They emerged from the power plant into Salem’s late evening bustle.
The city pressed around them—smaller buildings than Nova Aurora’s crystal spires, different rhythms, and air thick with unfamiliar scents that made his wolf even more restless.
Everything felt muted and contained, like a world built for smaller dreams.
The hotel Lyra found was modest but clean, tucked between office buildings in the financial district. Cade barely registered checking in, his attention fractured between maintaining human politeness and the magnetic pull drawing him northeast.
Dinner in the hotel’s quiet restaurant passed in a blur of strategy and barely contained energy. Lyra chattered about cultural differences—the food, the architecture, and the way humans moved through their world with such careful boundaries—but Cade’s mind was already thinking ahead to tomorrow.
“How do I approach her without scaring her?” The question escaped before he could stop it.
“Carefully,” Lyra said simply. “This is going to change everything for her too.”
Lyra’s words echoed through him as they said goodnight and retreated to their adjoining rooms. His space felt too small and too quiet, charged with anticipation that made sleep impossible.
He paced the narrow confines, his wolf pressing against his control like a caged beast. Somewhere in this city, Mila Eldridge was living her ordinary human life, unaware that a wolf prince was losing his mind over her existence.
Tomorrow, he promised his restless beast. Tomorrow we will meet her.
But first, he had to survive the night.