Chapter 34 Her Touch.
Jeremy's POV
I hadn't seen Lady Margaret since that night.
Three days had passed.
Three long days of thinking about her. About that touch. About the impossible feeling.
I'd gone back to the inn twice. But I couldn't bring myself to enter.
I have questions. And I'm not even sure she has answer to them. I thought only Zoe could make me feel like that but now I don't know if what happened with Margaret is coincidental.
But I had the gut this morning to go in
"The lady hasn't come out today, Alpha." Thomas had told me. " Should I call her room line?"
Yes please! I wanted to answer. But I didn't.
No! I said
Because it shouldn't matter.
She was just a traveler. A stranger.
Not my mate. Not my cure.
But my wolf didn't believe that. Kept howling. Kept searching.
FIND HER. FIND MATE.
"She's not our mate." I said out loud. Alone in my office. "Our mate is dead."
The wolf went silent. Sad.
I rubbed my face. Tired. So tired.
Tonight was the ball. The annual masquerade.
I didn't want to go. Hadn't wanted to go for the past three years cause it's always routine dance, talk dance and dance.
But as Alpha, I had to. Had to show my face. Had to lead.
Maybe it would distract me. Help me forget.
Forget those green eyes. That touch. That feeling.
A knock on my door.
"Come in."
Mia walked in. And I froze.
She looked... stunning.
A red dress. Tight. Elegant. Flowing down to the floor.
Her dark hair up. Showing her neck. Her shoulders.
A silver mask in her hand. Delicate. Beautiful.
"What do you think?" She spun around slowly. Showing off.
"You look beautiful, Mia." I said honestly.
"Really?" She smiled. Bright. Happy. "I wanted to look perfect for tonight. For you."
"You do. You look perfect."
She walked closer. Slow. Confident.
"We're going to have a wonderful time tonight." She reached up. Touched my face. "Just you and me."
Then she kissed me.
Soft at first. Then deeper.
Her lips pressed against mine. Her body against me.
I kissed her back. Tried to feel something. Anything.
But there was nothing.
Just... emptiness.
And worse... all I could think about was Lady Margaret.
Her touch. Her voice. The way she made me feel.
Like Zoe always did.
But now with Mia... nothing was happening. Just like before.
My body was dead again. Cold. Unresponsive.
I pulled back gently.
"We should go." I said. My voice flat. "You don't want us to be late. You're the queen of the event tonight."
Her face lit up. She blushed.
"Queen of the event. I like the sound of that."
She took my arm. Smiled up at me.
And I felt... guilty.
Because she deserved better than this.
Better than a mate who couldn't love her. Couldn't want her.
Couldn't feel anything for her.
...
The ballroom was magnificent.
Lights everywhere. Golden. Shimmering.
Music playing. Soft. Elegant.
People dancing. Laughing. Talking.
All wearing masks. Hiding their faces.
It was beautiful. Magical even.
But I felt nothing.
Just... numb.
Mia held my arm tight. Introduced me to people. Smiled. Laughed.
Playing the perfect partner.
I smiled back. Said the right things. Played my part.
But inside... I was somewhere else.
"Alpha, would you like to dance?" Mia asked.
"Maybe later. I need some air first."
"Oh. Okay." She looked disappointed. "I'll wait for you."
I walked through the crowd. Nodding at pack members. Acknowledging guests.
The music swelled. Bodies moved around me.
And then...
Someone brushed my hand.
Just a light touch. Fingers grazing mine as they passed.
And everything exploded.
Heat. Fire. Electricity.
Shot through my arm. Through my chest. Through my entire body.
My wolf roared to life. Louder than ever.
MATE! MATE! MATE!
My body came alive. Every nerve. Every cell. Every part of me.
Responding. Burning. Alive.
It was like being shocked back to life after drowning.
Like breathing after suffocating.
Like light after endless darkness.
My eyes snapped open wide. My heart pounded.
I spun around. Fast. Desperate.
Looking for whoever touched me.
And I saw her.
A small frame. Moving away through the crowd.
Heading toward the entrance.
A woman in a gold dress. Long dark hair. A white mask covering her face.
But that frame. That walk. That presence.
I knew it. Recognized it.
Even from behind. Even in the crowd.
It was her.
Lady Margaret.
Or...
My wolf screamed.
MATE! MATE! MATE!
"No." I whispered. "It can't be."
But my body didn't care about logic. About impossibility.
My body knew.
My wolf knew.
Without thinking, I started moving.
Following her.
Through the crowd. Past the dancers. Toward the entrance.
She was fast. Moving with purpose.
Already outside. Already walking away.
I pushed through the doors. Into the cool night air.
Saw her ahead. Walking down the path.
Toward the town. Toward the inn.
"Wait!" I called out.
But she didn't stop. Didn't turn.
Kept walking. Faster now.
I ran. Closed the distance.
My heart pounding. My wolf howling.
She was almost to the inn when I caught up.
Reached out. Grabbed her arm gently.
"Stop."