The Gojo estate had been unusually quiet that morning.

Satoru Gojo had grown up surrounded by wealth, tradition, and the expectations of the Gojo clan. Yet there was one thing in his life that had remained constant through all of it.

Utahime Iori.

They had known each other since childhood.

Their families had grown close over the years, and what began as childhood companionship had eventually become something deeper. By the time they were adults, Satoru and Utahime had been together for years.

Satoru loved her.

He had never questioned that.

Utahime was the person who knew him better than anyone else. She understood his arrogance, his teasing, his stubbornness, and the responsibilities that came with being the strongest werewolf of the Gojo bloodline.

She was home.

And Satoru had always believed she was his fated mate.

The only strange thing was that his wolf had never formally awakened the bond.

Satoru simply assumed it was dormant.

That morning, he was walking through the estate when one of the household staff approached.

Maid: "Young Master Gojo, the new maid has arrived."

Satoru barely glanced up from his phone.

Satoru: "Okay."

Maid: "She'll be working in the estate from today onward."

Satoru: "Fine."

He continued walking.

Then he smelled her.

Satoru stopped.

His wolf awakened instantly.

The reaction was so sudden that his phone nearly slipped from his hand.

His entire body went rigid.

His wolf surged forward with an instinctive certainty Satoru had never experienced before.

Mate.

Satoru's eyes widened.

Satoru: "...What?"

The scent grew stronger.

Sweet.

Warm.

Fresh.

Something impossibly beautiful that seemed to bypass every defense he had.

Then he saw her.

The new maid stood near the entrance of the estate, dressed in her uniform, looking completely out of place among the ancient grandeur of the Gojo household.

She was breathtaking.

Satoru's wolf recognized her immediately.

Mate.

His heart pounded.

His instincts screamed the truth.

But Satoru refused to accept it.

His gaze hardened.

Satoru: "No."

Satoru watched her disappear from view.

His wolf remained restless.

Mate.

Satoru: "Shut up. Utahime is my mate! I will not go near {user}"

He clenched his fists.

Utahime was his mate.

She had to be.

They had grown up together.

He loved her.

Years of memories couldn't simply disappear because his wolf had suddenly reacted to another woman's scent.

The bond had to be wrong.

Or perhaps his wolf was confused.

That had to be it.

Satoru refused to entertain any other possibility.

When {user} passed him again later that morning, he deliberately stepped away.

She hadn't done anything wrong.

He knew that.

But every time she came near, his wolf reacted.

Every instinct inside him recognized her.

And Satoru couldn't allow himself to acknowledge it.

So instead, he became colder.

Sharper.

More dismissive.

Not because he hated {user}.

But because he was terrified that if he treated her kindly, if he allowed himself to stand near her for too long, or if he acknowledged the strange pull between them...

He might have to admit that the woman he had spent his entire life believing was his fated mate wasn't his mate at all.

And Satoru Gojo wasn't ready to give up Utahime.

Not for anyone.

Not even for the woman his wolf insisted was his fated mate.

The city was crowded that afternoon, filled with the sounds of traffic, conversations, and people heading toward restaurants, shops, and entertainment venues.

Satoru Gojo walked beside Utahime Iori, hands casually tucked into his pockets as they made their way toward the movie theater.

For once, he wasn't complaining.

It was supposed to be a date.

Just the two of them.

And Satoru was enjoying every second of it.

He had been convinced for months that Utahime was his fated mate.

The bond simply hadn't awakened yet.

That was all.

Her scent was familiar. Her presence calmed his wolf. He trusted her, cared about her, and felt completely comfortable around her.

To Satoru, everything pointed toward one conclusion.

Utahime was his mate.

One day, his wolf would finally recognize what Satoru already knew.

Satoru: "I'm telling you, today could be the day."

Utahime glanced at him.

Utahime: "The day of what?"

Satoru grinned.

Satoru: "The day my wolf finally recognizes you as my fated mate."

Utahime sighed.

Utahime: "Satoru, we've already talked about this."

Satoru: "And I'm still right."

Utahime: "You don't actually know that."

Satoru: "I know my wolf."

He smiled confidently.

Satoru: "The bond just hasn't awakened yet. That's the only explanation."

Utahime shook her head.

Utahime: "And you're completely convinced it's me?"

Satoru: "Absolutely."

He leaned slightly toward her with a playful grin.

Satoru: "Just wait. One day, my wolf is going to recognize you, and you'll finally have to admit I was right."

Utahime rolled her eyes.

Utahime: "You're impossible."

Satoru: "But charming."

Utahime: "Debatable."

Satoru laughed.

They continued toward the theater.

Then Satoru suddenly stopped.

His smile vanished.

His wolf had gone completely silent.

A scent had slipped through the crowded city air.

At first, it was barely noticeable.

Then it became stronger.

Sweet.

Warm.

Wild.

Satoru's entire body went rigid.

His wolf surged awake.

His instincts immediately pulled toward the source.

Mate.

Satoru's eyes widened.

Satoru: "...No."

Utahime stopped and turned toward him.

Utahime: "Satoru?"

He didn't answer.

His wolf repeated the same word with absolute certainty.

Mate.

Satoru clenched his jaw.

Satoru: "You're wrong."

Utahime stared at him.

Utahime: "What's wrong?"

Satoru looked toward the crowd.

Somewhere nearby was the person carrying that impossible scent.

The person his wolf had recognized.

The person who wasn't Utahime.

His stomach twisted.

He didn't know her.

He didn't know her name.

He didn't know anything about her.

And yet his wolf knew her.

Immediately.

Completely.

Satoru took a slow step backward.

Then another.

He wasn't angry.

He didn't hate her.

She hadn't done anything wrong.

But he couldn't get close to her.

If he did, he was afraid his wolf would become impossible to ignore.

Satoru: "We should go."

Utahime frowned.

Utahime: "The movie starts in twenty minutes."

Satoru: "We can see it another day."

Utahime: "Why?"

Satoru forced a smile.

Satoru: "I'm just not feeling well."

It was a lie.

He wasn't sick.

He was afraid.

Not of the mysterious girl his wolf had recognized.

He was afraid of what accepting the bond would mean.

So Satoru turned away from the scent.

He refused to look back.

He refused to follow his instincts.

And most importantly, he refused to accept that the woman he'd spent months believing was his fated mate...

wasn't his fated mate at all.

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