*SIANNA'S POV*
Oh my God! What is this man doing here?
Hailey and I were at the mall at the shoe store trying to get our claws on the new arrivals. My mate had just walked into the same store but went over to the men’s section. Surreptitiously, I observed his movements as he spoke to the attendant who was flirting with him. I rolled my eyes and tore them away from him. I did not need to see that gut-wrenching scene.
'Mate.' My wolf urged me to go to him, as usual.
I blocked her for the time being, but he would be able to scent me and sense my wolf. So I repeated inner supplications, please don’t come over here.
Hastily, I grabbed Hailey by the arm and pulled her, “Let’s go and check out the new department store on the third floor.”
“No, I am not done yet.” Hailey frowned and stopped me, “Look at these!” She held a pair of silver lace-up pumps in strappy heels of a luxurious brand, “I’ve got to try these on.” She sang as her face lit up and went to the stool to sit for the try on.
Defeated, I perused the shelf to see if there were any other shoes that I might have liked. Previously, I had chosen four pairs that I was grandly satisfied with. As I continued to browse, his scent drew near.
Yep, he was coming to me.
Just my luck!
"Ladies," he formerly greeted. He stood with his hands in his jeans pockets and sent me a heated gaze.
Because of his title, I bowed my head in full respect to acknowledge him in the presence of Hailey.
"Would it be alright if I treated you both, today?" He asked with a wry smile.
"Sure," Hailey zealously accepted, which caused a knot to twist in my stomach.
I glared at him, and made an excuse, "I've got to study for a test so I'm going to have to skip." I walked to cash my stuff as I gave the cashier the boxes of shoes, one at a time.
"I'll cover their bills," his authoritative tone left no room for objections as he told the cashier, who was very nervous.
The protest was silenced by the awareness that I cannot argue with him in public, lest others would think I should be punished for insubordination. I tapped my fingers on the glass counter as I waited for the lousy cashier to finish cashing.
Giving her his credit card, he stretches his hand so that it brushes against my arm and the stinging sparks erupted through me. I bit my tongue to fight the upshots.
"Sianna, I have to stop by the salon to do my hair." Hailey pursed her lips because we would have to split up. "It needs clipping."
Before I could bat my eyes, he said, "I'll give her a ride." He was being Mr. Nice today.
Hailey hugs me and leaves. I gritted my teeth. I did not want to be alone with this man. He had gone from being my mate to a stalker.
Last night he crept onto my social media page, dropping tons of compliments and some old lyric lines that annoyed the hell out of me. I give zero damns about him.
"I know you're trying to get in between my legs, and it'll be a cold day in hell because that's not happening. Nothing you do impresses me." I boldly remarked after I took my bags from the cashier and we exited the store.
"That's not what I'm trying to do," he contradicted lowly.
"So why are you pressing me?" My voice was laced with vehement exasperation.
"I'm claiming what's mine." He defended with much love and passion, "Till the end of time, you will be loved and cared for by me.".
"Your claim is in vain," I snapped. He motioned to carry my bags and I declined.
"I'm sure the other person isn't quite like me, Sianna. That boy is incapable of treating you with the same care and consideration that I can," he mused seductively.
Ceasing my steps, I turned to glare at him from the right. But then I recalled that I did not want to be seen recurrently with him because that would encourage the gossipers to propagate false rumors about us having an affair.
I digressed and resumed walking, wishing that this insufferable man would get the picture and accept the rejection.
Once in the parking lot, he unlocked the car and I climbed inside. He waits until I have buckled the seatbelt before he drives.
"Did you like the pony?" He inquired with a delectable smile.
"I torched it," I hurled at his ego.
"And the Beyonce concert tickets?" He raised an eyebrow at me.
"I gave them away," On impulse, I flung this to bruise his pride.
"And the bracelet?" His tone got threateningly deep.
"I melted it." I shot this one at his heart and resisted the inherent submission that tried to overtake my voice. The jewel was a classy diamond-studded 24-karat rose-pattern bracelet that bore my name on it. A lot of considerations went into it.
He grimaced in silence while retaining his focus on the road. When he pulled up at the entrance of my driveway, I felt the need to repent. The fault was on him for making me treat him so savagely.
"Look," I began my moment of truth, "I don't mean to hurt you, but my heart belongs to Curtis." I paused when he emitted a growl, then continued, "I will not leave him for you. We genuinely love each other. So please find another woman to be yours."
His jaws clenched and eyes dilated pitch black. Notably, his wolf was evolving with a monstrous aura and before he could utter a word, I sped out of the car, into my house and locked the door without glancing back.
Hopefully, now he understands.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
*
It has been two weeks since I met my ex-mate. I could feel that he was around somewhere but I ignored him every time. Curtis was the man I should pay attention to.
The mating ball ceremony would soon take place at the Crimson Hyde Pack which is our neighboring pack. Originally, Curtis and I decided not to attend because we were already committed to each other. The thought that he would meet his mate there bothered me a lot, and I always developed a queasy feeling in my stomach.
But we had promised each other not to attend as it was enough for us to have each other. I was complacent with the current status of our relationship.
The only issue was that after moving back home to complete my studies online, I thought that it would create for us to spend more time together. But instead, his elite training was taking him to all parts of the world to prove that he was sufficiently versatile to fulfill his role to our Alpha.
I sighed in relief that I did not have to be a part of the hustle and bustle that the other members of the pack endured in getting their hair and nails done, and shopping for that ideal dress or tuxedo. Plus, having to leave overnight to arrive at the hotel in time to unpack and make the necessary preparations. Because of that, the café wasn’t busy today. Most wolves greatly anticipated their mates, but not including Curtis and me.
The mate bond is extremely powerful, and our touch affects each other. It not only gives you sparks and tingles, butterflies, and makes your heart flutter, but it also helps to relieve pain, heal, and strengthen your wolf. On top of that, there’s an instantly passionate attraction that constantly engulfs us toward our mates.
So Hailey spared me some time today. She was sitting across from me at the table in the café looking eager and perplexed at what was the deal with me. “So what’s on your mind?”
I sighed and sat down with her as I stared out the glass window into the busy street as the vehicles passed by. “I met my mate.”
Hailey squealed in excitement and inquired, “Well, who is he?” Her bubbling personality emerged with imploring eyes.
I was not going to tell her that juicy detail, except the dilemma that he refused to accept the rejection. “I would rather not say, but I rejected him just as Curtis and I had planned.”
She frowned.
“Curtis and I pledged our undying love for each other. It’s just a matter of time before he marks me and we get married. That will happen in the one-week break that he gets as soon as his training is completed.” I continued.
“I didn’t think that the both of you were that serious about rejecting your mates.” She sulked and supped on her free milkshake. “I think it’s bad to fall in love with anyone who isn’t your mate, but I respect your decision. Just tell me how that went down.”
“Don’t forget that you had countless short-lived affairs in high school too!”
“That’s because I refuse to be tied down by anyone who’s not my mate.” She casually explained.
I balled my hands into a fist nervously on the table surface before curtly looking into her eyes and made her swear to secrecy. “You must not tell anyone at all about this, alright?”
Hailey nodded.
So I continued, “I mean absolutely no one at all!”
“You have my word, Sianna. Now spill!”
“I rejected him but he wants some time before he decides whether to accept the rejection or not.”
“And it gets interesting…..” Hailey’s mouth formed into an “O” shape, “Ooooooh!” She liked to exclaim her favorite phrase with a smirk on her face until I glared at her. “You might have to tell Curtis about this.”
“I don’t want him to get insecure and think that he could lose me.” My head went from side to side in order to indicate my refusal. Who would want a love triangle with irrelevant drama anyway? “I want Curtis to be focused on his elite training so that he can fulfill his dreams. He loves being militant.”
“You know, the longer the rejection takes to be completed, the more the mate bond will grow.” She slurped loudly as she emptied the last contents of the milkshake in the glass.
I sighed again knowing how true that statement was. “I haven’t seen him for a while now. Maybe when he sees how good Curtis and I are to each other he will accept defeat.”
“Or kill him.” She became dramatic. “He might challenge him for you.” Her eyes twinkled with intrigue. “Mates are jealous and territorial. Don’t play around with this.” She warned profusely. “Aren’t you one of the lucky one when I have yet to find my mate?” She retorted.
“You will be at the mating ceremony so I am optimistic for you!” Chances are they will mate the same night.
Hailey was a virgin and dumped her previous boyfriends once they wanted to take things further. Coming from the Beta family, she was popular, confident, and wild but pompous at times.
Hailey rolled her eyes at me. “Is your mate from this pack? At least tell me that!”
I hesitated, “Yes.”
She smirked even more. “Alright, my advice is to avoid him as much as possible, or make him hate you.”
I hope that I really could do that but mates have a way of wanting to be close to you. Maybe I should have another talk with him and warn him to stay away, or maybe I should lie to him and tell him that I am already pregnant for my boyfriend. I could always say that I had a miscarriage as soon as he accepted the rejection.
A thousand thoughts were streaming through my mind, but which one would be the most ideal? I was not the scheming type, but I felt that I needed a strategy to make this man not want to have anything to do with me, but where we could also be civil about it.
I looked at my best friend who was goading at me. “I will most definitely try but I need to plan ahead of time for when we next have our encounter.”
Hailey glanced at her watch. “I have to go now but we will text each other.” She hurriedly kissed me with a frown and headed out. She had to go shopping with her Mom for her dress for the ceremony. I understood as I watched her leave, got into the car, and drove away.
As time went by slowly, I scrolled online to do some schoolwork. I visited my social media page and checked my messages.
I sent my Mom and Dad a funny video that Curtis had sent me this morning. My Dad loved watching people be silly while Mom was polar opposite and didn’t get the humor most times. She thought that people should always be productive.
A customer came in and read her book while having the sandwich which she ordered. Was it coincidental that the title of her book was “Backlash: Denying the Fates.” Was that to badger my conscience? I wondered what the book was about, so I asked, “Is there any truth to that?”
“Huh?”
“I’m sorry but I noticed the title of your book and I wondered if there are consequences for those who reject their mate?”
“Oh,” She remarked in realization. “My grandma always said that anything that is naturally ordained would already have its place and function in the world. To go against your destiny changes the outcome of your life.”
“An outcome could be good too, right?”
“Most times the one who does the blunder or the rejection will have some consequence to face.” She explained, “But you are not marked as yet.”
“No.” I stood with the hand cloth in my hand that I use to wipe the table tops. I noticed her mate’s mark on her neck.
“He will find you. Don’t give up. The mate bond is a blessing and no one could love you more.”
“Thank you. Sorry to disturb your reading. I enjoyed talking to you.”
“You are so pleasant and friendly. This is my favorite café so it’s alright.”
“Enjoy the rest of your day.” I walked back around the counter. Her two friends joined her shortly and they ordered juices, then they all left. Tara, my boss had gone to her accountant to submit last month’s inventory files. I counted down the minutes before it was five o’clock.
Curtis would be picking me up from work today. I got up and went to get my purse from the back office. I heard the beeping of the horn within five minutes. I rushed to open the doors and ran into his open arms. Curtis hugged me tightly and I was so excited to see him.
Heaven knows that I needed some tender loving care tonight. He kissed me long and passionately. He bit my lower lip and I opened my mouth and gasped as he inserted his tongue and played with mine.
“That was an exceptional kiss.” He joked lovingly.
“Only because you are just coming back from your best friend’s pack.” I pecked his lips. “It’s been three weeks since I last saw you. Please tell me that you are home for good now.”
He sighed and release me from the embrace. “I should be spending more time with you here.”
In the alliances between packs, there are times when warriors are sent to aid with rogue issues, or are training with other warriors that needed a special skillset. Curtis was trying to become an elite warrior which would have him under the third branch in the warrior structure.
So there was the Gamma or Head Warrior which was third in command to the Alpha. Then, the Gamma would have his elites under him and they all have a set of warriors to supervise. With our pack being so large, a lot of supervision was required. The Alpha ensured that even the omegas, which were of the lowest rank would get training for survival means.
We got into the car and he headed to my house. My parents left a note to say that they went into town for dinner so we were all alone. We made it to my room and as soon as we got in we started a long kissing session as Curtis slammed the door shut.
He tasted so good, and he was a great kisser. He had me on the bed in the dominating position of being on top. I immediately cupped his face and kissed him. He smiled while kissing me. He kissed my ears and made his way down to my neck. I ran my fingers through his tousled silk-blond hair and searched for his lips to return to mine.
His hands roamed until he found the opening of my blouse and rip it apart. Then he squeezed my right breast and lowered his head to pull out my left breast to suck it. God, I had missed him so much and so did he. I hoped we could spend a long steamy night today.
His phone started to ring and he tried to break away to get it. It was so annoying.
I mumbled for him to ignore it as I held on to him tightly. “Just leave it. I miss you.”
He used his strength to tear himself away as his face went pale and answered before I could get another word in.
I couldn’t hear the conversation and I frowned.
The only thing that he said from his end was, “Ok” “Yes” “I understand” and “I will take care of it.”
SIANNA'S POV* “Don’t tell me that you are leaving again, Curtis.” I asked inquisitively as he ended the call. Sulking with distress in my inability to spend time with him. It’s been too long since we even went on a date. His brows arched as he responded with concern. “Babe, I am so sorry but that was my Dad and he needs me to take care of pack business. It’s critical.” He bent over me to give me a last kiss on the lips before leaving the room. I tailed him down the stairs. “Are you leaving the pack again and for how long this time?” He stopped at the foot of the stairs looking at me sympathetically. “It’s just for two days and I will make it up to you. I promise.” He hugged me in the living room with both hands squeezing my bum. Then he took his right hand and brought it to my front so that it went underneath my box-pleated skirt. Then his fingers massaged the outside of my panties so that I would get arouse and wet. “Mmmm.” I clung to him because I itched for him to complete the
*SIANNA'S POV* My wolf began prancing in my head as the Gamma stared at me intently. I felt like he was undressing me, so I moved uncomfortably to get around the counter. My nerves were spiraling and I thought to myself, just be calm. They will leave eventually. Ignore them and do your job, Sianna. The Gamma kept smirking at me and he came to the counter to make the order for himself and the other two. I smiled and refused to meet his eyes. He gave his order politely, “I’ll have three breakfast sandwiches with an espresso, and two coffee. Make sure one of the coffee is black and the others with cream.” “Would that be to go?” I asked as I punched up the cash register. I didn’t have to look at his face to see his cool but flirting demeanor. His silence forced me to look at him and he licked his lips at me. “Ahem,” I cleared my thoughts, hoping to dismiss his advances. The other two watched us in amusement. I was not going to entertain them. Why aren’t they at the pack house running
CURTIS POV I took a long look at myself in the mirror before leaving the hotel room. I met up with the guys, Mike, Jobe, and Cody in the ball room. This was a large rectangular spacious room 166 by 100 feet with a wide opening that lead to the pool outdoors. It was surrounded by elongated glass windows and several crystal chandeliers that decorated the 25 foot ceiling with star shaped lights. The theme color was white and gold in drapes and silver tapestry. I shouldn’t have been here in the first place but my dad never gave me a chance to avoid it. Sianna was a beautiful girl and I have loved her all my life. I’ve had a crush on her since middle school and never got the courage to approach her until high school. I was so shocked when she agreed to go on a date with me. I vowed to cherish her forever. I was lucky to have her because she was caring, kind and sweet. She was passionate about helping others too and I loved seeing her in her element when she assisted her mom at the clin
Hailey’s POV - Saturday I was surprised to see Curtis at the mating ball. “Hey!” I gave him a tap on the shoulders. “Who’s the new friend?” We were at the breakfast buffet filling our plates. I knew I glimpsed him last knew but he slipped out of my view and then I could not locate him through the crowd of werewolves that were present in the ballroom. As soon as I saw him this morning I was busy observing them for a while. He was holding hands with this girl and she was obviously flirting with him a lot. She tried to kiss Curtis on the cheek but he shy away from it. The disappointment heavily laid on her face. The girl touched him in ways that only a lover should so I needed to investigate up front. He was not getting away from me today. My new found mate, Raj was by my side and he didn’t know what was about to go down. Raj nod his head in acknowledgement, so eager to please me. “H-Hailey!” He stuttered in shock as he turned to face me. “Oh, this is Jazmine. We met last night” P
Sianna POV Hailey: Where’s your boy at? Something is up with your boy, Sianna! You might want to call him now. Me: My boy is fine, Hailey. He is on a mission. Hailey: This shit can’t be real. Your mate could be better for you. Me:???? Me: Hailey? What are you ranting about now? Hailey: You might want to consider more options. Protect your heart, Sianna. (heart emoji). Me: Curtis has my heart. He’s my one and only. I know you think I should give my mate a chance but there’s no way that he’s better than Curtis. Hailey: Don’t rush into things. I am looking out for you. Go and see your mate. Me: Hell no! Why are you cheering for my mate all of a sudden? The perplexity of Hailey’s text message racked my brain all morning. She hadn’t replied to my last text. I didn’t call Curtis because he could have been on a mission and unable to take my call anyway. I didn’t want to appear like the insecure girlfriend. I felt confident that our relationship was going well despite the lack of a
Unknown POV Tomorrow was supposed to be my date night with Sianna. I should text her with the time that I would pick her up. Chances are that she would prefer to meet me there but the least she could do was allow me to pamper her a bit. I couldn’t believe that she rejected me. I was flabbergasted when she did that. She’s a feisty little she-wolf. I thought any rejection being done would be from my end and never from my mate. I knew she was with the Curtis dude base on conversations overheard from her parents, but that was before I knew she was my mate. My wolf would not have known that she was ours until she reached eighteen years old and by that time she had graduated and left for college 135 miles ( 3 hour drive) away from the central area (pack house). I was so happy to have found her at TeeBee’s café that day but she was too blinded by the twinkling infatuation that she held for Curtis. Her intoxicating scent of roses and strawberry made my wolf lost all control. When our eyes
Sianna POV Curtis hasn’t spoken to me since our last phone call. Could it be due to his guilty conscience, or maybe he has found his mate? I would have been here thinking that he was on a special assignment or having some family ordeal going on if my dad did not let me know that he attended the mating ceremony. Hailey is very loyal and would spill the beans when she came back. I preferred to see her first before having a confrontation with Curtis. I needed to know the fullness of what she was aware of. Hailey’s morning text read: I wish you were here Sianna (heart emoji). Me: I know that you are having fun regardless of me not being there with you (smiley face emoji). Honey, go find your mate and bring him back with you. Hailey: (crying face emoji) Don’t you miss me, or are you doing naughty things with your mate? Me: Stop! I won’t let him touch me. Go have fun, Hailey. I was laying in the couch in my living room watching the news. My mind distracted by the personal affairs of
Sianna POV The vehicle parked at my home at six pm exactly. This man was a man of time. He was smirking all the way to the rendevous which slightly irritated me as I sat in the passenger seat. We didn’t talk at all and my mind was jammed with thoughts pertaining to how the rest of my evening might turn out. I felt nothing but the pull to be with my mate but I was not in love with him. The energy that coursed through my body because of it was insane. My core burned with a desire for sweet release with every thought of him. I tried to think about the weather, school, Hailey, mom, dad, cows and chickens. At this point anything but my mate. I looked out the window at the lovely tree-lined road as the car continued to drive smoothly. We drove for fifteen minutes when he pulled up in front of an officer tower. Luckily it was closed because I did not wish to be seen like this. I anxiously looked around to vet the area. Thank goddess that it was Sunday. Being alone with the gamma would