*** Naomi's POV ***
My immediate reaction was to run and hide.
I ran down the steps towards the greenhouse and came to a halt at a crossing. My whole body is shaking, and my chest feels like it's ripping apart as Artemis lets out a painful cry.
-"No! Our mate already has a mate, a Luna!" Artemis howls with agony in my head. "And a pup." Another howl follows. The pain was so intense that tears ran down my face like the monsoon's rain. It was like a surgeon decided to operate on my chest without giving me anesthesia and proceeded with the surgery. My mate is the King of all Alphas, Matthew Stevens, and he did not wait for us, his real mate.
I drop to the floor on my knees and brace myself. The temperature around me drops to a freezing point, and the floor underneath me becomes ice as I let out a painful cry and feel a burst of energy leave my body. Ice spikes form from the ground as the energy wave makes its way to the edges of the greenhouse, freezing everything in its path as if an ice bomb had gone off and I was in the epicenter.
Once you mate and mark, a bond is formed. This bond will only cease to exist if one of the mates dies. The bond is also like an anti-cheat mechanism. If a werewolf is intimate with anyone else other than his marked mate, it will cause extreme pain to their other half.
Not only is my mate married, mated, and marked, he also has a pup. Being with him meant I would cause him and his Luna physical pain. I would become a mistress, a destroyer of homes.
-"Why would the Moon Goddess do this to us, Artemis?" I ask, but she doesn't answer. The link between us is closed. My heart is in a million pieces, and this pain is unbearable. I feel cold and broken.
A wave of warmth engulfs me. Lee had taken off his blazer and placed it over me. I could smell his familiar minty scent. He kneels and holds me close to his chest as he rests his chin on my head, cooing me to try and calm me down.
-"Shhh, babe, I gotcha. I am right here."
- "Lee-ee-e... the-e Alpha Ki-ing... m-my mate." I attempt to tell him between sobs.
- "I know, I know. I saw. I was behind you."
I hold on tight to his chest while the rest of our crew approaches us.
- "Did she do this?" Gabe points at the frozen surroundings in shock. "Lee, I have mind-linked the warriors; they will have a car ready for you to take Naomi back home," Gabe informs Lee.
-"You have to reject him, Naomi." My father urged as he neared us. "I know it will hurt you like hell, but you MUST, you hear me! It would be best if you rejected him. He has a Luna and, for Goddess' sake, a Son too!" My father is now pacing back and forth in front of us as tears still run down my face.
-"I can't believe it! First, my son disappoints me. Now my dau- "
My father was interrupted by Gabriel's fist to his face. Gabe punches him so hard that he falls into the nearby frozen plants. Gabriel is overwhelmed with anger; his canines are out, and his eyes are black.
-"I won't let you treat her like that!" He growls, "You can treat me like shit, but not Naomi! How can you tell your daughter to reject her mate? Do you know how painful that is? She could die for Goddess' sake!"
Gabriel attempts to hit our father again, but Martin shows up trying to stop him. His efforts are in vain, as Gabe is too strong for him. Gabe hovers over our father, who is still on the floor. I watch in horror, despite my blurry vision, my brother and father hitting each other. Gabe secures him by his collar while he lifts his right first, ready to strike. Thankfully, an unknown man pulls Gabe off my dad. He drags him to the side and holds Gabe in a tight hug. It was then I realized that he was my brother's fated one.
- "Mate, you have to stop! He is coming. If he sees this icy destruction, he will think you planned an attack." He moves his hands to cup Gabe's face. "There is an exit through the back of the greenhouse that will lead you to the driveway." The unknown figure embraces Gabe once again, calming him somehow. That's what the mate bond does to you. It makes you calm and relaxed when you are stressed or upset; it makes you feel content when unhappy. That is something I won't have a chance to experience.
-"Lee! You have to take her out of here. NOW!" Gabe used his Alpha voice this time.
Lee stands up, gathers me into his arms like a bride, and runs towards the back exit. The pain in my chest is so unbearable that it makes it difficult to breathe. This is the first time I can't reach her - Artemis. I know she is as broken as I am. We have always been there for each other, but now I feel empty.
The ice blast and the pain depleted my energy as Lee carried me through to the exit towards the driveway. I feel my consciousness fade in and out as my father's words echo through my mind. I must reject him. I can't be the source of his pain or the one who breaks his marriage and jeopardizes his son's future. I just can't. I lift my right hand, just above my chest with my palm facing outward, readying myself to make the most heart-breaking decision.
-"I, Naomi Owens..." cough, cough "of the Silverfalls Pack..." cough cough cough"... reject Alpha King Matt-"
Suddenly, a pain sharp as a knife penetrates my heart, submerging in complete darkness, before I could finish the rejection.
*** Matthew's POV ***The day started with me taking Susie, my Luna, to the pack doctor. It's eight in the morning, and Carl, our son, is still asleep. Judging by his regular schedule, he will stay asleep for another two hours. Regardless, I mind-link one of our omegas to babysit him while we are gone.We enter the pack's clinic and sit in the waiting room while waiting to be called next.-"Good Morning, Alpha. Good Morning, Luna."The nurse greets us, bowing her head as a sign of respect.My father had given me the responsibility of the pack and the title of Alpha when I was 25. He was adamant I needed to find a mate to become a strong Alpha. When you find
*** Matthew's POV *** My office is a pretty typical one, maybe a tad larger than average. Between the two dark espresso built-in bookshelves, a floor-to-ceiling window is located just behind the dark mahogany office desk. Two soft, see-through curtains break the harsh light, giving the window a soft glow. In front of the desk, there are two navy-blue soft velvet fauteuils with deep button tufting. The room also has two matching black velvet couches with similar button tufting on them sitting on both sides of the room with a dark espresso French coffee table directly across them both. Barely making it behind the desk, I hear someone knocking on the door. -"Come on in." I instruct before sitting down and taking a deep breath.
*** Matthew's POV ***It can't be. Why was she here? Why now? Did the Moon Goddess listen to Susie? I look around the room to find her, but I don't see her. Maybe outside, I thought, but before I could walk out again, two massive growls erupt from the middle of the room, and the word "mate" soon follows.I turned to see what was going on to see that Robert had found his mate. They both were hugging, burrowing their heads into each other's necks. What worried me was the older gentleman, obviously Rob's mate father. If looks could kill, the gentleman's son would be a dead werewolf. The look of disappointment was set on his face, and you could feel it from a mile away. He lets out a warning growl breaking the couple apart. I approach them to make sure a war doesn't start in my ballroom.
*** Matthew's POV ***Alex and I ran for what seemed like an eternity, with no destination in mind. A mixture of despair and anger filled our chest. The pain was now bearable but not gone. She had been so close, and now she was gone.- "It's all your fault! I knew our true mate was still out there. We shouldn't have married Susie." Alex is full of sorrow and regret.-"How can you say that? We have been through so much with her. She gave us a pupthe cost of her health! How can you be like this?"Alex closes the link between us, allowing me to regain control. I run back to the mansion, still in my wolf form but shifting back to human as I approach the mansion's fr
<One year and half later> *** Naomi's POV *** I had attempted to reject him, my mate Alpha King Matthew Stevens, but my body had betrayed me, and I fainted just before I could reject him. The magnetic pull is still there, and I can feel the achy need to see him, to be in his arms. I can't bring myself to try to reject him again. The first time I tried, it was so painful that I don't want to experience that type of pain ever again; it's too much. After the first year of finding him, I was submerged in dark thoughts. Depression seemed to be my only companion, and to make matters worse, Gabriel had rejected his 'Alpha-to-be' position, leaving our pack to be with his mate. Saying our father was furious was an understatement. He never acce
<One year and half later> *** Matthew's POV *** "Matt... Matt, wake up. Carl is crying."Susie's mind-links, waking me up from my slumber. In my boxers, I get up from our bed and drag my feet toward Carl's room, just across from ours. There is also a room next to ours for our guests, should any decide to stay over. It used to be my room before we had Carl. "Hey, bud, I am here," I reassure him as I open his bedroom door. He steadies himself on the crib's rail with one hand while the other opens and closes towards me, letting me know he wants to be picked up, which I do, as he cries non-stop. -"Shh, I am here, baby."
Two years after the silver chains ***Naomi's POV*** It has been two long torturous years, and a lot has changed. Firstly, I was forced to train with our elite warriors. And when I say forced, I mean it. I would just sit by the training ring and wait until it ended the first few times. But my father decided to join the training, and if I refused to participate, the warriors were ordered to beat me up until I was unconscious. In the end, I had no other choice but to experience and learn how to defend myself. Although my parent's room was on the fifth floor, soon-to-be Lee's floor, I could hear them argue about my situation every night. Mother had become extremely upset with my father's behavior towards me. She even threatened to leave the pack if he didn't stop.
*** Morgan POV *** Naomi told me she wanted my help. We are still at the bar, and I have to be extra careful not to alert the two giant werewolves sitting behind us at the far left corner. I don't know what it is about her, but the moment she walked into the bar, something compelled me to help. It wasn't just me. My wolf Lily was too unsettled, especially after we realized the men she walked in with were watching her like hawks. It didn't feel right. Let's not forget all of her scars. It felt as if she was a prisoner. I pondered for a second, maybe they were rogues, and she was their victim, but they didn't smell like rogues. They didn't smell of burn and decay flesh. Naomi walks to the guys and tells them she's tired and wants to go back to her motel room.