REJECTED MATE

BLADE’S POV:

Her hands fit perfectly in mine, and as we advanced into my pack territory, slowly approaching the Alpha bloodline’s manor, she clung closely to my side, enticing me with her addictive scent.

Evanora; my human mate.

Everything about her called out to me in ways no woman ever could. Her petite frame, blessed with slender curves that were subtly driving me insane. Her sweet heart-shaped face which accentuated the vibrancy of her alluring gray eyes. 

From the second I’d spotted her singing all alone in the woods, I knew she was mine. And maybe minutes before that moment, I’d always underestimated the extent of the mate bond - the hunger to have their skin against yours, to drown in their scent and a wild desire to protect them by all means possible.

All these I’d instantly felt for the fragile woman beside me. My wolf was burning with a stirring need to claim her as ours, but she was human - a clueless one who’d most likely run away if I pushed too far.

I needed to take my time with her. 

However, I couldn’t ignore the fact that having a human as my mate was the least expected. Perhaps the moon goddess just had a twisted sense of humour to have mated us. It was very unusual. 

Yet, it excited me. Afterall, she was an amusing one. 

“Are there other wolf men here?” She looked up at me with beautiful doe eyes, slightly pursing her lips in disapproval.

She was adorable. 

I chuckled. “Werewolf, love. We’re called werewolves. And this is my pack, so yes. This place is crawling with ‘wolf men.’”

“I like wolf men better. I can’t believe werewolves are actually real. You know, I’m not sure if I hit my head hard enough to have conjured up this illusion, or if this is really happening.” She mumbled more to herself.

“It’s real.” I simply said. “As real as the fact that you’re mine.”

By my side, she rolled her eyes. “I’m not yours. I don’t even know your name, dude. And why do I have to meet your mother again? Is she a wolf-woman too?”

“Yes, Evanora. She’s a ‘wolf-woman’ too. Firstly, she needs to know that I’ve found my mate. It’s kind of a big deal to my kind - like finding your soulmate.”

“Oh…” For some reason, she let out a small laugh. “Soulmates. You make it sound like this is a fairy tale. This just gets crazier by the second.”

Once we got to the front of the massive mansion belonging to the Sparrow Alpha Bloodline of North Rivermoon pack, I pulled Evanora closer to me, spinning her to face me until her breath slightly grazed my face.

“You need to take this seriously. Werewolves are real. The mate bond is real. And I’ve waited forever to meet you, Eva. You have no fucking idea.” I lifted my finger, caressing her cheeks softly while keeping our eyes locked. “Once we walk through that door, there’s no going back. But you’d have me by your side every step of the way, love, and I swear on my life, I’d rip apart anyone that dares touch.”

At the last part, my voice took a low growl, like a lethal promise that I knew with my heart that I’d keep till my dying breath. It didn’t matter that I’d just met her barely 24 hours earlier. 

She was my mate; the most important person in my life at the moment. Wasn’t that something worth protecting by all means?

I could hear her heart racing, syncing automatically with mine that followed the same pace. She parted her lips, those pink attractive lips, like she wanted to say something. 

Instead, nothing came out and her cheeks reddened slightly. 

“Say something.” I breathed out huskily, closing even the littlest of space between us.

“I…don’t know what to say. I just met you, a-and this is a lot to take in. Maybe I’m just overwhelmed that this…insanely gorgeous stranger, who’s also a werewolf, is literally promising the world to me…and I can actually feel it in my heart that he means every word.” She gave out a nervous little chuckle. “It’s just a lot, okay?”

I rose an amused brow, not able to hold back the wicked smirk that crawled up my lips.

“You think I’m gorgeous?”

She turned red, her eyes going wide. “W-what? I didn’t say that, did I? Oh my god.”

I laughed now. “You’re so damn beautiful when you blush like that. I could never get tired of staring at you.”

Her cheeks burned now. “You see, how can you say stuffs like that so easily? It’s like you have a degree in flattery or something.” She scoffed.

“Trust me, love, I don’t give a fuck about flattering anyone. You’re just different.” 

“Right, cause I’m your ‘mate.’” She did air quotes.

“And genuinely the most breathtaking woman I’ve seen too. My mum would love you.” I took her small hand into mine once again, loving the warmth it radiated, as I led us toward the solid doors that gave entrance into my home. 

“I’m nervous, and I don’t even know why.” I felt her discomfort as she drew closer to my side.

I squeezed down reassuringly on her hand, lightly drawing calming circles within her palm.

“Breathe, baby. I’m the Alpha here, you’ll be fine.”

“Alpha?”

“The king of the pack.”

We burst in through the doors and were quickly welcomed into an atmosphere running over with my wolves. The warrior wolves stood guard at every corner, the maids went about their daily activities and everything was a buzz.

My home was designed in full grandeur, in a way that was fit for a King - an Alpha. Chandeliers hung luxuriously on the high-end ceilings, furniture and intricate interior decor covered every corner. 

It screamed wealth and from the dazed look that overtook Evanora’s face, I could tell that she was mind-blown. However, her reaction only doubled when my servants began going on their knees to bow the second my presence was fully acknowledged. 

They worshiped the very ground I walked on as we advanced to the dining hall, where I knew my mum was most likely to be found by that time. 

“Seems like you’re really big shot around here.” Evanora said, eyes traveling over the surroundings.

“That’s the whole point of being their Alpha.”

“The big bad Alpha of wolf land.”

I chuckled. “Wolf land? Really?”

“It seems fitting.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re a wonder.”

I pushed the double mahogany doors of the dinning hall open effortlessly and just like I’d expected, my mum’s scent wafted in the air the second I stepped in. 

Like the grand former Luna, she was seated at the end of the long dinner table, filled up with delicious variety of meals. Maids served her while she patiently waited for them to be done. 

Her eyes rose to mine when we stepped into the space. She narrowed them to slits. 

“You almost missed dinner. Where have you been?” She scowled. 

Regardless of the fact that I was over a hundred years old, mum was still ever the same when it came to matters like this. She valued us having dinner together, just the way things were before we lost father to those bloody vampires.

“I’m here now, am I not?” I responded casually, leading Eva and I to the dinner table where my portion of food had already been dished out. 

Mum scoffed. “I assumed you were probably out in the woods, screwing the first airhead that catches your fancy.”

Like a gentleman that I was never known to be, I pulled out a chair for my mate beside me, quickly signaling for a maid to serve her. 

I didn’t miss the way their eyes widened, probably realizing that she was human from her odd scent that stuck out like a sour thumb. 

It was forbidden to bring in humans into our territory. But they couldn’t dare refuse my authority. Moreover, Evanora wasn’t just any human. She was my mate and was well on her way to becoming their next Luna, so they might as well fuck whatever contrary opinion they might have. 

“You have little faith in me, mother.” I rolled my eyes, finally settling into my seat. “Plus, there’s no need for that anymore. I met someone today. Well, not today-”

“A human.” My mum’s icy gaze descended on Evanora in obvious disapproval. “Her foul stench is poisoning the atmosphere. Do you plan on killing her, son?”

“What?” I growled. My wolf stirred, high on alert from her last words. 

On instinct, my hands took Evanora’s small hands into mine protectively under the table. She was tense. I squeezed down reassuringly, just like before.

“If you don’t plan to kill the puny human, then I don’t understand why there’s one, not just in our territory, but sitting on our dinner table with us. There had better be a damn good explanation for this one, Blade.” This time, the fury in her eyes was turned to me, visibly scowling. 

“Easy. She’s my mate, and her name is Evanora.” I said, equally matching my mother’s glare. 

A maid immediately dropped the tray of glass cups she carried around to serve drinks, spewing it’s content on the ground, obviously due to her shock from my last words. 

The room was thrown into pin-drop silence. 

“I’m so sorry, Alpha-”

“Get out. Every single one of you.” I growled at the maids, and none of them wasted a second before scurrying away from the hall, not wanting to be on the receiving end of my ill-mood. 

Once the last maid disappeared, my mother burst into a sarcastic laugh, filled with both amusement and something else similar to bitterness.

“A human? As your mate? Really? Tell me, son, in what history has an Alpha ever been mated to those weaklings? You have to be mistaken. You had better be.” 

My jaws clenched. “I’m not joking. Evanora is my mate and that alone doesn’t make her any average human. I feel the mate bond. My wolf feels it too. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“When I said find your mate, Blade, I meant a werewolf. A strong she-wolf fit to be the Luna of our pack! Not…not this thing you dragged in here.” She swung her gaze to my Eva, glaring brimstone and daggers at her.

“Evanora.” I growled. “Her name is Evanora. And you don’t get to decide who my Luna should be, mother. This absolutely beautiful lady by my side is here to stay. And you, and anybody else who dares to oppose, can either take it or leave it.”

“Over my dead body!” Mum slammed her hands down on the table, rattling the cutlery, ceramic, and causing Evanora to flinch. Her heart was thudding so hard and I wanted nothing more than to sweet talk her into calming down. 

“Our enemies would laugh. The whole pack would laugh! Cause your so called ‘Luna’ is a joke to everything our pack stands for. I don’t care about whatever petty bond you think you have with her, you’re rejecting that human girl within the next 24 hours.”

I shot up from my seat, almost losing control of my wolf and baring my teeth at my mother.

“And you want to know what I think? Not fucking happening. If this draws a line for war between us, then so be it. But I would rather be laughed at every single day of my life than entertain the thought of losing Eva - speak-less of even rejecting her.”