CHAPTER 2 – MATE

Derek

I am in a hurry to get to my lunch meeting to push things forward for my next apartment compound project; probably that’s why I don’t smell her until I get to a two-meter distance from her. My mate. My beautiful mate.

She is standing at the entrance of a tall building, drinking water from a plastic bottle.

Long, straight, light brown hair, with fairer highlights, almond-shaped visage, adorned by two beautiful big green eyes. A nice hourglass figure with long, straight legs, dressed in black sheer stockings, peeking out from a short skirt. I can’t refrain from licking my lips.

She will return to the building, so I jump in front of her to stop her from disappearing on me. When she looks straight at me, and I get a better and closer look at her features, I feel a surge of pride coming from my wolf at how beautiful and mesmerizing our mate is. I cannot stop staring at her like a creep without being able to utter a single word.

She is sniffing around like she has picked up on a scent. I am so sure she will come to me and recognize me as her mate, that I nearly blanch when she does not spare me more than two glances and goes to walk around me to leave.

I don’t know if I am more hurt that she does not find me attractive, even though I know I am; I have tons of girls swooning over me every day and trying to get into my bed, or that she decides not to acknowledge our mate bond. Maybe she is into girls. No, the Moon Goddess would not play me this way. That’s not possible! Or she could be afraid because I am an Alpha, so she decided to flee. Some Alphas are known to be ruthless; she might be intimidated.

I need a chance to show her I am nothing like that; I am a level-headed, modern-style Alpha who would treat his mate with the respect and love she deserves.

I grab her by her arm before she can bypass me, and I call her, “Mate!”

I am not expecting her fierceness when she hauls her arm free from my grasp and berates me in front of everyone. I feel beyond shocked and a little wronged. What does she even mean when she says she would not allow me to call her mate?? That’s what she is; that’s what we are, mates.

“We are mates,” I say matter-of-factly.

I can see that she is not convinced before she even opens her mouth to cruelly tell me that we can’t be mates because we don’t know each other. What strange misconception does she have of the mate bond now? Haven’t her parents and elders taught her that mates are regulated by fate, by the moon goddess herself? Mates are born mates; they don’t become mates after getting to know each other. They find each other and spend the rest of their lives together. Not all mate unions are perfect; some decide to break the mate bond, but it is rare, and it takes some severe issues to refuse the mate bond.

Finding one’s mate is one of the most significant achievements for a werewolf after adulthood. Since we are kids, we are drilled with the knowledge that the mate bond is perfect, the most vital union of powerful, unconditional, everlasting love. How could someone not want that?

Then, like a bolt of lightning, the idea that she hasn’t recognized me as her mate comes to my mind. But why? Can’t she smell my scent? Hasn’t her wolf recognized me yet?

And so, I ask her what comes to my mind. “Can’t you smell me?”.

Again, I am surprised and unprepared for her outraged reaction.

“I am not going to smell you!” said with a disgusted expression, like I had asked her to smell my dirty socks. I must admit it hurt.

“Go back to your scented candles business, or whatever you do. I am busy. Goodbye.”

She leaves like that without even looking back.

I am too flabbergasted to try stopping her.

I don’t know why she thinks I sell scented candles; where did she get that from? Do I look like some door-to-door seller? I am wearing a costly tailored suit, for crying out loud; there is no way a candle seller could afford this. She does not have an eye for details.

Plus, she looked at me like I was some madman, and I was starting to think that maybe she was the one who was a little cuckoo.

Anger starts boiling within me now that the initial shock has passed. How dare she treat me like that in front of all the passersby? I am the Alpha of one of the most giant packs in the world.

While I am lost in my head, my Beta approaches me with a stupid smirk.

“That was pretty interesting,” he says, trying to avoid laughing at me and failing miserably. “As much as I’d like to tease you about what’s just happened, you are running late for your meeting.” he reminds me.

Darn, I just remembered about the meeting! I can’t be late. It took me weeks and a lot of favors to get the chance to participate in this business negotiation. This gets me even more pissed. And I add it to the list of crimes my mate will answer for, right next to humiliating me for no reason—heartless woman.

“Find out who she is, what she does, where she lives. Everything you can find out about her. Then report immediately to me.” I instruct my Beta.

She is sorely mistaken if she thinks she can get away from me.