Chapter 3 Three

D'Angelo

My body froze like a marble statue the moment I laid eyes on my mate. I blinked rapidly, trying to make sure I wasn't lost in some dreamland.

A painful thought kept repeating in my head: What did I do to deserve this humiliation from the moon goddess? What gave her the idea to intentionally ruin my life?

Knowing that rejecting our mate was a bad idea, my wolf was furious with me.

“She's our only chance to find true happiness!” It screamed at me.

Despite being an omega, my mate was a slim, delicate beauty, with almost transparent crystal-blue eyes and curvy enough to get even an impotent man to come in a rush of fertile cream.

That was unimportant. The moon goddess was completely unapologetic about the pain she was causing for me. She must be insane to have paired up a filthy omega with an Alpha and assistant tribe leader of more than two hundred werewolf packs.

"I don't care. She's perfect, and I want her!" My wolf screamed in my ears when I lifted my mate's bloody body and rushed her to the pack clinic.

With a pounding heart, I shook my head, trying to ignore the nagging voice of my wolf. I've never heard of Alphas marking Omegas before. It was almost too painful to consider the consequences of such an act.

Still, I couldn't deny that there was something about the girl that unlocked my heart and soul in a way that I never thought possible.

We were having a great time five hours ago, having just finished my father D'Angelo Lavigne VI's successful transfer of the Alpha title to me.

The entire pack came together, dressed in their finest attire, to witness and celebrate with me.

"All hail the Alpha!" My beta, Leo's voice filled the air. Leo stood nearly seven feet tall, his body built for hunting, fighting, and killing.

Joyful cheers and shouts filled the air among my people. For the first time in months, I felt delighted, content, and proud. Ladies in vibrant bracelets and beads performed a circle dance. They swayed to the beat of the local drums and flute, their beads jingling on their hips.

Zina, my first love before the moon goddess paired her with my gamma, poured a bottle of expensive perfumed oil on my feet, and wiped them with a clean cloth.

Kids led by my beta's four-year-old son rushed towards me, handing me a variety of gifts in woven baskets. The sincerity of these little gifts made them precious.

"Long live Alpha D'Angelo!" They chanted.

I went to the party, showing off my wealth to everyone I knew, until that horrible second I saw my partner on the terrace, and she turned my life around.

***

My concern for my mate overshadowed everything else. After giving her a gentle lift, I quickly got her into the car and drove as quickly as I could to the hospital, where I hoped the medical staff would be able to save her life.

"Please do everything you can to save her," I instructed the pack doctor.

The nurses whisked her away, and I watched helplessly as they tried to save her life. The pack doctor took great care to remove the tiny glass fragments from her skin and hair, carefully putting them into a tiny tray.

With a bruised face, the girl lay unconscious. My logical brain warned me to leave, not to become attached and overprotective of her, to reject her.

I was going to live a miserable life for the rest of my days due to a stupid law.

I rushed back to my coronation, not only because important people were in attendance but also because I needed to stay away from my omega mate.

Back in the pack house, I was so moody and spent my time drinking. Leo, my beta, watched me refill a golden liquid of scotch whiskey into my glass for the twentieth time.

"Are you trying to drown yourself?" He asked with concern, knowing that drinking wasn't one of my hobbies.

"What if I am?" I responded coldly. "It's none of your business."

Leo blinked, confused by my sudden mood swing. The whiskey burned its way down my throat and to my toes, filling my nostrils with its aroma.

I wanted my omega mate to be gone from my thoughts, but the more I drank, the more of her fucking face was stuck there. Those huge eyes, those perky tits, those damn curves.

"I found my mate," I said without thinking. Leo came running over to my side, gasping in shock.

"That's terrific news! Congratulations Alpha. Who is she?"

I scoffed. Congratulations indeed.

"The girl who fell off the terrace. And guess what?" I gave a sour hiss. "She's a fucking omega."

Leo's face went white as sheets. He remained silent, hanging his jaw open, not daring to utter a word. Then he gave me a disgusted look.

"That's not possible. We need to get rid of her."

My wolf nearly exploded out of me, wanting to strangle Leo until he died, but I chose not to respond. I focused my gaze on the golden liquid, taking a long, slow finish.

Leo went on, lighting a cigar and filling my nose with smoke. "Imagine what the council members would say, D'Angelo?”

"I have a question for you."

He took a long drag and let out another thick, creamy puff before saying, "Sure."

Swirling my glass, I took my time before speaking. “Would you let your fated mate go over some fucking hierarchy difference if you were in my position?”

Leo did not say anything, just turned the cigar between his fingers. "I know exactly how you feel."

"You don't," I said firmly, placing my glass down on the table. "You fucking don't, or else you would realize that heartbreak might kill me. Every Werewolf understands the nature of the mating bond. It's loyalty or damnation forever."

Leo sighed, looking away. "Isabel isn't an Omega. If she were, I would never have marked her."

I sighed as the truth stung like a bee. "There has to be something I can do."

Leo placed the butt of his cigar in the ashtray. "I'm afraid you can't do anything, D'Angelo. As your voice of reason, I understand that this is not what you want to hear right now. There is no way an Alpha of the largest pack in the South would mark a mere omega, so the moon goddess must be pulling practical jokes on you. It's pack law, and you must lead by example."

I remained silent, gazing out the window. Leo drew closer, his hand resting on my back.

"We'll get through this together," he said, with sadness in his tone. "I'm here to support you."

I rose from my chair and started wandering around the house. The night air calmed me, and as I passed by the glass walls, I heard heeled footsteps approaching me.

The thorn-in-my-flesh, Alexis, approached me slowly while wearing a golden kaftan. Her dad, a greedy bastard, sent his daughter to seduce me on the night when I drank into a stupor.

My memory of that horrible night was a foggy blur. Her nude body lay beside me when I awoke in a strange bed.

Despite her obvious beauty and intelligence, I would not have touched her if I had not known she was Jones's daughter.

My excitement didn't match hers. I gave her a side hug, instead of the warm embrace and kiss she expected. Her face fell

"Are you okay, darling?"

"I am not your darling," I said, spacing the words out evenly.

There was a subconscious comparison between Alexis and my partner. Alexis was very beautiful in a sophisticated way, her skin glowing with health. In addition, she was spoiled, conceited, and used to getting her wish.

By the moon goddess, I would gladly give up all the sophistication in this world to have my partner, who was like a diamond in the rough.

As if she genuinely cared about me, Alexis followed me. She sank onto the couch beside me, staring at me.

"What's wrong, Alpha?"

"Leave me the hell alone."

She sighed. "I want to congratulate you again, but I have even better news."

"I'm not in the mood for this Alexis."

"Oh, come on," she rolled her eyes playfully. "How come you get all suspicious when I have good news?"

"As far as I can recall, you slept with me against my will and spiked my drink."

She pretended to be hurt, but it vanished as fast as it appeared. "Well, given that I am expecting a baby, I suppose that is a blessing in disguise. We are going to become parents!"

My eyes shot up, stunned beyond words. It felt like my brain had stopped functioning for a few seconds.

"What did you just say?"

"You heard me," she chuckled, rubbing her belly.

"Please stop if this is a joke. There is absolutely no chance in hell that I am that child's father."

Alexis's mouth dropped open in dismay. Then she looked like she was going to cry. "I can't believe you would think so low of me!"

"Cut it out. There is a lot to process here, I said irritably. "You cannot suddenly show up and force a pregnancy on me."

She sneered, "You fucked me, Alpha." "This child is yours, and I expect you to acknowledge that." We need to raise our child, so even though I know you do not love me, I'm moving into the pack house.