Chapter 4 Mate- part 1

POV: SAINT

It's Sunday, and since we didn't have much to unpack, we finished that task yesterday. The house felt eerily quiet. My mom tends to be a woman of few words; sometimes, she just drifts off into her own memories, gazing at old photographs. I've come to realize that sometimes people simply need their space. All in all, it turned into a rather dull day for me.

Feeling restless, I decided to explore the apartment grounds and take in the surroundings. I wanted to make a new friend, but knocking on people's doors here felt a bit too awkward.

"You're weird," my wolf Alex piped up. in.

"Nice way to introduce yourself, Alex." The one thing you should know about him is that he has a knack for sarcasm and a razor-sharp tongue.

"We're now part of a new pack, New Moon. The initiation is tomorrow," I reminded him.

"I'm aware, pumpkin. You do realize I'm inside your head, right? Actually, I AM you," he replied with a smug tone.

"I get it, wise guy; I was just mentioning it," I retorted.

"I'm done talking to you," he said, shutting me out. What a jerk.

"Why are you staring so intently at the ground? Did it hurt your feelings?" a boy teased, observing me with amusement.

"Oh, not much... just me and my wolf," I replied, letting out an awkward chuckle.

"I can relate to that. I'm Mateo, by the way," he introduced himself. I took a moment to observe him. He had olive skin and dark hair, standing a bit taller than I did, and he looked quite young.

"I'm Saint; I just moved here," I said.

He chuckled softly. "I noticed! I saw you in the Beta's car on Friday. I came by bus," he mentioned.

"That makes sense. Which pack did you come from?" I asked, trying to steer the conversation in a different direction to avoid sounding foolish.

"I'm from the Blood Moon pack. Originally, I belonged to a pack in Mexico, but I didn't fit in, so I decided to move to Europe," he replied with a hint of sadness.

"May I ask why? Only if you're comfortable sharing," I said, not wanting to pry too much.

"It's alright. I was an outcast in my old pack because I'm... well, I'm gay," he said, carefully observing my reaction.

"No worries, I'm not homophobic. Love is love," I assured him, though I wasn't entirely sure about my own orientation-whether I was gay, straight, or bisexual.

"Most of my former pack members were homophobic. It would have been manageable if my parents weren't the same way," his demeanor shifted noticeably.

"I was just 16 and had to find my own way. The only job I could get was as a room attendant. The pay wasn't great, but there weren't many options for a 16-year-old."

"My big break came when a VVIP booked a stay, and I had to sign an NDA. That ended up giving me enough money to relocate here," he concluded.

"I'm truly sorry to hear that happened to you," I said, taking a step closer. After a brief pause, I added, "I apologize; I'm not really great at offering comfort or knowing what to say." I hoped he wouldn't hold it against me.

Mateo chuckled softly. "It's alright. That was eight years ago. Honestly, I've moved on. But enough about me-what brings you here?" he inquired.

"Omega issues. My pack is still clinging to outdated traditions," I explained.

"That's just foolish. Everyone deserves equal chances. Why restrict someone based on their secondary gender?" he responded. I had never wished to connect with someone as much as I did with him.

"Exactly! I heard this pack is different, so here I am. I came with my mom," I replied.

"Same here. Let's hope tomorrow goes smoothly," he said. I shared his hope.

«»«»«»«»«»«»«»

Monday arrived, and I felt a flutter of nerves. I couldn't help but wonder what the alpha would be like-and more importantly, how the pack members would be. If they were anything like the beta, I might be alright. If they were like grumpy Benard, then I would be praying to the moon goddess for their good moods.

Grumpy Benard had instructed us to gather outside at 10 in the morning so he could escort us to the training grounds to meet the Alpha. It was now 10 o'clock. Upon arriving at the training ground, we encountered the Beta, who asked us to wait a moment for the Alpha.

Alex was on edge. Despite my repeated inquiries, he remained tight-lipped about what was bothering him, claiming he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Are you alright? You seem a bit anxious," Mateo said, concern lacing his tone.

"I'm fine. Just feeling jittery about the new Alpha and the pack," I replied.

"Well, they seem friendly enough so far. It'll all work out," he reassured me, trying to calm my nerves. However, as time dragged on, Alex's restlessness only grew.

Then it struck me-the earthy, musky scent of fresh rain filled the air.

In walked the most stunning man I had ever laid eyes on. Mate, mate, mate, Alex chanted, bouncing around in excitement.

His piercing grey eyes locked onto mine, and I found myself mesmerized, unable to look away. We held our gaze until he leaned in to whisper something to the Beta before walking away. Confusion was evident on the Beta's face.

Had I just been rejected? He left without acknowledging me? Perhaps he was preoccupied with something important? But he had just found his mate-what could possibly be more significant than that?

My thoughts spiraled. The idea of rejection was unbearable. Alex whimpered at the mere thought. Was fate playing a cruel joke on me? The Alpha being my mate? Or had I misinterpreted everything? Yet, I was certain of the scent; it was unmistakable.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I barely registered what the Beta was saying. It wasn't until my mom nudged me that I snapped back to reality.

"The Beta has finished speaking, Saint. Are you okay? Were you even listening?" she asked, the worry evident in her voice.

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine," I replied, distracted.

"No, you clearly weren't," she insisted. "Are you alright, Saint? What's wrong?"

What should I do now? Should I tell her? But I haven't discussed this with the Alpha yet.

"I'll share it with you later, Mom, I promise. I just need to take care of something first, okay?" She nodded in understanding.

"Mateo, could you please accompany my mom to the apartment? I'll catch up with you both later. I have something to handle," I requested.

"Sure, but is everything alright?" he inquired with concern.

"Yeah, I just have a few things to sort out," I reassured them.

"Alright, come on, Mom." Mateo said, taking my mother's hand and guiding her outside.

I was completely at a loss about what to do next. This pack is so large, and I'm unfamiliar with the area; I have no idea where to find the Alpha. Chris! Yes, I should reach out to the Beta. I quickly headed outside after him.

"Could you do me a favor?" I asked him.