Chasing His Ex-Mate

XIMENA POV

My heartbeat was drumming loudly in my ears and before I could say jack, I felt my wolf stir up with delight, she was purring loudly and wagging her tail with delight.

I had never been this happy in my entire life and my feet began walking, my tempo increasing with each step I took.

My legs had a mind of their own, my heart was experiencing bliss of a lifetime and my brain was swelling with so much joy even though I didn't know what was happening to me.

The joy was unexplainable but it was real, it was mine and I felt the burden of years being lifted from my shoulders.

"What's wrong with her?"

"Why is this cursed being here?"

"She brings bad omen..."

Not the harsh words of people stopped me from running, the scent I was tracing growing thicker with each second that passed.

I made my way to the market where hundreds of people were, and like one in trance, I began pushing my way through the crowd, I heard lots of people curse at me.

It felt like there was this great prize which the crowd surrounded and the prize was mine. The feeling was bigger than winning a million dollars, it was better.

My world lit up and the sunny day added to my delight. After pushing my way to the front where the most handsome and gorgeous person to ever walk on the earth stood, I froze.

I felt paralyzed for a moment with how magnificent and powerful he was, his aura was to die for and I felt myself instantly attracted to him like I've known him for hundreds of years.

For a moment we shared something... Sweet, sensual, beautiful, our souls were joined, there was this great flame burning inside of me and the more I stared, it increased.

"MATE" With great joy, the words slipped out of my mouth, a big smile on my face as I stared at my mate, the man I had waited for my entire life, THE ALPHA.

Alpha Alvaro's face had a big smile before but now staring at me, it felt like I was with another person entirely.

"I reject you as my mate and Luna of the pack!" Alpha Alvaro announced, causing the once silent market square to explode with gasps of shock.

It felt unreal and I heard my heart shattering into a billion pieces. My face changed instantly and I became aware of my environment, my racing heart slowed down and increased almost immediately.

"No... No..."

One minute, I was thrilled to know the Alpha was my mate, I had bravely pushed my way through the crowd just to be before him and the next my fated mate rejected me easily without a blink.

In his disregard and indifference, the hidden haughty disdain in his eyes pierced through my soul as I felt my heart sink into my stomach.

"Alpha..."

"You're not qualified to be my mate..." His sharp words didn't hesitate to slice my heart, I was still trying to recover from the nerve wrecking coldness that came my way.

He seemed impatient, looking at me in bored dislike. He looked disgusted and had this disappointed gaze, like he had been wronged by the moon goddess for mating us. I felt like a failure before him.

A deep sense of despair overwhelmed me because the person I had waited for for 23 years just rejected me like I was nothing.

It was so great that I staggered back, the shred of dignity left in me holding me back from falling to the ground weakly.

"You can never be my Luna, you disgust me." His harsh voice cut through my heart, his words were little but they were the sharpest object in the world.

"Why..."

"How dare you question me! You lowly omega!" He thundered, making almost everyone shiver with shock but it still wasn't enough to make me back down.

The crowd were murmuring words to themselves, staring at me with disbelief as to where I got the boldness to exchange words with our Alpha.

"Because you're nothing! You're cursed, this is some mistake, the goddess would never make you my mate." With these words, I felt the bond severing. It felt like an arrow followed the broken bond with a searing pain all over me, slumping me on the ground but was nothing compared to the dull ache from the bottom of my heart.

"Bu...But..." I paused, trying to get the words out of my mouth as tears streamed down my cheeks.

"You said you'd love your mate and make her the envy of the world..." I muttered, recalling the words he'd said clearly to the whole pack. He had stood in front of the thousands of pack members and said the words compassionately.

When he'd said it, he made it seem like he'd accept anyone the moon goddess gave him and that fate was all that mattered, but now that I was before him, this pain in my heart, I realised I could have never been more wrong.

"You're not worthy of being called my mate." He told me, coldly. He didn't even care that I would never recover from whatever was happening right now. Did he really hate me this much? I felt my heart clench even more at this.

"You vowed to cherish her forever..." I sounded like a desperate and stupid high schooler begging to be accepted. I was shamelessly pleading for him to accept me.

"We..." I moved forward, trying to grab his arm, hoping he'd reconsider but to my horror, a hot slap across my face, causing me to stagger as I felt my vision go blurry for a short period.

A few laughter followed but I was more concerned about myself, my breathing was ragged as tears rolled down like a flood.

I did my best to remain on my feet, but my body failed me as I felt my legs give way, causing me to fall to my knees, the tears gushing out as I sobbed like a fool. I was foolishly in love with someone I had just met one on one today.

I was stripped of my dignity in front of the whole pack and they were all staring at me with pity, disdain, anger and contempt. As I bit my lips, I looked from the corner of my eyes and I could see some of the maidens stare at me mockingly.

I was sure their thoughts ran along the lines of "It'd been so peaceful when he hadn't found his mate, why'd she have to ruin it?"

"Sparks can be felt with anybody, grow up, this isn't a fairytale, it's reality and it's high time you get it into your empty small skull that I can never be with you, not now, not in the next life to come." He continued and I began panting heavily.

"Even in your dreams, you can't be with me, don't be foolish, I'm an Alpha, do you think I'd stoop low and be with someone like you?" He burst into laughter, mocking me.

I had been exposed to all brutalities but never have I been brutally rejected by the very person who was supposed to be my soulmate.

He walked out without sparing a glance at me, my brown eyes turning red with so much agony at the thought of having a mate who didn't give a shit about me.

My wolf struggled with the pain. Unlike me, she couldn't maintain any calm as the pain was overwhelming her, she was maimed for life, immediately I felt the severing of the bond, I felt her retreating into darkness.

"This isn't you... You were never cold... You vowed..." I sobbed uncontrollably, my palms wet with tears.

More than half of the entire pack were staring at me, they were thrilled and mesmerised.

I was left soulless and empty, my heart longing for nothing more than peace and rest. After sobbing for more than five minutes, weakly, o stood up, my heavy legs began retracing their steps back to the house.

Back to tell my whole family who had seen me dash out that I had just been rejected by my mate and I would forever live my life in misery and pain.

"What does she think she is? Why would the Alpha choose her?"

"The nerves of an omega..."

"She wants to inflict the alpha with her bad luck..."

"She's trying to destroy the pack at this crucial time..."

Initially my future had been unclear, rough and somewhat uncertain but now it was nothing, I had no future... other than the life of mockery and shame that awaited me from this.

"Would I spend the rest of my life working for peanuts just to pay my family debt or cater for us?" The question was too big to be spoken.

A female child was always the hope of the family because after marriage, she'd extend a helping hand to her parents but my case was different.

I was supposed to be the hope of my family... In a pack where the weak never made it to the top and where the strong oppressed the weak.

I was the miserable liability of the family with failed relationships, not worthy of being a chosen mate of a fellow omega and the rejected one of the pack.

"What will I do? Why must I return home to disappoint my parents whose eyes would be filled with despair knowing that I'm hopeless?"

Life is already miserable because day in and out I was constantly bullied, in the presence and absence of my parents, I was an object of ridicule among my peers who were all mated and a few had families of their own.

My mate had been the only hope of my family, my life and now, he was... My heart clenched even tighter.

While all these plagued my mind, there was still one huge thought... "Who would be his chosen mate now that he had rejected me?"

Alvaro

"Check the daughters of the nobles and see who has a lot of connection and power. I want someone powerful, then announce to the pack that I have found my Luna." I ordered my Beta immediately he entered my office and he froze, his eyes widening with shock.

I had been sitting in one position for more than fifteen minutes, the scene at the market still playing in my head because I was still in shock.

I'd have the same reaction too if I hadn't experienced the mind wrecking moment in the market.

"What! Chosen mate? Alvaro... You swore you'd never take a chosen mate while your mate was still alive... You swore you'd wait for an eternity to find your mate..." Each word sent daggers through my heart, the last time I felt such pain was a year ago .

"Alpha, what's wrong?" Dhruv, my Beta and best friend asked, he could see the huge gloom in my eyes.

"Are you okay Alpha? Is there a problem... Did you receive any threat again?" He asked and I shook my head without a word.

"I'm fine..." I said, sounding very confident.

"But you went to the market to address the people concerning the attacks." He reminded and I sighed heavily.

"I can't wait anymore, it's best to choose someone powerful." I lied and he shook his head.

"This isn't adding up, Alpha Alvaro. Why the sudden change? Something has changed." He pointed out with confusion and I slammed my hands on the table out of anger.

I felt angry with myself, with the goddess, with everything. I was regretting ever waiting for my mate when I could've chosen a mate since.

My wolf wasn't able to say or do anything because I had silenced him, ever since he discovered she was our mate, he wanted to be with her, he fell in love with her and I'd be damn honest, there's nothing not to love about her but she was an omega, not just any type, her family were the lowest omega in the pack and their origin isn't from this pack, there are so many mysteries surrounding them.

I was forced to make a drastic decision in the market, choosing between myself and the pack. I did what any Alpha would do.

"Alvaro..."

"I found my mate." I muttered and his eyes lit up with great joy, he was ready to start dancing.

"She's an omega, I rejected her. She can't be my mate... The pack is under attack and we need all the help we can get, she's an omega, she has nothing to her name, I can't put her in charge of the pack, the elders wouldn't accept..."

"You rejected her? You rejected the woman you waited for your entire life?" Dhruv was shocked and I collapsed on the chair, his words hitting very hard, it felt like a blow had been thrown at my jaw.

"There's nothing I can do." I replied helplessly and he shook his head vigorously.

"No, there's a lot you can do..." Dhruv was displeased but I slammed my fist on the tables.

"The deed is done! There's nothing I can do! Would you have me accept that omega as my mate and risk destroying my pack for my selfish desires? I can barely control the whole pack, the elders are still having two thoughts about me and you want me to accept her?" I thundered and he went silent.

"Instruct the guard to send a nurse to the house of the omega, don't disclose who it's from." I ordered and he raised a brow.

"What's wrong? What happened at the market? Are you alright? You just rejected the woman you vowed to love, you vowed to give her the whole world... Can you please talk to me?" Dhruv was worried but I just shrugged, my face expressionless.

"Alpha! There's been an attack again!" A guard announced as he rushed inside, terror and fright written all over him.

I went into depression mode immediately, ever since the death of my father, the previous Alpha, the pack has moved from one attack to another, all my people living in fear.

Never for once have I been able to sleep peacefully and today what was supposed to be a motivation for them to be strong and trust in me turned into a disaster.

Honestly I was bothered, what would they take me for? Would they see me as a person who doesn't keep his words? Damn, this is so terrifying.

I stood up immediately, my heart beating very fast. "Those damned rogues!" I gritted out with anger. My wolf stirred at the thought of his people being under attack, he was filled with anger, pain and fear.

This was my greatest fear, waking up one day to hear that my people were getting attacked or killed.

"Tell me everything!" I barked, forgetting about everything, my whole attention was focused on my people now.

"At the mountains, a group of wolves were attacked when they went hunting... Not just that, a feral wolf entered the market and killed a few omegas." He explained, breathing very hard and my fists were clenched as a chill went down my spine.

"The market?" I asked, just to be very sure and he nodded, making me breathe heavily as dread filled my heart. Adrenaline began flowing in my head and I had to hold the chair for a second, trying to gather myself together as one thought filled my mind.

"Send all the guards to the market! I want that wolf caught, alert the clinic too, I want all of them rescued, none is allowed to die!" I barked, my heart racing tremendously because all I could think of was one person.

"Alpha... What's wrong?" Dhruv asked with concern as he noticed the change, I could barely feel my restless heart.

"I'm fine, get me the list of girls eligible, I want someone highly connected and very powerful, it's high time we stop all these attacks!" I instructed as I began walking outside hurriedly and he followed me.

"Alpha... I'll go to the market, you shouldn't be anywhere close to the place, this could be a plot to capture you..." Dhruv warned and I scoffed.

"Alpha..."

"I don't give a fuck if I get captured! I'd rather be captured and killed than for any harm to come to her! My damned mate is in that market and heads would roll if the slightest thing happens to her..." I thundered with great seriousness and he let go.

XIMENA POV...

"A mate was meant to be your soulmate chosen by the goddess to be your life's partner, the one person whose soul fits with yours, you get merged together to form one, the one person whom the goddess deems fit to entrust your entire life with." These were the words of mother.

"To us wolves, a mate is believed to be the turning point of your life, the one person who has the power to elevate your life, the one who brightens up your sad and miserable life, the one person who completes your soul."

The more I remembered her words, the more unbearable the pain gnawing my heart was.

With shame, I made my way to the house where the whole family was waiting for me.

They stared at me expectantly, their faces filled with joy, I could see the bright glow on the face of my mother, father was glancing at me with pride.

My brothers weren't left out, they couldn't wait for me to share the good news, and I felt torn between telling the truth and lying to keep them safe.

The lump in my throat bobbed and it felt like my throat was about to be slit, the same way my heart had just been slit.

I trembled with agony, my aura dimming the excitement in the air. Happiness seemed so far away.

I'm a 23 year old omega, the daughter of the lowest ranking omegas in the park, everyone in the pack who were my age and younger had found their mates at the age of 18 and 19 but I was different.

I had found my wolf at the age of 19 and year after year, my whole family had been disappointed as they waited for me to find my mate.

I come from a family of five with two brothers who were working their ass off not only to meet up with the standards of life but to make something out of themselves because they also had mates to cater for and a family to start in the future.

Goddess knew if there was a person I could lie against, I'd have done it instantly without thinking. I had dashed out of the house while sniffing and everyone knew that was a sign of getting your mate.

Now I was beginning to regret why the goddess had given me my mate now... I was regretting leaving the house, I was regretting all the nights I had spent crying and pleading for a mate.

I was disappointed but it wasn't close to the pain of rejection that was throbbing in my heart.

The more I thought about it, the more it hurt. "Tell us honey... Who is your mate?" Mom's excited voice rang out. I doubt she was this excited when my brothers found their mate.

"Don't be shy... Who is he?" Dad added, a grin on his face, they were standing, their faces filled with joy while anticipating.

"Is he an omega? Is he a guard? Is he a dignitary?"

"We aren't discriminating, whatever rank he's in, we are willing to accept him..." Hearing this from my brother almost made tears run down my cheeks.

My eyes were teary now. I felt like breaking into numerous pieces before them but oddly, I wasn't.

"..." I opened my mouth to talk but all that could escape was a light sob. I didn't have the heart to break theirs, or disappoint them.

I knew Dad's shoulders would slump back and mother's glow would disappear while my brothers would try to cheer me up and encourage me even though deep down they'd be sad for me.

"Tell us honey... Don't make us wait for too long, we've waited so long for this and finally the great day has come..." Mom muttered and dad laughed heartily.

I could see my brother's mate staring at me with anticipation too. Aarav and Kushim, my brothers, were beginning to notice my dark countenance now and their faces changed.

"What's wrong? Were you hurt? Who is he? What did he do to you?" They asked, ready to kill for my sake and it only broke my heart even more.

I felt myself plunging deeper into sadness. "No... I..." I was gathering words.

"You can tell us anything... We won't judge, we will accept him as long as he loves you... It doesn't matter if he's a low omega like us too..." Mom grabbed my hands now, staring at me gently and it was the last straw.

The tears trickled down, the tears I had been trying so hard to hold just trickled down my cheeks. Everything is hard. I can't break their hearts, I'd rather die than take away the glow in mom's eyes.

"You don't need to be ashamed... You're fortunate to have a mate, it's better than having nothing and being the isolated one of the pack" Aarav pointed out and it felt like a knife had been thrown on my chest.

His words stung, the fate waiting for me was worse than death. I'd be stigmatised, deserted by the pack, I'd be a force that is being driven by the wind, I'd be a feral wolf with my family stopping me from being in the mountains.

"It..." I was about to speak when our neighbour interrupted.

"Did you hear the news? Is it true, you've found your mate?" Our neighbour nosy demanded, popping her head through the door, her attention shifted from what she wanted to discuss to me the moment she set her eyes on me.

"Is the news about the fight?" Dad asked, everyone's attention shifted to her and I sighed heavily. The goddess knew I was extremely grateful for this distraction but I knew it wouldn't last for long.

"The Alpha just rejected his mate, she's some silly omega he slapped in the market..." She announced, laughing softly and they all gasped.

"Wow, at last he found his mate... Ximena here too found hers today..." Mother's voice was filled with delight.

"He's an Alpha, being with an Omega only ruins his image, poor girl, thinking she could be fortunate to be with him. I heard he is going to get a chosen mate from the gamma family if I'm not mistaken." She announced and I began panting heavily.

Gasps rang out in the air but I began breathing heavily, the air was closing in on me, there wasn't enough breath, I felt like I was being sucked into a vacuum.

Not my nemesis... The gamma's daughters have always been my number one bullies in the park... They instigated the whole girls against me and were the first to call me CURSED...

I felt myself get drawn into complete darkness, I couldn't feel anything, except pain and agony. I felt numb, empty and exhausted but I felt something else.

I felt myself running, running very fast, away from the pain, away from everything, people, my family... The pack.

It felt like I was under the influence of anaesthesia, it felt unreal yet so real, I was running for my dear life, heading to a very familiar but dark place.

"No! Stop! Please! Come back!" I heard a voice mindlink to me, I could hear growls behind me, pleading too but there was no stopping now.

"Ximena, darling please stop running, let's talk..."

"What's wrong..."

"Please don't... Don't do it!" I heard the distant voices of my brother but it only made me run even faster.