Oops! Still Your Mate

The hall went silent, waiting for the Alpha to speak up. They could vaguely sense the reason for the meeting and they had braced their minds for what was to come.

Alpha Zeke cleared his throat. The crowd tensed up. Dozens of ears perked up, every gaze shifting between the towering Alpha and the woman standing before him. Her auburn hair cascaded in waves down her back, her chin raised in quiet defiance.

"I, Alpha Zeke of the Bloodcraw pack, reject you Ivy Hale as my mate"

The words fell like a stone into still water.

All eyes turned to her, some with pity, others with disdain and most with curiosity. They knew what would happen next, the pleas, the cries and when the Alpha remains unmoved, she would reluctantly accept the rejection. That's what they all do.

What they did not expect was her reaction.

She went silent. And then she blinked.

Once.

Twice. And smiled - the kind that tug at her lips in amusement.

A ripple of unease swept through the hall, it wasn't supposed to be this way. The pleas and cries should have started.

She wasn't supposed to smile.

The smile still tugging at her lips, she took a step forward.

Then another till she was standing before him.

"I, Ivy Hale, do not accept your rejection" The smile grew wider.

A beat passed allowing her words to sink in. Gasps echoed across the hall. Whispers burst like sparks in dry air.

What the hell just happened? Was the question on everyone's lips. They had seen many rejections but no one like this.

Where the female refuses to accept the rejection? It's unheard of.

"What do you mean?" Zeke's voice restored silence to the hall.

She took a step closer, almost pressing against the Alpha.

"You can't just reject me right?" She tilted her head to get a clearer view of his face - eyes gleaming with mischief "I mean, I didn't accept the rejection so I'm technically still your mate right?"

His nostril flared. "Do you think this is a game?"

"You make it look like one" She retorted "Rejecting me in front of everyone like it's a choice. I'm sorry but I don't know how to take rejection"

"Then learn! You should accept it " He muttered, his eyes turning cold.

"Well" She drawled "I won't. So I guess you would be seeing me around often now... Mate" She smiled sweetly earning a chuckle from the crowd.

His jaw twitched - barely but enough for her to notice and it only served to widen her grin.

Zeke narrowed his eyes at her and turned to walk away as he could feel his patience thinning away.

"Guess you are stuck with me now, Stoneheart" She whispered under her breath but she knew he heard it. In the way his shoulders tensed. Probably through the mate bond.

The meeting dispersed in quiet murmurs, the pack did not know whether to laugh, cry, gossip or hide. They had never seen anyone defy an Alpha before and especially not that Alpha.

Zeke didn't look back once. He walked out of the hall with rigid precision, but inside his wolf was pacing.

Her words rang in his head "I don't accept your rejection" What did she mean by that?

No one dared defy him. No one. Not his warriors, not even his council and certainly not his supposed mate.

He had clearly rejected her but why did he still hear her jumbled thoughts through the mate link?

By the time he returned to his chambers, the sun had dipped low - hiding beyond the trees, casting red streaks of light on the wall.

He shut the door behind him, exhaled slowly and loosened the cuffs of his shirt.

He needed silence. Control. Order.

Instead...

A voice purred behind him. "Nice place Stoneheart. Needs a touch of color though"

Zeke froze.

He turned sharply, eyes narrowing and there she was - on his bed. Lying across it like she owned the damn thing, her auburn air spread across his pillow, one leg dangling by the side.

For a moment, his mind blanked. Then his voice low and dangerous.

"What. Are. You. Doing. Here?"

"Where?" She raised her head slightly.

"Don't play with me" He growled.

"Oh" She smiled innocently. "You mean on our bed. I'm just making myself comfortable, you know after the rejection stuff, my wolf craved warmth" She blinked her eyes rapidly.

Zeke's eyes widened slightly and then with a slight edge in his voice "Get out"

"No" She said, patting beside her on the bed "Come on, stop looking at me like that. You're acting like I bit your favorite shoe"

Zeke's hands curled into fists at his side. His patience was fraying "This isn't a joke"

"Who said it was? I was just testing your theory" She propped herself up on one elbow. "If I'm rejected, why does my wolf still feel this bond humming when you walk in, and why?" Her lips curved, eyes gleaming with mischief. "Why do your shoulder tense anytime I say your name or when I'm around you"

His muscles went rigid. For a moment, silence filled the space, thick and charged.

"Careful" He said lowly "You're testing more that a theory, Ivy"

"I know, makes it more fun, don't you think?"

For a moment, they held each other's gaze - the playful defiance in her eyes, the restrained fury in his and then Zeke took a slow step forward. She didn't flinch.

He leaned closer, his voice a warning rumble "You think you can play games with an Alpha?"

"I don't play games" She whispered "I win them"

He exhaled sharply, turning away before his control snapped.

"Get out, Ivy" He muttered, running a hand through his hair.

She slipped off the bed, her movements languid and teasing "Fine, but don't miss me too much Stoneheart"

She walked past him, brushing his arms lightly - just enough to make his wolf growl in his chest.

When the door shut behind her, he stood there for a long moment, jaw clenched, pulse unsteady.

What had he gotten himself into?

"Girl, you're trending all over the pack" Tessa shrieked from behind Ivy.

"Hmm" Ivy grunted as she placed a berry into her mouth but Tessa was not stopping.

"Don't 'hmm' me! You defied an Alpha, Alpha Zeke at that! Do you know how insane that is? people are calling you the brave fool of the century. You were so cool Ivy " She muttered, sinking into a chair before placing her tray of food on the table.

"What do you mean defy? I just rejected his rejection" Ivy defended.

"Well, no one else has" Tessa teased, twirling a spoon between her fingers.

Before Ivy could retort, a deep baritone voice called out "Luna".

The girls turned. Lucas, Zeke's beta stood before them, a huge grin plastered on his face and that boyish glint in his eyes.

"That's funny" Ivy let out a forced chuckle.

"What's funny?" Lucas smiled, sliding into the seat beside her without invitation.

"Calling her your Luna when your Alpha clearly rejected her" Tessa fired.

"Well" Lucas said, shrugging with mock seriousness. "She refused, the first in history".

"Anyway" He drawled "I'm here to plead with you to teach me how to do that"

"Do what?" Ivy raised an eyebrow.

"Defy Zeke and still stay alive" Lucas replied.

"What do you mean? Y'all act like he's the boogeyman" Ivy laughed.

Lucas leaned in. "He kind of is, especially at mornings"

"Speaking of the grumpy devil" Lucas murmured and Ivy turned her head towards the entrance of the canteen.

There he was. Alpha Zeke. Stoneheart. Standing like he owned the place - which technically he did. His presence silenced the canteen. His eyes swept through the canteen and landed on their table and she froze momentarily but she could see he wasn't looking at her. Instead he was glaring at Lucas.

"Good morning, grumpy devil" She raised her cup in greeting which successfully drew the Alpha's eyes to her but only for a moment before returning to Lucas.

"Gotta go, Luna" He whispered and Ivy let out a small smile. When Lucas walked up to Zeke, he glanced at her briefly before he walked out of the door.

"What were you doing with her?" Zeke asked immediately they left the canteen.

"Ehm..." Lucas smiled sheepishly.

"Planning on how to dethrone me?" Zeke threw a glance his way.

Lucas choked. "Of course not, Alpha. You're very... Undethroneable"

Zeke said nothing. He pushed open the door to his private training room, stripped off his shirt and began his routine. The sound of his fists hitting the sandbag echoed like thunder in the silent hall.

Sweat beaded down his temples, muscles coiling and uncoiling with each blow. His mind, however, wasn't on the training. It was on her.

The defiance in her eyes.

The spark she carried.

The bond that refuses to break.

He slammed a final punch and picked up a bottle of water.

"I need to make her accept the rejection" He finally speaks up.

"It's of no use, you know she won't agree" Lucas sighed.

Zeke's eyes hardened. Voice flat and final "I will make her"

***

"Grandma," Ivy called, stepping into the warm, herb-scented cottage. Dried wolfsbane and lavender hung from the ceiling, swaying softly with the evening breeze.

"Ivy," her grandmother's voice came from the kitchen, shaky yet affectionate. "Come here, my stubborn child."

Ivy smiled, padding in barefoot and leaning on the counter. "You heard?"

Her grandmother paused mid-stir. "The entire pack heard, darling. You made history."

Ivy's grin widened. "History sounds nice. Has a good ring to it, don't you think?"

Her grandmother sighed, placing a steaming bowl of stew on the counter. "History is not always something to be proud of, Ivy Hale."

Ivy frowned, picking up a spoon. "You're not about to start on the 'respect the Alpha' talk, are you? Because I... "

"Because you what?" her grandmother cut in, her eyes soft but shadowed. "Because you believe the Moon Goddess makes no mistakes?"

Ivy blinked, unsure how to respond. "Well... yeah. If she chose me for him, then she chose right. I'm not just going to let him walk away because his ego is allergic to emotions."

Her grandmother's lips twitched - a sad smile, more weary than amused. "Child, some bonds are meant to be lessons, not destinies."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means sometimes, love isn't meant to bloom. Sometimes, the Moon binds two souls so that one may learn what strength is... and the other may learn what mercy feels like."

Ivy crossed her arms. "That sounds like something you tell a widow at a funeral."

Her grandmother chuckled softly. "Maybe it is. But, Ivy, please... consider accepting his rejection. You don't know the kind of pain that bond can bring if it was never meant to be."

Ivy stared at her grandmother, surprised by the hint of desperation in her voice. "You're talking like I'll explode if I don't."

The old woman's eyes flickered briefly - something heavy, guilt-ridden, and sad flashed there before she masked it with a forced smile. "I'm just worried for you, my dear. Alpha Zeke's bloodline... carries history you do not understand."

"Well, lucky me," Ivy said with a wry grin, breaking the tension. "I'm very good at rewriting history."

Her grandmother didn't smile this time. She reached across the table, taking Ivy's hand in hers. "Please, child. Don't push him too far. There are things better left in the past."

For the first time that evening, Ivy felt something stir in her chest - confusion, curiosity, and a faint prickle of unease. But instead of letting it show, she rolled her eyes and laughed softly.

"Relax, Grandma. What's the worst that could happen?"

The silence that followed was too long, too still. Then her grandmother whispered - barely audible -

"You have no idea."

***

Night had fallen.

Ivy walked back through the pack house corridor, the moonlight spilling through the tall windows like silver silk. She was passing by Zeke's chamber when she heard voices.

"... You don't have to keep following their instructions" Ivy froze on her steps before pressing her ears against the door. She could recognize that voice. It was Lucas.

"You know she's not the problem, you don't have..."

"Enough" Zeke thundered. "It's my duty"

"Zeke, it's not your duty. Let the past die, don't allow anyone dictate..."

"I said it's enough! you don't seem to understand"

There was the sound of a chair scraping, heavy footsteps approaching. Ivy's eyes widened - she barely had time to step back before the door flung open.

Zeke stood there, chest bare, breath still sharp from anger and training. His gaze landed on her immediately.

"Going so far as to stalk me now?" he asked, brow raised.

"You flatter yourself, Stoneheart," Ivy said with a nervous chuckle. "I was just passing by."

"I hope so" His tone was clipped as his eyes raked over her briefly - not lustfully, but as if assessing a threat - before he walked past her.

Lucas lingered long enough to flash a small, apologetic smile "Goodnight Luna" He whispered and followed after him.

Ivy stood there in the moonlit hallway, her heart thudding against her ribs.

Something about what she'd heard - about instructions and the past - made her stomach twist.

"What are you hiding Stoneheart?" She murmured under her breath.

Then from somewhere deep inside the pack house, a distant howl tore through the night - long, mournful, and ancient.

It made the hair on Ivy's neck rise.

She didn't know why, but her grandmother's words echoed again in her mind.

"Some bonds are meant to be lessons, not destinies"

And now, she wasn't too sure which one she was meant to be.

The morning was too bright, too bright for her mood. The morning air was crisp and the warm light filtered in though the wooden window.

The resounding knocks on the door woke her up and she let out a tired yawn.

"Come in," She replied, still half-asleep.

The door burst open and Tessa walked in, sunshine and chaos.

"Still in bed?" She asked, plopping beside her with a grin that could light up the entire room.

"What made you so happy this morning?" Ivy raised an eyebrow, her voice muffled as she buried her face in her pillow.

"You" Tessa pointed at her.

"Me?" Ivy yawned again, unimpressed

"Tired?" Tessa said, a teasing smile playing on her lips.

"You're acting weird today" Ivy observed.

"I saw you last night" Tessa smiled.

"Where?" Ivy's sleepy eyes peeled open

"With... Your Alpha" Tessa teased and Ivy chuckled.

Ivy groaned, throwing a pillow at her. "I was just passing by!"

"I know" Tessa sang, dodging the pillow.

"Crazy girl! What on earth are you thinking?"

"Hey, I'm innocent" Tessa raised her hands in mock surrender.

Ivy yawned for the third time and pushed herself up on the bed to a sitting posture.

"An uninformed person will think you stayed up all night playing" Tessa chuckled.

"You're annoying" Ivy smiled and stood up walking into the bathroom.

By the time Ivy returned from the bathroom, her hair still damp and her eyes more awake, Tessa was picking berries from a bowl on the table.

"You missed dinner" Tessa stated, matter of factly.

"I'm not yet hungry but I would catch a plate at Grandmother's" Ivy said, slipping into her jacket.

A knock on the door made them jump.

"Come in" Ivy called after a moment.

A soldier walked in and gave a small bow.

"I think Zeke is the only one rejecting you at this point" Tessa whispered.

"The Alpha summons you to his office" The soldier said.

"Wow, interesting" Ivy let out a small smile and nodded at the soldier who slowly retreated away.

"I gotta go" Ivy said.

"Go attend to his needs" Tessa pushed her lightly, her tone implying something else entirely.

"I don't know what to do with you" Ivy face-palmed.

"I love you too" Tessa chuckled and pushed the door open, giving her a mock bow and walking out of the room.

Alone, Ivy let out a sigh and ran her fingers over her hair, trying to arrange it properly before giving up and tying it into a high ponytail.

She left her quarters, the corridors quiet but for the echo of her steps. Guards along the hallway bowed slightly, and she nodded back before pushing open Zeke's office door

"Miss me already Stoneheart" She casually flung herself onto his couch.

"You've been assigned to assist Mika at the greenhouse" Zeke instructed, not raising his head from the papers spread across the table.

"You should have told me to get you flowers. How romantic!" Her voice sounded, a cutting edge in it.

"You can leave now" He said, his tone clipped and final

"What? You can't be serious" It finally dawned on her that he wasn't joking.

"You thought I was playing around?" He asked, eyes finally lifting to meet hers - cold, unreadable and far more intense.

"Oh Stoneheart. You can't do this to me right? I'm your mate after all" She groaned standing up. She walked up to him and grabbed his hands, swinging it about teasingly.

Zeke pulled his hands away and looked down at her "Come on, the plants won't water themselves" He said, lips twitching slightly in amusement.

"You're really heartless" Ivy straightened up, her hands on her waist.

Zeke's eyes softened for the briefest moment - too quick for her to catch - before he returned to his papers.

Ivy sighed softly and turned on her heels, walking out of the office.

"Ivy" He called when she reached the door.

She turned, arching a brow.

"Don't start a fire there"

She smiled sweetly. "Can't promise that" She replied, tossing a wink at him as she walked out of the office.

***

The greenhouse smelled of earth and rain. Sunlight poured in through the glass panes, falling on rows of flowers, herbs and vines that shimmered with dew.

Mika stood at the far end, watering lillies. Her silver hair caught the light, her posture graceful and wise.

"Hi Ivy" She didn't realize when the woman walked up to her.

"Heh... Hello Mika" She let out a small smile.

"You're early"

"Wasn't exactly given a choice" Ivy rolled her eyes.

Mika chuckled. "You never are, dear"

"Your plants are beautiful" She commented.

"Yeah, they are" Mika replied with a soft tenderness that could easily be missed.

Ivy's fingers brushed past the roses beside her and their petals shone with a blinding light.

Ivy stepped back "Does it always react like this?"

"No, this is the first time" Mika said, her eyebrows furrowed into a mild frown.

"I guess they like me" Ivy chuckled nervously.

"Hmm" Mika nodded. "You can say that" Her eyes shone with unsaid words.

"You're always here, it's not just the beauty of the plants right?" Ivy asked.

"Plants don't talk, I love my peace" She replied, filling the water can with water.

"I will try not to" Ivy replied and Mika laughed.

"There are things you're incapable of" Mika chuckled. "Don't lie to yourself child, I heard your stories" She added and Ivy let out a small sigh, rubbing the back of her neck.

"I'm not how the stories put me to be" She tried clarifying.

"We would get to know that soon enough" Mika smiled. "Come on" She patted her back "Those seeds won't plant themselves" Ivy nodded and picked up a bowl of seeds walking away.

Mika stayed behind, her eyes flickering between Ivy and the dark roses which had just shone blindly a moment ago.