The Alpha's Hidden Mate.

Ariel Brent

It was high time I left.

The signs were everywhere. I had reached that point in my unlucky life.

I, Ariel Brent, despite living for twenty-two werewolf years, still wasn't capable of doing a lot of things. A lot. I didn't even own my freedom.

Maybe my heart would have ached a little if I wasn't staring at the screen of a withdrawing machine that boldly displayed my life savings.

I was proud of myself and even if no one else would feel the same, Esther would. My sister would never fail to celebrate my small wins and the amount of money that was being displayed on the screen of the withdrawal machine wasn't so small.

The sum of money was earned through hard work and when I eventually achieved my long-time dream of owning a diner, it became less hard to earn money. That was how I have been able to support my sister through the years since I owed my existence to Esther.

Half of my monthly earnings always went to her to show my gratitude and also support her in my little way.

The rest of the money; my savings; should be more than enough to get the life that I needed. A life that screamed independence and "far away from Esther's home!"

Don't get me wrong, I loved my sister. Who else would I have loved? Esther was the only living family I had left... Maybe they would be two if I considered Esther's child if he wasn't also the child of the man that disgusted the shit out of me.

Alpha Cole, the Alpha of our pack. He was the father of Kairo, my sister's four years old son. That prick was also my sister's mate which naturally made my sister the Luna Of the Shadow moon pack.

Maybe I should rephrase what I said earlier. It should have been "a life that screamed far away from the shadow moon pack".

If my plan runs smoothly, I would snatch Esther from the pack without thinking twice because she had suffered at the hands of Alpha Cole, who she loved dearly and adored.

Esther might hold the title of Luna in the pack but to her mate, she was more or less a housewife. He never ceases to scold her. I was certain Alpha Cole wasn't worthy of Esther and her kind of love.

I would persuade Esther to leave Alpha Cole when I have a good life and the ability to keep her safe. This could be achieved sooner than later if my plan falls through. But my so-called plan had a very low success rate due to a lot of factors.

The best way was to find a man... any man would do.

I just needed a man.

Mate or not.

The new rule of werewolves specifically restricted single female wolves. A law that stated that "no unmated female wolf is allowed to live alone without a man".

Yes, the plan would have been to move out of my twenty-eight-year-old sister's matrimonial home but I couldn't not if I wanted to remain a bonafide member of a pack and not if I valued my sanity. Breaking that law would make me a rogue and Esther would suffer with me because the werewolf law wasn't exactly kind to rogues and their families.

That's why I needed a man to mark me... as soon as possible... or should I say before the banquet.

My life might take a fast detour this evening at the banquet that Alpha Cole was holding.

"Make yourself beautiful for the unmated females' banquet tonight, Ariel, and don't be late. If you win the Alpha king's favor, then the pack won't have to pay that huge fine. Ariel, you know how to get the Alpha King's favor. Don't let me and your sister down."

That was how Alpha Cole started.

"If you fail, don't blame me for being cruel!"

Alpha Cole had gruffly and sternly snapped as he added that to his statement with red eyes. He quarreled with Esther again through the night and I was the reason for all the controversy.

I have been staying with him ever since Esther got mated to him and she had been taking care of me ever since we lost our parents.

Alpha Cole had zero tolerance for me and thought I was a burden who wasted his money. Although I have been paying my maintenance fee to Esther. Anyways, he was supposed to be family but had become one of my nightmares. But now... He believed he had found my worth.

He was planning to send me to the ruthless Alpha King because he had been fined to pay for his negligence towards the pack members that were attacked, killed, or taken away by aggressive rogues.

Esther wanted to keep me but I was fully aware that she would fail. I wouldn't sit still and let Alpha Cole send me to the Alpha King that had many dark rumors about him spreading through the moon howlers territory.

As I pocketed the cash I withdrew, fear gripped my heart and despite my positive nature, I worry about how I would find a man and how I would cope with any man I get. I needed a man but getting mated to a stranger wasn't pleasing or assuring.

"You just have to escape Alpha Cole's plans, Ariel. That's important."

I said to myself again and began strolling to my diner that was located on the neutral grounds. It wasn't the most famous on the neutral ground; some acres of land in between the six packs of The Moon Howlers Territory; but it was doing well... so much better than other aspects of my life if I must say.

"You can make the best of the day regardless of-"

"Are you speaking to yourself like always?"

A smile spread across my round face because I recognized the voice and its owner even before I sighted the affectionate face of the one that interrupted my soliloquizing moment. Talking to myself had become my solace since I haven't been able to wolf out like every other adult. Rather than feeling lonely, I speak to myself often to fill the gap.

I didn't sense the affectionate woman before she spoke to me because my werewolf senses were still at the average level... since I haven't wolfed out and gotten my wolf beast.

Not having my wolf beast meant, I wouldn't be able to find my mate. So whatever I had to do today, might not be fated. I could no longer wait for my wolf nor could I wait for my mate to come for me.

Mating a stranger was my best option.

"Regina! Good to see you!" I exclaimed and closed the distance between the old werewolf female and me.

Regina and I had a history and even though she was old enough to be my grandmother, she and I have been buddies since the incident that connected us. She had been sitting on one of the chairs outside my diner, waiting for me.

Sweet Regina.

"It's been like forever since I saw your bright face, Child." Regina commented and embraced me warmly.

"You saw me five days ago, Regina and we spoke over the phone some-"

My amused voice got stuck in my throat when my eyes shifted from the floor to a manly figure that was sitting in a corner. Regina tightened her hold on me but that wasn't what took my breath away, it was the appearance of the stranger in front of my diner that made me breathless.

He was dreamy with his black hair that was too long for a male. He was dreamy with his skin and the way he stared at me before and while he walked over to Regina and me, he could have set me ablaze and I wouldn't have noticed.

"Since you arrived later than scheduled, I had to-"

Regina stopped talking when she noticed that I wasn't responsive. She and I had arranged to meet today and we spoke on the phone some hours ago which was an avenue to tell her about my plans to get married.

"Oh. That's my grandson. Come closer, will you?"

The first part of her statement was directed to me while the second was to the man she referred to as her grandson. She didn't mention that she would be bringing her grandson to my diner when we spoke earlier.

"After we discussed, the perfect solution came to mind and I thought I should surprise you with him."

Regina uttered. Although I haven't been completely open to this sweet woman, not because I didn't trust her but because I didn't want to bother her with the sad details of my life, she still found a way for me.

She found me a man. An attractive man at that. Although he was still a stranger and from his silence, he couldn't be my mate, he was Regina's grandson. That should assure me that he would be nothing like Alpha Cole but I was still nervous and a bit terrified.

However, I lectured myself to not mess things up.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Ariel."

I said to the grandson of the woman that would do anything for me after the incident that brought us together. I seized the initiative to introduce myself however, Regina's grandson simply stared at me with indifference, or did I see something in his eyes?

I couldn't tell. His gaze was making me uncomfortable even more than his silence does. Regina came to my rescue by patting her grandson's upper arm and urged him to also introduce himself.

"Act like the gentle male wolf that you are. Introduce yourself to the lady."

Regina's words snapped her grandson out of whatever state he was and he cleared his throat before speaking coldly.

"Xavier. " He started, "I am the Alpha King's soldier."

Although his voice was gruff, the undefined emotion I noticed in his eyes earlier was still present. I stared at him and thought of how agitated Alpha Cole would be if the warrior of the man he wanted to send me to marks me before the banquet.

A moment of silence fell on us as we stood before my diner but soon Regina announced that she needed to get a few things in the closet shopping mart. I understood that she was trying to give her grandson and me some privacy.

After all, she wanted me to be her grandson's mate and despite my nervousness, I wouldn't want to lose him even if we weren't compatible. Compatibility wasn't my focus at the moment. Escaping Alpha Cole's plan was. I wouldn't be one of the many females he had sent to neighboring packs to cover up for his incompetence.

"You can come into the diner."

For some reason, I felt like I shouldn't call him by his name yet. His hazel eyes were still on me as he followed me into my diner, making it hard for me to steady my footsteps. The only cleaner I could afford had cleaned the diner so I offered Xavier a seat.

His name pleased me, weirdly.

I left him to get a glass of water for him behind the counter. By the time I returned, I met him clenching and unclenching his fist as he stared at me. Was there something on my face?

"Why would you want to marry a stranger rather than wait for your mate?" He raised a query as I placed the glass of water before him.

"I have no time. My mate hasn't shown up and-"

"So you will choose a stranger? What do you mean you don't have time?"

Xavier flared, confusing me. His hazel eyes changed to dark color all of a sudden. Showing that his wolf was surfacing. My fear of mating a stranger grew stronger and my hands began to shake so I placed the glass of water on the table.

"I might lose my identity soon if I don't get mated sooner. Why aren't you waiting for your mate?"

I did all I could to remain patient and calm with Xavier, tucking my fear in. Xavier didn't receive my response calmly and it was obvious that he was furious for reasons best known to him alone. While I waited for his reply and worked on hiding my uneasiness, Xavier's hand mistakenly knocked the glass of water off balance.

I quickly saved the glass from breaking and when I noticed that the splattered water was trickling over Xavier's trousers, my hand shot out instinctively to wipe his trouser and stop more water from wetting him.

My nice gesture was interrupted when Xavier suddenly rose from his seat and when my hand mistakenly touched his. I took back my hand as embarrassment coursed through me.

"Stop!"

Xavier spoke authoritatively and truth be told, he reminded me of Alpha Cole for a split moment.

"You don't have to marry me if you're not willing. Don't be influenced by Regina's wants. I'll find another man."

I voiced to the male before me, expecting that he would take his leave, but his taller frame sauntered towards me slowly. He made me back away until my back pressed against a wall.

"I wouldn't want to marry a woman who isn't ready for me and who would marry just any man."

Was he offended by my words? Before I could clarify the misunderstanding, he spoke up again.

"Why are you in a hurry to marry and mate, Ariel?"

He called my name! Oh, my. That sounded sweet but I cast him a speculative look. I thought he didn't like me. Again, he didn't wait for me to respond before chipping in a term.

"If you decide to marry me, once I mark you, there will be no going back." His voice came out cool and calm when he added, "now, do you still want to marry me?"

With the term, Do I?

The answer was on the tip of my tongue but I choked when my gaze met his deep dark and dominant eyes.

Words didn't fail me, my tongue did.

ALPHA KING Xavier

My Grandma's voice had been in the background but I ignored her calls for me to join her in the living room. She made use of the mind link but I placed a mental block between us.

I needed my sleep.

"What Alpha King sleeps till-"

"A responsible Alpha King that hardly gets to rest, Granny."

I shouldn't have responded when she entered my room. Maybe I would still be sleeping in my room if I had turned a deaf ear to her.

"You are wrong, Xavier. It's only an Alpha King without a mate that will remain in bed even though the day has broken hours ago."

My grandmother, Regina Roberts, a woman I loved so much and would do anything to please, muttered to me. Her face appeared before my tired eyes when she crouched before me to give me that signature smile of hers.

"It's just a matter of time before my mate shows up, Granny. Wait a bit more-"

"I can't wait any longer, Xavier. What if I die tomorrow or the next day or-"

"You aren't dying anytime soon. So can I sleep more now?"

I cut off my grandmother and pulled the cover over my head to avoid seeing her face. As much as I loved her, I haven't been resting enough and the Moon Howlers Territory needed a fit Alpha King.

"No, can't do, not until we find you a mate, Xavier."

Regina took the covers off my body and attempted to pull me off the bed as she use to when I was younger.

"Where do you plan to find her, Granny? You and I both know that things don't work like that-"

"Sorry to spell it out to you, Alpha King but I, your old grandmother, can no longer bear to hear the rumors flying around about you." Grandma started, she stood akimbo before my bed, "They are even saying you killed your mate, Xavier. Why have you been this relaxed? The territory needs an Alpha King but the people need the Luna Queen."

Honestly, if I had been eager to find my mate, I would have found her somewhere among the packs that I ruled but I had been hoping that our meeting would happen naturally. I knew many despicable women and they disgusted me, however, I had always wanted to meet my mate.

"I will start searching for her if that will make you happy, Grandma-"

"What will make me happy is you meeting Ariel today and choosing to marry her as your chosen mate rather than wait forever for a mate you haven't-"

"What? I should choose a chosen mate? Where is that coming from?"

If I was sleepy before, my eyes cleared and I jolted out of bed the moment my grandmother spoke of Ariel, a girl she claimed was her savior but I suspected was an enemy in disguise. And did she say, she wanted me to choose that girl as my mate? She has got to be kidding me.

"That is coming from a heart that cared about you, your reign, and the people of this territory."

Grandma spoke so gently yet her words held so much power and she knew that I wouldn't say no to her. She was putting me in a tight spot and I needed to find a way out... fast. Where was Jaxon when I needed him?

"Choosing a mate isn't acceptable, Xavier. I don't want to mate with someone that isn't her."

My wolf beast, Karl, chipped in. by "her" he meant our fated mate. We had both been dying to meet her but how do I say no to Regina without making her sad or worried?

I understand where you are coming from, granny but-"

"There is no but, Xavier. make me happy by meeting Ariel. She is a sweet girl and you will like her."

Regina countered and she closed the distance between us to put her small hands on my arm. If only she knew that Ariel might not be who she thought she was. I had once told Jaxon, my Beta to investigate Ariel after the poisoning incident she seemed to have saved Regina from.

I found out that the attempt on my grandmother's life was staged by one of the packs on the borders. They have been after me and my family just so they could escape my rule and on that particular day, Ariel was there to be my grandma's guardian angel.

Since I refuse to believe that the woman called Ariel happened to be there coincidentally, I asked Jaxon to run a background check on her. My Beta found out that Ariel was related to Alpha Cole, the irresponsible Alpha of the Shadow moon pack.

That hiked my suspicions but no matter how I tried to separate my grandma from this Ariel, Regina wouldn't stop seeing her and talking to her.

"I can't do that, Grandma. I want my fated mate alone and-"

"You should have searched for her when you had plenty of time, Xavier. You have just two choices now. You can either accept Ariel or accept the girl Alpha Clavin of the shadow moon pack is planning to send to you as fine. Which would it be?"

My mouth hung loose when my grandma threatened me in the most affectionate way ever recorded in the history of our people. How did my grandma find out about Alpha Cole's plans?

Even I, the Alpha King that fined the unfilial Alpha wasn't certain about his plans. Although I did suspect that he wouldn't pay the fine and make things up to those that had suffered due to his incompetence.

Just like he had been sending females to other packs to build alliances with them rather than strengthen his pack warriors and borders. Alpha Cole

was an excuse for an Alpha and I would soon bring him down... someday after I deal with my grandma's request.

"You can't order me around, grandma. I am the Alpha King-"

"And I am the Alpha King's dearest grandmother. So what will it be Xavier? Don't keep your old woman waiting, child."

My grandmother quickly stopped me from using my position as an escape route. That had never worked on her.

"You will never accept a female from Alpha Clavin, right? You can't do either of the two, Xavier. The two females are related to that shitty Alpha and I still don't want to mate with just anyone. We have always wanted a mate. Why should we let that go just because of some stupid rumor about-"

"What are you telling him to do, Karl!"

My grandmother whimpered after noticing that I was interacting with my wolf and she gave me that look that I had never been able to resist.

"Fine. I will meet her next week. She and-"

"Not next week, you have to meet her today and we need to leave home now so we can get to her diner before her customers start arriving."

My grandma had announced and I reluctantly freshen up according to her request before leaving our home for Ariel's Diner that morning. That was how I, Alpha King Xavier was made to sit in front of a small diner to wait for one of my subjects... a female that I suspected was one of the enemies.

"You can make her reject you. By so doing, grandma wouldn't hold it against you and she wouldn't force you to take Alpha Coles's offered female if you explain the disadvantages to her. She was like that because she wanted you to meet Ariel."

Karl explained. He thought he understood Regina more but grandma always had twists. However, I planned to make Ariel, a woman I had never met before, reject my proposal to marry. Grandma would relax for some days and I would be able to begin the search for my true mate during those few days.

"Regina! Good to see you!"

A sweet and prominent Choco musk scent reached my nostrils even before those words got to me. The scent was rich and it instantly drove me and my wolf beast crazy. I inhaled deeply to understand why a scent like that would smell intoxicating to me but before I could figure that out, Karl beat me to it and he spoke up, announcing a piece of shocking and unexpected news.

"Mate."

Swift., short, and full of strength. Karl howled excitedly and he pushed me to leave my seat and toward the female that my grandmother had called Ariel. Ariel, my grandma's savior, Alpha Clavin's sister-in-law, and the suspects I had in mind turned out to be my mate.

The same person Regina chose for me turned out to be the moon goddess's chosen mate for me.

Of course, I was excited too. Meeting and finding my mate had always been one of my biggest goals but that excitement died down when I noticed that Ariel didn't react to the mate pull between us as she exchanged pleasantries with my grandmother. I even left my seat and walked toward the duo yet she acted like she couldn't sense the natural bond.

"... come closer..."

My grandmother beckoned and I did that reluctantly still staring at the woman that I had been fated to live the rest of my life with. She was beautiful or was it the mate pull that make me feel that she was? Her round face turned red when she became aware of my eyes on her and after she introduced herself.

Apparently, she had discussed getting married to just any man with my grandma this morning. That discussion was what warranted Regina's actions before we left home.

"... Introduce yourself to the lady." Grandma patted me just as Karl said "I can't communicate with her wolf. Move closer to her."

I did introduce myself but I didn't move closer to Ariel and I lied to her about my identity.

"Play along, Grandma. Keep our real identities a secret until I can trust this female."

I quickly said to my grandma through the mindlink before she would spill the milk to her precious Ariel. My grandmother rolled her eyes and we argued through the mindlink.

"You shouldn't be lying to her, Xavier. That isn't a good way to start a relationship."

My grandma pointed out but little did she know that her precious Ariel hasn't been completely truthful with her. I doubted that my grandma knew that Ariel was Alpha Cole's sister-in-law.

"It's for the meantime. Can you also give us some privacy? I need to converse with her without you here." I sent those words through the connection between our minds.

"Be kind to her, Alpha King. I owe her my life."

My grandmother warned before she agreed to leave Ariel alone with me. If I was to follow my feelings, I would jump Ariel without wasting a single second but I quietly followed her inside her diner.

"What do you think is wrong? Could she be pretending not to sense us? Could it be that she doesn't have a wolf?"

Karl fired questions at me as I clenched and unclenched my fists as a way to stop myself from acting upon my emotions and the natural pull between Ariel and me.

The exchange that occurred between us almost made me snap. Especially her responses. She would marry just anyone when I had been waiting to meet her all my life?

How could she not feel the tingles when her hand brushed over mine? How did she not sense me struggling with Karl who wanted me to get closer to her and claim her on spot? How on earth did he not perceive how my body reacted to hers when I had her backed against a wall and when I asked her if she would still want to marry me despite knowing that she would never be able to back out?

I suspected that Ariel might want to take advantage of the mate bond but that didn't weaken the pull of the bond... not a bit.

"Now, do you still want to marry me?" my heart beat erratically as I waited for an answer. She already made me understand that she could go ahead and be with another man. She could say no to me. Although I was trying to make her think twice about her decision to marry just anyone yet, I was terrified that she would reject me.

May the mate pull be damn!.

"I will still want to marry you, Xavier."

I couldn't tell what made me happier. Was it her response or the fact that she called my name? Yet I guarded my emotions. I was shocked that this female still chose to mate with me even though she didn't seem to feel the mate bond.

Was this some kind of game?

As if I hadn't had enough surprises, Ariel spoke again, stunning me.

"Can you mark me? Now?"

Why the rush?

"Now?" I inquired stupidly but I was too stunned to feel embarrassed.

"Yes, now. Will you mark me, Xavier?"

That was a question that caught me unprepared. My response came in the form of an expression and before now, I didn't know I was capable of that particular expression.

Ariel Brent

My eyes found his face as I awaited his response. I understood that I was rushing the process, acting desperate and too forward but I didn't expect a man like Xavier to react the way he did to my request.

He blushed.

His toned skin couldn't hide the redness of his cheeks when he blushed and he appeared even more attractive to me. The proximity was messing with my mind and I forget about my fear when he blushed and just stared at me...

I wondered what he must be thinking. Perhaps he thought I was a wayward female. I felt the need to explain to him and did dese the dominating emotions swiveling around us both. I wasn't used to being this close to a male.

"I need the mark to tell my family that I have a mate. They will need evidence."

I uttered shyly yet nervously. The marking process was supposed to be sacred if it was happening between true mates or lovers but in my case, it was more of a necessity.

"It might seem to you like I am in a rush but I have explanations and I don't want-"

"Okay. I will mark you."

Xavier interrupted. Although he gave me a favorable answer, my eyebrows furrowed. it was obvious that he was also reluctant. I was desperate for a man but I was terrified of what would happen if I push things too much. What would happen if I forced him to mark me?

I will have to cross that bridge when I get there.

"You can place the mark here." I didn't ask Xavier where he would want the mark of mates to be before stretching out my hand to him.

Every male wolf can mark a female male and claim her as a mate by biting her frost. After the marking process, a moon shape mark would appear on the bite. The moon shape is usually designed naturally to show the characteristic of the mates.

Some females have dark moon shapes as their marks. Others have a blue moon. It coils be called a natural tattoo. The rarest shape is that of the crescent moon. According to werewolf history, only five sets of mates had been able to get the crescent shape mating marks.

I wasn't expecting much from my mark because there was nothing special between Xavier and me. We were just getting g married to help each other.... Wait a sec, I still didn't know why he was getting married to me and not waiting for his mate.

Regardless of our individual reasons and perspectives, Xavier moved even closer to me and stretched his hand to take mine but he stopped all of a sudden after making me believe that he was about to mark me and save me from Alpha Cole's selfish plans.

"I will mark you but on one condition." He announced and his hazel eyes held his seriousness.

"Do tell." I urged. What was the worse he could come up with?

"You have to accept that this relationship will be fake even after I mark you."

I honestly didn't know how to feel about that. Xavier was confusing me. One minute he was asking me if I would still want to marry him because once he marked me there would be no turning back and now, he was talking about faking the relationship.

Yes, the bond we were trying to create was fake and would always be fake but why... who was I kidding? He was clearly mating with me because he wanted to please Regina. What was I expecting?

After witnessing the failed marriage between my sister and her fated mate, Alpha Clavin, I wasn't expecting a beautiful relationship with a stranger. I wasn't expecting marriage at all s we might as well fake it and help each other escape external pressure.

"That is a term I can agree with, Xavier. It wouldn't be a problem."

I affirmed. We weren't mates after all. Before returning my gaze to that of Xavier, I quickly added another condition that would favor us both.

"Also, I am willing to have the mark removed when you find your true mate and want to be with her. I know that our fake bond will be a hindrance and I will agree to break it when that time comes in the future."

As I finished saying that, my eyes met with Xavier's hazel ones. They became clouded with an emotion I couldn't pinpoint since it was only there momentarily. Xavier didn't say anything to what I had said. He simply nodded and approached me... as if we weren't close enough for him to bite the back of my hand.

To my surprise, Xavier didn't take my hand. His face moved to my neck confidently and I didn't stop him.

"Placing a mark on your neck would make this whole charade more believable, don't you think, Ariel?"

Xavier whispered to me, his breath fanning the naked and sensitive skin of my neck as he placed his hands on the wall, holding me in place and invading me completely. That was when my nostrils finally picked Xavier's masculine scent.

I withered due to the dominating scent he was releasing as he brushed my dirty blond hair to the side, giving himself free access to my neck.

"Answer me, Ariel."

He pressed, calling my name again. The tone and his actions had made me forget the question he asked me but I murmured "Yes". that simple word was drawled just as my fingers clenched the material of my dress.

I was nervous and he was making the process longer than necessary. If I didn't know better, I would think we were fated mates. My heart beat faster than normal and my face heated up unnaturally as I waited for the sting to come.

"Could he also feel this..."

I was thinking to myself but the anticipated sting happened at that moment. Xavier finally bit me, calming me and sharing a part of himself with me just like every other male wolf does with their mate. The pain that came with the sting soon faded and never had I ever felt this complete.

Xavier raised his head from the base of my neck and brought his face close to mine. The newly formed bond between us was more prominent than I thought it would be. Xavier tongue ran over his lips as he licked the smear of blood on them.

When my eyes met him again, I realized that he wasn't himself. His eyes were changing from his natural hazel colors to darker ones. He was struggling to control himself by=uet he was failing.

The mate bond was pushing him to me and his body pressed mine into the wall. I had to stop him by pushing him away. I did try to be gentle but a hard push was needed to move a strong male like Xavier. His arms were rock hard when I touched them and he hissed when my hands made contact with his skin.

The push git him back to his senses but he seemed to be in a bad mood after that and he put some distance between us. My body ached to be close to him again but I stayed put.

"I'm sorry for pushing you like that. I just thought it would be best for our arrangement if we stopped."

I apologized for pushing him as he breathed in and out to get himself under control. To make things easier for him and me, I decided t change the topic even though all I felt like doing was screaming at the top of my lungs and celebrating escaping Alpha Cole's plans.

"I will like to invite you to a banquet that would be held in my pack later in the evening, Xavier if that isn't too much for you."

The plan was to rub my success on Alpha Cole's face. Let's see how he would make me the Alpha King's chosen whore when I already had a mate.

However, Xavier's response didn't collate with my plan. "No. I can't accept your invitation."

He refused the invitation emotionlessly and he added, "Move into my home, later. We can talk more when you move in."

Yes! Yes!

I would love to move in right now but before I could reply, Xavier turned his back to me and left my diner without another word. I watch his back disappear and when I couldn't see him anymore, my body, heart, and soul began to cry for his presence.

Newly marked female werewolves are usually dependent on their man but I couldn't enjoy that... obviously.

Aside from the emptiness that the mate bond had created within me and my fear of what the future held for this bond, I was sort of happy. I was relieved that I succeeded despite all odds. I had to thank Regina for bringing Xavier to me.

I felt lost in my heart after Xavier left and when I realized that I was all alone in the diner. The cleaner must have left after doing her job and Chloe, my best friend hasn't shown up today. My hand instinctively went to my neck and I touched the unhealed mark with mixed feelings.

I could leave Alpha Cole's house but I wasn't delighted, just relieved.

I sighed but went about the day, working in my diner like always. Since Chloe had decided not to show up today, I had to work alone and when it was almost time for the banquet, I closed the diner and left for home. .. a place that would no longer be my home after I move in with Xavier.

When I arrived home and arrived at my room, I saw my sister's frame, crouching over my bed. She must have sensed me come in but Esther kept her attention on something else.

"What could it be that stole my sister's attention?"

I chimed and walk closer enough to peep at whatever was on my bed and when I caught a glimpse of it, I was stunned. Lying on my bed was the most beautiful dress I had ever seen within the walls of this house. Could it be?

"This beauty did, Zay. imagining how it will look on you is why I couldn't take my eyes off it."

My sister responded, confirming my suspicion. It was indeed the dress she had bought for me to wear on to and for my mate. Esther had mentioned keeping a beautiful dress for me and she promised that she would bestow it to me on an auspicious day.

Although she opposed her mate throughout the previous night, she couldn't protect me. This was my sister doing the least she could do to make today special.

"You don't want the Alpha King to arrive at the banquet before you, Zay. You should get ready. Here, take the dress and shine tonight."

My sister handed me the white sparkling dress and when she thought I wasn't looking, she wiped her eyes, getting rid of the moisture in them. My heart ached for her and I decided it was the right time to ease her worries.

"I got marked, Ema." I began and maintained eye contact with my sister, "my fated mate marked me." I quickly added.

Esther's reaction might have been uproarious if I wasn't feeling lost and if I didn't just lie to my sister. Would she buy my white lie? Maybe...