Chapter 4
Zachary’s POV
Suddenly, I caught a faint whiff of vanilla and honey. Curious, I turned around and spotted a young girl in black dress dancing at the far end of the floor with her friends. She couldn’t have been more than 5′6" with a fair complexion that seemed to glow even under the dim light.
The guy who is dancing with her seems pretty close to her. He occasionally touches her and twists her into twirls. He is almost 6 feet tall, a good looking and charming fellow. For some odd reason I don’t like him at all.
Even though I never met him in my life before. The black dress girl also has a girl companion. They all seem little younger for the clubbing environment.
I can’t see her face from the distance, but I can see her shoulder length wavy raven hair. I always liked girls with long hair.
She stopped dancing abruptly, her eyes scanning the room as if searching for someone. Then, she seemed to grow dizzy and began to make her way out of the crowd.
I’ve had my fair share of encounters with girls outside my pack, but I’ve never felt this way toward anyone before. Despite her youthful appearance, something about her captivated me.
It is clear that it’s her first time coming here since she seems confused about the directions or may be she has had a lot of drinks than she can control. Aiden, more excited than I’d ever seen him, he urged me to go to her and offer my help.
Without hesitation, I followed her to the parking lot. As I reached her, I gently held her hand and turned her towards me. The moment our skin made contact, I felt a tingling sensation that sent shivers down my spine.
She looked up at me with her wide, shiny green eyes and thick lashes. She was stunning, with delicate facial features that only heightened her allure.
An overwhelming urge to kiss her plump lips surged through me, a primal instinct to claim her as my own. “Oh goddess this is her, our mate. My beautiful mate, my future luna” Aiden blabbering like a love sick puppy.
Something seemed to click in her mind as well and I saw gold sparkles in her green eyes. Without hesitation, she touched my cheek and whispered the word I both longed and dreaded “Mate, my mate.”
Her face turned beet red as the significance of her words dawned on her. Aiden was practically doing cartwheels in my mind, beaming with joy.
Suddenly, reality crashed down on me. Panicked, I pushed her away harshly. Confusion and hurt flickered in her eyes, making it evident she couldn’t understand what was happening.
The air around us seemed to grow colder, a stark contrast to the warmth that had enveloped us just moments ago.
I took a step back, my mind racing with a whirlwind of thoughts.
Why now? Why her? See seems too young to be my luna and the dangers it could bring were too great to ignore.
Yet, my heart ached at the thought of leaving her here, vulnerable and alone.
But I couldn’t. I had to think of the bigger picture. She seems so young and naive to be my luna. I need someone like Michelle to be my side, who can take care of my pack in my absence.
I don’t think I can risk my pack’s future with this girl. The responsibility I carried was too great to allow myself the luxury of following my heart.
“I’m sorry” I murmured, my voice thick with regret. “I can’t”
Her hand fell to her side and she took a shaky breath, trying to compose herself.
“Why?” she asked, her voice breaking slightly. The simple question was laden with pain and confusion and it tore at my resolve.
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Amara’s POV
As the night passed, I had too many drinks for my liking. I was dancing to the beats of the loud music, without a care in the world.
Debby and Ethan were dancing beside me like there was no tomorrow. Since they were already familiar with alcohol, they weren’t as tipsy as I was.
Suddenly, I caught a whiff of a fresh and woody cologne. Eva, my wolf, woke up from her nap and started pacing with anxiety. Whether it was the alcohol or the crowd, I couldn’t pinpoint where the anxiety was coming from.
After a while, I felt nauseous and hurriedly left the dance floor, heading towards the parking lot. Once I reached the parking lot, I took a breath of fresh air and it felt good. Suddenly, someone grabbed my hand and turned me towards them. A tingling sensation shot through my entire body.
Standing in front of me is a handsome man. He is tall, broad-shouldered, with a sharp jawline, almost like a Greek god. His electric blue eyes sent shivers through me. I have never seen a man this gorgeous in my entire life.
“Oh goddess, why today? When I’m hammered and is looking like shit. Look at him, he looks like he is coming straight from some magazine photoshoot and here I am, looking like a rag doll. I might be smelling like a liquor barrel too” I pleaded in my mind.
I’m getting anxious, excited and worried, all at the same time.
Eva started pacing in my head. I realized who this man was—he was my mate. Without hesitation, I touched his cheek and proclaimed, “Mate, my mate”
Something shifted in his expression, and I could tell he was contemplating something in his mind.
Then his jaw clenched, and he pushed me back.
I was about to fall but managed to regain my balance and hold onto my dignity.
Eva was equally hurt by his action. I thought mates were supposed to love and cherish each other.
“I’m sorry, I can’t” His voice really low. For normal human ears it might not even be audible.
I took a shaky breath, trying to compose myself. “Why?”
He cleared his throat and said, “I don’t want a mate. I don’t want you. You are weak, immature. Don’t you dare touch me, keep your hands to yourself”
As I stood there, stunned by his harsh words, a wave of hurt and confusion washed over me. I gathered my courage and looked into his piercing blue eyes.
“Wh... why would you say that?” I asked, my voice trembling. “Aren’t mates supposed to be a blessing? We’re meant to be together” I pleaded, my heart aching.
He sighed deeply, a mixture of frustration and resignation. “You don’t get it, do you? Having a mate means vulnerability. It means a weakness that our enemies can exploit. What are you, 19?” he asked.
“I’m 18 and an adult. Eva and I felt the connection the moment we saw you. There’s a reason why the Moon Goddess pairs any two wolves together. Have faith in her” I tried to reason with him, my eyes pleading.
He closed his eyes. After a while, he opened them and his mouth to torment me further. “What did you say, 18?” he said in a mocking tone. “You can’t seriously think I can take a weak and ugly she-wolf like you as my Luna”
I realised he is an Alpha, no wonder the powerful auro he eminates. My eyes filled with tears. I opened my mouth to say something, but then a tall and gorgeous woman approached us. Her presence was commanding and she wore a smug expression that only heightened my despair.
“Hey Zach, are you waiting here for me, my love? Shall we leave for our date night? Who is this ugly duckling?” she said, her tone dripping with disdain. His name is Zach. Eva was ready to pounce on this supermodel. “Kill her. She is the reason mate doesn’t want us. Kill her” she growled in my mind.
“Zach is ours. We are his mate” stated Eva fiercely.
“Amara, don’t just stand there. Tell him that you are an Alpha’s daughter and that we are strong” Eva urged, on the verge of shifting. Before I could speak, “She is nobody. Just some random girl who is trying so hard to get my attention” Zachary scoffed.
He held the lady’s hand and pulled her towards his chest, “This beautiful and strong woman is my mate, soon to be my Luna, Michelle”
Michelle smirked and looked down at me as if I were dirt beneath her shoes. “Awe, poor thing. Did you really think you stood a chance? Look at you. Pathetic”
A deep sob mixed with anger emerged in my throat.