Chapter 5
Amara’s POV
Michelle laughed along with Zach, her eyes filled with malice. “Face it, sweetie. You don’t belong here. Run along before you embarrass yourself further”
I’m having a hard time controlling Eva. She wants to take the charge and bite this lady’s head off. I could feel Eva’s rage intensifying and it took everything in me to keep her from shifting.
I can understand Eva’s rage. Every werewolf gets only one mate and only one chance at getting the eternal happiness. Because of this we are territorial in nature. We cannot afford to loose their beloved mate.
Even though I have met Zachary just a few minutes before, I feel like I know him since the beginning of time. I belong with him, he is mine and mine alone.
I was about to say some mean things to this Michelle person but she opens her blabbering mouth again.
“Zach, baby why would you entertain such a cheap slut? I know you are kind. But stay away from these types, they won’t hesitate to stoop to any level”
Zachary’s eyes shut for a brief moment and his jaw clenched. He regained his stoic face again and scoffed and turned his attention back to Michelle. He grabbed her face and started kissing her passionately, as if to prove his point to me.
My whole world shattered at that moment. For the first time in my life, I doubted myself. Why did the moon goddess paired me with such a man, who doesn’t want me. I watched them making out in front of me without averting my gaze.
“I’m nothing, a nobody” I thought.
I lost all my hope in destiny, in mates and in the mate bond. Everything around me became still and then I saw black and fell to the ground. I remember someone held me and warmth engulfed me. It was him my so called mate.
As the darkness overtook me, I was reliving my failure in my head. I could still hear faint voices. Michelle’s laughter, Zachary’s dismissive tone. But above all, Eva’s anguished howl echoed in my mind, a mournful cry for the bond that was so callously rejected.
When I finally regained consciousness, I was lying on the backseat of Ethan’s car, my head throbbing.
Debby and Ethan were chattering, concern etched on their faces. Debby saw me waking, “What happened, Amara? Are you okay?” She asked, her voice trembling.
I looked around, trying to piece together the shattered fragments of my reality.
We are still in the parking lot of Club Hilton.“I... I need to leave. Now” I managed to say, my voice hoarse.
“How did you find me?” I questioned.
“We were in the club dancing when some hot guy came to us lifting you in his arms” Debby said with hurried tone.
“He said you fainted in the parking lot and told us to take good care of you then left abruptly” Ethan cautiously continued “Are you okay Amara? Did anyone hurt you ?”
What’s the meaning of being gentleman when he was the one caused all this trouble. I simply sighed “Yeah, I’m good. Club was exhausting, plus the alcohol doesn’t suit me. Let’s go home guys”
I didn’t want to mention anything happened here tonight. I don’t want to depress my friends on their happy occasion with my heartbreak crap.
We reached home in no time, I made my way back to the safety of my room, leaving behind the remnants of the night that changed everything.
I knew that the journey ahead has to be fought with courage, but I also knew that I couldn’t give up on my life.
Mate or not I still have my life, my dream to become a doctor and my dearest family and friends. I will forget him, his chosen mate and this dreadful night. I can’t stop living.
Not yet. Not ever.
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Zachary’s POV
I drove Michelle back to her home, my thoughts were consumed by the events of the night.
Amara couldn’t handle my hatred and so much of insults thrown at her.
The look on her face when I kissed Michelle was burned into my mind.
She did battle for control with her wolf.
I tortured her with my words, I made her suffer, my actions caused her so much pain she fainted in the end.
It was heartbreaking and I hated myself for causing her such pain. But it had to be done.
I needed to scare her away, to make her believe that I didn’t want her. It was the only way to protect her and my pack. My pack needs a strong luna. I can’t risk our pack’s future on someone who might not be able to bear the responsibilities that comes with the role.
“Thanks for tonight, Zach” Michelle said as we pulled up to her house. Her voice was light and filled with gratitude.
“You sure know how to make a girl feel special” I forced a smile, though it felt hollow.
“Michelle, can I ask you something?” I asked.
“Anything my love” she smiled.
“What if you find your true mate? What will you do?”
“Oh Zach, you don’t need to worry about that, I will reject him on spot. I always dreamed of becoming your luna. I’m only yours” She replied with fake affection.
“What if he is more powerful and more handsome alpha than myself? Then what?” I asked with hint of suggestion. Her expression changed slightly.
She took few seconds to answer this time, ” I will still reject him. I love you”
I figured she was not telling the truth. I have been observing her behaviour since we got intimate once in the past.
Aiden has always warned me about this. He thinks Michelle only loves the idea of being my luna, not my mate. I know this myself but I always wanted a luna for my pack, not a mate for myself. So I thought she would be perfect.
Mason thinks the opposite. He says she is very selfish, when the time comes she will choose herself over others. She isn’t trustworthy, not a Luna material. A Luna needs to be kind and selfless unlike Michelle. I pushed my thoughts.
“Good night Michelle. Get some rest” I replied, trying to sound as sincere as possible.
She leaned in, her lips brushing against my cheek in a gesture that was both intimate and casual. “Don’t be a stranger” she added with a playful wink.
As she got out of the car and walked to her door, I let out a deep sigh. I had done what I set out to do, but it didn’t make it any easier.
The weight of my actions bore down on me heavily.
Amara’s fragile figure, her pleading eyes everything about her screamed innocence and vulnerability.
If anything happened to her because of me, I would never forgive myself.
But I know she will overcome this situation soon and lead her life like usual.
She’s stronger than she looks, even if she doesn’t realize it yet.
“You’re a fool, Zachary” Aiden growled, his voice echoing in my mind. “How could you hurt our precious mate? My Eva and Amara, our one true love?”
I clenched the steering wheel, my knuckles white with the effort to maintain control. “I did it for her own good, Aiden. She needs to stay away from us. She’s too young, too fragile. Our pack needs a strong luna, who can support me. She can’t bear this burden. If anything happened to her...”
“Nothing justifies what you did, you asshole” Aden snapped. “You saw her face. You broke her heart”
“I know that” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “But it was the only way”
Aiden retreated into a brooding silence, his condemnation clear without another word. I knew he was right, but I couldn’t bear the thought of Amara being hurt because of me.
No one else could fill her shoes, but now I couldn’t have her. The thought of a future without Amara was almost unbearable, but it was a sacrifice I had to make for the greater good.
It’s dawn, I drove back to the pack house and made my way to my office, the silence in mind is deafening. My mind replayed the night’s events over and over again, each time with a fresh pang of guilt.
My heart ached, but I steeled myself. This was my duty, my responsibility as the alpha.
And no matter how much it hurt, I would do whatever it took to protect those I cared about, even if it meant breaking my own heart in the process.
But as I settled behind my desk, the door burst open and Mason stormed in.
“What the hell happened at the club, Zach?” Mason demanded, his eyes blazing with anger. He saw me handing Amara to her friends, I promised him answers at home.
I sighed, leaning back in my chair. “I did what I had to do, Mason. I pushed her away”
“Hmm.. Who?” He asked curious.
“My mate, I found her today. She is amazing but I can’t have her. She is not fit to be my luna?” I sighed.
“What the fuck?” Mason’s voice was incredulous.
“Why would you push away your mate? This is madness!”
“She’s too young, she won’t be a strong luna, she is vulnerable. Our pack needs a powerful luna, not an 18 year old kid” I explained, my voice heavy with regret.
“If something happens to her, I’d go crazy. I can’t risk it. And I can’t risk my pack’s future. We have suffered enough already. I can’t afford to be selfish at this time. All will be fine in time” I mumble.
“You’re a damn fool” Mason spat. “Mates are supposed to be together, to make each other stronger. You’re just running away from your own feelings”
“It’s not about me” I snapped.
“It’s about our pack’s future, It’s about her safety. I can’t take her as my Luna. She’d be a target. I won’t be able to protect my pack if she was here. I can’t risk it Masy” I ran my hands in my hair.
“And you think pushing her away will keep her safe? You will be incomplete without her and so is our pack. We lost our true Luna” Mason’s tone was scathing. “All you’ve done is break her heart and yours in the process”
“What’s done is done” I said, my voice hollow. “Let me live with my misery. Just keep all this a secret, Mason. No one else needs to know”
Mason stared at me for a long moment, his anger slowly giving way to resignation. “You’re making a mistake, Zach. A big one. But if that’s your choice, I’ll respect it as your friend, but only for now” He turned and left.