Chapter Four

[Tyler’s POV]

Could my life get any worse than it already was now? It was one thing to be mated to an Omega; it was another thing to find out in the presence of almost the entire Pack. Most werewolves believed in the Moon Goddess, but growing up, I hadn’t been one of them.

My parents died when I was just five years old and I had to assume leadership over the Pack immediately. I hadn’t even had the chance to just be a child as the welfare of the Pack rested on my shoulders. I had needed to grow up and be a man even before I reached the age of puberty. I couldn’t play with friends, shed a tear or act like I didn’t know something, and for this reason, I hated and regularly cursed the Moon Goddess.

I had recently just started paying her homage through offerings and sacrifices due to the fact that I had never lost a war, and my regime as the Alpha King over the last sixteen years had been generally prosperous and most would say I was the best Alpha the four kingdoms had ever known… but once again, the Moon Goddess had to show why she couldn’t be trusted.

I looked around and tapped on her window lightly.

She didn’t hesitate to open it and I quickly climbed in through the window.

“All these sneaking around… when would you ever come in through the front door?” she asked, then went over to sit on the bed.

“Soon, I promise,” I replied, walking over to her, already sensing her anger which she didn’t even try to repress.

She scoffed. “That’s what you’ve been saying for several months in a row now. Tell me, this “soon” you speak of, when is it?” she inquired.

I swallowed and sat beside her, then tried to hold her hand in mine, to which she declined and adjusted in her sitting position, as though being too close to me would make her get a deadly infection.

“Just give me a few weeks, my love. I’ll get married to you and make you my Luna. There’ll be no more sneaking around, just trust me,” I said.

She folded her arms. “A few weeks? You’ll make me your Luna? Then, what about her? What would you do about that silly Omega thing you’ve been mated to? What happens to her?” she asked, turning to face me as she flashed me a glare.

“Wait. How did you find out about that already?” I was shocked.

“Why? You weren’t going to tell me if I didn’t already find out?” she retorted.

“Fuck, no. I didn’t mean it that way. Surely, those who gossiped about the whole mate thing told you I rejected that lousy bitch, yeah?”

“Oh, spare me that, Tee. We all know rejection isn’t a one-way street. She has to accept your rejection, and do you really think that after going through several years of torment and finally being mated to an Alpha King, she is going to accept your rejection? Her life is about to be turned around, she is never going to give up on that,” she said.

She was right, and as I saw her heave an exasperated sigh with a worried look on her face, I felt really bad for her and the hatred I had for that good-for-nothing Omega increased.

I moved closer to her and held her hand. This time, she didn’t resist, and she slowly looked up at me, meeting my eye.

“This is why I told you not to go to the mating ceremony. It would have been better if it was someone else who would be easily convinced to give up on you, but you had to go and now, look at the mess you’ve brought upon yourself,” she stated.

“I’m sorry, my love. I really am. I needed to go to set an example for other bachelors in the Pack. I thought it would be like every other year when I wouldn’t get a mate,”‘I said.

She still looked really pissed off, and didn’t even look at me. “How nice it is for you to have gone there while I sat at home to prevent something like this for your sake. You’re one admirable Alpha King, aren’t you?” she asked, sarcasm laced in her voice.

“Come on, now. You know you’re the only woman I care for in this world… well, except my grandmother. I would never do anything to hurt you, and I would ensure she says no to me as well,” I said.

She looked doubtful, and as badly as I wanted to just hold her in my arms and assure her that I wasn’t going to ever leave her alone, I knew she needed time to think things through.

She was Malia Stone; the Beta’s only daughter, my childhood friend and the woman I was in love with. For her, I would do anything.

“If she wouldn’t accept my rejection peacefully, we would have to force her to do so even if it means breaking her limbs one by one. Just trust me, okay? I’m in love with you, and irrespective of whoever I am mated to, my feelings won’t change. I promise you that, Malia,” I said.

Her eyes twitched as they searched mine, wanting to find out if I was being truthful or not. “But… but I’ve heard that no one can resist the power of the mate pull, no matter how hard they try to fight it,” she said.

“That’s because there’s never been anyone like me,” I said.

She chuckled.

“I’m glad that made you smile. You’re beautiful, and you look even more beautiful when you wear a smile on your face,” I said.

She smiled really broadly, and I was glad to see her being her usual cheerful self again. “This mate thing, can’t it just be scrapped or eradicated? No one should be forced to love someone they are not interested in. It just doesn’t make sense. Love should come naturally and not be forced,” Malia said.

I kissed her on her hand. “I couldn’t agree more. It’s just so fucked up… and to think that people still believe the Moon Goddess’s ways are right is just so absurd, but don’t worry, my love. Till this day, I have never been able to express my sadness over my parents death and I have always subdued my strong emotions, so the mate pull or whatever can never affect me. I’ll get that cursed thing to accept my rejection, but I would also need your help,” I said.

“My help? With what?”

I pushed a stray strand of her auburn hair behind her ears. “I’ve never known someone as intimidating as you. You’ve always been able to get people to do what you want, so maybe you could speak to her and get her to do what we both want. I would also try to scare her into doing my bidding,” I said.

She nodded her head in support. “Cool, but what if that doesn’t work?” she asked.

I held her gaze in mine. “We’ll figure something out together as a team, okay?”

She smiled sweetly. “Of course.”

And just like that, I pulled her closer to me and gave her a kiss on those beautiful soft lips of hers. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me closer to her while my hands embraced her waist. I soon found the way to the zip of her dress and unzipped it, now touching that smooth raw skin of hers. My lips had shifted from hers and moved down to her neck, and as I kissed her there, a moan escaped from her mouth.

Gently, I peeled off the dress from her skin and laid her on the bed, admiring her beautiful body now clad in only the sexy red lingerie she had on. We stared at each for a few seconds, before I dived in and kissed her again, never loving or wanting her more than I did right there and then.

I loved Malia with all of my heart and she was my first love. Nothing could ever change what I felt for her, and the cursed Omega certainly couldn’t do anything to stop what we shared. I would destroy her, and anyone that stood in my way.