Mate

Standing by the window and looking into the woods was Ash, he had grown taller and charmingly handsome still possessing his masculinity. He could see Livey sitting on a rock waiting for him, she had been doing that for two years now, his heart yearns for her, he wished to meet her and caress her face but he couldn’t.

“I am glad you came to your senses and realize that she isn’t your mate” Alpha Sherlock said standing close him.

After Scarlett found out that Livey wasn’t Ash’s mate, she immediately told him to reprimand Ash from making a mistake he would regret, rejecting his mate was forbidden in the Peach moon pack, they weren’t a pack that would dare to defy the moon goddess blessing.

Ash kept silent staring at his father, the past two years had been stressful for him, he had through series of training until he couldn’t keep up with himself anymore, in a few months the coronation ceremony would begin and he had just four months to find his mate and make her Luna.

Alpha Sherlock left him to his thoughts and he sat hazily on his bed with a picture of Livey in his hand.

If only he was given just one chance to see her, some days he would escape and go to the woods making himself unknown to her and watch her from afar, he didn’t have the courage to face her neither could he utter a word to her.

Ash looked through the window again and she was gone, he checked his watch and it was time for dinner, walking down the stairs to the big dining hall for ranked members, the most intoxicating smell came to him and he was eager to know who that was, he quickened his pace until he saw a pretty young girl with black long hair and pale blue eyes, she slowly turned to him and smiled.

“Mate” Hamish purred in his head, they had found his mate and he was so excited.

Ash could feel Hamish jump around his head but his heart ached for Livey.

“Ash, look who we have here” Scarlett called to him, he had halted when he saw her trying to grasp the whole situation.

He walked closer to them and was more intrigued by her cherries mixed with strawberries scent,

“This is Gabrielle” Scarlett introduced,

“Hi, nice to meet you” he stretched his hand for an handshake and she obliged, he could feel the sparks from their contact and was certain that she was his mate. She gave him a soft smile and he smiled back. Scarlett was happy as she watched them, Ash had never smiled to a girl in two years after he separated from Livey, he was always cold and strict with everyone hardly uttering a word.

After the dinner, Ash and Livey were left to communicate with each other,

“You can feel it too” Gabrielle spoke out, she was already an adult and knew that he was her mate, she felt the tingles in her body when he touched her and his scent was all she could perceive.

“Why are you coming now” Ash asked in a vexed tone, couldn’t she wait until after twenty five years then she could appear, by then he would no choice than to mate with Livey and make her his Luna.

Gabrielle misunderstood him and smiled, she thought that he was eagerly waiting for her to come to him. 

“I am sorry that I kept you long, I just came back from studying abroad” she answered with a firm gaze at his sturdy chest.

Ash scuffed, does she think he cares that she was away or that she was back, he stood up and walked out of her, Gabrielle was stunned as she sat frozen.

‘Why was he mad at her for that’ she thought.

Ash walked back to his room when Scarlett blocked his path,

“So, do you like her” Scarlett asked oblivious that she was his mate.

“I have no choice, she is my mate” he said watching her leap for joy and he frowned walking away from her and into his room, why did she have to come back now, all he could think of was Livey, his heart was not ready to love another.

Though he felt the mate bond but his love for Livey was much stronger and she was even more beautiful compared to her.

“We can’t reject our mate but yet we can’t leave Livey, what do we do” Hamish asked, he could feel the same pain as Ash.

“I don’t know what to do Hamish, I am so confused, now that I have found my mate, the coronation ceremony would be fixed to a much closer date” Ash groaned, his sadness could be expressed in his voice.

“We cannot lose her and yet we cannot have her” Hamish uttered.

That night, Ash was summoned before the Alpha, 

“I heard that Gabrielle is your mate” Alpha Sherlock said seated on his chair in his office, 

“Yes, who is she by the way” Ash took a seat opposite him and slouched on the chair.

“She is the Beta’s best friend daughter, she just came back from studying abroad” Alpha Sherlock answered.

“With her being your mate you know what this means, the ceremony would be held much sooner than expected, I would advise that you get to know her well”

“Do I have to” Ash asked looking uninterested in knowing her,

“Is this about Livey again, how many times have I told you that she is not your mate and I would not accept her if you dared to make her your Luna, Unless you want to denounce the throne of your fathers and mate with her.

Who knows if she turns 18 she might also find her mate and forget about you” He roared at him in a warning tone.

Ash thought about it for a second, would Livey forget him if she found her mate, she wouldn’t do that to him, she loved him so much to let him go like that, he thought.

“I will invite Gabrielle here tomorrow, stop with your stupid act and get to know her better.

It is time for you to be an Alpha” He said and dismissed him.

Ash walked slowly out of his office, cursing and muttering to himself.

Fire!

Fire!!

A house was up in flames with two adults in it, the people outside could hear screams and yells but no one could save them, they couldn’t break through the barrier, the house was surrounded by mountain ash causing a barrier which wolves couldn’t break.

Livey was walking towards her house with a cake in her hand when she saw her house up in flames,

 “Mom, Dad” she ran towards the house but was blown back by the blue force field surrounding the house,

Her eyes turned red with anger, this wasn’t an accident, it was murder.

Someone had killed her parents, she mustered all amount of strength that she had and ran towards the force field but was blown away again.

Dropping to her knees, she began crying, who could have done this to her, why would they want to kill her parents making her and orphan. Soon the screams were no longer heard which meant that the people inside were dead, that was when a witch came running with a guard to rescue them but it was too late, the witch broke the barrier and the guards dove into the fire in their wolf form and two bodies were brought out burnt to death and almost unrecognizable.

Livey ran to the bodies in the floor and began crying, her parents were gone, her life was shattered and she had no one else to be with her. Who would she run to, she had no friends nor did she have any relatives, she was now all alone in the peach moon pack.

No one agreed to take her home and she was alone with the bodies of her dead parents.

Much later the bodies were taken to the morgue and she wasn’t allowed to see them anymore.

Ash heard of the commotion and snuck out of the castle to see what was going on, there he found Livey on her knees crying in front of her burnt down house which looked nothing like a house anymore. He ran to hug her from behind and she pushed him not knowing that he was the one.

“Hey Livey, its me” he brought her to light, she looked up to him and could see that he was really the one, he drew her closer to him and let her tears wet his shirt, he felt so bad for her, she had just lost her parents who were everything that she held dear.

Livey cried for two hours holding onto him, she was scared that if she left him then he would be gone again, Ash felt whole again with her by his side, he could feel at peace by just touching her.

Her sobs quieted down and she looked up to him, her gaze turned dark looking at him.

“What’s wrong” he asked,

“You dare to ask what’s wrong” she yelled pulling away from him, he stayed away from her for two and a half years and he dared to ask her what was wrong.

“Get out” she barked,

“Livey, it’s me Ash” he said explaining himself walking closer to her, he hated the look on her face while staring at him.

She slapped him across the face, “You disappeared for a while and you dared to hug me and console me”

“I thought you needed a friend right now” he said,

“I may need a friend but just not you, stay away from me, I don’t ever want to see you again” she yelled at him and pushed him away.

After he left, she fell to the floor again, “Please don’t go” she begged, she didn’t mean to send him away but she was so angry when she saw him that she lashed out on him. He had added more fuel to her wound by showing himself to her, her heart began aching more than before, for her parents and also for him.

Livey walked into her burnt down house, her room had nothing to offer, all her things were burnt and there was nothing she could carry, she walked to her parents room and found a necklace glowing in blue, it was her mother’s, she picked it up and wore it.

With nothing for her to take again, she walked out of the house and into the woods where she slept on the rock shivering from the cold. She didn’t know when a big set of arms carried her from there and into the castle.

***

“Where have you been young man” Scarlett yelled at Ash, he had been gone for a while and she waited eagerly for him to get back. She had wanted to talk to him about Gabrielle but realize that he wasn’t there, she searched the whole castle for him until she got news that he was with that Livey again.

“Didn’t you hear of the Fire outbreak” he answered taking off his shirt and tossing it into the washing machine.

“I did, but it isn’t your job to take care of that, we have guards for that” she commented.

“If I am to be the Alpha, at least I should show that I am capable enough to take care of my pack” he answered in a husky tone.

“Whose house was it” she asked and he paused for a while, if he told her that it was Livey, she wouldn’t believe what he said earlier about taking care of the pack.

“Does that matter” he asked back laying on his bed and looking coldly at her, he just needed to be left alone to think.

He felt so bad that Livey had rejected his help and refused to see him again.

“Gabrielle would be here tomorrow, I want you to try your best to please her, you know that she isn’t used to things here because she had been gone for a long time but please be understanding” She said.

He nodded his head and gave a fake smile which put her heart to rest that he had accepted to do as she bid. She turned around and left and his face turned into a frown.

“Gabrielle this, Gabrielle that” he whispered, why wouldn’t they just let him be, she was his mate and he would decide if he wants to please her or not, not them.

He closed his eyes and all he could see was Livey, the hurt in her eyes when she saw him. Hamish also felt sad and he kept silent without uttering a word. 

They were both in a dilemma and confused on what to do, but one thing was for sure, they couldn't reject their mate and neither could the denounce the throne