6 - The Rejection

~Drake’s Point of View~

*Yes! Say yes,* Gage shouted, practically pushing himself through my skin. 

He wanted nothing more than to shift and claim this female who was professing her desire for us. She was beautiful, she seemed pretty intelligent, just immature.

I did something I’ve literally never done before: I completely fucking blanked. I didn’t move, I didn’t speak. I froze. 

A sharp elbow hit me in the gut and I shook myself out of it. 

“Go get her Alpha,” someone said, encouraging me.

Suddenly catcalls and whistles broke out all over, and Lola raised her head to look at me. I finally figured out how to move my feet and stalked toward her. She had some balls, I’d give her that. But this is just not how this is done. There was also little chance she’d met all the males we had to offer, likely only half. Her fated mate could very well still be out there.

Stay calm Drake, stay calm. Literally everyone is watching you, Jett is watching you.

When I first agreed to be Alpha alongside Jett to help with our growing numbers and vast land, we swore it would be an equal partnership. That he wouldn’t hold any type of authority over me. But that was all bullshit. Jett was the founder of Black Cove and he was a few years older than me. I may look like I could easily kill him in a fight, but anyone betting against him would be an absolute fool. He’s an absolute triple threat: brains, muscle and strategy.

“Lola, shall we get some privacy,” I said, finally reaching her and taking her hand.

She raised her head and cocked it to the side. Fuck, she was disappointed, it was written all over her face. However, her heartbeat was steady, she wasn’t nervous or anxious.

*Accept her!! You’re a damned idiot,* Gage scolded. But she slipped her soft hand into mind and he relaxed.

I helped her down from the bench and turned to look at everyone.

“Go about your dinner,” I shouted, pulling the female behind me. More shouts of encouragement filled the air.

Three Alphas of Black Cove. A Beta and a Gamma. None were mated. I had to admit, it was odd. But we had our reasons. We believed in fate. Even if some said it made us look weak, that we couldn’t find partners. We certainly could, we just hadn’t gotten there.

Defending a pack this large literally takes all of us, all the time. This is a constant job, keeping the peace and balance. We constantly have decent rogues wanting to join our pack as well which is a full time job to juggle. We have an extremely rigorous vetting process.

I laced our hands together and I hated to admit how good she felt. Then again, I hadn’t really felt a woman in far too long. There are exactly eighteen unmated females in our pack, including Lola. Seven were not yet old enough to pick a mate. Some get their wolf early but unless they find their fated mate we encourage them to wait until a more proper age. 

However, not all of them want to settle, pick only one mate. Belle is a great example of how a female can decide to go in another direction and we all support that.

Getting a casual night with a female or even some sort of physical relief isn’t common. It's true some males look to each other to relieve some stress and we certainly don’t care. But for me, I’m just a stubborn asshole who’d rather be miserable and hold out hope. Most even joke that their dominant hand and arm are bigger from the constant work out.

*I like her, she’s literally everything we could need in a mate. If you let her get away I’ll never forgive you. The Goddess put her in our path and now she’s chosen us, what else could you possibly want,* Gage said, making his case.

He wasn’t wrong. I couldn’t argue with him, he was 100% correct. There was little doubt in my mind that Lola would make me happy, that I could also give her a great life. But why did she pick me out of all these males? Did she just feel as though she owed me for saving her?

It was true, a couple of females had felt that for me, some hero fantasy. But once they mingled with the rest of the pack they either found their fated mate or someone else they had more of a connection with. For us, it was all about the scent and the physical bond. I always imagined a mate would be someone I absolutely couldn’t keep my hands off of, someone that I couldn’t stand to be away from for more than minutes. I just didn’t think Lola was that for me.

We finally made it to my cabin and I pulled her in behind me, then turned to shut the door. When I looked back at her, she blushed … a cute little innocent young female look. Gage practically willed me forward, but I didn’t have to move. She threw herself at me like a monkey jumps on a tree. Her wrists locked around my neck and her legs wrapped around my hips.

I caught her, but she caught me … completely off guard. Before I knew it her lips were on mine, they were soft and delicate. All of her was so delicate. I barely registered what to even do with this beautiful creature in my arms.

*It’ll come back to you,* Gage said, making fun of me.

Her softness, her little body against my big frame just ignited something I’d long forgotten. My dick immediately pressed against my pants, merely inches from her ass. I could be inside her, it was clear she wanted it. I could be feeling her in mere moments. But was I ready to give her my seed? Be that fully connected to her through a pup for the rest of my days?

I closed my eyes and kissed her back, the soft pillows of her breasts pressed against my thin shirt. I groaned and stumbled forward until my legs led me to the bed. She began to grind against me, the head of my cock rubbing against her bottom. 

The males didn’t bother with underwear, it would cost a fortune to make enough for all. But the females wore it, if they wanted to. I could already feel the material beneath her dress as my hands roamed her and my mind already visualized ripping them off. It was so vivid in my head, I nearly had to convince myself I wasn’t actually doing it.

Gage was losing his mind, demanding I take her. The scent of her arousal filled the air, her heart rate increased. My tongue found hers, both of us were already near out of breath. I fought against everything my body was doing to beg for her, and pulled back.

Her plump lips were swollen red and coated with my taste. Her eyes flew open as she caught her breath, her chest heaving between us. While I was hovering her over the bed, I hadn’t put her down. I wanted to hold her, I needed to hold her.

“Will you accept me Drake? Make me your mate,” she said, and that sexy as hell blush fell over her face.

I tried to level my breathing, as I stared into her eyes. I’d practically hallucinated such a gorgeous creature in my arms, wanting me so many nights while in bed alone. Why couldn’t I just take this and be happy? Take her right now?

“We need to talk,” I said, as I began to sit her on the bed. 

Her eyes stayed locked on mine, but her expression fell. Gage began flipping out and it was all I could do to push him to the back of my mind.

I rubbed my face, which only spread her scent all over my cheeks. It was so sharp and heightened right now it was almost painful. I sat next to her and she fully turned to face me.

“How can you be so sure you’re ready to make this permanent decision,” I asked, nearly afraid to look at her. I was being a coward and it should shame me. There were hundreds of men just outside that would kill for this female.

She smiled and reached for my hand, I let her take it. 

“Why wouldn’t I? I mean, come on, you know you’re hot. You rescued me, took care of me. I just really like you and none of the other guys around here even come close to giving me the butterflies you do,” she said, inching closer.

*Works for me! Let’s shove her down and mount her,* Gage shouted, beyond excited. 

Shifters did not at all go through the usual mating rituals of humans. There was no waiting period, there was no back and forth. You find the one and take her, claim her right on the spot sometimes. My body was heating up by the moment, dreaming of how she’d feel beneath me. What it would be like to sink my canines into her flesh, sealing our fate forever.

It would open a new door, so much opportunity. Like getting to be a father, which I was desperate to have and experience. But it absolutely closed another door, the only one I felt that mattered.

I sighed and rubbed my face again.

“You … you don’t like me,” she said, her voice nearly quivering.

My head jerked back toward her, and I put my free hand on top of hers.

“It’s not that at all Lola,” I said, loving the way her name rolled off my tongue.

Gage practically seethed that I had upset her. He’d already decided, but I was torn. I didn’t think I could just take her as he wanted. As she seemed to want. 

“I could make you happy, and I’m learning more everyday about life here. I think I’m picking it up. Still no wolfie talking in my head but…” she looked away, maybe disappointed.

Maybe upset with herself.

“It’s not because you’re still human. It’s that I’ve always held out hope I’d find my fated mate. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with accepting another, starting a life together. But I’m 24 years old, I’ve had my wolf for nearly a decade. I’ve searched high and low for her. I’m just not ready to give up,” I said, trying to get her to understand.

But how could I get everyone outside to? They’d likely laugh me into next week. What if another steps forward to claim her?

*Don’t do this Drake, I’m begging you. We can’t be picky and this beauty is hardly settling,* Gage scolded me.

She dropped my hand and stood, then began to pace. 

“I thought I would be good enough for you,” she said, barely in a whisper. 

“You are, you’re more than good enough,” I said, standing and reaching for her. She moved away.

“But you’d rather wait for some girl that likely isn’t showing up,” she huffed, her hands on her hips. 

A growl slipped from my lips before I could help myself. She stepped back, out of fear. The look swept across her face.

“You couldn’t possibly understand,” I said, in a whisper as I blew past her and ran out.

I’d shed my clothes and shifted before I was barely out the door.