Chapter 3

Navier’s POV

As she slumped into my arms, a surge of conflicting emotions washed over me. How could this be? I was bewildered and amazed, questioning myself. Should I take her back to my pack or leave her here?

Confusion raced through my mind. Ever since the death of my Luna, Cara, I had been consumed by grief and regret. I couldn’t forgive myself for leaving her unprotected in the pack. That fateful day, I had left the pack to attend a werewolf summit hosted by a neighboring pack. During the meeting, I felt a painful strain on our mate bond, leaving me on edge as I desperately tried to reach her through our connection but failed.

Desperate for answers, I attempted to communicate with the pack delta through the pack link, having left him in charge, and hurriedly left the summit with my beta, Ethan. Uneasy and anxious, I rushed home in my wolf's form through the dense forest. The pain from our broken mate bond was unbearable, but I refused to be deterred.

When I finally arrived home, it was too late. Cara lay lifeless in a pool of blood. The pain and anguish rendered me unable to fulfil my duties as Alpha. The pack was left vulnerable to attacks from rival packs and rogues, just as when my father lost his Luna in a rogue attack. I had promised myself and the pack that such a tragedy would never happen again.

I made a vow to never seek another mate or agree to an arranged marriage out of fear that history would repeat itself. But when the elders insisted that I either find a second chance mate or accept an arranged marriage with a female Alpha from a neighboring pack, I reluctantly agreed to attend tonight’s mating ceremony at Red Moon’s pack.

I had lost all hope of finding a compatible mate when I caught a whiff of her scent, only to be disappointed to discover that she was mute and a “stealer” wolf. Stealer wolves were omegas with alluring scents, but they didn’t have fated mates.

They could be easily claimed by any wolf, mated or not. Mating with a stealer wolf would only bring trouble and anguish to their fated mate. Male wolves would lose control of their desires when the stealer wolf went into heat or accidentally released their scent, leading them to force themselves upon the unprotected omega or even worse, harm them.

Was this the life I was destined for? I needed a mate who would be my partner and equal, a Luna who would provide strength and support. I couldn’t bear the thought of having a mate who couldn’t communicate with me or the pack, someone weak and helpless whom I would constantly worry about.

Lost in my thoughts, my beta Ethan came rushing towards me, and I growled at him in annoyance. “Chill, man, I’ve been looking for you. I got lost at the entrance and couldn’t find you,” he said with his hands raised in the air, curiosity evident in his eyes as he noticed the girl in my arms. “Wow, who’s she? You move fast,” he teased, winking at me.

 “Get the car ready,” I snapped in frustration.

 “Okay, no need to yank my head off,” he muttered as he went in search of the parked car.

 I waited impatiently until he returned with the car. Walking towards it, I placed my mate gently in the backseat and took my position behind the wheel. When Ethan sat beside me, he looked at me strangely and asked, “What?”

 “Get out of the car; I’m driving,” I said firmly, pulling him by his shirt.

“Alright, alright, you’re behaving strangely,” he muttered to himself as he moved to the other side of the car and got in.

As soon as he entered the car, I accelerated onto the highway, gripping the steering wheel tightly. “That’s enough,” I said, using my Alpha voice. But as soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted them. I despised the idea of forcing friends or family members into submission.

“Yes, Alpha,” Ethan responded quietly. I could sense the hurt in his voice, knowing that my tone had affected him. Ethan remained silent, making me feel worse than before. He was not only my Beta but also my childhood best friend—a strong Beta with a heart as gentle as a cuddly teddy bear. His presence was always there to uplift and bring laughter, even in the darkest times.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to rein in my temper. “I’m sorry, Ethan. I didn’t mean to be so harsh.”

“It’s okay, Alpha,” he replied, but the pain was still evident in his voice.

As we continued our journey, Ethan occasionally glanced at my mate in the backseat—concern and curiosity mingling in his expression. I knew he wanted to ask questions, but respected my silence.

As we drove on, Ethan kept glancing occasionally at my mate in the backseat. He looked at me with a mixture of concern and curiosity. I knew he wanted answers, but the Alpha command kept him from asking.

“She’s my mate,” I said, sighing in defeat.

Ethan’s eyes lit up with happiness at the mention of these words, happy at the prospect of the pack having a new Luna.

“Your second chance, mate?” he said, but frowned when he noticed the indifference in my tone.

“What’s wrong with her?” He asked, “Why aren’t you happy?“

“She’s a stealer wolf,” I said, rubbing my hand on my face.

“A stealer wolf, wow those are rare,” he said, still confused as to why I was sad at the mention of my mate. “I understand a stealer wolf isn’t what you need right now, but the pack needs their Luna, to bring unity and peace back to the pack”.

“Ethan, you don’t understand. She’s goddamn mute.”

This struck him silent, and he sputtered his words, “You mean she’s mute?”

“How can a werewolf be mute?” He asked, surprised, because it’s unheard of. Werewolves don’t have disabilities, we don’t get sick, or age faster like human beings.

“I plan on rejecting her,” I said, in a voice thick with anguish. “She’ll only bring shame and disgrace to the pack.”

I thought of Miranda, my first mate, who had died in a rogue attack. “She was a strong warrior, not a weakling,” I said and felt my throat tighten, I couldn’t bear the thought of being with someone else, “I will never accept a weak, mute wolf as a second mate, she doesn’t fit the description of a strong Luna.”

“But rejecting her is dangerous, and leaves you vulnerable…” Ethan said, his eyes full of concern, “Which is the last thing the pack needs now".

Silence hung heavy between us, broken by the distant howl of the pack guards patrolling the boarders, signaling their greetings to the alpha. As we drove to the front of the pack house.

I threw the keys at one of the pack warriors standing by the door to park the car in the garage and signaled to the other one to come closer.

“Lock her up,” I said, walking into the pack house with Ethan trailing after me.