You're Not My Mate

It was the morning of his 21st birthday when my entire world fell apart. I had stayed up all night to wish Liam a happy birthday. I had baked a cake at a neighbor's house to surprise him, and I had also called a few of our friends in the pack together to wish him a happy birthday. 

At 7 in the morning, I had gotten everyone over for the big surprise, and they had all came out. They came in with handmade birthday cards, the little kids all gave him hugs and gifts, things that warmed my heart. Everything was going well, and everyone dispersed for the day, and I said thank you by the door, thanking everyone for their time and their love.

He had some business in our newly constructed town hall, so I waved him off for the day, remembering that the second surprise would be happening there, and I would be heading the crew to crown him as our Alpha. 

I worked along with everyone else and after dressing the little kids up, I went ahead to take a shower and prepare myself for his party, so I looked great for him at the party too. 

My long blonde hair was curled up into a bun at the back, and I had put on a necklace he had given me, pulling on a dress that he liked to see me wearing. I painted my lips red with a shade of velvety soft lipstick that I knew he’d liked against my skin. I felt beautiful, so I went down the stairs and hurried over to the empty home that we had built a few walks away from the town hall. 

When we had built it, he had asked us what it was for, and all of us had labeled it as a house for possible new members, brushing it away and pretending that it was a mistake that it was grander, better detailed than all the other houses. 

“Hey, do you have the drinks ready?” I asked one of the girls. 

“Yes, Liv. Don't worry about it.”

“I'm trying! I just really want it to be perfect. Have we invited everyone over?" I asked, raising a brow.

She set down the bowl of odds and ends that she was holding and walked over to me, placing a hand on either side of my body. “Look, Liv. We care about him just as much as you do! Nothing is going to disrupt us here, don't worry about it.”

Sighing, I nodded my head in agreement and went on putting the finishing touches on making the mansion more like his. 

All too soon, it was 1:00 PM, the scheduled time for the party, and I quickly sent him a text to invite him over to the home. 

I intercepted him before he came into the house, and I hooked my hand into his and beamed at him. 

“You're smiling, and it's suspicious, Liv.”

I refused to say anything to him, biting my tongue so I wouldn't blurt out the surprise.

“Go in, I'll meet you,” I urged, and he did as I asked, going in. I waited till everyone had erupted in the second surprise of the day and then walked in.

I decided to explain the purpose of the gathering to him, because it was the second one in the day, and he was already arching his brows in confusion. 

“Okay, so you said that you couldn't accept the position of Alpha till you were 21, so this is your official coronation ceremony. You are the bravest, kindest, most loyal member of this pack, and you have been a rock for all of us.”

A murmur of assent ran out over the crowd, and someone walked up to him, handing him the keys to the house. “This is for you. At the end of this handoff, you are now the Alpha of White Water pack.”

At the round of applause, I watched Liam as he looked around and accepted the keys, taking his place as the Alpha of the pack. 

Satisfied, I went to serve him some food, and I walked over to him with the platter, leaning in to him with my lips. 

Gently, he pushed me away, and the plate fell to the floor and shattered into million pieces from my shock. He got up and walked past me to someone who had just walked in, a recluse, Anne, who had lived on the outskirts of town her entire life. I could barely believe my eyes.

I immediately strode after him and tapped onto his shoulder, making him turn to look at me. He swiveled to look at me and sent me a leveling glance. 

“You are not my mate, Liv,” he said, each word cutting into me a little more. “I thought you were, and I will always love you for all you have done for me and all that you have been to me, but I don't think… Perhaps I am not your mate. She is my mate.”

As though to prove him right, Anne walked forward and showed me her forearm, where a fresh imprint of his mark lay on her skin. It was official. I had thought that mine had not kicked in because I was younger, or some other stupid reason. I had excused myself from the reality of things because I knew it would hurt to come to terms with. 

Still, I weakly protested. “Please, Liam. You're all that I have. I have nothing else, no one else. Please.”

Already in front of his new mate, his true partner, he didn't hear a word I said, and I turned to Anne, who had blanched. She looked at me apologetically, and I fought the urge to shake her and tell her to tell him. 

“I'm so sorry. I didn’t know that you and Liam are mates. Oh, by the gods, I'm going to be sick.”

I stood there in place as the party went on and everyone walked past me, squeezing Liam in congratulations. I weakly did the same thing and decided to go on a walk. The shame of failed plans wrapped around me again, and I realized that once again, I had planned a future that wouldn't come to pass; just like I had done with my parents. 

He slept in his new home that night, so I fell asleep in the room we once shared, dreaming about futures and going around the pack with everyone knowing this, that my mate had chosen someone else, that we had a false alarm with all the love we had shared. I slept fitfully that night.