Clarissa

As I fell to the stage, surrounded by flashing cameras and concerned faces, I couldn't believe what had just happened. My heart was racing and I was hyperventilating, trying to process the fact that a Lycan was my mate.

All around me, my family rushed to my side, trying to help me up and calm me down. My mother's caked-on makeup was smudged with sweat, a proof to her concern and worry. And all around, people were talking and trying to make sense of what was happening. 

'Breathe, Rissa,' I encouraged myself, breathing out of my nostrils.

Why was the moon goddess doing this to me? My brain couldn't process this at all. I'd been mateless for twenty-three years only to become a forbidden Lycan's mate?

Fucking great!

My mum squeezed my hand to comfort me. She was going to keep blaming me for months for disgracing her. 

"Here, sip some water," she said. My brother, Bryon, held my head while my dad checked my temperature. I felt lightheaded and was breathing quickly, inhaling and exhaling rapidly. 

"Do you need anything? Can I get you a doctor?" My dad asked but I couldn't bring myself to say anything and my brother's hand closed around mine. He helped me to my feet and led me to an empty, quiet room. 

Alone with Bryon,my racing thoughts begin to calm. He made me sit on a couch and sat by my side holding my hand as I tried to compose myself. 

"Are you okay? You know you can tell me anything."

I pulled my hand away from him. "I'm not in the mood to talk."

He nodded in understanding and I got on my feet."I'll be back. I need to use the restroom. "

I walked away hoping to get a few moments of peace. As I entered the female toilet, I sighed, gazing at the white tiles on the walls and floor that gleamed in the harsh fluorescent lighting, the smell of disinfectant assaulting my nose. 

When I was heading out I overheard two girls mentioning my name.

"I think Clarissa is weird. She's so proud and stuck up. Look how she embarrassed herself in front of everyone."

"It's no surprise she's single at twenty-five," the other female said, and they burst out laughing. I seethed with anger as I listened to them speak, wanting nothing more than to shut them up. The idiots didn't even know my age. 

I stepped out from the restroom staring at them and recognizing one of them as the spoiled brat daughter of my dad's Beta. They froze and began speaking in fragments.

My movements were automatic as I made my way to the sink and washed my hand glancing in the mirror, my reflection staring back at me. I walked away not wanting to give the gossips the satisfaction of knowing that their words had affected me. 

As I walked down the hallway, my mind was a jumbled mess of thoughts. I caught sight of someone outside the glass wall. It was my Lycan mate and despite my better judgment, I felt drawn to him. He sat on a chair, his eyes fixed on the mast, lost in thought. 

My heart raced as I took in the sight of him. He was handsome and alluring with his chiseled features and dark hair. 

My wolf begged me to go to him but my human side resisted. Werewolves and Lycans weren't supposed to be together and the only reason we were even coming together was that we all shared the moon's Bond.

I rushed outside to confront him and when he saw me, he froze.

"You."

"Yes me," I snapped. His gaze made me feel hot and flustered and my body responded to him. I forced myself to believe that it was the desperation to have a mate that caused my reaction. 

My wolf side begged me to claim him as my own. It was a primal, animalistic urge that I struggled to control, knowing that I couldn't let myself get caught up in the mating bond. There was too much at stake.

But as I looked into his eyes, I saw something there that made my heart ache. His face twisted with disgust, and I took a step back, feeling a chill run down my spine. I needed to clear the air once and for all, to make it clear that I couldn't be with him.

"Reject me," I commanded him, my voice low and steady.

He stared at me for what felt like an eternity, his expression unreadable.

"Are you dumb or something?" I snapped, my frustration getting the better of me.

"I can't reject you," he said flatly, and I stared at him in confusion. Was this some kind of sick joke? How could he not reject me when I was trying to push him away?

"What do you mean you can't? I'm a werewolf and you're a Lycan. We're like water and oil that can never mix."

"Who said I wanted to be with you?" he sneered, his eyes raking over me in a way that made my heart race.

"Great. We're on the same page then because I'd rather die single than be with you, so please reject me now," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

"I won't, but you can do whatever you like and I wouldn't bat an eyelid," he said, his voice dripping with irritation.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. This dude was impossible, and my blood boiled with anger and frustration.

"My dad will kill you if he finds out," I threatened, hoping to scare him into submission. But instead, he burst out into a loud, hearty laugh that filled the air around us.

"I dare him to lift a finger at me, and I'll be more than happy to tear him to shreds," he spat out, his nails turning into claws and my heart raced with fear. 

"Rissa," I heard my brother's voice and I quickly hid behind a shrub, trying to get out of sight. The Lycan didn't take his gaze off me, his eyes burning into me with a mixture of anger and something I couldn't describe.

"Stay away from me. I never want to see you again," I warned him, trying to keep the tremble out of my voice.

"Copy that," he mockingly saluted, a smirk on his lips. And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing there alone, my heart heavy and my head spinning.