Chapter 2 : My Mate Is The Future Alpha

Jade accompanied me home. But as soon as I was done washing myself, she disappeared without a word. Though I knew she’d probably just talk with her mate, Gunner, about what had happened to say, I didn’t do a thing.

On the afternoon, she went back saying she was sorry my brother allowed it to happen. Maybe if it was the first or the second time it happened, I’d hold a grudge. But since Adler and his group had been bullying me for years, and he hadn’t done a single thing about it eversince, I got accustomed to it. I stopped hoping he’d defend me the moment I realized what it was he was doing.

We lost our only parent because I was weak and wolfless, so he allowed Adler and the others to pick on me repeatedly. It was almost a de ja vu. Except not shifting that day was unintentional, and him not doing a thing to protect me was.

He hated me that much.

The rest of the day, I hanged out with Jade. And before I knew it, it was my seventeenth birthday.

“Happy birthday!” Jade greeted me with a hug. “I’m sure you’re excited to meet your mate,” she happily said as she caressed my back.

Generally all wolves meet their mate at seventeen. Which was why it was a big deal. But since I didn’t have a wolf, I long before accepted that I’d be alone forever. Simply put, I’d gain nothing but a plus one on my age today.

I let out a bitter smile. “You know I’m wolfless.”

Jade pulled out from the hug. “Doesn’t mean you won’t meet your mate today.”

“Come on. You know one has to have a wolf to be able to have a mate.”

“That is an old saying.” Jade held my hand. She continued to influenced me with her positivity. “Go get dressed and walk into the woods.”

I breathed hard and raised my brows. “Jade.”

“Avalynn…” She called my name, and put both her hands on each of my shoulder. “Doll up. I’ll meet you later. We’ll have dinner.”

Jade knew how to trapped me in her words. It had always been her thing. We were like magnets. Jade, the positive, and me, the negative. We were inseparable, but we never meet eye to eye.

“Fine.” I accepted defeat. She wouldn’t stop otherwise.

Jade’s smile grew wider. She curled her fist and showed it to mewhen she let go of me, like she was uplifting my spirit. I chortled and nodded, again, before I turned around.

I had no plans for today. Not like I was ever excited in turning seventeen since my wolf never showed nor came.  I only wanted to visit the pond where I went to yesterday, but Jade got in here before I could even left. She probably knew I’d indulge myself into thinking I wouldn’t meet my wolf, so she woke up early.

She had always been like that.

Now, looking at my foot as they surpass each other, I continued walking in between big trees. Clad in only a vintage rural print cami dress, matched by a white sandals and a little make up, I played with my fingers.

Is there even a chance that I’d meet him today? I thought as I trudged in, stepping into dried leaves.

Going into the woods in your seventeenth birthday to meet your mate wasn’t a precondition, but it had become a tradition. Jade went in here too, and this was where she first found out my brother was her mate. So did the other girls on my age, and those who were a year, two, and three years ahead of me.

I heard you’d knew he was your mate through a smell. I never knew exactly what kind of smell it was, but they say you’d just knew. It was too vague. But I never really felt curious.

Until today.

Pine filled my nostrills as I continued walking. At first, it was light. The smell wasn’t that strong so I thought it was just the pine trees planted nearby. But as I advanced, the smell changed. It also became strong.

It smelled enticing. Fragrant.

My eyes slowly went up. My brows creasing. “What is that smell—”

“Avalynn?!” A man not far away from me shouted my name. Disgusted. “No… No!”

“Adler…” I mentioned his name, flabbergasted.

At first I was confuse. What was he doing here, alone, and why did he looked surprise? The crease on my forehead grew deeper as I took a step-forward. For a minute I was worried he might have mess with me— until I strangely felt his aura.

No. It was more like I smelled it and it was crazy because there was still enough distance in between us. It was odd. I knew Adler my entire life, and not once did I feel nor smell him. We hated eah other, and it was the only thing we shared in common.

“You’re my mate?” Adler decided to walk nearer. “Fucking cunt…”

My lips pursed. Mate? What mate?

My forehead crumpled. But as he walked nearer, the smell became even stronger. It wasn’t until a minute later on that I realized what it was put us on the same place together.

Adler Salvatore. The future Alpha of the Crest Moon pack… was my mate.

“What?” I couldn’t believe it myself.

Having a mate without a wolf was one thing, but Adler Salvatore? What was the Moon Goddess’ plan? This man was my bully! He humiliated me a lot of times in this lifetime and those were all unforgivable!

“You’ve got to be kidding me…” Adler stopped on his track the moment he realized the smell was coming from me. His face was a reflection of frustration and stupefaction. “Why is a wolfless weakling like you is my mate?!”

Oh, Moon Goddess.

I stared at Adler, still lost for words. Though I felt the urge to say something, I couldn’t. I didn’t know what else to say. I knew we both hated each other. We were enemies. I was sure the percentage of our incompatibility would be a hundred… so why?

“This is a sick joke—” Adler stopped mid-air when his eyes flashed black. A sign that his wolf was controlling him. “Oh, fuck.”

I watched as Adler had an internal battle with himself. But as his face was still expressing his strongly dislike for what was happening, I knew his frustration were dwelling well against his wolf.

“A wolfless girl like you cannot be the Luna of the pack…” Adler flinched. The wolf in him was trying to hold him off. “I should be with a wolf who can shift. One strong enough to protect the pack. You cannot even protect your own mother! How can you be my mate? You…. are worthless!”

My fist curled. I heard that a lot of times before, but I felt a stinging pain in my chest as if I wasn’t used to his insults. It was ridiculous to feel this way when I’ve been hated my whole life. Why am I bothered over his hatred towards the mate bond we were bestowed upon?

Was this one of the effect of the connection? He was my mate now, so whatever hurtful things he’d threw at me will hurt?

“I reject you, Avalynn,” He harshly said. “Accept the rejection!”

I shut my eyes tight.

I was still shock. Not once did I hope for him to become my mate. Not him. Not Rake, not Johnson, and definitely not Owen. Having no mate would’ve push me more into the pit… but this was even worse!

Fine. I didn’t want him to be my mate, anyway.

With a heavy heart, I drew a deep breath. “I, Avalynn Hewlett from the Crest Moon pack, accept the rejection of Adler Salvatore, the future Alpha.”