Chapter 2

The tone of his voice sent the entire hall into sudden silence. The growl had been so loud that it suspended the guests’ hands in the air.

  And his words…

 The maids started whispering amongst themselves. More people appeared in the hall, and soon even Nora arrived. She looked from my face to the guest’s, then to the Alpha’s son, and her eyes widened. It seemed like she wanted to walk over to me and ask what had happened, but she couldn’t move an inch.

  "She’s his mate?" "How’s that possible?" "Oh, the way he growled at him…" "What exactly happened?"

 These were the words that flew through the air from every corner.

  The guest had his mouth agape as he stared at the Alpha’s son, shock and horror evident on his face. “M-my Greatness… I didn’t mean to—I didn’t know that she… I—”

 “Get out of my sight this instant.”

 I watched as the guest scurried out without looking back, gasps following in his wake.

 “And the rest of you?” Dilan paused and looked around. “Don’t you have something else to do?!”

 People scattered in all directions at the sound of his voice, some running forward and then retreating in fear.

 Soon, it was just me and him in the hallway. My palms were sweating, knees weak, arms heavy. I knew he could see the disbelief in my expression, and it seemed to please him.

 I blinked just to be sure I wasn’t mistaken. And indeed, I wasn’t.

 He wasn’t Khalid. He didn’t look or seem like Khalid at all. Bell wasn’t alerted at the sight of him; she was simply unresponsive. And that was because he wasn’t her mate—but his brother, Dilan.

 Dilan was the second son of the Alpha. People said he took after their father, whilst Khalid looked very much like their mother.

 How was I his mate? How was that even possible? Why did he say that?

  He stared at me carefully. “Are you okay?”

 I nodded, unsure of how to act—so confused I didn’t know what to do. Somehow, the tray was still in my hands, though I was barely holding onto it now.

 To my surprise, he took the tray and dropped it on the floor. Then he mumbled, “Let’s go. I’ll explain.”

 He started to move forward, then turned when he noticed I wasn’t following. “The head maid won’t touch you if she knows I asked you to. So come.”

 I hesitated at first, but then I obeyed and walked toward him, avoiding eye contact. If my mate’s brother made me this nervous, how would I react if I was this close to my mate?!

 I realized he was heading back to the hall where the activities were taking place. My legs swayed in uncertainty. I could barely put one in front of the other. I was sure the witnesses to what happened with the guest must have spread the news to everyone they knew. And if that wasn’t bad enough, what would happen if they saw me enter the hall with him?

 “You don’t have to be fearful,” he said. “You can say or ask what you want. I know you’re my brother’s mate.”

 I stopped dead in my tracks, feeling every organ in my body freeze. “How do you know that?”

 He chuckled.

 “I heard when your wolf called him. I just happened to be nearby.”

 I swallowed hard, fear gripping my heart. He had heard when Bell said ‘Mate’? How?

 “But…” A part of me warned against speaking further, so I stopped.

 We arrived in the hall. And indeed, the first set of eyes landed on us.

 The head maid saw just me at first, then her gaze dropped to my hands. When she didn’t see a tray, she began walking toward me—but froze when she saw Dilan.

 “I believe you haven’t met my brother?” Dilan said.

 “H-huh? N-no. I don’t want to meet him.”

 He laughed. “It’s funny how you only found out he’s your mate today.”

 I wanted to respond, but I didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t exactly funny to find out I had a mate today. I was twenty-two. Most werewolves met their mates at the latest by twenty. After my twentieth birthday, I had assumed I didn’t have a mate at all. But what use would it have been anyway? Even if I had found one earlier, if he was an Omega like me, I was sure he would have rejected me too. Because what use were two Omega mates? They were bound to create a cursed life for their children.

 “I’m sure you already guessed,” Dilan sighed. “I did what I did in the hallway because I knew you were my brother’s mate and wanted to protect you since he wasn’t there. But now that I think about it, I don’t believe my brother is unaware of the fact that his mate is around.”

 My heart clenched at that, and a rested Bell suddenly came back to the surface. A pain shot through my chest, making me wish I could sit down on the floor.

 Of course, I knew he wasn’t going to accept me. But would I feel better if he walked up to me and rejected me as his mate, or if he didn’t acknowledge the mate bond at all?

 “Alpha William is going to address us now!” the MC suddenly announced. “Please put your hands together as he walks to the stage.”

 Everyone clapped as the Alpha, a big smile on his face, climbed onto the podium.

 Dilan clapped too, looking at his father with pride. The Alpha scanned the crowd as the MC handed him the mic, and soon, his gaze landed on me.

 My heart skipped a beat, knowing he had looked in my direction only because one of his sons was standing beside me.

 He began by expressing his pride in everyone’s presence, thanking them for coming and for the presents they had brought.

 “For Khalid, though…”

 My senses spiked at the mention of Khalid’s name.

 “You all can imagine the guts my first son has—to give me a watch for my birthday. What a subtle way of reminding me that time is no longer on my side.”

 Laughter erupted from every corner of the hall.

 “I need grandchildren. Or at the very least, I need to see him find his mate before I join my ancestors. One of these two things would be a far better present.”

 Some people laughed again—but immediately stopped when they realized the Alpha was now serious.

  “Khalid, I want to believe you have news for me. You must have met your mate but were waiting for the right moment to tell me. Well, my son, this is the right moment. Come to the stage.”

 Everyone clapped and cheered as Khalid gracefully made his way to the podium.

 He moved so majestically, my heart melted with every step he took. Watching him was like consuming sugar and honey with my eyes. His scent was everywhere—except on my skin—and Bell frantically yearned for it.

  Alpha William returned to his seat as Khalid stepped onto the stage. And suddenly, the entire hall fell silent.

  Khalid was one of the most feared members of our pack. He had led us into countless battles, contributing to the reputation and fear that the name BlackStorm Pack carried. He was notorious for his mystery, rarely seen in public. Somehow, I had never been privileged to serve him. He had personal maids and servants—all non-Omegas, if that was worth mentioning.

 “I have indeed found my mate.”

 The entire hall exploded into chaos. People cheered, jumped, and rejoiced so loudly I thought the roof would collapse.

 The Luna stood, looking at her son in surprise. The Alpha clapped and smiled, as if proud that he had been right all along.

 Bell began to rejoice.

 I fought to suppress the smile threatening to form on my face. Maybe I had been worrying for nothing. The Moon Goddess surely didn’t hate me enough to keep tormenting me. Relief flooded my system, and I felt a heavy burden lift from my shoulders.

 I looked up at Dilan, seeing his arms crossed, as if in awe.

  “But.”

 The celebrations stopped. Silence returned like it had never left.

  “I want nothing to do with that thing.”

 I froze.

 Staring at him, I tried to comprehend if he had actually said those words.

 His eyes moved around the crowd—and then landed on mine. Somehow, I knew he had known exactly where I was all along. But for some reason, he wanted to make it more dramatic. He wanted it to sink deep into my skull so I would never forget exactly how this happened.

  “I want to save you the stress of ever meeting me in person by doing this now. I don’t know what you’re called, or if you even have a name. But I, Khalid Williams, reject you, pathetic Omega, as my mate.”