Chapter 3

Jane

I mutter, "You can't be," as I glance around to see him almost completely vanished in the shadows.

"Hey, where are you going?" I yell at him.

He simply continues to walk. If only Beauty could fully use her senses and strength, I would have strangled that nuisance.

"Are you not my mate?" I shout as I sprint after him. "I am talking to you... Hello!"

"SO, WHAT IF I’M YOUR MATE?" He yelled back at me, and this time he turned around to face me.

I gulped my saliva apprehensively. I was struck by how deeply his eyes penetrated mine, and I am at a loss for words. I felt our souls connect immediately.

However, I refuse to submit and yield to this bond I share with him. There is no way the moon goddess would do this to me. No, it can’t be.

"What? Cat got your tongue." He irritates me. "I can’t be your mate," I scoff.

Incredulously, he exclaimed, "What?" I could see the pain in his eyes for a split second before he shielded them and glared at me.

I know this is a blunt rejection, so why should it hurt him? He obviously can’t be one of those romantic clichés who falls in love at first sight.

"Repeat it," he insisted.

"I mean, I don't want this with you. This was a mistake made by the moon goddess," I say as I start pacing around before raising my hand in surrender. "I can’t do this with you... It must be a mistake," I added, and I shut up immediately as soon as his eyes turned blood red.

"Mistake," I hear him mutter. "Who is he?" he asks aloud.

"No one," I lied, as I did not want him to kill Malcolm.

"Who?"

"He’s an Alpha," I blurted. It’s like he is compelling me to tell the truth.

"Name?"

I shook my head and held my mouth. I try to avoid looking into his eyes.

"TELL ME!" he screams, which scares the sh** out of me.

"I can't, and I am sorry. Okay. "Look, you should know that he is not going to be the only barrier between us. I don’t think our kind will let us be together," I said, adding another excuse on top of my main desire. Malcom is the only person I want.

“Moon Goddess forbid, you’re a lycan and I am a werewolf - not just any normal wolf but a potential Luna to my Pack. So, we can’t meet half way. It’s Impossible” I added.

He let out a threatening growl. He turned around, punching a hole in the tree next to him.

"You're rejecting me without giving us a chance," he snarled, and I remained silent.

He paces in front of me, appearing to be completely out of his mind. At the same time, I'm trying to think of something to say to him because I don't want him to kill me right now.

“I’m sorry okay… I am but I can’t like you even though it was nice meeting you.” I try to say it in a polite and a genuine manner.

My lycan mate shook his head in disappointment. “I could kill for you,” he says, pacing around. "You... Why are you doing this?" he asks, and I remain deafeningly silent.

I couldn't think of anything else to say because I wasn't prepared for this, especially with a lycan as a mate, and I'm done apologizing to him. He should be content because I am aware that even if he felt the same way about me, a relationship between us is not possible. That is forbidden in our two worlds.

“LEAVE” he growls at me and I didn’t need to be told twice.

As I walk away without one last glance at him, a voice is telling me that I am going regret this but I shook my head no and I told myself that I’m not going to regret this. Not today, tomorrow or ever.

His agonizing howl is heard and I quicken my pace to get away from him as quickly as possible.

After an hour, I returned to the school parking lot. "For God's sake! What have you been doing?" Shauna dashed up to me, followed closely by Malcom.

"We've been looking everywhere for you," she said worriedly, which irritates me.

"You're still envious," my inner voice says. I ignore it and put on one more false smile for the evening.

“Oh my goodness! What happened look at your dress…your shoes and…” I cut her off. “Look I understand your concern but I needed a breath of fresh air, from that pervert who was trying his luck with me. I can assure you nothing happened.” I exaggerate the last statement. “So, do we go now, please?” Shauna relax a bit.

“Yeah, we should, and it’s not like anyone is around any longer,” she shrugged. I look around and saw that the parking lot was empty.

“What happened?”

“The headmaster was informed that there is a border breach. Lycans were spotted there,” explains Malcom and I froze right there.

As I worried about anyone seeing me, Malcom’s voice became distant to me. I will be punished and branded a traitor, despite the fact that I was not in the friend zone with the Lycan, but anything is possible given that I will be a luna soon.

Another of my wishes, which I am confident will come true when I return home. My father emailed me months ago and offered me the position of Moonshine Pack Luna. I was supposed to live my life, but since becoming a Luna was one of my dreams, I decided to go with my dreams even though the other one is a tragic wish.

"Jane… Jane… Are you there?" Malcom snaps his finger in front of me, pulling me out of my thoughts. "Are you okay?" he asks again.

I felt both of his hands firmly grasping my shoulders. His touch feels cozy, which made me want to hug him. My cheeks suddenly turned crimson from his actions when I realized he was looking at me. I avoid his gaze by lowering my gaze to my feet. I am afraid to let him find out that I am about to faint right in front of him.

"I’m okay," I barely say.

"You don't appear to be…you were zoning out...are you sure you're okay?"

I raise my head slowly and smile at him. I'm still blushing, and I felt like a shy, innocent little girl.

“I’m good thanks. Should we go now? I want to go home and I am so sorry for making you guys worried” I say, looking back at Shauna, who frowns at us. I caught a glimpse of jealousy in her eyes for a split second before Malcom let go of my shoulders and turn his attention back to her.

He stepped away from me and moved to his mate. He hugged her to his side, kissing her on the forehead. A smile spread on her face as she leaned forward, resting her head on his chest.

When I see his hands move to cup her face before dropping kisses on her skin, pure jealousy courses through my veins, and I hate her for being happy with him. Concealing my true feelings, I dramatically rolled my eyes at them before turning away.

"My eyes, my poor innocent eyes," I say and feign being one of those friends who doesn't date and is affected by a tender romantic scene.

"Innocent, my ass," Shauna retorted, forcing me to fake a laugh.

"When you guys finish f**king, then let’s go home," I shout back as I quickly walk towards the car.

"Ehhh, don't be such a pooper; you'll see when you meet your mate," Shauna said, slowing me down. I come to a halt when I reach the backseat door.

I reach out to touch the door handle in order to open the car, but I stop right there. My fingers were brushing the handle smoothly instead, as Shauna’s words made me start to think, and the first thing I recalled was my encounter with Mate earlier.

The memories and thoughts of him frighten me, especially since he is a lycan. My eyes widen as I realize what I've done. I should not have dismissed his feelings. I had forgotten that rejecting him put everyone's lives in danger. How could I have been so naive?

“S**t” I cuss, while taking a step backwards. I bent down for a second with my hands holding my face. I can’t believe I am stupid for making such a reckless decision.

However, there’s nothing I can do to take it back. All I have to do now is have some hope that my lycan mate is not of an important rank. I don’t want him to declare war on our werewolf community just because of me. It’s not good for me and my image with our royal family, especially when I am about to be crowned as a Luna.

"For the hundredth time tonight, Jane, are you sure you’re okay?" Shauna's voice drew me out of my trance of perplexity.

I swirl around, coming face to face with the couple, who look as if they are about to jump one another’s bones. I shook my head, trying to focus and be calm.

This is not the time to be envious.

"I am… Just a little stuffy... I think I had too much mixed alcohol tonight "I lie in the hope that they will buy it.

“If you say so... come on, we're going home now." Shauna, help me in the car.

Once I settled in, she closed the door behind me, and I rested my head back on the seat.

"Do you need water?" Malcom offers me one. "No thanks, I am good now." He gave the water bottle back to Shauna and started the engine.

As the car drove away from the parking lot, I noticed two pairs of red eyes peering back at me from the darkness of the woods.

I turn quickly to the front, close my eyes, and lean back in my seat.

My hands were fidgeting as I silently begged the moon goddess not to let him sabotage our car and kill us tonight.