My Father My Mate

Zelda

I ran through the lonely woods and thick fog, giving no damn about the scratches and cuts on my feet. My heart felt like it was struck by a sword as his words rang in my head.

Jake was my childhood crush. My best friend. He is the strongest wolf in the Silvertail pack and the soon to be alpha. He was my coach and protector. My everything.

We decided to take things further when we both turned eighteen and still didn't find our mates. We went from friends to lovers and I never could have wished for myself. I've always loved Jake, even as a child, so this was a dream come.

He was the best thing that happened to me since we moved to Silvertail twelve years ago.

Who would have thought that my jackass best friend would ditch me at the first chance he gets? As soon as beta Phillip’s daughter, Cindy, arrived from the city, Jake threw me right in the gutter.

Cindy was my first and only female friend after Jake. Never would I have imagined that they would do that to me.

“You're worthless and undeserving!”

“How could you think that I would choose you over Cindy?”

Those words hit me hard and sent me falling to my knees as I watched him kiss her. I was stunned and speechless. Words eluded me as I watched both my friends f*ck each other right there in Jake’s room.

The same place that was supposed to be my safe haven. How could he do that?

I stared wide-eyed at them and didn’t know what to say or how to react.

Should I scream, shout or cry?

I was broken for sure, but I chose to keep my pain to myself. I won’t give them the luxury of seeing me break.

“Have some dignity, Zel, why don’t you just leave!” Jake was cruel with his words, making it hard to believe that he was the same person I loved.

“Shut the door on your way out,” Cindy’s bitchy voice came after.

I watched as Jake returned to banging Cindy. They continued their dirty activity like I was invisible.

“Oh Jake…” Her dirty moans played in my head, repeatedly hunting me as I ran.

I didn’t know where I was or where I was going. I just wanted to go far away from there. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me as I went through the thick woods.

After running headlessly for goddess knows how long, I fell to the ground and screamed out my pain. My wolf also howled.

We were hurt.

Even though Jake wasn’t my mate. I loved him.

Sitting on a fallen log of wood, I checked myself out. I ached all over.

My heart wasn’t only bleeding, my whole body was. I had cut all over from running among the thorny trees.

I dragged myself towards the river and took a dip in it. I immersed myself in the cold water, letting it wash my pain away.

I remained in the river for so long that I couldn't remember how long I had stayed there. When I stepped out, my skin was wrinkled.

I hissed as the cool winter breeze kissed my bruised skin. I put my clothes on and left the woods.

Broken and shattered, I dragged myself towards my house. I probably lost track of time or maybe I was high on adrenaline. I couldn’t tell which was it, but I arrived home in less than an hour.

I went straight to my room and fell to the ground as tears cascaded down my face. Curled up in the corner of my room, I wept.

I was haunted by Jake’s memories.

I tried to think of everything that happened and how I had gone wrong. Why would he do that to me?

He promised to love me forever. He promised to stay with me even if his mate appeared.

This wasn’t his mate, but Cindy. Our mutual friend.

It felt surreal and I kept hoping that it was all a prank, but I know deep down that it was no prank. Jake made it clear that he chose Cindy, not me.

As much as I would like to forget it all and attain temporary peace, I couldn’t.

Their voices kept repeating in my head.

“Zelda,” I heard my mother’s voice from the living room.

I closed my eyes and tried to stay hidden behind the sheets.

“Baby, could you come down for a bit?”

As much as I would like to wallow in my own pain, I knew I had to go to my mother or she wouldn't stop calling.

I went back to the bathroom to wash my face and keep it cool. The last thing I want is to bother my mother with something as trashy as Jake’s betrayal.

“Hey Mom,” I flashed my signature smile.

“Hey honey,” she opened her arms wide for me to fall in.

I’ll be twenty years old in a few months, but my mother still sees me as her baby.

“What do we have here?” I pointed at the luggage scattered in our living room.

“Uh…” Mom scratched her cheek and shrugged slightly. “There’s someone I want you to meet.”

“Who?”

I couldn’t wait to find out who our guest was.

Mom fixed her eyes on me as she said, “You’ve always wanted a father….” She paused and smiled as she looked at the door.

Uh…oh

Why do I feel like something is about to go hellishly wrong?

“So, I… uh… got you one,” she said, smiling sheepishly like a teenager.

Is she fucking kidding me?

She got me a father? What am I, twelve?

Why would I even need a father now that I’m all grown?

The door opened and a cold, yet hot looking stranger walked in holding a huge box.

I watched as he set the box down and stood straight, giving me a full view of his amazing physique.

“Honey, this is Drake, my boyfriend,” mom’s voice snapped me back to reality. “He’ll be your new father.”

Like seriously?

Will he be my father?

I was about to tell my mother off on her acclamation. There’s no way in hell that I’ll allow such a stud to be my father.

However, before I could utter the words on my lips, my wolf stirred and jumped with joy and, instead of a protest, it screamed ‘Mate'