02. Call Me Maxxwell

"Alpha Erik," I whispered against my breath.

I felt my breath leave out of my lungs as realization dawned on me. Alpha Erik? Why did it have to be him?

I staggered back and felt the air in my lungs left. The alpha of the Haverstone? But Iris made sure she would be the alpha’s mate.

I was on the brink of running away from him when he noticed my presence.

“Slave!” he called me. “Do not run,” he ordered. “Face me.”

I halted. 

Thank the Moon Goddess we were all alone. Or others might have known we were mates. 

“A-Alpha Erik,” I greeted. “A pleasant evening.”

He was alone. No women. 

The more he went closer to me, the more the scent was too strong. I no longer need my wolf to certify that we were indeed mates.

His lips curled as he looked at my body. “At first glance, everyone would think you not a slave because of your dress.”

I slightly bowed my head. To appease his mood. 

“It is I, your humble slave, Alpha Erik. Forgive me for disturbing you in this place. I will go now,” I said softly.

“You are my mate. A slave? Impossible.” My heart hammered against my chest. He encircled me and stopped. 

It would be better if my mate was an ordinary person in the pack. Someone who was not holding any positions. Perhaps he still had the heart to accept me for who I am.

“I-I am.”

Did he scoff? “A slave? Really? Is the Moon Goddess joking right now? What kind of cruel joke is this? I got excited about finding my mate this evening only to know it is you, Dog Slave?"

He laughed as if he was a madman.

It felt like something was blocking my throat. Touching my mouth, I tried to calm my breath. 

“Forgive me, Alpha Erik. It also not my intention to—”

“I, Alpha Erik of the Haverstone Pack reject River Williams as my mate. Your position in the pack sickened me. Did you use some sort of sorcery so that my wolf will acknowledge you as mine?”

I was astonished at his declarations. He easily rejected me without even knowing me. How cruel of him to do that! 

“Alpha Erik, I... can't you give me a chance? I promise. I will be a good mate. I will serve you and honor you with all my life. I can be your slave if you want. I can pleasure you in bed. Tell me anything and I will do it. Just don't reject me, please?” 

I tried to touch his hands, but he easily shook them off and pushed me. I nearly lost my footing but maintained my balance.

My eyes watered as I saw his disgust. “Do you listen to yourself? How could I let someone, a slave be my Luna? The other alpha will ridicule me and I will be the talk of the town, woman." He turned his back to me, ending our conversation. "Go, Dog Slave. Before anyone will see us. I don’t want to create another confusion. Remember. No one must know about our connection. No one. If they find out about this, I will severely punish you and put you in a dungeon where you will never see the sun for a few days.”

And he turned his back on me without batting an eye.

---------------------

"Wait for it, Alpha Erik. You will regret what you just did," I told myself. 

After swallowing in pain, I realized I never wanted to be the loser this evening. So, I decided I will look for someone who will mark me and I will show it to Alpha Erik. I will tell him straight in his face that someone out there had accepted me despite my slave status.

"Tonight, everyone will look at me in envy."

I was glad that during the Mating Ceremony, I had been given the chance to participate in the said activity since we were all given the chance to look for our mate regardless of the status.

So I sauntered onto the dance floor and danced my way out (thankful I had some dance moves with me). Everyone was having the best time of their lives, while I did not. My heart was silently weeping and bleeding. 

Suddenly, someone wrapped his arms around my waist. And oh, boy, he smelled so good. 

"Remember. You are not a slave of Haverstone Pack now," I told myself.

My mood instantly became better and I swung my hips seductively, moving toward the man's body. 

He groaned and felt his member getting hard as moments passed. 

“Woman...” the deep voice said. 

Woman. Not beautiful nor slave. But a woman. Someone called me without mocking me or making fun of me. 

"You know how to seduce me," the stranger said again. 

"Well, you asked for it," I replied using my sultry voice. I grinned my butt in his front and he buried his face in my neck and inhaled. 

"Hmmm. Your scent is driving me crazy," he whispered against my skin. 

The hairs on my skin stood. In a nice way. 

I refused to be choosy and faced someone who had the guts to dance with me and came face to face with a man who was sexy as hell.

This man literally took my breath away. 

“Close your mouth. But if you want, I can do something about that,” he said. He leaned on me, nearly kissing me. 

Chiseled cheekbones. Check. Blue eyes. Check. Ripped muscles. Check.

My mind was screaming that I had found the perfect man. All I needed to do was ask him to mark me. As simple as that. Or that was what I thought.

I looked beside him but saw no one. Not a woman. No marks. He was still unmated.

“I-I want you,” I said, gathering all my courage. Perhaps it would be better if I just drank some liquor to give me more boldness.

The surprise on his face was evident. But it quickly disappeared.

“Really?”

“Y-yes!” I said. "My insides are dying to touch you."

The world stopped. Well. That's what I felt upon staring at him.

He dipped his mouth into mine. The world exploded at my back and the only thing I felt was his expert mouth exploring me, kissing me while all I could do was stand frozen.

"We have to go somewhere silent." 

The next thing I knew, he brought me into an empty corridor of the pack house and we were kissing wildly as I learned it from him. 

This man was smoking hot and his expert hands were roaming all over my body. I felt hot all over despite my inexperience in this field. All I did was learn from him and viola! 

"You're so good at kissing," I commented.

He chuckled and could not get enough of kissing me as if it had been a thousand years since he last kissed a woman. 

Remembering the reason why I was kissing him, I put my hands on his broad chest and said, “Wait. Let me know your name first.”

The man’s eyes were filled with lust and my face flushed as I realized I was the reason for that.

Both of us were breathing deeply, both catching our breaths.

“Ahm...may I know your name now? I don’t want to kiss a complete stranger without even knowing his name, to begin with. Let me make it clear that I am not a slut.”

He smirked. “Maxxwell. Call me Maxxwell.”