Seeing Her Mate

Everyone finds their mates at the age of sixteen, but Malisha happens to not be everyone. Being twenty and the daughter of the alpha, and still mateless is in fact a big deal.

That means Malisha is special. 

And not in a good way. 

She pushes the thought away as she slips into her room, shuts the door behind her with a soft sigh. Training the pups had drained every ounce of energy from her, and right now, all she wants is silence. 

And maybe... answers.

Why has the Moon Goddess not given her a mate, yet?

Every time a friend of hers say 'my mate,' something twists painfully in her chest. She had always loved the idea of mates. The certainty. The kind of love that humans search endlessly through dates, heartbreaks, mistakes while wolves simply knew. 

Or at least, they are supposed to. 

She seems to be an exception. 

"Pathetic," she mutters under her breath. 

"You are not pathetic," her wolf, Belle snaps instantly. 

Malisha huffs in reply. 

She closes her eyes, letting herself drift into a familiar day dream. The one where she will meet her mate. The one person in the world who will look at her and choose her without a single hesitation. 

All her friends already had found their mates, and it was awkward being the odd one out. She can only hope that meeting him will be perfect.

It has to be. 

"Or maybe not." 

Her eyes snap open.

She jumps, and says, “Mum! Seriously? You scared me."

Her mother grins looking entirely too pleased with herself. Her mother is a witch, who was mated to her father, an alpha. It was a scandal to say the least.

Her mother grins, and says lightly, “It is not my fault your senses are dull.”

Malisha scoffs, but she can not deny. Being a hybrid, she also does magic, and is also witch. "Easy for you to say. You are a full witch."

“And you are a hybrid. You have no excuse," Beatrix, her mother says. "Malisha, I know you just succeeded in avoiding training the pups."

“Mum, I can explain,” she says.

Her mother raises her eyebrows as if waiting for an explanation from her daughter.

Malisha gives her mum a sheepish grin, and says, “Okay fine, I have no explanation asides the fact that I am exhausted.”

Her mother smacks her head, and she grunts. "Ow! Mum!" 

"You skipped your duties," her mother says, though there is amusement in her eyes. "Again." 

Malisha rubs her head. "I did say I am sorry."

“Well, I did not come here to scold you." Beatrix sighs, but her expression softens slightly. 

"Oh?" Malisha perks up that. 

"The lycan king is hosting his birthday celebration," her mother says. "All alphas will be in attendance."

“Okay, that is fine, so?” Malisha asks.

Her mother rolls her eyes, and says, “We will be going together Malisha.”

“But I am not the next alpha, why do I have to go?” Malisha whines.

"Yes." Malisha frowns.

“Your father is an alpha, and we all know it is not just the alphas who attend these celebrations so, you better suck it up, and get a dress ready. You do not have to petend you do not know how these gatherings work,” her mother says. 

“Can't I just skip this one?” She tries asking again. 

"No." 

"Well, at least, it was worth a try." 

Her mother gives her look, but she knows she was always going to attend. Her father and the lycan king are close friends. His first son and her brother are also best friends.

“I already have a dress ready,” Malisha tells her mother.

Her mother grins, and says, “I know you do.”

When her mother leaves the room, Malisha begins conversing with her wolf, Belle.

“What if we find him there?” She asks.

"Our mate?" Belle immediately perks up.

"Yeah." Malisha swallows. 

Belle lets out a swoon, and says, “I will lose my mind.”

"You already have,” Malisha says rolling her eyes.

But her hands betray her, twisting nervously against the sheets. 

Because truly, what if...?

_____________

*The Next Day*

The next day arrives even faster than she had expected. Malisha had barely opened her eyes when she felt it. 

Magic.

"Mum," she groans, not bothering to turn around. "You know doors exist, right?"

Her mother smiles at the fact that her daughter noticed her arrival. “You are awake. Good," she says. "I hope you are aware that in three hours, we will be leaving to the party.”

“I am aware,” Malisha nods.

There is a pause. “Maybe your mate will be there,” her mother says smiling at her.

Malisha hesitates and shrugs. "Maybe." 

“Don’t tell me you have lost hope,” her mother says frowning at her daughter’s nonchalance.

Malisha sighs. “I have not." She forces a small smile on her face. " I just... will rather not have hope, than  be disappointed.”

Her mother immediately goes to her side, and hugs her daughter immediately. “You will not be disappointed baby. Today is your day. I can feel it.”

Malisha gives her mother a small smile, and mutters “I hope so.”

Her mother gives her a shoulder a small squeeze. “I better leave you to get ready before your father leaves us.”

Malisha snickers. “As if he can. With a quick spell, we will stop the car, even get dressed, or even reach the lycan prince’s palace without our dad.”

Her mother cackles, and says, “You truly are my daughter.”

Malisha is then left alone to get ready. She goes out to see her brother, Leo and his mate, her  close friend, Alima are already waiting for them.

She closes her eyes, and says, “I hope I am not walking into anything rated eighteen?”

Leo and Alima both roll their eyes in sync. 

“Don't be ridiculous,” Alima says.

“Yeah, you are only saying that because you were not the one who almost witnessed her brother and best friend almost tear their clothes.” Malisha scrunches her nose in disgust trying to forget the one day she wishes to never remember.

"Maybe not talking about it will make it go away," Leo suggests feeling his face heating. 

"If only it was that easy," Malisha mutters.

When they all enter their different vehicles, Malisha can feel her wolf, Belle being agitated.

“What is going on with you?” She mentally asks her wolf.

“I do not know,” belle whispers. "Something feels.. close." 

Malisha's heart skips, but she stops herself in time before she can do what she has warned herself she will not do again. 

HOPE. 

Do not do this to yourself. 

________

When they arrive, her wolf is even more agitated. By the time they get into the party. It is of course in their biggest hall in their palace. She grins at how beautiful it is. She and her family walk in, and she can see different alphas, betas and deltas with their families. She and her family exchange as much pleasantries as they can.

She finally stays on her own knowing her parents and brother had to do more socializing. She relaxes, while taking a sip of her wine. She feels people looking at her, but she ignores the stares as she is used to it.

She is secretly on her phone, when someone comes to sit beside her. She looks to see someone she does not know, and is about to find out who he truly is with her magic, when he says, “Hi, I am Scott.”

She raises her eyebrow, and he introduces the pack he is from. She smiles, and shakes his hand. “Are you here without your mate?” He asks her.

She looks at him, hears his heartbeat, and can tell he knows she has not found her mate yet. She throws a wicked grin his way, and can feel her eyes getting more intense because his eyes widen at her.

To avoid causing a scene, she uses her magic to speak to him in his mind. “You already know the answer to that question." she slips into his thoughts effortlessly.

His eyes widen at her, and she gives him a fake smile. "So, why ask?"

Before he can respond to her question... 

Snap. 

Scott stumbles, crashing awkwardly to the ground as drinks spill over him. 

A few gasps echo. 

Malisha sips her wine to hide her smile. 

Oops. 

Clumsy. 

Her mother's voice echoes sharply in her head. Behave.

Malisha sighs. He started it.

She nods, and glares at anyone who tries to look at her in a wrong way. Alima comes to her, and says, “Your mother said we should come because we are about to meet the royal family.”

Great. 

Just great.

She mentally groans, but moves forward, and immediately, it hits her. 

The scent. 

Warm. Dark. Addictive. 

It can’t be, can it?

Malisha freezes. Her hand on her glass nearly slips from her grip. 

They get closer to the lycan family, and the scent hits her even more.

No...

Her heart begins to pound violently as Belle goes completely still. She can tell that her eyes are probably brighter than usual. 

Her wolf goes still then says, "Mate." 

Her heart stops at that. Slowly, she lifts her head, and her world shatters. The word egoes through her like a shockwave.

She turns in the direction, and sees him staring at her intently while clenching his fists. His eyes a usual light brown, immediately turns gold.

For a moment, the world disappears. It is just them. Just the bond sha had always wanted to experience. 

She is about to yell mate, but he ignores her, which immediately causes a sharp pain in her chest.

No.

No, no, no.

This is not how it was supposed to go. This is not how she had always thought it will be. 

She is in a daze at the subtle rejection, and pain that stabs her chest, but she pretends as if she is not in a deep pain. She forces herself to move, to breathe, to act normal as they approach the king and queen. She greets them politely, even though her entire body is trembling beneath the surface.

Then comes the moment. 

The lycan prince. 

Grayson. 

“Shake his hand,” her mother’s voice comes into her mind ordering her. 

Malisha hesitates, then reaches out. The second their eyes touch, sparks, fire and everything pass through. 

He leaves her hand in a hurry as if she burned him. 

Her chest tightens at that.

Why? Why is he acting like this? Why is he not claiming me? She wonders.

She barely makes it through the rest of the greetings before stepping away, her composure darin to crack. 

“He is your mate,” her mother states.

“Then why is he not claiming me openly?” Malisha asks agitated.

Alima’s eyes widen, and she is lost for words.

No one answers because they had no idea. 

They all go back outside so as to not cause worry.

She stays far away from him. When it is finally time for a couples dance, a young man, comes to ask her to a dance. She smiles and agrees even though it pains her to. She glances at her mate, and sees another female in his arms which makes her nearly growl.

“I hate him,” she constantly tells herself mentally.

When her dance partner, Martins puts his hand on her waist, and they start moving, she feels weird, but leaves a smile on her face.

Martins pulls her closer, and she immediately feels the hairs on her arms rise up. She hears a low growl, and sees Grayson behind Martins. His eyes are fully gold now.

She does not need to turn to know who it is. 

When Martins sees the look on Grayson's eyes, he all but runs away. Grayson takes her into his arms, and Malisha sighs in relief.

“You are my mate,” she says quietly as they dance.

He says nothing for a bit, and says, “You are grown.”

“I would like to think so too since four years have come and gone,” Malisha replies.

“I can’t claim you,” Grayson says.

Her breaks, and she stares at him in disbelief and shock.

“Why not?” She asks.

“You will not understand,” he says, and leaves her arms while she can feel the hurt in her chest. In a lower voice, he adds, "Claiming you will only put you in danger." 

When she hears that, her heart drops at first, but she shrugs it off.  If her mate didn't want her, she was not going to wait anymore. She was done being the girl who had no choice. 

With pain, anger and determination, she gets to work, to find her willing participant.

She lifts her chin and scans the room. 

If Grayson didn't want her, someone else will.