Chapter 2: Like Strangers

'I'll pretend that I've never settled my eyes on you or even have met you before. Let's be strangers for now in their eyes.'

“Dante, have you ever thought of finding a mate”

Allen asks him as he lay down his spoon, he raises his hand for the waiter for water and he saw her coming right up with it. She put it in front of him he smiles again she ignores him quickly removing her hands from the glass.

“One was enough as the other one has eloped with another werewolf,” he lies to Allen taking a gulp and glances aside finding her to halt in her step then she continues to walks again.

“Interesting, I thought you never found her but hey who cares” he raises his glass which they both clink together and drinks to it.

“Okay, you see that girl” he lowers his voice, shutting out everyone from their mind links and put up a barrier to their table. Dante’s eyes follow Allen and found his mate smiling next to a male waiter, who was closer to her whispering something in her ear then she laughs again.

He gritted his teeth “what about her Allen?” he looks aside to find his friend smiling and Dante knew that look too well, his friend is in love with his mate. He didn’t like where their conversation was going, still, he pretends to know nothing of her.

“I’m thinking of making her my luna,”

He felt his wolf growling within him yet he pushed him at the back of his head.

“She’s not your mate or your pack member”

Dante knew his mate was not from either his or Allen’s pack. He remembers that she lives in a neutral territory run by the council. All matters there is handled by the council-run by four high ranking Alpha. He was supposed to be included but he refuses to be part of them. He still blames them for his pack almost demise.

They never lend him a helping hand when the rogues attack his territory when he was fourteen or even when he reaches eighteen. They left a kid and his pack at the merciless hands of the feral wolves and Rogues to die.

Now that kid's pack is fear by all and he is usurping everything they have built and run and one of his goals is that one day the neutral territory where his Mate lives will also be his. He will make sure they crawl to his door, begging him on their knees to help them.

Allen smiles “I know but I like her, there is something about her that I couldn't get off of my head” his word brought him back to reality yet those words remind him of the reason why she is not next to him, the reason why he only has one friend in his lifetime.

"I still remember the first time we met," he says as Dante plays with his wine before gulping it down as he was getting uncomfortable.

“so what keeps you waiting” he questions Allen “well, let just say after I remove the jerk next to her.”

Dante chuckles and pretended to be uninterested in her. He didn't want to draw any attention or for his friend to think he has a thing for her. It will ruin the deal he just sign with his pack so he kept his wolf emotion intact.

He then takes a good look at the male and realizes that he was one of his former members, he ignores it and gulps his wine again.

They went back to talk about their pack, he threw glances in her way twice until he saw her walking out of the dining hall. He pretended to slip the drink down, splashing it on his tux, he moves up and tries to wipe it off.

The waiter tries to help him wipe off the stain but he dismissed them politely before asking for the restroom directions.

He follows her scent then he waited for her as she was in the ladies’ room. The scent grew stronger and she walks passes him standing before him her back on his.

Dante reaches out his hands around her waist and his head in the nook of her neck he murmurs behind her ear sending shivers through her whole body

“I miss your scent.”

He let go of her, slightly she turns to him and slaps him across the cheek.

“You rejected me, you jerk, aren’t you here to do that again,” he chuckles “maybe” he teases and she leans forward to him “and you know my answer to that very well.”

He grabs her arm pulling her closer to him while she struggle to be free from his grasp

"And it won't be long enough until you accept it."