01: HIS ONE TRUE MATE

*SHANTELLE*

"Thank you so much for coming, I really do appreciate it." I smiled as I took Luna Claire's hands. Her husband nodded at me as I acknowledged him. She returned with a bright smile and I turned to another guest to thank them. They all made it safely to Brownstone pack of which I am their Luna. Today was Raymond's coronation as the pack's Alpha. Don't get me wrong, he has been working as the Alpha since he clocked 18 but today, he will be seen and acknowledged globally as an Alpha, which also makes me an official Luna.

I felt pride rise within me at that thought. Only I know how much effort I had to put in to be worthy of that position.

"Thank you," I said again to a Luna I did not recognize. They might have been from the faraway packs we had extended our invitation letters to or she might be a new Luna. Who knows?

I stopped at a point when I noticed everyone's attention was fixed on a place, the smile on my lips dropped a bit. A sob broke out and a familiar voice hushed her. My eyes narrowed a bit as I tried to make out whose body it was.

What was happening?

I turned around, people began to move out of the way for me to see properly. My eyes widened as I stood, rooted to the ground, and shock evident on my face. Was I dreaming or was what I was happening for real?

Everywhere quietened as I watched everything unravel before me. Every eye turned to me as I stared at the sight before me, watching me and waiting for what I would do. I could not move. I wish I could. I wish I had not woken up this morning to see the awful sight!

My husband was facepalming an omega before everyone in the pack!

Pain gnawed at my stomach as my immobile feet began to move towards them. "And what's this, Raymond?!" I gritted out to my mate, my Alpha, and my husband.

He stood in a defensive stance before her, blocking her away from my reach with his stretched hands. Anger coursed through me as I glared daggers at the redhead who peeped a disdainful look at me. My brows twitched when I caught how her life dipped into a cunning smirk. Was I seeing double?

"She... She is my mate." He said, dropping the bomb on me like a cold bucket of ice.

My lower lips quivered as I took a step back, my hand dropping to my side. This... This was what I was afraid of. I was afraid of him finding his mate. His true mate.

"Shantelle. Calm down." He told me, meeting me in the eye.

My hands trembled at the way he had spoken to me. Why?

"I know we are chosen mates and you will always be my Luna," Then he pointed to their pack members. "Their Luna, Shantelle. I assure you, nothing has and will change. You see, Shantelle. I have tried my best to ignore the feeling but it is my hurting my wolf and also me." He said.

I knew it. I had caught the way he suddenly changed. The way he would be so absent minded whenever I tell him about my day and also when we tried to have sex. He was either always too tired or too weak to do anything. I should have known. I should have.

We have been the highschool sweethearts every one envied and was jealous of. We were what they called the ‘perfect couple’, unbreakable. That sounded ridiculous now. I was the daughter of a powerful Alpha who ruled over a pack in the East and Raymond just happened to be my father’s best friend son. Meeting him for the first time, I knew it was a love at first sight thing for me and probably for him too. When he officially asked me out when I was 16 and he was 17, it was on one of his visits to our pack then, almost every one knew he was going to and I appeared to be the oblivious one. I accepted because I loved him too but now… even at that time, every one kept saying that we were true mates. That must have played and gone into my head.

When I turned 18, I started undergoing lessons to be a Luna even though I had to put my dreams to become a doctor on hold so that I can be that perfect Luna for my Alpha. Alpha Raymond. I must have been foolish. So foolish to the extent that I would think that when I turned 18, I was going to feel that bond with him but no… I did not. It was in front of every one just like now…

I had woken up early that day and was giddy about going to school for the first time. Excitement almost had me skipping breakfast, all thanks to my mother who forced me to sit down and eat. I kept imagining how he would call me… call me his mate. Finally, it would be like a dream a come true except it was a nightmare. One that happened in the day.

I had hopped off the car that day and literally jogged to the school’s hall way because I knew he would be there. The smile on my face faded a bit when I locked eyes with him and nothing happened. His face was covered with less confusion as he approached me. He touched me and I did not feel that ‘sparks’. Every one gasped at the realization that… we were not mates.

Tears brimmed my eyes as they began to stream down my cheeks. “We are not mates… are we?” I sobbed.

He slowly nodded, he knew. He knew that we were not but he did not tell me.

“How?” I broke into sobs. Pity whispers echoed in the hall as Ray held me in his embrace.

“We do not need to be fated mates, Shantelle. We have more than that. What is between us is more than that,” He said, palming my face as he looked into teary eyes. My vision was blurry. “I will always choose over and over again. This life. Next life. Another one. Shan, it will always be you.” He assured me.

Lies! Lies upon lies and I was so foolish to believe him.

Those who said that the mate bond is stronger than any affection were right. They were. They must have had a taste of what it felt like to be bonded to another soul.

I stared at him, wishing and hoping he could remember his words to me. Before we got married and merged our packs as one, we has done from packs to packs to see if there was going to be his or my mate but there was none so we got married and became even stronger except we were not strong.

I glanced around the party hall and the shock on people’s faces was an evidence that this was happening for real. Raymond… my chosen mate had found his true mate!

The only person who did not seem startled by this was his Beta, Recker. He must have known too. No matter how I tried to get close to him, he just won’t accommodate me. Guess I now know the reason. I was a Chosen, not a Fated.

I came out of my shocked state and began to shake my head. “This… this cannot be. No!” I began to take steps back.

“Shantelle.” Raymond called but I shook my head.

Why? Why was this happening to me? Not now... Not now… tears rolled out of my eyes as a memory played out before my eyes. I was back to that time when I had lost who I was. My parents... My brothers and I...

“Come here,” The man who had a mask on ordered a young girl. The girl walked forward so confidently for her age and towered over me. My bruised lips trembled as I stared at the glistening and bloody dagger in her hand. She inclined her head to the side, her small lips tilting to the side.

“Say hello to the devil when you get to hell,” She smirked and suddenly everything blacked out.

I flinched back to reality at the impact of that action and I was back here, where my husband was with another lady.

“Shantelle, I know I agreed that I will be with you but… my wolf… he can no longer take the distance between she and I. We need to stay close. He needs her." He pleaded.

“Ray…” The filthy omega called his name like she had been calling him that for long. Like there has been that familiarity between them for a long time. He looked at her, nodding his head that she should calm down.

Raw anger coursed through me as he turned back to me. “Shantelle, I'm sorry but I can’t stop myself… he is calling out to her.” He begged.

My eyes dimmed on the filthy and tattered omega and I caught a slip of smirk on her lips. Funnily, she looked oddly familiar. Where did I know her from?

“Maybe if you can be my Luna and I will keep her in the guest room. We will-”

“Never!” I gritted out. “I, Shantelle, will never be anyone’s second choice!” I spat out even before he could finish. I turned around and stomped out of the place in anger.

How dare he?!

Tell me to be a Luna in title alone while he fucks around with her!