3: She Is My Mate

I wasn't always this unhappy. I was a happy child who grew up in a happy home. Memories of my childhood were what reminded me that true happiness once existed. Because now, at 32, happiness was nothing but a distant memory.

My father, Adam, was a wise man. He taught me that we were humans first and beasts last. Our compassion and understanding made us stronger than the average werewolf. My mother, Rachel, was a nurse in the human world. Saving beings was her calling. It didn't matter if they were wolves, vampires, or weak little humans.

A tear slipped from my eye when I remembered that they were gone. Killed a day after I left to go live with my mate. I still couldn't believe that the whole Redclaw Pack was just wiped out like that. It still baffled me.

But I was proud to have come from that pack. I still lived by their teachings and worshipped the Moon Goddess.

The Drexel Forest Pack was an ungodly set of demons. They disobeyed the way of the Moon Goddess, and they cursed her name. If only she'd struck them dead for their disrespect and constant blasphemy, then the world would be a better place.

The teaching of the mate bond in our pack was that it was an irresistible pull, designed by the Moon Goddess herself to ensure that we kept our species going. According to our teachings, Selene created that one person specifically for you. In very rare cases, individuals got two or more soulmates, but I never understood that concept.

Maybe the Moon Goddess was drunk when she designed that rule.

I could never see myself with more than one mate.

I still remembered that wretched night when I met Alastor. It was my 19th birthday, and my father was hosting the Moonbeam Ball, where we honoured an Alpha for their outstanding achievements in the werewolf community.

That was when I sensed him.

My mate.

Wrapped in the skin of a God. His blonde hair was so golden, you'd think he was the sun. His eyes were a striking blue, almost like how I pictured the depths of the ocean.

My wolf rustled in my head when his musky aroma of green grass and wet earth wafted up my nose.

His eyes flashed golden, and he paused for a moment, scrutinizing me from head to toe. I cocked my head and stared at him, showing him I was a strong and elegant she-wolf. I didn't fawn; I didn't swoon, and I most certainly didn't drool.

He seemed disappointed.

Was it the way I looked?

I peered down at my white ruffled dress with my silver heels. I thought I looked good.

He snarled at me before he walked up to greet my dad.

His back was to me now, and his muscular frame remained completely still as he talked to my father. It was getting too difficult to breathe, so I went out into the gardens for some fresh air, where I found something just as sinful.

I shuddered at the memory.

"Hey, Ava."

I felt a warm hand on my shoulder, shaking me slightly.

I blinked my way back to the present. My eyes landed on brown spheres observing me. Trenton stood there, waiting for me to answer.

"I'm sorry, Trenton. I zoned out a bit," I spoke, clearing my throat before neatly shaking my shoulder from his palm.

"I see that. You've been zoning out a lot lately." He sighed, inhaling deeply while he tilted his head. "Fuck!" he cursed, kicking the grass in anger. "You smell like him," he huffed.

"Yes, well, we just fucked in front of the entire dining hall. It would be surprising if I didn't smell like my mate," I snickered.

"I'm your mate!" he growled, gripping my shoulders and sinking his claws into my skin.

I hissed, shaking my head in frustration. "No, you're not. I rejected you."

"But I didn't reject you. Can't you feel the tingles still?"

He grabbed my palm, placing it up to his lips. His blond hair was in messy spikes on top of his head. His brown eyes lingered on my face with need and longing.

It had been two years since I ended the secret affair that I'd been having with him. I would be a liar if I said I didn't long for his touch, too. I loved him, but a part of me hated the fact that he never defended me against his brother.

His obedience and honour belonged to his Alpha. That was the reason I ended things and why I could not let Trenton learn of my plan to escape.

"I..." I cleared my throat, pulling my hand from his grasp. "We cannot do this."

"If you didn't reject me, then we could..." he spoke, but I interjected.

"But I did, and I mated with Alastor instead."

"But my brother doesn't deserve you!" he howled, pacing in anger, his wolf clawing at the surface as his breathing became laboured.

He always did this. He showed his Alpha dominance and the frustration he had towards his brother when he was in my presence. But when he was around Alastor, he became his bitch, doing anything his Alpha ordered.

Thirteen years ago, I thought Trenton was the better brother. Now, I knew better.

My heart ached as memories of my 19th birthday pulled me back in again.

I thought my dreams were about to come true when I discovered Alastor was my mate. I was ready to leave my pack and go off with him to start our new life. My wolf could tell he was strong, plus he was sinfully handsome.

We needed to collect our thoughts, so we headed outside to the gardens when another intense smell hit us.

Sandalwood and cinnamon.

Before we could register what was going on, Trenton ran up to me, kissing me fiercely, running his palm under my dress, and squeezing me so delicately that my juices soaked through my underwear and wet his palm.

Dazed and hazy from our mate bond, my heart pounded away in my chest. I didn't know how to feel.

The Moon Goddess had given me two mates.

Equally attractive, equally strong, and equally sinful.

We didn't even get to exchange names before Alastor made his presence known.

His aura was so bitter and poisonous that my wolf and I felt no warmth from him as he circled his talons around my wrist, pulling me so hard away from Trenton that my arm broke.

"Brother?" Trenton raised the question with confusion dancing behind his eyes.

"She is mine," Alastor thundered. His voice was so heavy, it rumbled against my eardrums.

"She is my mate," Trenton corrected.

"No, little brother, she is my mate."

Alastor shoved me away as he rolled his dress shirt to his elbows and crouched, ready to fight.