Chapter 2: The Mating Ceremony 2

That night, Natasha was found at the mating ceremony ball with but one mission: to find her mate. And this time, it was not just because she wanted to; now it was because she needed to. Only then could she protect herself from being Alpha Jerome’s contract mate.

As the night progressed, Natasha was no closer to finding her mate. She searched the entire mating ceremony ground; everywhere she turned, people were smiling and laughing in pairs. But all she saw were eyes that looked down and mocked her, telling her to stop wasting her time. They didn’t use their words, but their gazes of mockery and disgust spoke volumes, asking how desperate she looked and how she could ever find a mate when she was wolf-less. This was considering the widely known theory that states that the wolf inside of you connects you to your destined mate. However, how could she achieve such a connection when she was wolf-less?

Natasha took a break from her search. She stood alone in the corner of the ballroom, pouring herself another glass of drink, far away from the fashionable Thorne.

“Small glasses?” a voice asked from behind.

Natasha turned around in hopes that someone had taken an interest in her tonight. Unfortunately, it was one person she didn’t want to see: Alpha Jerome.

“Alpha Jerome,” Natasha said, with her head slightly bowed.

“Tiny little things, aren't they?” Alpha Jerome said, raising the glass in his hand.

“The glasses?” Confused. “I suppose they are,” Natasha said.

“Then the matter is settled,” Jerome replied, referring to the types of glasses to be used at her coronation as his mate.

“Alpha Jerome, I’m not entirely sure I understand the matter about which we are speaking” Natasha replied.

Alpha Jerome let out a wide smirk and said, “You’ve always amused me, Natasha, ever since we were younger.”

“And was I not?” Natasha asked sarcastically, knowing that she couldn’t have been in Hayden at the time he mentioned, “…five?”

Alpha Jerome smiled, realizing that she had his words twisted. “Natasha, I understand that we got off on the wrong foot, but I believe we can start over, don’t you?” he said.

Natasha took a deep breath. Her time was up, her plan to find herself a mate had failed, and being a chosen mate to Alpha Jerome might indeed be her only option for escaping her wretched life. However, she was not ready to wave the give-up flag just yet.

“I’m sorry, but I have to step out to get some air,” she said politely and walked away.

“Natasha,” Jerome tried calling her back, but she paid no attention as she continued walking away.

To ensure he wasn’t following her, Natasha looked both back and front as she walked. Not concentrating enough, Natasha hit a serving table and missed a few steps. Just as she was about to fall and hit the ground, a man swooped in and caught her by her waist and wrist.

Returning to her feet, she said, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” the gentleman replied.

Standing before her was a man she had never seen before, instantly erasing all thoughts from her mind. He was very tall, and her eyes slowly moved over him, from his polished black shoes to the tailored black formal ball suit that adorned his frame. Her eyes widened at the mass of muscles and biceps straining against the suit he wore. She skimmed over the strong column of his throat and trailed up his chiseled jawline and plump lips until she was staring into his honey-brown eyes, slightly covered by his tousled midnight hair. He was simply... beautiful.

She tried to say something, but words failed her. Aside from his looks, Natasha felt herself inexplicably attracted to him, as if a part of her that had been missing was now found.

Lost in the whirlwind of his looks, Natasha missed the part where he introduced himself. Her mind was racing: Is this him? Is this my mate? Have I finally found him after my long search? Natasha questioned herself as she nodded continuously to whatever he was saying without paying the slightest attention.

“Hello?” He said, waving his hand in front of her face, jolting her back to reality.

“Are you…” she stuttered, still struggling to compose herself.

“Taken?” a female voice said from behind her.

Natasha turned around to see it was Alice, a long-lost acquaintance who she had last heard was in the same mate-less boat as she was.

“Yes, I’m afraid he very much is,” Alice said with a smile as she wrapped her arm around his.

The gentleman’s facial expression took a drastic change, but Natasha failed to catch it as she was too busy contemplating her fate. Just when she thought she had found him, her destined mate, she found out she was wrong, as he couldn’t be since he was already mated to someone else.

She felt the last strand holding her heart together break. The ache in her chest was more painful than the three years she had spent searching.

“Excuse me,” Natasha said, excusing herself before the tears that had welled in her eyes dropped.

…

Natasha paced around the garden of the mating ceremony ball. Her mind was clouded with many thoughts at once, but they all led to one conclusion. Natasha couldn’t accept being a person’s contract mate. The smile on Alice’s face as she wrapped her hands around her mate haunted Natasha's thoughts. "I deserve that happiness too," Natasha thought aloud to herself.

“There you are, I have been looking everywhere for you,” Jerome said, walking into the garden toward her.

“Jerome, please, not now,” Natasha said, brushing him off.

“Jerome? Are we to drop the honorific so soon?” he said sarcastically. “Well, I suppose, as my contract mate, I will pardon you this once…”

“I will never be your contract mate! I will never be mated to you!” Natasha flared. “My grandfather… he made a mistake.”

“Do you think yourself better than me?” Jerome replied angrily.

“It’s best for you to leave.”

“You should be thanking me. I’m your last hope. No one wants you,” he said, closing the gap between them.

Natasha stepped backward as he came closer.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“We will find out soon enough,” he said with an evil grin on his face, aggressively grabbing her arm.

“Let go of me!” she pushed him away, but his grip remained firm on her arm.

Alpha Jerome pushed her against the garden barn wall and used his hands to caress and roam all over her body.

“Stop it!” Natasha yelled.

In a reflex action, Natasha pulled back her right arm and landed a surprisingly effective punch squarely on Jerome's jaw.

Jerome licked his bleeding lips.

“Feisty, another thing you and she have in common. I’m really going to enjoy this,” he said with a devilish smile as if he was about to devour his prey.

Jerome reached for her again, this time pushing her against the wall of the garden barn with enough force to prevent her from struggling. He used one hand to cover her mouth and the other to caress her thigh. Natasha screamed at the top of her lungs for help, but only muffled sounds managed to escape.

Just when she believed her fate couldn't worsen, the realization dawned upon her that she might be about to be raped. Is this really how it ends for me? Natasha thought to herself. She understood there was no going back from this; she was going to become Jerome's contract mate.