Chapter Three

Alder POV

I left her by the cliff, crying and screaming. I was hurt but not as hurt as the fact that the moon goddess decided to pair me with that human! How could she even think I was going to accept her?

Tonight was the moonlight festival and I was happy my father just announced that I would be crowned this weekend. Just as my friends were congratulating me, I saw her.

Adella Gomez, the human girl who can't have a wolf. A weakling that needed to be protected every single time the rogues attacked. She couldn't even fend one of them off! Even when it was decided that she would be trained, it ended up badly because she fainted on all occasions.

Three years ago, I met her alongside her brother, Jake. He was the son of my father's beta and my future beta too. She was beautiful. Very beautiful that I instantly fell for her.

But we haven't gotten our wolf then. I didn't know she was my mate. I waited eagerly for her to wolf out… I wish she was my mate. I thought she would be a strong female wolf just like the whole of their family.

I wanted one, just like how my father got my mother, his perfect warrior mate. I wanted mine too. Was that too much to ask from the goddess? 

But three years later, I was proven wrong. She was the weakest girl in the pack and not just that, she doesn't have a wolf or the scent of a wolf. She smelled human. 

She was human, much to my chagrin. 

It wasn't until I accosted Jamrs on why his sister was wolf less did he tell me how his parents found her, almost dead and brought her up as their own child. He loved his sister and made me promise never to let her know.

"Don't you mind she isn't a werewolf? A human weakling" I asked him one day.

"Should I mind? She is my sister, Alder. I will appreciate it if you stop calling her a weakling. Even if she doesn't have a mate, I will protect her for the rest of her life. I will kill anyone who hurts her," he said, seriously.

At first, I didn't mind. After all, she wasn't related to me in any way. But not until, my wolf smelled her unique scent. I thought it was all a dream. 

It can't be real. 

She can't be my mate! 

That was a few months ago before I went for my training with Jake, her brother. We were trained extensively on the duties of Alpha and beta. Luckily, we met at the moonlight ceremony which would grant mate less wolves their mates. I was expecting to be paired with someone with a powerful bloodline.

That thinking changed when I saw her and Kylie, my wolf kept howling in my head. 

We looked at each other and she smiled at me. Damn it! Did she know I was her mate? That's impossible! She doesn't even have a wolf.

"Down to earth, Der. Do you like my sister?" I heard Jamed ask, tapping me on my shoulder.

"Hell no! Why would you say such a thing?" I denied vehemently.

"That's because you can't stop staring at her for the past five minutes," Kayden, another of my friend chip in.

"Stop saying what you don't know! It's not like we have anything in common," I said, gritting my teeth in anger.

"True. You can't be her mate, right? But my sister said something about having found her mate…" 

" Come on, James. I know you love your sister but that's impossible. She doesn't have a mate" Kayden said.

" That's true but she looks so sure. Anyways, I will ask her as soon as we get back home," James said, taking a glass of wine from one of the waiters.

I bite hard on my lips as I stared at her. Did she want to tell everyone that I was her mate? Never! I won't let her make me a laughing stock in the pack. Brimming with anger, I took three glasses of wine at a go before walking towards her.

She was about to say something when I stopped her with a wave of my hand.

"Meet me at the cliff in the pack's border in five minutes. Don't follow me," I said, walking away from her.

I didn't listen to whatever she wanted to say because I just left her, making my way to the cliff. I was going to end it all tonight.

At exactly five minutes, I saw her running towards me. I felt angry at the goddess, I felt angry at Adella and I just wanted to free myself off this bond.

"I… am… sorry. Am I too late?" She stuttered, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Something moved around my groin and I felt myself reacting to her.

Damn! This fucking mate bond was making me drawn to her already. I pulled down the emotions creeping out and that was trying to stop me from doing whatever I had in mind.

Even Kylie was becoming restless but I shut him off. I wasn't going to be moved by his whining. I don't care if he wanted her, I wasn't going to be bound to a weakling all my life. 

I walked close to her, my eyes never leaving hers. I could feel that she knew I was her mate but how? She didn't have a wolf; how could she perceive her mate's scent? Was this a joke by the moon goddess? 

"What the fuck were you trying to do back there? You want everyone to know you were lusting after me?" I asked, disgusted at her weakness. Disgusted at the fact that she was weak… too weak to be my Luna. 

Then I added," Do you think I would accept you?"

I could see her face changing. She looked angry, yes. I wanted to hear it from her mouth so I can fulfill my mission for tonight.

"I am your mate!" She blurted out, her eyes locked on mine defensively.

Good. That's the only thing I need to hear to get it done! I smirked; my hatred evident in my face. I wonder what she would do when I finally do it?

"I, Alder Romero, reject you, Adella Gomez as my mate and future Luna. The moon goddess is our witness!" I said, waiting for her next reaction. 

"Alder… you…"

I could see she was hurt but she was trying to hide it. I don't care because I was damn hurting too! Although it was better than the humiliation of being mated to her for life!

But what I didn't expect was that she would easily accept the rejection. In anger, I berated her and did things I wasn't supposed to do. I saw the hurt in her eyes and damn, I was hurting as fuck!

"You should have just died instead of being a nuisance to everyone! You are worthless even to your own parents! You made them a ridicule in the pack and I won't let you make me too!"

" If I were you, I will just jump off the cliff and die!"

I didn't mean those words but I was too angry. I didn't want to do what I would regret so I just turned around and left her on the rocky ground where I pushed her. She was sobbing but I steeled my heart before leaving.

Without turning back. 

***

I didn't know how I got home. But I had stayed a few minutes before leaving there. I left her at the cliff and I had hidden some steps away, canceling my scent to watch what she was going to do. I stayed for a while and saw her going home before turning to leave. 

As soon as I got home, I slept off but I woke up with a bang on my door. I stood up angrily to teach whoever that it was a lesson. But I was surprised to see James with bloodshot eyes.

He was trying to hold back his tears and anger. If there was one thing that could make James like this, it was something that had to do with his family. Did that weakling tell her brother I rejected her?

"Adella is missing," he said, looking devastated.

It felt like an arrow just pierced my heart. What did he mean by she was missing? How could she be missing all of a sudden? 

Did she run away from the pack? Was I too harsh on her? 

"Have you searched the pack thoroughly?" I asked, getting anxious and… scared.

" We have been searching for the past six hours, man. I can't find my sister!" He said, getting frustrated.

We got out of the palace and followed the men to search for her all night long. There was no trace of her. I remembered that I left her at the cliff last night.

"Did they search the river beneath the hill? What if…" I suggested.

" My sister would never hurt herself!" Jamed said, shaking his head.

We were still talking when we received a mind link from one of the warriors to come to the stream close to the border. We immediately rushed there only to see James's mother sobbing as she held something in her hand tightly.

"Ella, my sweet Adella. How could you do this to your mother?" She sobbed.

James rushed up to her and I followed too, shakily. I just hope it wasn't what I was thinking.

"What happened?" I asked one of the warriors.

He bowed his head before replying," We were searching this area using the scent from one of her clothes. It directed us here and we happened to see this one leg of shoe floating in the water. It matches her scent so we mind link the beta and his wife"

I watched as the family grieved together and I, the culprit, just couldn't utter a word. I stood there watching them mourn my supposed mate. I was supposed to be happy she was gone, right?

But why was I feeling so empty and guilty? Why does my wolf silently mourn in my head as he repeatedly tells me how much we are going to regret it? Why did she kill herself?

I was drunk and said those nasty things to her. I didn't want her dead even if I rejected her! It wasn't my fault that she decided to kill herself. Shouldn't she have taken it in good faith? 

She was just a human for goodness’s sake! I can't be mated to her and that's why I rejected her. That's why I was in an awkward position. 

What would happen to me if my father finds out about our meeting last night? What would happen to my throne?

No, I can't let them know. Although I rejected her, I didn't kill her. Those thoughts were running through my head as her last words to me rang out more than the others.

"I hate you!"

She must really despise me.