My mate.

Alpha Vald Hector.

I was in the woods when my wolf smelled her. I had gone to secure the border after an attempt by my rogues to get into the pack.

Tonight was the mating ceremony ritual which I organized every year, yet I was the mateless one.

Don’t get me wrong, I have been searching for my mate for twelve years.

It was around that time I became Alpha on the pack, and at thirty years old, I haven’t found my mate.

I had given up on ever finding her, and lost hope of ever getting mated to anyone but I had women who were a form of release for me. I have never been with a woman twice, enjoyed their company for an hour, and sent them out of my hotel room.

I never took any of them to my house or fuck them on my bed.

All because of a promise I made, that I wouldn’t be tied down to anyone except my mate.

But years passed, I was eagerly at every mating ritual, but she was never there, never in the Pack, never in the Pack close to us either.

I stopped going for the mating rituals because it was for the youngins around 18-24.

And tonight, my nephew Lucas was going to find his mate, and then he will be fully ready as my heir to become an Alpha. We all agreed to it, since I remained unmarried, and without a mate, the brother’s son could as well be my heir and carry on the family legacy.

But, her scent came.

It stirred up my wolf immediately like a hound dog, we raced into the wood, tracing the scent.

“Alpha!”

It slowed my pace, when I saw her running, tears streaming down her face, sobbing bitterly, and I darted towards another path.

Something fell off her clothes, but she hadn’t noticed, and kept running.

I picked up the work she dropped.

Her scent was intoxicating, even from her journal. It was driving me and my wolf insane, her name was on the bottom of it, and a small introduction.

‘Avery. Williams.’

‘My life sucks at twenty-two.’

I followed the direction she took, she had stripped, and was inside the river. It didn’t seem like she was taking a bath, it was quite obvious she was trying to calm her wolf.

Her cry made my heart wrench.

I leaned over the tree, till she calmed down before I approached her.

Her head came out of the water, her curly hair was wet, her eyes were unique, and it looked just like earth. The moon shone on her, not once, have I thought that I would find her here.

‘Mate’ My wolf growled in my head, his voice was loud, and there’s no way I could ignore it.

‘The scent came from her.’

I took a step closer, and that was when she saw me.

If she were in my pack, how come I never found her?

Where has she been hiding?

And she has no idea who I was, I don’t think she felt the bond either.

That I was her mate.

I wanted to bind her and take her away with me, but on second thought I didn’t want to force her.

After I kissed her tears off, I backed away from her, she didn’t hesitate, she ran.

I watched her running, and smiled, knowing I could get her in seconds.

She didn’t shift, there might be a reason why she didn’t.

I was about to leave when I saw her small journal.

“Alpha.”

“You suddenly ran off.” My Beta came panting.

“We found one of the rogues.”

“Kill him,” I ordered and picked up the journal.

“What’s that, Alpha?”

“Is it from one of the spies?” He inquired, and I shook my head slowly.

“Alpha, you should head back to the pack now and end the mating ceremony, they are all waiting for you, and I heard Lucas has found his mate.”

I tilted my head to the side and stared at the Beta. “Is that so?”

“Yes, Alpha.”

We went back to the Pack hall, and I tucked the journal away in my pocket. I ended the mating ritual with a closing speech. Lucas was grinning over with his mate attached to his arms, her head over his chest.

“…and to everyone who couldn’t find their mate tonight, don’t lose hope yet. Your mate might be somewhere within, waiting…” my voice trailed off.

“The mating ceremony this year has come to an end.”

“Uncle.” Lucas stopped when I was about to leave.

“We’ll talk tomorrow, Lucas. You should take your mate home,”

“I wanted to introduce her to you, Uncle.” He smiled and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

My eyes went to her, there was nothing to look at in her body, and my gaze didn’t last a second.

“Judy Williams.”

“Williams?” I asked, Why does it sound familiar?

“Yes, Alpha. I’m Gamma Williams' daughter.” She said with so much pride in it.

I nodded and adjusted my wristwatch. “I will see you at home Lucas.”

He smiled. “Yes, Uncle.”

I went out to get a drink.

It was past midnight, but her face, and her scent lingered in my head.

“Alpha, the ladies are waiting for you in your hotel room, you already asked for them earlier, and I made sure to follow your orders. I left them in the room.”

“That was before I left.”

“Yes, Alpha, the order came in the evening.” The bartender lowered his head at me and slowly refilled my glass of whiskey.

I took a gulp, took the bottle, and walked down to the hotel room.

I entered, and two ladies were on the bed with the lingerie on.

“Alpha.”

They came down from the bed, I placed the bottle of whiskey on the bedside table, and chugged down the one in the glass.

They took my black sleeve off my body, and I let them touch me, their hands around my body. But it meant their touch meant nothing to me, I didn't feel anything either when they touched me.

One of the ladies' hands touched my pocket. “Alpha what’s this?” She asked, I hit her hand off, and pulled out the journal from my pocket.

I sat on the bed with the journal, and the ladies behind me.

I wanted to flip the first page, I got up, took out a smoke, and went to the balcony alone.

‘Tim.’ I mind-linked my Beta, and his voice came back in response. ‘Alpha.’

I puffed out the smoke from the pipe and wheezed into the night.

‘You’ve to find someone.’

‘Who, Alpha.’

‘My mate.’