UNACCEPTABLE BOND

Nathan P.O.V.

Our vehicle turns right into the parking lot, after a three-hour drive, we are finally at destination. 

I don’t like this kind of outings, it’s difficult enough protecting our Alpha from threats when we are at the pack, it is much more difficult when we are outside our pack territory, and our numbers are low.

Our Alpha has made a lot of enemies along the way, which is not surprising seeing his bad temper and his habit of playing with beautiful women, especially daughters of high-ranking officials, such as Alphas and Betas. 

Many angry parents want his blood, as he has stolen their daughters’ virtue, and then thrown them away the first chance he got.

We werewolves value the sanctity of the mate bond, which means keeping ourselves chaste for our mate, this works especially for women, I know it is sexist, but things are the way they are.

So, you can imagine the anger of those parents, whose daughters have been brought shame upon; it will be difficult to marry them off to other high-ranking officials, now that they are not pure anymore; they would have to settle for a warrior or a wealthy commoner.

Although I don’t condone the way our Alpha behaves, he is still my Alpha, and I will protect him with my life, until he deems me fit for this task.

We descend from the vehicle, and we immediately get into a protective stance around the car, waiting for the Alpha to dismount. Today he needs to attend the semi-annual Alpha Meeting, all important Alphas of the nation will attend, it is a very important gathering, where matters regarding the entire werewolf community will be discussed and put to a vote.

I feel honoured to have the opportunity to witness this meeting, this is where werewolf history is written, a meeting at a time.

A light breeze is blowing today, ruffling my shoulder length curly hair, and bringing to my nostrils the most amazing fragrance I have ever inhaled. It smells like wild berries, it’s sweet, fruity and fresh. 

My wolf goes into a frenzy, pushing me to go find our mate, but I don’t need to move a step, because she is walking right in my direction, encircled by her bodyguards. 

She stops in her tracks, a few metres away, her gaze locked with mine.

She is beautiful, angelic even. Her eyes are a light shade of blue, when the light changes, they take on some hues of grey, and they go perfectly with her long auburn hair, which are styled into wavy curls. Her skin is so fair it resembles the glowing moon, adorned by some light freckles on her cute button nose.

Her body is covered by a lilac oversized woman suit, but not even that can hide the curves of her round breasts, and the plane of her flat stomach. I want nothing more than to ravish her here this moment, but although my wolf is pushing me to do just that, I can’t; I won’t do it now, and I won’t do it ever, because she is completely out of my league.

She is the cold Alpha Sloane Moore, Alpha of our neighbouring pack, the Moon Shine Pack, while I am just me, a simple warrior, a nobody.

So, I do the only thing I can, I break eye contact, turn around, and start escorting our Alpha to the meeting hall, feeling a pair of blue eyes burn a hole in the back of my head, all the way inside the building.

I must find an opportunity to reject her, so that she can move on and find someone worthy of her. Maybe the Moon Goddess will even bless her with a second chance mate.

I try to keep my thoughts rational, do what is right, but the mere thought of severing our bond and of her finding happiness with someone else is crushing me from the inside. Why would the Goddess pair me with someone I can never have? Is it to remind me of my place? To test me? At the moment, it just seems a cruel joke to me, something that might affect my happiness for the rest of my life.

Even in this crowded hall, her scent finds its way to my nostrils and it’s taking my all not to chase her down and mark her on the spot. This is pure torture, I really wish I could go out of here and take a breath of fresh air, to clear my head a little.  

Luckily, our Alpha needs to freshen up, so I eagerly offer to escort him to the restroom. I am waiting to escort him back, when someone exits from the adjacent female restroom, of course, it is none other than my red-headed angel. Fate seriously has some score to settle with me today.

She stops just outside the door, studying me carefully, her head tilted to the side. 

This is my chance; I must master up the courage and reject her. There is no one around, so I won’t embarrass her. I am ready to speak up, but she beats me to it. 

“Hi,” she says tentatively. Her voice as melodious as a well-tuned instrument, striking a chord deep in my heart.

I am mesmerized by her beauty, and I just stand there like an idiot. I don’t reply, I don’t know what to say to her, it can never be between us.

“You are a man of few words. Or better, no words,” she continues, trying to strike up a conversation with me. 

I keep mute, and she breathes out a small laugh, trying to break the tension between us. Her laugh is musical too, and adorable, like it is everything about her, from her flushed ears to the way she keeps wriggling her toes.

I’ve heard many stories about Alpha Sloane Moore; in them she was pictured as a fierce Amazon woman with a heart of stone; she’s as lethal with her claws as she’s sharp with her tongue. But seeing her now, she doesn’t seem all that scary and cold-hearted; on the contrary, she looks tiny and cute.

“I am Sloane, and you are?” she says with a small smile, extending her hand toward me, for me to shake.

“It’s not important,” I reply in an emotionless tone. I don’t shake her hand, I just stand there, watching her impassively.

She frowns and looks mortified by my attitude. I know she wants to ask the obvious, why I am not claiming her as mine, but she probably doesn’t want to cause a scene in public.

Goddess, how difficult it is to keep an impassive front, when all I want to do is ravish her and yell to the world that she’s mine. I want to keep her so badly. But I fucking can’t; so, I should stop stalling and get it over with, reject her now. Why can’t I make the words form on my tongue? How difficult can it be? I just need to get the words out!  

My Alpha comes out of the restroom, and my chance flies out the window.  

He notices Sloane standing there and approaches her with a coyly smile.

“Alpha Moore, what a pleasant surprise! Were you waiting for me?” 

I want to fucking punch him in the face! Repeatedly! Why does he have to be such a womanizer? It might be impossible for me to take her my mate, but I will be damned before I let him get his way with my angel.  

Sloane tenses up a little, gone is her gentle smile and her vulnerability, in the beat of one heartbeat she has steeled herself, sobered up, even her eyes are now glacial, making her look older.

“Alpha Axel, I was just exchanging a few words with your warrior. I need to go back now, if you’ll excuse me.”

She nods her head in greeting and departs toward the meeting room in big strides, her chin held up high, while her aura flows mendaciously around her .

“That woman is a feisty one; don’t let her cold exterior fool you, I can assure you she is pure fire. One of these days I’ll get my chance with her, and she will be at my feet. You’ll see.”

I don’t reply, the thought of his dirty paws on my cute angel disgusts me to no end. I will never allow this to happen.

Maybe this is the reason why the Moon Goddess has paired us together, to make me her guardian, to protect her from our devious Alpha. And, if this is the will of the Goddess, I will follow it, I will protect her with everything I have.