The Alpha Can’t Sense His Mate

ITHRA

I hadn’t set my eyes on Zadok since the last time at the Greenhouse.

Despite his sudden disappearance, he stayed true to his words.

My training with Athaliah continued. Every day, I returned to my quarters with an aching body. One thing was sure – I was getting better.

With my constant training, I got better at defending myself, alongside learning valuable skills to add to my offence game.

I couldn’t lie. Athaliah was one hell of a teacher. She wasn’t my friend, and every lesson felt like an opportunity to show me how much of a weakling I was – compared to her.

I took it with good faith, expounding my knowledge of her tactics and getting stronger. As time passed, her hits weren’t as defeating. In my current state, I felt I could take on a warrior wolf.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

As time passed, I discovered that l anticipated training every day. So much that I spent my nights sparring alone in my quarters in the dead of the night.

This week was different. My training was cancelled without reason, pending further notice. Despite my ban from nearing the farmland or exiting my quarters, I heard whispers about the reason behind the sudden change of things around the pack.

A mating ceremony was holding very soon.

According to the news, Zadok hadn’t attended one in the last 12 years, and every other pack was desperate to come into the bloodhound pack to rectify the news flying around town.

I didn’t hear what the news flying around town entailed before I got caught listening in on their conversation. I didn’t care anyway. I just hated that I had to miss training because of it.

Despite the ban on my training, I managed to get through the days with a pocket of training exercises within the premises. It wasn’t the same with training on the farm with Athaliah, but I had no choice.

Today, however, I planned to visit the farmland. Not because I wanted to be a rebel. But because I needed to get the book. It’s been some week with heavy downpours.

I couldn’t afford for the book to be lost. Or worse, revealed.

In the dead of the night, I prepared myself, dressing in a black dress and a black cape to go. With the excited chatters and the festivities I could hear from my room, I knew that this was the night.

The mating ceremony night. The best night to carry out my act.

While they were all busy bumping heads with what they believed to be their significant others, I would sneak out to the farm and get my book.

Easy peasy.

Armed with the knowledge of the ceremony’s venue, I sprayed myself with one of the wolf scents I stole during one of my walks, hoping to hide my original scent when the time arrived.

I snuck out of my room, avoiding eye contact and walking quickly, hoping the wolf populace were caught up in their ritual, giving me enough time to carry out my rendezvous.

Everything went seamlessly. Nobody spared me a second look, and the air was festive. I noticed the lack of guards in the corridors and the overall leisure in the air. No one was paying attention. At least that’s what I thought.

“Reject me!” I heard a voice as I passed the last room of the hallway.

“No! You are my mate, Athaliah! You belong to me!” The voice sounded broken and oddly familiar. “Why would you want me to reject you when I’ve been waiting for you my whole life?”

That caught my attention. I felt caught between two decisions – to continue my way like I didn’t hear anything or quietly find out what was wrong.

“Don’t! Don’t say that to me.” She said, sounding tired, “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be. I can’t accept you as my mate. You know I’ve only ever wanted to be Luna.”

I finally peeped through the doors, and my eyes fell on Azriel and Athaliah, screaming their heads off. They were mates. I’d think by now they would be consummating their bond, but for some reason, here they are, screaming their heads off and plotting to be a Luna.

What was a luna?

Azriel looked crazed. “No! You are my mate, Athaliah. The moon goddess has given you to me to love, to protect and to cherish. I can prove to you I am worthy of your love. I will make you feel like a Luna. You will be my Luna. Just,” He let out a frustrated sound, “please don’t do this. Don’t break the bond we share.”

He held her hand, pleading like a baby. “I will always make you happy. I am for you. I’ll give everything to have you by my side.” he kissed her wrist. “Don’t you feel that? I can’t live without you anymore. From the moment I scented you as my mate, I don’t want anything else.”

“You just don’t seem to understand, do you?” Athaliah removed her hand from his. “This is a distraction on my path. I have trained myself all these years, preparing for when I can finally be Luna. How can I throw all of that and settle to be your mate?”

Athaliah’s words were a slap to Azriel. I could feel his heartbreak as she spoke to him.

“Let’s not hurt ourselves any more than we have. I want you to reject me.”

Azriel blew up. “You want to be the Luna?” he scoffed, “Don’t fool yourself. The Alpha is currently working on finding his mate. What makes you think he will choose you instead?”

“We both know he won’t find his mate. The whole thing with Ithra will eventually crash, and he’ll come running back to me.” She boasted. “As it stands, you are the only thing standing in my way to becoming Luna.”

Azriel turned around, fisting his hair like a crazed person. “Can you hear yourself? You are willing to give up your original mate to be someone’s second choice?” He asked in an incredulous tone.

“I will not stand here and listen to your insults.” Athaliah raised her hand, and Azriel’s eyes widened. “I, Athaliah Hezron, Gamma of the BloodHound pack, reject you, Azriel Montreal… as my mate.”

“Who do we have here?” A voice startled me. I jumped from the door – creating a noise.

Shilhi looked at me and then the opened door. Before I could muster an excuse, she said, “Let’s get out of here.”

I followed her without a word, and just when we crossed the main gates, I heard a painful howl come from the building. I didn’t need to ask to know who it was.

Azriel.