Chapter 2

I was so excited and hopeful, Alpha Zion had said it was my lucky day and I thought he was correct, I found my mate! But from the hateful look Alpha Derrick cast at me, he had also found his mate in me and he didn't like what he saw.

"What are you doing?" He asked coldly.

"It's my eighteenth birthday, I knew I would find my mate today and..." I lost my confidence but my determination was too strong, I stared directly into his eyes. "And I've found my mate."

There was a silent air around us, Alpha Zion watched in disbelief and so did the rest of his friends.

"You must be fucking crazy." He said scornfully and wrenched his hand free. "How dare a bloody maid fucking touch me and utter such blasphemy." He stared at me in disdain, his eyes flickering with realization and hesitation.

He turned and walked away but something in me urged me not to let him go, I ran after him with tears welling up my eyes. I knelt in front of him, bowing my head down.

"I know you felt it too, Alpha Derrick, so why do you try to run away from what the moon goddess has fated?" I asked and the tears dropped from my cheeks.

I already knew why he was like this after discovering that I was his mate, I was nothing but a mere maid. I was nowhere close to his class of women, but could one resist the mate bond when it came calling? I thought finding my mate would be the happiest day of my life, but it was quickly turning into a horrible nightmare as the fear of rejection loomed over me like a burble ready to burst anytime soon.

He stared down at me with cold, impassive eyes. "Aren't you an audacious one? You can't be my mate, the rich and powerful have nothing to do with the poor and helpless. Damn any fucking mate bond you felt, I felt nothing." He said coldly, not making any movements to leave me.

The others came and surrounded me, Alpha Zion squinted at my badge again and asked in a thunderous voice that could ring a bell, "What the fuck are you doing, Layla?"

I remained silent.

"She thinks a peasant can be the mate of Alpha Derrick, how pathetic." Alpha Derrick said then stared at Alpha Zion. "What do you raise in your pack? Whores?" He asked and others burst into laughter but there was not a hint of humor on Alpha Zion's face as he stared at me. "It's a ridiculous and frivolous act, you should learn to control the court maids around here, or else they go astray, yeah?" Alpha Derrick concluded.

When I looked into Alpha Zion's eyes, I shuddered and a voice in my head whispered, "You're dead."

Alpha Derrick took one last glance at me then walked past me while the others followed except the Alpha of my pack.

"What was that shameful act..." Once again, he squinted at my badge. "Layla? What the fuck was that? You were so damn desperate to embarrass me, weren't you?" He asked, his voice laced with so much anger.

I shook my head like a five-year-old being scolded.

"Looks like Miss Lenny isn't taking her job seriously anymore." He said and turned his back to me.

"I'm sorry, Alpha Zion." I said, a sinking feeling of disappointment and sadness engulfing me.

"Sorry? Sorry you say? You fucking peasant!" He yelled and turned.

His hand flashed in the air and I crouched away, bracing myself for a vicious slap but a hand caught Alpha Zion's in midair. When I looked up, my eyes widened with shock, it was Alpha Derrick.

"What are you doing, Derrick?" Alpha Zion asked, his eyes still blazing with fury.

"Don't hit her, she said she's my mate, I won't deny that I did feel something when I touched her. My wolf is still going crazy." He said, casting a sour look at me. "I'll take her, to fulfill all fucking righteousness." He said.

Alpha Zion's eyes widened with shock and a feeling of unexplainable joy surged throughout my body. My efforts hadn't gone to waste! He recognized me as his mate and accepted the fact because his wolf wouldn't let him walk away from me.

But from the look of disdain in his eyes, he didn't accept me as his mate, his eyes hated me and I was sure the rest of him did too. That gave me mixed feelings, he clearly didn't like me, but he was still willing to take me.

The first thing that crossed my mind was Miss Leia and Jenny. I was going to leave them, especially the brutal hands of Miss Leia. That alone was enough to make my eyes glitter with excitement and I hid a broad smile with an effort. His other friends walked back towards us and there was a look of amusement on their faces.

"You want her? I have no power to stand in your way if it's something ordained by the deities of the moon. She's yours." Alpha Zion said and the others gasped.

"Well look here, the maid was right after all. Hope she survives in your jungle, Derrick." One of the others remarked and they all burst into laughter except Derrick.

He only smiled and the edges of his eyes tilted with humor, then he stared down at me impassively, "Get your things and be waiting by 6am tomorrow at this very spot. You'll be moved to my pack, do not take this as me accepting you as my mate, I have utmost respect for the things of the moon goddess. That's the only reason I'm taking such a peasant like you in. As a matter of fact, you are supposed to be punished for staining the skin of werewolf royalty with your dirty fingers but I'll let that one slide only because you are a member of Alpha Zion's pack."

His eyes turned cold and he said to me. "You brought this upon yourself," He looked at my badge. "Layla." He turned and walked away and I caught a few words of what was being said as they all walked away.

"Oh...dear me...dear you...dear all of us!" One of them exclaimed. "Derrick...you know Freya is not going to like this at all... Freya is..." Their voices faded off and all I did was remain where I was, watching Alpha Derrick walk away majestically.

Despite the fact that his words only hinted at suffering for me, I was still thrilled and excited, every bone in my body was lively with jubilation and there was a spring in my step as I carried out my duties that day. I couldn't wait to tell Jenny and see the expression of shock on her face. My optimism had worked out perfectly for me and I was going to rub it in her face.

I found my mate!