Chapter 2

CLAUDE

TO BE HONEST, I couldn’t concentrate on what was being said throughout the conference meeting. A set of eyes lingered on my body, and I tried my hardest to ignore her.

As soon as the meeting ended, I jumped out of my seat, avoiding mingling with the other ranking members, and made my way to the double doors. At the top of the stairs, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I forced myself not to curse.

I turned around and sucked in a breath. The woman, gripping her knees and breathing heavily, looked up at me. She stood to her full height, glaring at me while dangling her nude heels between us.

“I had to embarrass myself in front of everyone downstairs to catch up to you. Why are you running away from me, my mate?”

I could only stare at her. When she reached out and touched my arm, I jumped back as if burned. The tingle where she touched me made it all too real.

“I’m not ready,” I blurted out. She frowned, looking at me like I was mad—maybe I was.

“W-what?” she choked, stepping closer. Her scent made my inner wolf wild, but I pushed it down. This wasn’t what Iwanted. “Are you going to reject me?”

I took a shaky breath and shook my head. “No—I don’t know.” I was definitely confused, but one thing was certain: I wasn’t attracted to her.

She nodded slowly and stepped back, her eyes glittering with unshared tears under the orange light that filled the hall and i suddenly felt like the worst person to ever exist. “We should talk about... us later,” she whispered.

I nodded, trying my best not to show how eager I was to move away from her. “We should,” I replied. She forced a smile, and without another word, I made my way to my room. As I unlocked the door, I could still feel her eyes on me.

——

I jointed up from sleep at the should of a loud bang accompanied with that of the rumbling of thunder outside my window. The sound from my door came again and cautiously, I jumped down from the bed and made my way to the door.

I pressed my ear to the door, my left hand on the doorknob and the other with my claws extended. I was in a different pack and I would be damned if I wasn’t ready to attack any intruders. “Who’s it?” I asked and a soft whimper sounded from the other side of the door.

Taking a deep breath, I finally pulled the door open, jumped back with my claw infront of me. The female—my mate stumbled into the room and I stood there momentarily shocked before shutting the door closed.

“What is wrong?” I asked and she only wrapped her arm around her stomach and hissed. “My stomach… It hurts, I think I’m in—“ I took in a deep breath and the delicious smell of.

My eyes wilden and I took a step back as it finally heat me. “You’re in heat.” I said and she turned her head to me.

“Please help, it hurts.”

Fuck. How could I have forgotten that when a female finds her mate, it forces them into heat? I shook my head and turned my back to her. No matter how much my wolf pushed me towards her, I just couldn't do it.

"'m sorry, I can't help," I said, and a sob escaped her lips.

"What kind of man are you! You should want me while 'm in heat. I am your mate...Ahh."

I turned around to see the woman now curled up on the ground. I muttered a silent curse and ran toward her. I took her in my arms, and she wrapped her hands around my neck. "It's... That feels better, but I want more," she whispered, and before I could even blink, her lips were kissing up my neck, and her body pressed closer to mine.

I hoped I would feel something, anything at all, even with the smell of her arousal filling the room and her plump breasts pressing against my chest. But just as I had thought, I still couldn't feel anything.

I wrenched my head back from her and took a shaky breath. I looked down at the female who was in pain. "Why can't you mate with me? Why won't you?" she whispered, but I couldn't tell her the truth. I got up with her in my arms, walked over to the bed, and placed her on it. I licked my bottom lip and finally came to a conclusion.

"I'm sorry, I have to reject you." The woman gasped and tried to roll out of the bed, but I caged her between my arms. "If I reject you now, it might force your heat to come to an end."

"Why! Why would you reject me? Is... is there someone else?" she asked, and I shook my head.

"No, there is no one else," I breathed out,

"but I just can't do this now." Before I could blink, she grabbed my cheeks, rolled us over before I could react, and slammed her lips on mine. It felt like I was frozen in place, and memories of what he did to me came flooding in.

"You like that, don't you, boy? You like when I force my lips on you."

I gasped and pushed her away, my body shaking as all I kept seeing was him. Him. Him.

"Get out." I choked and stumbled out of the bed to the window, wanting some fresh air.

"How is that even possible! You aren't aroused, and I am your mate and in heat." She shouted, and I turned to face her, my jaw clenched with anger.

"Get the hell out of my room!" I yelled at her, and she jumped back like she had been hit by a ton of bricks, but I couldn't bring myself to feel remorse. All I wanted was space.

"You can't tell me to leave. If I leave, you're letting mateless wolves have their way with me."

With my eyes blurred with unshed tears, I made my way to the door and pulled it open. "Fine then, I'll leave." And with that, I shut the door behind me.