Chapter 2.

Calista POV.

“This can’t happen. You deserve better than me.” She wiggles out of my hold as she takes a few steps back. I shake my head at her.

“No, Gaia. You are everything I want. I don’t care about anyone else or what you have done. I love you.” Her eyes burn red as she blinks rapidly before shaking her head.

“I can’t. Do you know why I don’t want a mate?” she asks and I watch her as she puts more distance between us. I sigh before I sit down as she stands in front of me wearing that tight little leather wrap-around skirt. I have always wanted to have those long legs wrapped around me as I pull the sweetest moans from her perfect pouty lips. To see her throw her head back in ecstasy as I make her come.

“No, you never told me.” I gulp as I look up at her. Gaia sits on the edge of the desk and I watch her every movement, completely entranced by the woman in front of me.

“When Dahlia found her mate, he promised he wouldn’t hurt her and he loved her. This was on her 18^thbirthday. The day before, she was acknowledged as the Alpha of Alpha’s. Well, her mate told her that day that his girlfriend was three months pregnant with his pup. Dahlia was heartbroken. I was 11 at the time and that night the bitch made it known to the entire pack that Dahlia’s mate got her pregnant. Dahlia rejected him in front of everyone. I forced him to accept that rejection. I vowed that night that I would do whatever I could to never end up in the same situation. I found the spell to block the mate bond and so I used it on myself. Dahlia and her wolf went crazy with the rejection.” I gulp at her words as she stares off into the distance, wiping a stray tear.

“So, as you can see, I have my reasons and I won’t be going back on my decision.” She stands and grabs another bottle off-the-shelf, opening it and gulping it down, looking out of the window.

Moving towards her, I wrap my arms around her from behind as I kiss her shoulder.

“I wouldn’t do what that idiot did to Dahlia. I’m not a boy. I know we fuck other people and it’s unconventional, but every time I’m with another woman, it’s not them that I see. It’s you, it’s always you. Gaia. I love you, you’re like my drug. I can’t get enough of you. I need you and I want you.” She tilts her head back, releasing a long sigh.

“More reason for you to find someone else, Calista. I’m sorry, you are a great guy, but this won’t work. I want to be able to live my life my way. Fuck who I want when I want and not have any worries about who I’m hurting. I’m sorry.” She tries to move, but I tighten my arms around her.

“I don’t care about any of that, Gaia. I’m not letting you go. You are mine. We share a bond even before the mate bond. We can make this work.” She breaks out of my hold.

“It won’t work. I don’t see you the way you see me. Fuck! This is not happening.” She stalks past me when I grab her wrist to stop her. She growls, turning to me, her red eyes burning into me. Kodiak is acting the same way she is, which is odd. The wolf is always the one who wants their other half, but not Kodiak.

“Let. Me. Go!” she grits out as her fangs elongate. I shake my head at her when she slaps me across the face.

“I Gaia Williams, Goddess of Hell, reject you Calista Barrington as my mate and Beta.” I clutch my chest as I fall to my knees. My wolf howls in pain.

“Accept it!” She takes a menacing step forward when I lift my head with a snarl, looking at her full of defiance.

“I reject your rejection.” She gasps as she staggers back. Tears leave her eyes.

“You will regret this.” She waves her hand and walks into the portal. I scramble to my feet to follow her when she looks at me with a sinister smile on her lips as the portal closes.

Fuck! I clutch my hair as a chuckle comes from behind me. I turn to face them. Fenrir, Theo, and Nicholas all walk into the office. Just great!

“Where is she?” Fenrir asks as he stalks closer to me and I look at him. Fenrir is Gaia’s father and was the God of Hell and Harbinger of Death before he handed the title over to Gaia. He made me the ruler of Hell until she was old enough to take over and so she took me as her Beta even though I am an Alpha.

“I do not know where she went. She opened a portal and left.” I tell him and he nods before he punches me in the face. I fly back, crashing into the desk.

“So you’re my little girl’s mate?” he stalks me as Theo chuckles, lifting my head to Theo. He looks bored.

“Yes. I am her mate.” Fenrir picks me up by the front of my shirt and growls in my face.

“Yet you have fucked another in front of my daughter, your mate?” I look him in the eyes and nod my head.

“Yes, but that was before the barrier broke when Kodiak took over.” I tell him, and his eyes widen. I take it he didn’t know that little bit of information.

“What barrier?” he asks when Nicholas coughs, bringing our attention to him.

“She blocked her mate bond, dad. She did it when she was 11. She never wanted a mate. So if that barrier has broken, and she didn’t break it, then that means…”

“Selene. Selene has broken that barrier to her magic.” I nod my head at him when he lets me go.

“Fine, you will respect her wishes. If she wants you, so be it. If not, you leave her alone. I don’t want to be ridding your blood from my daughter’s hands.” He tells me, and I gulp. Even though Fenrir no longer holds the title, he is still a strong and scary man. What’s more, he is my mate’s father.

I was one of Fenrir’s warriors. I fought against him to protect Mia his mate, and his pups when he lost control before he was banished by Selene, his sister back to the underworld.

“Ring me when she returns. It’s time I had a chat with my wayward daughter about what she is doing.” I nod as he turns towards Theo and Nicholas, waving his hand as they all step through a portal.

Sitting back on the sofa, I groan.

“Gaia, I’m not going to give up. You will accept me sooner or later and I will wait. I have all the time in the world.”