Chapter 5

Jenna POV

Feeling my throat tighten, I sat in anger at the thought that my mate had the scent of another woman all over him.  He was drenched in the scent of sex.  I may not have had sex but as a wolf we have been around a lot of things and the smell of sex is not new to us.  Wolves are very sexual beings.  

I vaguely notice a couple men come up and ask me to dance.  As I sit in my own self-pity, I shake my head wanting to be alone with myself.  I could not leave until my father did his speech.  As soon as he did, I would be leaving.  I did not want to meet my mate any longer.  He obviously had someone already and she was here with him tonight.  What kind of man brings a date to a mating ball?  

Starting to look around I see him talking to another man.  As he continues to stare at me a look of disgust crosses his face.  I see him walk away heading toward the bar.  Deciding I had enough of this crap, I stand getting ready to leave.  Just as I take my first step my father and mother walk onto the stage.  My father looks in the crowd looking for me.  He waves and gestures to me to come up on the stage with them.

Normally I would gladly go with them but at this moment, I wanted to go and hide.  For some reason the disgust showing on my mate’s face toward me hurt me.  I was not the one who betrayed the mate bond.  Shocking to most, I had saved myself for my mate.  I knew what my reputation was, but I never cared much.  Until this moment.

Walking on to the stage, I see my mate walk around to the front of the stage.  I see a woman come up beside him and wrap her arm around his.  He does not move the arm and in fact embraces her and brings her closer to him.  He sees my flash of hurt, but simply smirks at me.  I look away willing the tears from my eyes.

My father steps up to the mic introducing my mother, Luna Ashley and myself.  As he introduces me there are a couple whistles in the crowd.  My father chuckles, as I feel my face redden.  This was not what I needed at that moment.  “I hope one of you is my daughter’s mate; I have a Pack I am ready to hand over,” he says with another laugh.  The crowd murmurs as I shake my head at the pressure put on me to find a mate so he can retire.  I have found my mate, but I do not think he will care if the Pack comes as part of the deal.

My father starts off with his welcome speech and inspiring story about meeting my mother, his fated mate.  The love they have for one another is stunning.  It makes me sad to think I will never experience that with my own fated mate.  I glance over to where he is standing and see him start to turn away from the stage.  I feel the anger that matches my red hair start to boil over.  

As my father finishes his speech, I give my parents a hug and make my plan to leave the Ball.  I make my way out the back entrance and turn toward the Pack house.  It is dark out, but the territory is a safe place, even with all the other Packs visiting.  I make my way through the pathway.  Deciding my shoes were hindering my progress I slipped them off and carried them in my hands.  

“Tsk, tsk – running away little mate?” I hear a sexy voice behind me stopping me in my tracks.  Feeling my core clench and the muscles in my tummy tighten, I slowly turn back toward the voice.  As I do, I see him standing there alone smirking at me.  “Lose your slut, did you?” I retaliated back to him.  I see a flash of anger cross his face at the insult, but he quickly covers it up.  “Jealous?” he asks.  “What is there to be jealous of?  Some bitch sleeping her way to the top.  Hardly,” I scorn at him.  

“Better than dealing with a spoiled, little rich girl,” he says to me.  Stepping back like he slapped my face; I look at him with shock on my face.  I see his expression falter at my reaction, but he quickly covers his reaction.  Ignoring him, I turn away from him and continue walking toward my destination.  The sooner I can get away from him and to my room the better.  Before I can take a couple steps, I feel sparks on my arms.  Those delicious sparks that are supposed to be full of excitement for the future.  

“Hold up there Red,” my mate says to me.  Not that I have not heard Red before but coming from him, it sounds sexier.  “I don’t think we have a lot to say to each other, do we?” I ask before adding, “Oh wait, I guess a rejection is in order?”.  “Do you really want to reject me Jenna,” he says, making my name sound like a bad word.  “Why would you want to stay mated to me?” I ask him.  “I am just a spoiled, rich girl; you can do better I am sure,” I say, feeling my insides crumble.  Weren’t mates supposed to see the good in you when everyone else did not? Or at least give you a chance?  Clearly not in my case.

“Let’s just say word travels fast, Red; and the word was not so good,” he says believing the crap he is spewing.  I step closer to him up in his face, my anger starting to truly unleash.  “Then reject me and get it over with,” I say, taunting him.  “You see I would love nothing better than to do that; however, I find myself in a bind,” he says.  “I do not care about your bind,” I say coldly, pulling my arm out of his grip.

“True to form, spoiled and only thinking of yourself,” he says with disgust.  “People see what they want to see Alpha,” I say to him as I turn away.  “You will give me the time of day Red or I will go to your father now and claim you as mine,” he threatens.  Faltering in my footsteps, “You would not dare,” I say without turning to face him.  “Try me,” he says, walking up to stand directly behind me. I can feel the sparks bouncing between us.  I closed my eyes, embracing that feeling for a moment.

“I will call your bluff Alpha; if you were going to do that you would have already done so.  Instead, you walked away with your slut,” I remind him.  He spins me around, “Wendy is not a slut; I do not want to hear that come out of your mouth again,” he says angrily at me. I feel tears prick my eyes.  Too bad I did not have someone sticking up for me like that.  “And do not doubt me Red, I will go to your father and claim his Pack before I kick your family out of it,” he spits at me.

Sitting there frothing at the seams, I try to calm my temper.  This is not getting us anywhere.  I needed a calm head to make sense of what was happening.  “Don’t you already have a Pack to manage?” I ask him.  “Of course, but expanding my territory is a good business move,” he says candidly.  “I am looking for more than a business move, thanks,” I say to him, stepping around him to get a better look at my mate.  I can usually read people like open books but for some reason he is hiding something from me.

“What is your bind?” I ask him, catching him off guard.  “I find myself needing a mate,” he replies.  “Everyone needs a mate, why are you so special?” I ask him now, curious about his situation.  “I am soon turning twenty-nine and my elders want me to either find my fated mate, or they will select a chosen mate for me,” he says.  “What, your little friend does not meet their requirements?  She looks like a warrior at best.  Not befitting an Alpha, I take it?” I ask him.

“Wendy is none of your concern.  I need a mate and a fated mate has fallen into my lap; therefore, I will not be rejecting you this evening,” the mystery Alpha says.  “Well Alpha you have a little problem from what I can tell.  I am only interested in a relationship with a man, not a man and his “friend”” I say using air quotes around friend.  “I only need a mate in name, Red.  I will not be getting rid of Wendy anytime soon,” he says confidently.

This man has lost his mind.  In what realm would any she-wolf accept these terms?!?  I walk away from him and sidestep his hand that is reaching out toward me.  “Think about it, Red.  You have until tomorrow morning to decide before I approach your father.  He will be devastated to think you would turn down your fated mate, don’t you think?” he taunts me as I walk away.

I feel tears stream down my cheeks.  I try to wipe them as fast as they roll out of my eyes.  I do not want anyone seeing me like this.  One thing I do not do is cry.  Nobody has seen me cry since I was a little girl and skinned my knee when I fell off my bike.  My dad told me brave girls do not cry and I believed him.  I was a strong Alpha wolf and I never cried again after that day.

Stomping into the foyer of our Pack house I take the stairs two at a time to get to the Alpha floor.   Walking into my suite I slam my door behind me, locking it for good measure.  I do not want to be disturbed in the morning.  I slip off my dress and hang it up in my closet.  All the dreams I had when I got dressed earlier this evening slipped away from my fingertips.  I put my shoes on my shoe rack and walk into the bathroom to wash the make-up off my face.  I jump in the shower to rinse off the smells of the evening and in particular my mate’s scent from touching me.

As I get out of the shower, I blow dry my hair quickly before climbing into bed.  It was not rare for me to sleep naked.  I loved the feel of the sheets against my body.  As I buried myself under my plush blankets, I was just breathing a deep calming breath when I felt a sharp pain in my chest.  There was a fire there that suddenly made me very uncomfortable and warm.  As I took a few deep breaths I quickly realised what was happening.  My mate was with his slut again.  Feeling tears well up in my eyes once again, I take deep breaths as I talk myself through the pain.  

After a half hour the pain subsides, and I can breathe easily again.  My wolf, Tina, was whimpering in the background.  She had been as excited as I was to meet our mate.  The lingering pain has exhausted me, and I quickly slip into a dreamless sleep.