Chapter 3

Maya had said I should try to get to know him, so I will try to do that. But for now, I will just go about my business. As of now, only Liam knows the truth about us, and I would like it to remain that way until I decide what to do about it.

"Decide to do about it?" Maya asked. "Don't you want him as a mate?"

"I don't know Maya; he isn't exactly as I pictured my mate to be. Have you seen his face? He is handsome, but in a cute way, and he looks way too adorable. I don't know if he can handle me and all the baggage that comes with being with me." 

I must say that I was a little bit disappointed to learn that my mate was just a mere pack warrior. I mean, can the goddess do any better?

But he is my mate, and I can't reject him, so I will try to get to know him. 

But the day ended, and I made no effort to get to know him; although it wasn't my fault, he also didn't try to reach out to me. So I would say it is even.

And so it continued until it was a week, and neither of us had made any effort to contact the other. I was already feeling sulky; the mate bond was gradually getting to me. And each day that I don't see him makes my heart yearn for him the more.

I was pacing around my office, too distracted to concentrate on my work. Didn't he like me? He should be dying to see me. I mean, I am the fucking Alpha of this pack.

"Can you stop pacing around? You are making me anxious, and I hate being anxious." Liam said from his seat. He had come to see me as usual, and he was currently twirling on the chair while biting into an apple he had stolen from my refrigerator.

"My office, my rules. I can do whatever I want with it." And for emphasis, I stomped on the ground just to prove my point. But he was right, and for that reason I took my seat, but my fingers continued drumming on the table.

"Alright, I am all ears. What the hell is wrong with you? And why are you pacing around like someone who has lost her mate?" He asked, pausing his turn and focusing on me.

"I don't know. It is just my mate." I complained, sinking into the chair.

The corners of Liam's lips curled involuntarily, and he fought back hard as his cheeks swelled momentarily with the pressure, but it was no use. His laughter erupted, echoing throughout the room as he bent over, slapping his knee repeatedly.

"It isn't even funny." I complained, giving him an unimpressed look.

"I know, but who would have thought a day would come where you would have to worry about mate problems."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked, scrunching my face.

"I mean, you have always been that independent kind of lady. The 'I don't need a boyfriend' type. That is why it is surprising you are getting worried about him. Alright, what about it? Talk to papi." He said it, motioning to himself. I gag at the word 'papi' before eyeing him, calculating if he was worthy. But there was no one else I could tell, so I had to confide in him.

"Well, for one. He hasn't tried to reach out to me since that day, and it has been over a week now. I'm worried that he may not like me."

"You had better knock off that self-doubt I feel coming from you. You are the alpha, Jaz. Everyone likes you and would literally die to have you as a mate. Just give it time, okay? Maybe he is just trying to process his thoughts." He advised, and I nodded; he was right. I would just have to wait, but for how long? I'm dying to see his face again.

"Jaz? Are you even listening to me?" Liam asked, waving his hands in front of my face.

"Yeah, what did you say?"

"I was asking about you. Why don't you approach him first? It wouldn't be bad," he suggested, shrugging his shoulders. "And it would show that you are interested."

"Never! I can't do that. My matriarchal ancestors would roll in their graves if they heard of such things. I want him to come to me, to show he actually wants this." I leaned back on the chair, sighing out loud.

"Good luck with that. Glad it was you and not me." He whispered, and we fell into silence as I continued working while Liam was typing at his screen. After minutes of idle sitting, he spoke out, "I'm bored."

"Welcome to my world. But I am also bored too; I'm tired of going through some stupid paper work, and my mind isn't even there. What do you suggest we do?" His grin widens like a Cheshire cat, and he leans forward.

"How about we go over to the ice cream parlor and grab something cold to drink? The sun is quite hot, and it is needed." He stood up and went towards the door, pausing a bit to see if I was going to follow.

I stood up from the chair, stretching my tired limbs. I looked at the unending piles of paperwork and glanced at the door. Liam's face was inviting, and I couldn't resist.

"Yay." He rejoiced as I began to move closer to him. He took my hands, and we went outside. The palour wasn't far from the pack house, so we decided to walk there. But a five-minute walk turned into a 30-minute one with several meet-and-greets.

At some point Liam got tired and left me, so I had to continue the journey alone. I finally got into the shop and felt instant goosebumps on my arms as the air conditioner blast hit me.

I noticed a pale hand waving at me from a corner, and I hurried to meet him. I was about to take my seat when the unmistakable scent of my mate reached me. I froze in place, not knowing how to deal with it. I could hear his footstep coming faster, and I quickly whipped out my phone to look at my face.

"There is no need for all that. I still think you are beautiful." His voice startled me, and I nearly dropped my phone. Shit! Now he would think I was a klutz. "You have been avoiding me." He stated it as a matter of fact, his gray eyes boring into mine.

"N..no, I-I-I." I stopped my rambling and collected myself before I tried again. "No, I wasn't. In fact, I think you are the one avoiding me." I glanced up to study him very well. He was dressed in a loose-fitting shirt and black pants. His hair was messy and scattered, but it worked for him.

His face was clean-shaven, and I could detect a hint of aftershave on his skin. 

"Hmm mmm." Lian cleared his throat, waving his hands around to get our attention. "I am still here; thank you for ignoring my existence." I rolled my eyes at him. way to ruin the moment.

"Liam, meet my mate, Vincent." I said, gesturing to him, "And Vincent, meet my best friend Liam."

"I know, he is the beta's son. Nice to meet you," he said as he shook Liam's hand, and thankfully, there was no show of masculinity. "So are you going to tell me why you are avoiding me?" He turned to me.

"I wasn't; I was just occupied with things." I defended.

"And is that why you refused to come to the training center?" He asked, and a part of me was giddy. That means he has been watching me and looking for me.

"And... That is my cue to leave, before you two make me sick. See you later, Jaz." is the short form of "I want the full gist later." He left, and then it was only us.

"Why didn't you reach out to me, even when you knew we were mates? I was literally waiting for you." I said, a bit annoyed.

"I was waiting for the right time to approach you, but the true reason was because you were the alpha; I believe you would have been too busy. Plus, when you saw me, you didn't look like you were interested. So I decided to let you be and think it through before I started pursuing you." He replied, and when he put it like that, I guess that makes sense.

"It is in the past now."

"So what if we start over again? I would like to take you out on a date and get to know you better. What do you say?" He proposed.

"That will be swell." Then, he took my phone and opened it; it had no password, so he was able to access it. He typed something on it, and after a while, his phone began to ring.

"I saved my number in your phone, so feel free to call me when your schedule isn't that busy. Goodbye for now."

"Yes, goodbye." I said in a breathless voice.