3-She’ll Always Have Me.

Evander’s POV

Dexter- She is not our mate.

Me- But she is amazing.

Dexter- I will concede that, but I bet our mate is amazing too.

Me- She is the daughter of the Beta. She will make a perfect Luna.

Dexter- I bet our mate makes a great Luna too.

Me- Bridget is classy, smart, and she knows this pack.

Dexter- But she is not the moon chosen Luna of our pack. She isn’t even born of fated mates. Her parents chose each other and look how it turned out for them.

Me- It will be different for us; we both agree to reject our fated mates the moment we see them. Then the bond won’t hurt as much, and we can be together.

Dexter- I don’t want to do that. I’ll leave. I’ll refuse to shift. I‘ll protest in any way I can!

I grab my school bag and head to the dining hall. Bridget is waiting for me. She is so beautiful, long shiny blonde hair, sweet innocent blue eyes, perfect skin. She is amazing.

“Good morning, my love,” She greets me with a smile and my favorite coffee.

“Good morning, my love,” I say. “How are you and Annabelle today?”

“She is still upset about me rejecting Havel,” Bridget rolls her eyes. “It’s been two years and she still won’t talk to me. But I can’t imagine being anyone’s mate but yours.”

“I agree, in two days I will mark you at our ceremony and our wolves will be stronger together,” I kiss her perfect lips.

Dexter- Nope, you mark her, and I go on strike like Annabelle. Wait, to mark her you need your canines to extend, which only happens if I let it. So, HA, you can’t mark her.

Me- What is your problem?

Dexter- I want my goddess given mate, damn you!

Me- No, our mate is Bridget. End of conversation.

Dexter is finally quiet.

“Dexter, not liking this either?” Bridget asks.

“He will get over it,” I kiss her hand.

Dexter makes it impossible to enjoy my sexy time with Bridget. He doesn’t hate her as a person but he sure as hell isn’t happy I want her to be my Luna. So, I haven’t had sex in two years. Sometimes I swear this wolf is a demon.

“Good morning, son,” Dad, Alpha Gabe, takes a seat. “Bridget, how is ceremony planning going?”

“Very well, Alpha,” Bridget smiles at him. “I want to thank you again for the support.”

“I think you will make a fine Luna and Evander is 20, so it’s time already,” Dad nods. “When is your first class?”

“Today it’s at 9,” I tell him.

“Okay, can you come to the office before you leave?” He asks.

“Of course,” I kiss Bridget and head to Dad’s, soon to be my office.

“How is school going?” Dad asks.

“Pretty good,” I take a seat. “What’s the matter dad?”

“Your mother wants to postpone your ceremony to Bridget,” Dad looks guilty.

I close my eyes and inhale sharply. “I thought you and mom had come to terms with everything, I thought you two were on the same page.”

“So did I, but your mother has some serious concerns,” Dad tells me. “I’m telling you because your mother is going to bring it up to you when you get home, so you have time to prepare.”

“Thanks for the heads up, I will spend my day planning how to tell mom to shove it,” I roll my eyes as my Dad’s phone rings.

“Alpha Gabe,” Dad answers and looks concerned. “Jennifer, Jennifer calm down. I’m getting Kesly.”

Mom busts through the door and Dad puts the phone on speaker.

“Jennifer, it’s me what did Alpha Devon do?” Mom asks.

“It’s not Alpha Devon, his son Atlas, found out about Marcella. Atlas rejected his mate and wants force Marcella to mate him,” Jennifer explains.

“How soon can you safely leave?” Dad asks.

“Tonight, we will drive as far as we can, but can we take sanctuary there?” Jennifer asks.

“Jennifer Nightingale, you are the rightful Gamma of Bazin Pack, we have never filled the position. Get your family here,” Dad orders.

“Alpha Gabe, Martin will never agree to be Gamma,” Jennifer tells my parents.

“Fine, then you do it,” Mom demands. “Stop pretending like you aren’t a warrior. Is that what you teach Marcella? With you and Martin as parents, I can only assume she could kill a fully grown Alpha wolf unshifted. Not to mention what a beauty she is. No wonder Atlas wants her.”

“At Westmoreland females are not appreciated for their skills in fighting. I was always afraid of what the West family would do to Marcella,” Jennifer explains.

“I understand, I really do, Alpha Devon was always a fake in my book,” Mom says.

“Atlas is a real asshole,” I add.

“Who was that?” Jennifer asks.

“That would be my idiot son, Evander,” Mom looks at me sternly. “He wants to take Daniel’s daughter as his chosen mate, because at 20, he doesn’t have a mate yet.”

“I have enough drama over here Kesly, but Evander, that is dumb as hell,” Jennifer says. “We will see you late tomorrow. And thank you again!”

“We love you, Jennifer. I can’t wait to see those two monkeys; I hope they remember me!” Mom tells her.

With the call ended I look at the clock.

“Got to go to class,” I tell them.

“Hold it!” Mom snaps. “I am telling you now, Bridget is not your mate, and you should not give up yet.”

“Mom, I am marking Bridget at the Ceremony the day after tomorrow. If you choose not to be there that is your choice. But it’s happening and you can’t stop it,” I tell her.

“I can, son,” Dad says. “You want this chair; you need to respect your mother. And Kesly, you need to understand he is 20 years old and unmated that is incredibly difficult. Give him the respect he has earned as an adult. We agreed that if he had not found his mate by the ceremony date, we would support him. We cannot go back on our word.”

“Then I expect the same out of him, if he finds his mate, I expect him to accept her,” Mom insists.

“That was the agreement, but I have not found my mate. Bridget is my chosen mate. Done and done.”

Mom looks angry, “I need to go prepare for the Nightingales arrival.”

“Dad,” I ask before I leave. “Nightingale, Martin, the warrior from Westmoreland, the famous one?”

“Yes, was mated to Jennifer Davies the Gamma here when I was sworn in. She left the post to be with him,” Dad explains. “Jennifer and Martin are very much in love. Always have been.”

“Kind of like you and mom and me and Bridget?” I smile.

“I really hope you and Bridget can be as happy as us fated couples,” Dad gives me a halfhearted smile.

After I get back from class, I find Bridget carrying sheets up the stairs.

“Where are those going?” I ask.

“I’m helping get the rooms ready for the Nightingales. It’s part of my Luna training,” She smiles as we share a kiss.

“Allow me to carry those for you,” I take the sheets and follow her to the Gamma floor. It has been empty for 20 years.

When the old Gammas were killed by Rogues their daughter took over until she found her mate and left. Dad never named a new Gamma.

“Is it true?’ Lucy, Bridget’s mother, snarls behind us.

“Is what true, mom?” Bridget asks.

“Is that bitch bringing her demon spawn to the packhouse?” I have never seen Lucy so angry.

“Mom, what is your problem with the Nightingales?”

Bridget asks.

“She is mad that she had you and Mark with your father prior to meeting Martin Nightingale,” Mom answers. Mom and Lucy have never been friends. “You see Bridget your parents are chosen mates. Even marked when you meet your mate you know it. So, when Martin Nightingale showed up your mother had to reject him or risk losing Beta and custody of her children, since Martin was going back to his pack. When Lucy rejected Martin, Martin was given a second chance in Jennifer. Jennifer and Martin have been happy. Are you and Daniel happy?”

“Mom,” I side eye her.

Bridget’s parents are chosen mates and Lucy is the only one to reject her fated mate. Daniel didn’t reject his mate; in fact, she lives here in the pack house with no rank. Daniel hasn’t shared a bed with Lucy in 15 years. He sleeps with his mate. He won’t mark his mate because it would hurt Lucy and by extension her children.

“It’s a wonder you want Bridget to enter a chosen partnership,” Mom continues. “Or does misery love company that much?”

“Mom! After Bridget is marked, I will reject my mate if I ever find one,” I remind my mother.

Dexter- NO, YOU WILL NOT!

Me- Buddy, I love Bridget.

Dexter- You will love our mate more, I promise.

“Son, please give it one more year. Bridget, don’t you want your mate?” Mom asks Bridget.

“I already rejected my mate,” Bridget confesses.

“You did what?” Mom looks pale. “How could you do such a thing?”

“I love Evander,” Bridget tells her.

“You just want to be Luna! Social climbers, I don’t have time for you,” Mom grabs the sheets and storms away.

“I didn’t know you had rejected your mate. I’m sorry your suffered alone,” Lucy hugs Bridget.

“She didn’t, she had me,” I tell Lucy as I pull Bridget close to me. “She will always have me.”