Chapter Three

Guinevere

I don’t want a fucking mate. I’ve never wanted a mate. I wasn’t supposed to have one, and I definitely wasn’t supposed to find my mate in this Goddess Forsaken pack. The tears are streaming down my face, wetting my cheeks before I can force them back.

‘What do you mean, mate?’ I ask Sabrina, trying to remain calm, even though I can feel the panic starting to sink in as my chest tightens and my breath quickens. I take small slow breaths as I try to calm myself, reminding myself that if I pass out from hyperventilation, there’ll be no way for me to escape.

Inhaling deeply, I steel my emotions and slowly, one small step back at a time, begin to make my way out the door, hoping, by some miracle, I can leave this place before my mate finds me. I’m almost out the door when my back meets something firm, something warm and solid.

“Fuck.” I hiss when firm hands grab me around the shoulders and twirl me around to face my captor.

Spinning ‘round, I’m brought face-to-face, well more like face-to-chest, with a true adonis, a pure alpha male, a god walking among mere mortals. He’s that beautiful. There’s no better way to describe him. His eyes are a beautiful bright blue and are framed with thick long lashes. His lips are full and plump, the bottom one begging to be nipped. His features could almost be considered feminine if it were for his strong nose and chiseled jaw. His ash blond hair is cropped short on the sides and kept long on top, with just enough length for someone to run their hands through.

I’m instantly overcome with passion, and I find myself wanting. I want to run my hands through his hair; I want to feel his lips pressed against mine; I want to see the smoldering look of passion in his beautiful eyes. I want to lose myself to him. I want…No, this is fucking absurd.

Shaking my head, I take a step back, separating my body from his, easing the lust-filled haze that surrounded me just a little; this man, whoever he was, was my mate. He had to be. It was the only thing that made sense. Only a Goddess’s spell could be this potent to make me lose all sense of reality.

Even knowing that he would be my undoing, I couldn’t help but let my eyes travel down his body. Taking in his firm, broad chest and strong biceps and wondering what it would feel like to be wrapped up in his arms, wondering what he looked like beneath that button-up dress shirt he wore so well.

“What’s your name, Darling?” The man asks, breaking the silence, his voice deep and gravelly, the sound intoxicating.

“Uh, Hi. Err…Sorry.” I croak, my own voice husky with arousal, causing my face to flame red, “Uhh,…Yeah…I’m Gwynn…Err… Guinevere. Guinevere McKay…I’m here to meet with the Alpha.” I finally manage to spit out.

“You? You’re Guinevere?” He growls. His eyes flicker with irritation when he hears my name, and it squashes my arousal, lighting a fuse of rage inside of me and reminding me of the real reason I’m here. Not to get distracted by some mate I didn’t want, but to start afresh.

“Yup.” I reply, crossing my arms, jotting my hip out, and popping the p, “That’s me.”

He responds by letting out a throaty chuckle and running his hands through his hair, “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” He grumbles, “The Moon Goddess really does have a warped sense of humor.”

“Yeah,” I state blandly, biting my tongue to keep my temper in check, all the while wondering who the fuck this guy is and why he thinks it’s acceptable to be this blatantly disrespectful. Sure, I’m a traitor’s daughter, but for Goddess’s sake, I’m supposedly his mate.

‘Oh, Gwynn. You have so much to learn still. Can’t you sense it in him? Can’t you tell he’s the Alpha?’ Sabrina hums happily as if our mate being the Alpha, is the best news a girl can get.

But it isn’t the best news a girl could get, at least not this news. No this is the worst possible situation I could ever find myself in. If this man standing before me really was the Alpha, then I was in every way screwed. He would never let me leave. Even if I rejected him, he would keep me here to spite me.

Damien

Her smell overwhelmed me as soon as she opened the door, and I could tell, even without Leo’s incessant mutter, that it was our mate who’d entered. What she was doing here, I didn’t know. Perhaps she’d scented us and sought us out. I hadn’t seen her around the pack before, I would’ve recognized her scent, but I hadn’t been expecting anyone else today, except for the traitor’s daughter, not that that mattered anymore. I’d push her meeting off to the side, and my father would understand. Finding one's mate is a big deal, especially the Valencia heir finding his.

Our mate is breathtaking. She has long, chocolate-brown hair that falls to the center of her back in small little waves and gorgeous golden-brown eyes. Her lips were full and luscious and begging to be kissed, and her body was filled in all the right places, the epitome of a woman, a living, breathing copy of Aphrodite herself.

I watched her movements in the shadows as I snuck toward the opposite door, planning on making my escape, so I could reenter the room through the door she’d just walked through. She seemed shocked, like she needed a moment to herself, and I didn’t want to interrupt her. I wanted our first meeting to be perfect. I wanted her sole focus to be on me.

As stealthily as a six-and-a-half-foot wolf can be, I exited my office through the back door and circled my way around to the front entrance, but by the time I’d made it to the front door, my mate seemed to be trying to sneak out, how peculiar. Perhaps she was nervous about meeting me.

Reaching out, I grab her by the shoulders and force her to turn to face me, causing her to gasp in turn. Shit. She’s crying. Why? Who made her cry? I’ll fucking kill them. I’ll destroy anyone and everyone who’s caused her pain. I’ll… Shit. She can sense my anger. She’s backing away. Deep breaths. Release the rage. Focus on her. Let the sight of your mate calm you. Atta boy.

“What’s your name, Darling?” I ask as calmly as possible, hoping I appear as welcoming and calm as I’m trying to be.

My voice seems to startle her, jumping slightly. She raises her eyes to glance into mine; her face is flushed red, and she’s seemingly slightly embarrassed. By what? I don’t know.

“Uh, Hi. Err…Sorry.” Her voice is deep and throaty, filled with lust and want, the sound an aphrodisiac to my ears. She clears her throat, trying once more to answer my question.

“Uhh,…Yeah…I’m Gwynn…Err… Guinevere. Guinevere McKay…I’m here to meet with the Alpha.”

“You? You’re Guinevere?” I manage to choke out, hoping I heard her wrong, trying to bypass the sudden rush of anger filling my veins.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” I chuckle, unable to hide my own misery.

Because, of fucking course, She’s the pack traitor’s daughter. Why wouldn’t the Moon Goddess bless me with the very person I couldn’t have? As soon as I heard my chocolate-haired beauty’s name, I knew I’d have to reject her. The Moon Goddess must surely hate the Valencia family. To gift me someone I could never have, how could the Goddess be so vile, so cruel? Rejecting Guinevere would be the right thing to do, but for once in my life, I didn’t want to do the right thing. I wanted her. I wanted to accept her. My wolf wanted…no, Leo NEEDED her. We wouldn’t be complete without her.

“The Moon Goddess really does have a warped sense of humor.” I grumble.

“Yeah.”

She sounds as angered as I feel and also looks slightly confused. Does she even feel our bond? Fuck… Does she even know who I am? I never introduced myself. She probably thinks I’m a jackass. Oh, well. It’s for the best, really. I’d rather her hate me than miss what could’ve been.

Trying to recover from my earlier fumbling, I skip mentioning our pairing and go back to the initial introduction as if nothing at all was transpiring between us, “Ah, Guinevere, Yes. We have a meeting today to discuss your placement. If you’d like to wait here, my Beta and the former Alpha-Beta duo will be arriving shortly, and we can discuss your request.”

I don’t give her a chance to respond, instead turning and abruptly leaving the room, hands quivering with my unreleased anger. Today wasn’t going at all as I’d planned.

‘What are you doing, you idiot!’ Leo bellows in my mind as I make my escape, ‘Our mate is in there. Go to her and claim her as yours. And do it quickly, before the others try and get rid of her.’

‘Shut up, Leo!” I growl out in response, unable to handle his theatrics at the moment, ‘It’s not that simple, and you know it.’

‘Yes, it is. She is our mate. She was made for us. The Moon Goddess doesn’t make mistakes.’ Leo boldly declares, his words echoing in my mind.

Before I can further argue with Leo, my father and his former Beta, Brad, and Brad’s son, my best friend and current Beta, Alex, walk up behind me, the voices echoing through the hall.

“Guinevere is in my office waiting for us.” I bark out, bypassing the small talk and getting straight to the point, ignoring Alex’s raised brows of concern.

“Are you still going forward with the plan of sending her to the Full Moon Pack?” Alex asks, bringing up our conversation from last night.

Hearing his question brings a dull ache to my chest, and even though I know rejecting her is something I’ll have to do, I can’t will myself the strength to release her from the pack. The thought of not seeing her hurts too much. I need her. Even if I can’t have her, I need her to be near.

“No.”

Alex glances up, his eyes widening in surprise.

“I have a different plan for her.” I retort, not offering any further response as I start to walk into my office, expecting the men to follow me.

‘I sure hope you know what you’re doing, son.’ My father’s voice is full of worry as he reaches out through our mind link.

‘I know what I’m doing, Dad. I’m the Alpha now. You’ll have to trust my decisions.’ I link back, not bothering to hide my annoyance.

Guinevere’s sitting at the far end of the table, back stiff when I walk in. She looks like a feral cat ready to pounce, and I try not to inhale her scent as I walk past, and take my seat at the other end of the table. Dad, Alex, and Brad fill the remaining seats, and everyone waits for me to address the room.

“Guinevere,” I call out to my mate, my eyes not quite meeting her face as I look past her, unable to meet her eyes. “You previously submitted a request to my father to leave the Blue Moon Pack once you turned eighteen. That request has been denied.”

I watch her from my peripheral, noticing how her lip trembles and her eyes fill with tears. The pain in my chest sharpens, and I hate myself, knowing I’m hurting her. Leo growls loudly in my ear, begging me not to continue, but I have to. I can’t stop now. She has to be near me, always.

“Instead, you’ll become a cleaning omega here in the Pack House. You’ll be given a small room in the basement to call your own. As for your duties, I expect you to help with keep every inch of the house clean, and you’ll report to me directly each night.”

“But, Alpha Damien!” Guinevere cries out loudly, standing abruptly, causing her chair to slam onto the floor with a loud thud behind her, “Why should I have to suffer the consequences of the sins made by my Mother and Father?” Her tears are falling rapidly, streaking her cheeks, and reddening her eyes, “I’m begging you, Please let me start anew. Let me leave this pack.”

“NO!” I roar, my panic rising at the mere mention of her leaving, causing me to inflict my alpha command, “You will listen to my command as I am your Alpha. Go home, gather your things, and meet me here within the hour. Once you get back, I’ll show you to your room.”

“Please.” She whimpers, resisting my command.

I suck my teeth and grimace as I watch her sorrow turn to hatred as I drive the nail further into the coffin, “I’m sorry. This is the best I can offer the daughter of a traitor.”

“Of course.” She spits, glaring daggers at me, as she rushes from the room, slamming the door shut behind her.

I want to run after her and explain myself, but I can’t. It’ll make me look weak.

‘Alex,’ I link my beta, doing the next best thing, ‘Follow Guinevere, make sure she doesn’t try to leave pack lands. If she goes anywhere besides her old home and here, notify me immediately.’

‘Yes, Alpha.’ Alex responds without question, silently getting up and leaving the room in pursuit of my mate.

“Well, that was a surprising turn of events, Alpha Damien.” Former Beta Brad states proudly, voicing his approval of my decision, “I was a bit worried when your father handed you over the pack at such a young age, especially without a Luna by your side, but you’ve more than proven your capabilities of handling the role. My worry was for not. Your father’s and my presence wasn’t needed here today.”

“A traitor shouldn’t be let off so easily,” I reply blandly, not wanting to talk about what had just transpired, my mind replaying the image of Guinevere’s tear-streaked face over and over again.

“He’s going to be a strong Alpha.” My father proudly declares, patting my back, “Now all you need to do is find yourself a Luna.”

“All in due time.”

“Sooner rather than later, I should hope.” He retorts, squeezing my shoulder, “The pack is getting worried. We all know that an unmated Alpha can be dangerous and make rash decisions.”

“I’m waiting for my mate,” I growl in annoyance, not wanting to discuss taking a Luna, even though I now know my fated will never be mine.

“Sometimes mates aren’t worth the wait.” He sighs heavily before releasing my shoulders.