004 The Alphas' Meeting

Kirsch's POV

I agreed to meet Jason about some missing wolf.

I thought that was his excuse to look for trouble. I didn't think he would actually come all the way to my border, only to retrieve a wolfless girl, and I surely didn't know she would be my mate!

"Mine!..." Rudy shouted to me happily when he saw Ethan talking to a girl in a red cloak, but then he changed into a confused tone, "Mine?"

Rudy was my wolf.

I swear at the moment I was both ecstatic and murderous -- murderous to Rudy because this was not the first time he shouted that at me!

A werewolf only has one chance to mark a mate, and I had marked mine, at Rudy's recognition!

[A werewolf has only one mate, you stupid huge dog! What's the matter with you?!] I growled at him feeling mad, but I knew that anger was directed at myself--

I also felt the pull toward the girl.

[I'm not sure...] Rudy calmed down a little from the thrill, [I FEEL like she's ours, but I'm not sure...]

Great. The very first wolf in history who couldn't identify its mate. Why was I stuck with such a stupid wolf who gave me the special confusing experience of being wolfless?!

[How could this even happen?!] I felt as if my brain exploded as guilt kicked in, [So you were wrong last time after all?! Is that why Taran couldn't mark us?!]

[No! I'm sure Taran is ours! We couldn't get a mark only because Cerberus won't mark us!] Rudy protested, lowering his head with a whimper.

Cerberus was Taran's wolf. He always hated me.

[Well apparently that's because Cerberus was the only one with a brain between you and him!] I was desperate right now, knowing that I marked Taran by mistake.

No wonder Crebreus hated me. That was actually why Taran let me mark his anyway. We both thought Crebreus was only denying their true feelings because he hated me.

But now I knew, Crebreus was right all along.

Rudy crushed into me, peeking out at the girl from my eyes: [I want her, but not as much as I wanted Cerberus...I'm really confused...]

No shit. I was, too!

[How could you want Cerberus when we are straight? So we do have a female mate!] I closed my eyes in frustration. I shouldn't have given in to the mate's pull when Rudy claimed Cerberus.

[The moon goddess paired me with Cerberus, I'm sure!] Rudy whimpered with a wronged face.

[How could you make me do this to Taran! We MARKED him for god's sake!] I seriously wanted to murder my wolf at that moment, [This is so fucking messed up!]

Maybe Rudy was confused because we already marked Taran before we met our true mate.

If she was my true mate, she would know when she turns 18 when her wolf recognizes me. Knowing someone was yours but cannot have them was the worst, it would drive one crazy.

I knew. I went through that. I tried to deny Rudy when he claimed Cerberus, but it was awful, and effort in vain in the end.

A mate's pull was irresistible.

I knew I had to let her go.

I couldn't put her through that. And this time, I couldn't mark her even if I want to.

A werewolf could only mark one.

My mate was mad that I wouldn't even listen to her appeal, but I couldn't explain. I deserved it. I doomed all three of us when I marked Taran by mistake.

I took Taran from his real mate who was still out there, and I took away my mate's chance at her happiness as well.

But then Jason came.

My mate was afraid of Jason. She would rather die than go back with him. It wasn't hard to imagine how horrible a life she had there.

She stabbed me when I stopped her from hurting herself, and the pain in my hand wasn't even near to how I felt when I took a glance into her miserable life.

All because she was wolfless?!

I couldn't believe what a horrible life she had lived, and not only did I have to reject her to my pack, I had to stand there, listening to Jason cursing her and swearing to hurt her.

I lost control when I heard about his son attempted to rape her.

It was such a burn in my heart that at the moment I didn't care about anything. Not the Code, not war, nothing. I wanted to tear Jason into pieces right there but I stopped only because I had to keep my secret from her.

[She's close to 18, no late boomers are this late.] Rudy chattered in excitement.

Thank god she was wolfless, so she would never know that I was her mate. At least she wouldn't have to go through what I suffered.

That was the sole reason I could keep her around. At least I could protect her. I couldn't let her go anymore, not just because of Jason, but because I was afraid.

I was afraid of her entering another pack that would treat her illy, and I couldn't be there. No one would care about her more than me.

I NEEDED to protect her.

[Do you think you can keep your distance?] I asked Rudy, [We can't mark her, so we could never let her know she was ours.]

[I won't say anything!] Rudy trotted around happily in my mind like a crazy dog. I doubted if he had even heard me.

I wasn't even sure if I could.

I had her wrist in my hand, and the touch was so luring that I never wanted to let go. I wished I could just tell her she was mine, and no harm would come to her ever again.

She burst into laughter when I punched Jason. Her smile was the most enchanting spell ever cast on me. I couldn't move my eyes away.

I taunted her and she stared at me like a scared kitten, though her foot was still treading on me.

My mate was fierce. I liked it!

I suppressed my anger toward Jason as I warned him:

"Leave, Jason. She's under my protection now."