Chapter Four

Mazelina

Course after course arrives from oversized plates of meat to vegetables, nuts, and fruit.

“There’s so much food,” Sam says with sorrow in her voice.

“I know and I bet this will all just go to waste.”

“I know what you and your wolf are thinking,” Blaze chuckles, “And I agree it is a great waste of food.”

Still, we all eat because heaven forbid that anyone insults Alpha Gaius or the King’s.

In between meals, Alpha Gaius addresses us, with the usual ho-hum of speeches, ritual poems, and performances. I try to prolong dessert, but of course, time gives me no mercy and speeds up.

Usually, Blaze escorts me, but tonight Dad has decided it’s his turn. Blaze gives me an apologetic look. Guess I have no choice but to go on this archaic mating hunt.

I look around and find there are five groups just like ours and we are all escorted to the edge of the forest.

The forest looks dark and foreboding, just the way I like it. To humans, it would be a nightmare, but to creatures like us, it looks beautiful. Darkness is never truly dark; not with our eyes, they illuminate the forest with a soft glow. Just like the nights of the full moon.

Not that the light matters. This ritual is scent only, which means being able to see in the dark means absolutely nothing. My teeth grind, archaic, completely archaic. We could have stayed at the party and found our mate, but nope, we have to sniff around like mundane animals, while wearing fancy clothes.

“Are you ready Mazy?” Dad asks and for the first time, I see concern for myself.

I give him a reassuring smile, “Of course Dad, and don’t worry, I’ll be just fine, even in this unforgiving gown. I mean, look at me, how come we can’t change? This thing is only going to get torn up.”

“Sorry, honey, but those are the rules.”

“I just wish we could have changed into something more comfortable, like jeans or sweats.”

The other girls near us snicker. All night they’ve been buzzing about the freak who can’t shift.

“How terrible would it be to be stuck with that!” one girl said while the others giggled.

“If I end up with a mate like her, I would like, kill myself,” another said.

This isn’t the first time I’ve heard these comments. I get it all the time at home.

I barely made it through one group of guys who just sneered and growled at me as I walked past, as one said, “I’d kill her before I mate that.”

Little do they know that I’m less than eager to be here myself. I’ll just stroll around the forest until it’s over. Maybe I can find myself a nice log to sit on and read the book I have tucked in my dress.

“Good luck,” Dad murmurs, kissing my cheek. The bell rings in the air and I walk into the forest slowly, while the other girls run like wildlings, giggling and squealing as they go.

“Look at those desperados go,” Sam laughs.

I don’t encourage her, instead, I watch them feeling envious as these girls run full tilt to find their mate. I wish I could join them, run, and skip hoping to find the one. Sometimes I wish I were normal.

“Normal isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be,” Sam says.

“And you would know, right? I mean, you are inside me…the freak.”

“Hey, don’t talk about my friend like that.”

“Give it a rest Sam.”

I block her out. It’s pointless talking to her when she’s being all optimistic. I want normalcy so bad; I can almost taste it. I sigh, “It’s never going to happen, Maze.”

After 30 minutes of wandering around the forest without direction, I find a perfect log that looks like a seat that nature has specifically carved to fit just me. That’s what I love about mother nature. She can create and destroy things beautifully.

I retrieve my book from my dress and sit down in the seat mother nature provided.

For a moment, I take a deep breath in and sit back and relax, enjoying the forest. A hint of squeals and giggles and deep male laughter are far enough away that they don’t bother me.

I smile as a small morsel of peace settles over me and, for the first time in a long time; I drop the veil. It’s almost like peeling a layer off, like taking a deep breath and exhaling the disguise away.

“That’s better”, I open my book to the first page. It’s going to be a long evening.

I’m halfway through my book when I hear a rustling sound from behind me. Probably just some wayward soul who will pass me by without a second thought.  

“Why aren’t you out with the rest of them?” A low male voice asks, I don’t bother turning around, I just flip the page while contemplating my answer. I answer his question with another question, “Why aren’t you?”

“I don’t want a mate,” he says from behind me.

“Well, you are welcome to sit this one out with me if you want.”

He laughs, “Maybe I will.” he jumps over the log effortlessly and settles down next to me, his scent wafts all around me and it happens, that boom that Blaze described yet it’s not a boom exactly, it’s more like a freight train has slammed into me, my heart is hammering to keep up with this new discovery.

“Oh no.” I stand up and start to run.

“Where are you go-?” He yells. I turn around to tell him to leave me alone, but he has frozen in his tracks. He tilts his head and scents the air, “You are-”

“No, don’t say it.” I hold my hands up waving at him frantically, “We can pretend this never happened,” But I can already feel my wolf wanting to propel me forward. Sam is all wolf right now and really wants him desperately.

“I don’t have a choice,” he says, smiling like he’s been given some weird love potion. Jesus, he’s already surrendered to his wolf. Wasn’t he just saying he doesn’t want a mate?

“Y-you just said you don’t want a mate. I mean, goddess, you don’t want me for a mate,” I practically beg, “Haven’t you heard the rumours? I can’t even shift into my wolf.” I squeak out the last part.

He snorts, “I don’t care about what those feeble-minded idiots are saying,” he growls, stalking towards me, “You are my ma-”

The horn sounds, announcing the end of the ritual. It momentarily distracts him. I take off at top speed out of the forest. I notice my arms are paler than usual. Oh shit, double, triple fucking shit! I completely forgot I dropped my disguise. I cloak myself again.

Damn it! I need to find Blaze and get us all the fuck out of here, but my wolf is warring with me. “Samara, stop slowing me down,” I growl at her.

I get to the party faster than expected. Blaze grins and then frowns. “What’s wrong?”

“We need to get the hell out of here. Can we go?”

“You didn’t find your mate?” he asks, truly worried for me now.

“Not tonight. Maybe next time.” I try to smile, but I’m sure it looks more like a grimace.

“Come on, we’ll find Dad and Aries and leave.”

It took us far too long to find Dad. Just as we’re about to leave, Alpha Gaius's voice booms through the tent, “Mazelina Reade of Sentinel Pack, come to the dais and accept your mate”.

The room goes silent. Dad looks at me questioningly. “Mazelina?”

“Please Dad, please don’t make me do this,” I beg, holding his arm with both of my hands.

He takes me by the shoulders, and something passes through his eyes so quickly that I can’t decipher it. “Mazy, you must accept or reject your mate. You know how the ritual goes; You cannot leave the poor man hanging like this,” he says almost apologetically.

“I don’t think my wolf will let me reject him.” I whimper.

Blaze beams, “That means he is your True Mate!”

Shifters of any flavour can choose a mate. However, should they come across their True Mate, then the mate you have chosen is negated because a True Mate is not a choice at all. They are your forever, your one.

Mum told me she has seen both men and women left devastated when their mate comes across their True Mate and there is nothing you can do to prevent them from being together.

Why do we take a mate when we have a True Mate out there in the world?

Well, it’s quite simple, really. We rarely leave our territories to find our True Mate. The Guardians forbid it, claiming it is too dangerous to leave our territories, except for the purebloods.

Dad told me that The Guardians are more afraid of the power created between True Mates. That the bonding overshadows everything in its path, creating a power so extraordinary when combined that strengthens not only the Mates but the pack, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

I don’t know if this man is my True Mate, but my wolf definitely wants to go up on that dais and accept him. She wants to go down on her hands and knees and beg for him to accept us.

“Mazelina!” Alpha Gaius shouts, making me jump.

“Go on Maze, go up there.” Blaze encourages.

“I don’t make me drag you up there myself,” Dad snaps. “You must accept or reject him. It’s the only way.”

I nod and slowly move towards the dais. The crowd parts like the sea, murmuring and shaking their heads as I pass them.

“How did she get a mate over me?”

“Isn’t she the reject pup?”

“Goddess must be punishing us all”.

“She can’t even shift.”

“This is an embarrassment to the Moon King Pack.”

The insults and teasing are endless, by the time I reach the dais I’m so defeated, my feet all but drag, my shoulders slumped, and my head is hanging in shame, a growl so low, so deep emanates across the room, “How dare you speak about my Mate like that!”

I look up at the man shouting at the room which starts a fresh round of whispering, “Oh my god it’s Rush.”, “Our future Alpha, our pack is doomed!”

He reaches his hand down for me. In the forest, I could not see who he was in the shadows. Jesus’ fucking Christ, it’s Rush Winslow, future Alpha of The Moon King pack.

“Not anymore,” Sam whispers.

He is absolutely gorgeous, he’s tall, so damn tall definitely over six feet, his face is extraordinarily masculine, straight heavy brows, his cheekbones prominent and yet soft, giving his features a softer edge even with his sharp square jaw, his bottom lip is fuller than the top but that doesn’t mar any of his features at all. Those green eyes gazed into my dark blue. I swallow hard and slowly raise my hand, bowing my head. He takes my hand and helps me onto the dais.  

“Please don’t make me accept him,” I beg my wolf, but she isn’t listening to me. She’s glowing with pride and elation. She’s thinking he’s far better looking than Clayton Danvers.

Rush bends slightly to whisper in my ear, “I’m sorry for what I said in the forest. I only wanted one mate, and I wished and prayed to the gods and goddess that it was you.”

I pull my head back, blinking in confusion. “What?”

“Mazelina, I’ve always wanted you, since the first moment I scented you years ago at Ironmaw Pack”.

“Y- you were there?”

He nods, “I knew you were mine, but you had left, and I didn’t know who you were. After that night I went to every ritual hoping to find you, but I never did until tonight and when I couldn’t find you, I gave up and sat next to the girl hiding in the forest. I didn’t realise it was you until the hood of your cloak fell back and your scent…” he takes a deep breath in at the base of my neck.

“You can’t accept me Rush, you are destined to be Alpha here. You can’t stay here if you accept me.”

His eyes twinkle. “I know, and I don’t care Mazelina.”

I shake my head, I plead with Samara again, “Sam, please, he doesn’t belong to us, he belongs with his pack. Look at how many there are!” I tell her.

I glance around the large tent. There are hundreds, thousands of angry and worried wolves. Not one wolf in this tent wants this pairing. I can feel the defeat in Sam, and it crushes me.

I look up into his beautiful green eyes, “Look at your people Rush, they don’t want this.”

He looks out at the audience and growls, the people lower their heads in submission, “You are my mate, the gods and goddesses have spoken. You are mine, Mazelina Reade.”

I shake my head, “No. I’m sorry, but I have to re-” he places his finger on my lips, his eyes suddenly wild.

“Please do not reject me, Mazelina.”

“I’m sorry. I have to.”

“You don’t. Please.”

“I’m sorry.” I take a breath and say the words, “I Mazelina Reade of-”

“Please, can we do this privately?” He breathes.

My brows furrow. I glance at the crowd and back at him. All I can imagine is a riot happening after I reject him; they will want my blood.

Rejecting him in private is a far safer option. “Okay.”

He smiles triumphantly, looking beyond Rush. I find Alpha Gaius staring at us and he doesn’t seem as happy. “In my office, all of you.” He snaps.

Rush takes my hand and leads me with the rest of his family to the Alpha Pack House. Not far behind is my brothers. My father is arguing with Alpha Gaius, who refuses to answer questions until we’re safely in his office, away from prying ears.

This doesn’t bode well at all.