Chapter Two

The place was packed with other wolves from our packs and even neighboring packs who were friends with alpha Edwin. 

As I had expected, no one had noticed me, even though it was my birthday as well. But I wasn't bothered. I kept looking out for Keith. 

Taking a step back, my heel caught my dress and I slipped. Leaning on a wall for balance, I looked up and noticed the wall had the most handsome face I had ever seen.

His firm hands gripped my waist, holding me to himself to keep me from falling flat on my face. 

His eyes were a magic green that held me in place. The lightest shade of green I had ever seen on a man. His slightly glossed lips were a shade of dark orange similar to red. 

I wanted to release myself from his hold, but his knowing eyes kept me from moving. Moments passed by before I came to my senses.

I immediately sprung away from him as quickly as I could. "Oh I am so sorry, I didn't mean to--"

"It's fine." He cut me off plainly and walked away. 

The excitement Ida had been feeling drained out at once. 'Rude!' She angrily said. 

She was right. He was rude. Yet I found myself watching the back of his towering frame as he went and melted himself with the crowd. 

Shaking my head, I reminded myself that Keith was probably looking for me at the moment. If the signals he was giving were what I thought, then he probably prayed to be my mate as well. 

A strong scent of something pleasing caressed my nostrils-- cinnamon maybe?-- and I closed my eyes as I took it in. The feeling was familiar in a distant way, like something I had felt before but never this strong. 

A whirlpool of emotions stirred up inside me and, for some reason, it didn't make me feel sick in the gut. 

I wanted to find out where that scent was coming from, I wanted to be sure it was what I was thinking. The scent was too familiar for me not to recognize this time. 

Pushing my way through the crowd, I saw a man standing next to Tiara, his hand around her hips, but it didn't freak me out because he held me like that too. 

Keith was lost in his chatter with three young men I had never seen before. As I took a closer look, I realized one of them to be the one I had bumped into a while back. 

He suddenly stopped-- Keith-- and turned to look directly into my eyes. My heart almost humped out of my chest-- along with my wolf-- as I stood there like a petrified thing. 

I still couldn't believe it. It was really happening! The person I had prayed to be mine for more than a decade was really my mate! 

I refused to believe it, even though he was walking towards me already. 

I stood there in murdering anticipation, grinning widely like a love-stricken fool. Which was what I was, to be honest. Ida was the happiest she had ever been.

'Our mate! Our mate! Our mate!' She kept exclaiming as she hopped around for what seemed to be an eternity.

His blue eyes bore into me as he stopped in front of me. "Can you feel it too?" He asked me, his bushy brow arching up skywards. 

I nodded my head, still grinning widely. "To be honest, I have always felt this... This connection, but it was never as strong as this. This feels... Amazing!" I chuckled. 

I was so happy I could almost burst into tears. I wanted to hold him, feed the longing inside of me, the agonizing ache to be in his arms. 

But he didn't look as happy as I was. In fact, he didn't look happy at all. 

His brows furrowed as a slight frown sat on his face. "Ella." His voice was low and void of emotions. 

"What?" I asked with a wry chuckle. "What is the problem-- I mean no, is-- is there a problem?" My heart was pumping faster than ever. 

Fear crawled on my skin with its sharp claws sinking into my body. I felt my heart in my throat, trying to push its way out of me, and Ida was abnormally silent. Watching closely what exactly was going on. 

He sighed heavily. Taking my hand in his, he pulled me out of the crowd and into his bedroom. Closing the door behind him, he looked at me, his squinting blue eyes sadder than ever. 

 What is the problem, Keith? Why do you...? Why do you look like that?" My voice broke as I spoke. 

"I can't..." He sighed. "I can't be in your life the way you want me to be. I'm sorry."

"What?" My eyes widened. "You're not even going to give us a trial? I thought you loved me!" 

"Hey, I do--" he cupped my cheeks in his hands, "--but this... This can't happen between us." 

"No, no, Keith please--"

"I, Keith Kingston, reject you, Ella Johnson, as my mate and future Luna." His voice had become void of all emotions again.

The way he looked at me caused a shiver to run down my spine. Tears trailed down my face and I immediately wiped it away. "I..." The words hung in my throat. "I accept your rejection." 

A sharp pain like a knife struck my heart, and it destroyed at once.