Chapter Six

I adjust my tie, looking straight at myself in the mirror. I am ready to conquer this negotiation with Slade. Jordan, my Beta walks into the room looking too handsome for business negotiation.

"Are you going on a date or something?" I ask him with a smirk.

"Why ask that?" he inquires, his eyebrows furrowing together.

"I mean, look at you. So dressed up to meet people who prefer cloaks to any modern clothing," I tease. He rolls his eyes at me and sighs.

"It was Kate who insisted on the appearance. Sometimes she wakes up in a mood of dressing me up like a kid. I both love and hate those moments," he says. His eyes glitter whenever he talks about his mate. For all I know, she is the only person he has ever loved like this.

"Laugh while you can, Logan. You are still single. When you meet that female that will make you get out of the clothes you have already put on to put on what she insists will look best on you, you will stop giving a damn. That is the power of a mate," he assures me.

"First of all, I am no longer a single wolf. I found my mate and she is too stubborn to even mind what I put on," I tell him. His jaw drops to the floor. I can't help but laugh at him.

"You found her? You aren't kidding, are you?" he asks, his voice full of disbelief. I raise an eyebrow at him, making him gasp loudly.

"Oh my God! Finally! Who is she? Where is she?" he looks at me expectantly.

"Calm down, Jordan. I don't think you should be that excited because she will have rejected me before you even get to meet her," I tell him.

"Why would she? What did you do?"

"She hates me. Just like everyone else in the Blue Blood pack. She is carrying a generational hatred and she is very determined to stand by it," I tell him. I pick up my jacket and throw it on. I pick up a Paul Newman's Rolex Daytona watch and put it on my wrist. Jordan watches me curiously.

"She's of the Blue Blood pack? This is gonna be difficult." He scratches his neatly combed hair. Kate is quite the woman.

"She promised not to make this difficult and swore never to be mine. So I just have to wait until the mate bond instincts disappear and the attraction stops," I tell him.

"What? Who are you and where did you put my alpha?" he is alarmed by my reluctance. I smile at him.

"You know, I am kidding. She's mine whether her pack condemns it or her conscience is against me. The Moon goddess never makes mistakes, and if destiny meant that she be mine then I won't let her go," I tell him. A huge grin covers his face.

"That's what I thought! I can't wait to tell Kate. She will be overwhelmed with happiness," he says, mostly to himself. I shake my head at how much his thoughts rotate around his mate. Will I end up being like that? I have never been romantic. I find it ridiculous in actual sense. 

"Let's get going or else we will be late," I tell him. Vampires are the most impatient creatures on this planet.

On my way back home, I am with Jordan in the back seat of the car. The meeting didn't go well. Those sons of bitches are a fucking headache. They want the gold business and they have already planted spies in Carl's industry they are a few steps away from overthrowing the entire administration. I am always on their side, and I have wanted to see the Blue Blood pack collapse to dust until I met the brown-eyed girl that claims to hate me. I haven't managed even a single hour without thinking about her for the past few days. I have been trying to run the business as usual to get myself occupied with a lot of work so that I don't end up running to Blue Blood pack in my wolf form because I have lost control of him since he started demanding his mate.

As we drive past a busy street in the city, I spot a familiar face. My heart skips a beat. The girl pulls her coffee-brown hair behind her ears and smiles. My mate?

She talks to a blonde and then laughs. I recognize the blonde from the party. The one who interrupted my delicious encounter. I communicate with the driver through the mind link to stop the car.

"What's the matter?" Jordan inquires in confusion. His eyes follow mine to the girls in front of the restaurant. 

"I am going out. Continue without me. I will be fine," I respond while opening the car door.

"What? Where are you going?"

"To talk to her," I respond while getting out of the car.

"Who?" he asks impatiently. 

"My mate," I respond and close the door, leaving Jordan wearing a puzzled expression.

I even smartly towards the restaurant. I can feel Jordan's eager eyes on me the whole time. I don't blame him for wanting to know who she is.

Arya turns her head when I come closer. Her eyes grow impossibly wide when she sees me. Her friend continues talking until she realizes that Arya's attention is somewhere else. She also looks at me with shock. Her shock melts into a smug smirk.

"Hi, girls," I say after wondering what the hell to say.

"Oh, hi there," the blonde responds with enthusiasm. Arya does not respond. I ignore her coldness.

"Arya, you don't seem pleased to see me. I am interrupting something important?" I inquire. She rolls her eyes and sighs loudly. She holds on to her tiny purse and squares her shoulders.

"Yes, and we were going," she replies and then holds her friend's hand, who seems unwilling to go. 

"I am requesting only a few minutes of your time, Arya," I tell her.

"Okay, go on," she beckons me. I glance at her friend who is trying to catch up with what's happening.

"Um, I will excuse myself for a sec," she mumbles and tries to disentangle herself from Arya's hold. Arya folds her hands in front of her chest.

"You have only five minutes," she tells me.

"You don't have to be so rude to me, Arya. I already get that you hate me," I tell her. Her eyes narrow at me. "Can we go inside?" I ask, waving to the restaurant.

"No, we just got out of there and you now have only four minutes," she responds flatly.

"Will you please give me the proper treatment? I am your mate, goddamn it!" I look grimly at her.

"No, you are not," she insists.

"Yes, I am because you have not yet rejected me. You are still hesitant. Why?" I inquire.

"I, Arya Lowell of the Blue Blood pack, hereby reject_" I immediately cover her mouth with mine and she fights to break free. A shiver runs through my body and my wolf's coils sadly. I kiss her lips but she refuses to open up her mouth for me. I then realize we are in public so I let her go.

"Why did you stop me?" she asks, rubbing the back of her hand on her lips.

"You can't do that to me, Arya. I have the right to have my mate," I tell her.

"If I reject you, the moon goddess will have pity and give you another mate. One who will adore you and bend to all your wishes. I am not the one for you, Logan. I don't want you," her words are like a knife stirring in my heart. My wolf starts to whimper. I lick my lips and look around the busy city, everyone going about their business, not minding the alpha that is being rejected by his mate.

"Then who do you want?" I ask.

"Anyone who is not you," she replies immediately.

"Anyone?"

"Yes."

"You can't be serious."

"You are the worst person I have ever known. Your father killed my parents," her voice is full of spite. "I hate you and your entire pack!" Her voice starts to break like she is on the verge of crying.

"I am not the one who killed them. I was still a senseless child when all of that happened. You can't blame me for my father's mistakes. I am not my father," I try to defend myself.

"It doesn't matter. You are all the same! You are all egoistic, greedy, and heartless!" she yells at me. A tear escapes her eyes and I ball my fist not to reach out my hand to wipe it away. I have never felt so defenseless in my life. I hate how weak I am feeling right now.

"You haven't even given me a chance to prove myself. You have only charged me for what I am not and you are trying so hard to make it look true in your eyes. Maybe you will want to get to know who I am before you regret letting me go," I tell her.

"Meet me at the Tower hotel at seven. I will be there waiting for you if you are willing to know," I say, and then turn to leave before she says something abhorring.