Chapter Three: Mate

3

Stanley

It was late in the night. I paraded my corridor in anger as I waited for Sky. I had warned her severally not to go out at night but she never listened.

She returned a few minutes later and I charged towards her. I almost yelled her name but my tongue glued to my mouth when I noticed she wasn't alone.

"Who the heck is that?" I muttered and my sight settled on the intruder. 

Whoever it was, was clutching the edges of the veil that covered him from head to toe. His face was also covered and I could not make out the person's identity.

Why would Sky bring someone into the pack house in the dead of the night and in disguise? I remained in my position and continued to watch.

Suddenly, a sweet scent hit me hard and Stan whimpered in my head. It was a tangy scent, it smelled like raspberries. It smelled so pleasant and I sniffled it in a deep long breath.

Stan wagged his tail and went crazy.

"Common Stan!" I yelled in my head but he did not listen.

As Stan continued, realization dawned on me, I am finally free, I have found my mate. 

My happiness was short-lived as I traced the direction of the scent. It was from Sky. Sky? No way. She is my sister, she can't be my mate.

 If not Sky, who the heck is it? Then, it occurred to me, it's no other than the person behind the veil.

"Fuck! My veil can't be veiled from me! I must see whoever it is." I yelled and proceeded to burst whoever it was. Just then, Sky and the intruder stopped by Ashley's room. 

The intruder pulled out a bunch of keys and the door clicked open.

My eyes shone in irritation and I stopped in my tracks. What!? Ashley? She must have gotten her wolf and what the heck was that pull? 

"No!" I yelled in denial and fell to the ground.

I watched them lock the door as I rose to my feet and stumbled back to my room. Amanda was waiting at the door. I hissed and flung her out of the way. 

 She remained transfixed while I stumbled in and bolted the door. I kicked everything out of my way and hit the wall hard. 

Stan whimpered but I shut him out. 

Raw pain tore through my heart and I clutched hard at my chest.

"No! Not Ashley! This is a mismatch. How do I treat my maid as my Luna!?" 

Ashley

I turned around to bolt the door but my heart skipped a beat. Lenor became restless. I still have issues communicating with her but I could feel that she was troubled. 

A smell of lavender hit me and I sniffled the scent.

"Shut the door, it's late already. Stanley will break my head if he knows that I am just walking in," Sky's voice boomed from behind.

"Did you perceive that? It's lavender," I muttered. "Lavender? No," Sky responded casually. 

I was almost locking the door when she pushed me away from the doorway and walked into the corridor. She looked around like she was expecting to find someone but it was all dark. No one was in sight.

"You are seeing things already. If someone was really there, he might be your mate," Sky muttered and walked back into my room.

 We stayed awake into the deepest hours of the night as we discussed. She was attentive as I narrated my experience. Of course, I omitted the visions and the fact that I couldn't control my wolf.

Her advice was helpful. She told me that the pain will gradually become bearable and that I will get used to it.

"What is the color of your wolf?" She questioned suddenly.

"White," I said casually. 

“White? White and what?" She asked. 

"It's pure white."

"Wow! It's beautiful! I can't wait to see it… you are lucky. It's hard to come by a pure white-colored wolf," she giggled. 

"What comes next?" She asked with a mischievous smile.

"My revenge mission," I said in my head but she said, "Finding your mate. I pray it comes easily like mine." She giggled and continued to chat. 

She talked about the feeling and what I would feel once I found my mate. I wasn't interested in the mate talk and I slept off at some point.

When I woke up the next morning, Sky was gone. I shrugged it off and began my work.

 It all felt strange as I was aware of Lenor. It felt like I was carrying a different version of myself inside my body. 

I started cleaning Stanley's room and thankfully he wasn't in. I wrung my nose as I perceived a strange smell. This time it wasn't sex, it smelled like different combinations of flavonoids but a particular scent stood out, it was lavender. The same smell I perceived yesterday night.

 I realized that my sensitivity has increased. I could see even in the dark and I could perceive smells that I couldn't perceive before. I smiled happily and I continued cleaning.

I was midway done when the door opened up. I had thought it was Stanley but it turned out to be Sky. 

"I have been searching the whole place for you. Common! You ain't doing all this today," she declared and dragged me along.

 When I got into my room, my bed was littered with shopping bags. I looked at her curiously as she tore them open. 

She brought out a pair of heels, a red ball gown, and other essentials that females needed.

"My father agreed to throw a feast for you. We are celebrating your first shift," Sky announced and began to help me undress.

 She did not wait for my response. She pushed me into the bathroom and in no time I was done.

She dolled me up by herself and when she was done, I couldn't believe it as I stared back at myself in the mirror.

Heads turned when I stepped into the gathering. It was the first time I would be in the spotlight.

Angry faces and faces filled with jealousy glared down at me. I felt nervous and inadequate but when I caught a glimpse of the wide grin on Sky's face, I regained my composure and watched my steps as I walked up the stage.

Luna Katherine was seated beside Alpha Carter. While Alpha Carter looked pleased, Luna Katherine looked blank and indifferent. Stanley was nowhere to be found.

The party proceeded and I felt on the top of the world. Lenor was happy too. The party was almost coming to an end when I suddenly felt strange.

Lenor went crazy, she giggled within me and my heart beat faster. Is that lavender or what? I sniffled the familiar smell.

Familiar smell? Not really. I started perceiving the smell yesterday after I gained my wolf. It was also the strongest scent out of the flavonoids that I had smelt in Stanley's room.

Instinctively, I looked straight forward, and at the end was Stanley. His back was turned against me and he was frolicking with some girls.

I looked away but Lenor was restless. Pain gripped my heart and I wondered what was happening.

"Lenor, what is it?" I asked bravely this time as the pain was too unbearable.

"It's him. We have found him," Lenor said but there was a round of applause and my attention was drawn to the crowd. 

The crowd looked at me expectantly. I was at a loss but Sky whispered to me, "Speech… say your speech," she muttered and I began.

The ceremony was gradually coming to a close and I was preparing to walk off the stage when Lenor began to wag her tail. 

I was hit by a strong smell of lavender. It was so strong this time and I turned sideways to trace the direction of the scent.

Stanley was approaching the stage from the rear. He had a blank expression on his face and I wondered what he was up to.

"We are here to celebrate with Ashley Bentley today as she gained her wolf but it seems that we would be having a two-in-one celebration as I have found my mate," Stanley said and there was an uproar.

Luna and Alpha Carter looked at each other and they sat tight. 

Slowly the shout turned into perfect silence as all the girls without mates held their breath and waited in anticipation.

"I, Stanley Carter, pronounce you Ashley Bentley as my mate," Stanley said and turned around to face me.

"Yelp!" Sky's voice boomed from the background and she leapt up joyfully. Luna Katherine looked stunted and the girls glared at me like they could swallow me alive.

I staggered backward and shook my head. I needed to wake up from my dreams. This bully can never be my mate. The painful memories of his maltreatment made my eyes flicker with pain. 

Lenor whimpered and yelled for joy. "Yes, it's him, our mate," she said as the smell of lavender filled my nostrils.