Perhaps, She Didn't Want Me?

HAERA

Just a peep. 

That's what I told myself when I slyly slipped away from the entourage of the Alpha king sent to pay our tribute  respect to their selection of a new Alpha through the Duel. 

My reason for slipping away was simple. I wanted to see the Duel. 

I'd blame Balfour for telling me more than I should know about the duel that peaked my interest right from when we set foot in the palace of the Alpha of the Imperial Pack but my own curiosity was what got the better of me. 

All through the ride to the Imperial pack-that's only a few miles from my pack-my mind went back and forth from the thought of the  two sons who will be fighting for the Alpha position of their pack. 

My heart immediately went out to the unmarked child without even having an idea of who he was. But I could imagine what kind of pain he is or has been all his life. As much as I tried, I couldn't shrug the thought off my mind. 

If it was pity I felt, I wasn't sure. 

But whatever it was, stepping foot into the Alpha's palace of the imperial pack, didn't do anything to help. The presence of the crowd, the decorations and the budding excitement made me want to witness the whole thing. 

But I wasn't given the chance like I expected. We were directed to join the maids of the Imperial pack to help with the other things in the kitchen. As much as I loved cooking, my heart didn't agree with me to stay in the kitchen with the rest of the maids. 

And so I sneaked out while the maid in charge wasn't watching. 

Bold move. One my rebellious Wolf, Dezra gladly encouraged. 

"I don't know the reason for your curiosity Haera, but I feel restless about something."

"You're always restless, Dezra."

I had said to her just as I joined the crowd waiting for the Duel to start. With the huge number of people, it was easy for a girl dressed in a maid's attire. 

But I should have paid more attention to Dezra when she voiced her complaints about how she was feeling. 

I struggled to make my way through the crowd so I could get a better look. 

The bell for the third round already rang before I made it to the front. My ears listened for the previous happenings I had missed while making my way to the front. 

According to them, both princes had two wins each and the third one determines who wins or not. I looked forward to the men having a fight on the large clearing that served as a stage for the Duel. 

Both men were shirtless. 

With the same build and almost...almost the same look, it was hard for me to tell who from whom. The sheen of sweat glistened on their exposed skin as the sun hit it. 

The only thing I could tell apart was the energy that radiated off them. 

One had rage rolling off him in waves while the other was gentler...looked troubled but still gentle. 

As I watched them fight, I felt myself rooting for the gentle one without even realizing it. A punch to his lips caused it to burst and blood to splatter on his face. It was as if I was the one hit by the impact because of the way I screamed. 

But he recovered quickly. He had the other locked in a tight hold. I roared and cheered harder with the crowd at the prospect of him winning. 

And then...it all happened so fast that it seemed almost impossible. 

My nose picked up an unfamiliar scent. One that made Dezra growl hard. 

"MATE!!!"

She growled. 

I looked at the men fighting in horror and it seemed one them was hit by the same wave that hit me too as his eyes switched between black and silver. His wolf and him. He looked frantically around as if in search if something...someone...me. 

This can't be happening...

I told myself.  As much as Dezra wanted to tear through the crowd and run toward the man whose scent came at me stronger than anything my nose as ever picked up, I panicked and began to back up with my heart racing. 

"What are you doing? Where are you going? We just found our mate!!!"

Dezra's was yelling at me in my head. She fought to make me lose control and go running toward the man in front of me but I couldn't. I was in too much of a daze to do anything and so the only rational thing I could do was back up and run. 

And I did. 

The last thing I saw of my mate was him being sent flying to the ground. 

****

*ZACHARY* 

My heart was every bit as numb as my busted lips. 

The one I wondered what's taking so much for it to heal up but then , I remembered that my wolf was brooding and prowling around in both anger, distress and pain. He was in no mood to heal me of any cut or bruise I got while fighting earlier today. 

I wasn't any better as I sat with on my bed. 

With unfocused eyes looking up at the ceiling. 

It was already late at night. The moon was achingly brighter and it's blue gleam spread all through the room and cast a shadow on every furniture. The room was serene as usual both the cause for the silence is what made the difference. 

The crowd had long dispersed after the Duel ended hours ago. 

The end of the duel left everyone shaken and in shock. 

I was distracted by the scent that whiffed past my nose; Tybalt took advantage of it and was able to get away from my hold and try to pull me down too. 

It happened so fast. One moment my eyes was searching around the crowd, the next, I was landing hard on the floor. 

The force of it made me shut my eyes tightly while Serge ravaged within me. I felt my control snap and switch as Serge threatened to take control. 

When I opened my eyes, I wasn't the only one on the floor. 

Tybalt was also splayed on the floor. The crowd went mad at how things turned as physicians moved to attend to the both of us. 

I don't know hoe Tybalt ended on the floor but what I do remember is the announcer calling our fight a tie since we both fell to the ground. 

But none of that mattered. They were the things I really wished I could continue remembering so I can forget what I saw amidst the crowd. 

The back of my mate. 

She turned her back away from me...and ran. 

I felt wounded than I already was. Tybalt's blows have got nothing on the pain that sight alone inflicted on me. 

There was only one way to interpret my mate's reaction;

She didn't want me. 

My mate didn't want  me. She didn't even have to get to know me for her to run away from me. No one wants me. 

Who would want an unmarked child as a mate anyway? It was nothing short of a curse. 

Serge was in extreme pain too. He was whimpering yet he still tried to pacify me. 

"Don't think like that Zach. It might not be what you...we think it is."

"She ran away Serge...even she felt it. Even when she saw me even before I saw her...yet she ran away."

The only thing I caught glimpse of asides her back was her long black hair that reached her waist and bounced as she ran through the crowd. 

That's all I remember my mate by. 

After all these years, she finally showed up. The moon goddess finally gave me a chance to have someone to call my own. Someone who wouldn't care about my status or my...inadequacies. But that someone ran away before I could even see her face.

"We can't conclude that yet...you know what...let's find her. I have her scent all around me already. I can catch whiff of it anywhere."

"Serge..."

I was too pained to do anything. 

"You won't sit here and do nothing like you've always done Zach! We're going to search for and find her!"

His snarl left no room for argument. 

Begrudgingly, I stood up from the bed I was laid on and began to pull on my clothes. I didn't know where we were going to or how we are going to find her but I was close to losing the will to find my runaway mate. 

"I'm all done...now, where should we start from?" I said to Serge, putting the last of the buttons on my shirt, in place. 

"There's no need for that anymore."

I frowned. 

"What??are you crazy, I--"

I stopped halfway when that familiar scent  hit my nose with the same force as during the duel but for some reason this was stronger...closer. 

"She's here."

Serge's last words was followed by a curt and quiet knock on the door. I froze to the spot. 

She's really here. 

My mate.