Chapter 1 - Mason

Sitting in my familiar Alpha office, I turned to look at her. The long blond hair I had once adored so much, twisted up into a sleek ponytail, her make-up done to perfection. She had made an effort today, yet I did not care in the slightest, as my eyes were full of fury, as they set upon her from across the room.

I could not stand the sight of this woman, and why she felt it was acceptable to return here, yet again, I did not know. She had not been here in weeks, but out of the blue she had appeared begging to speak to me. I had hoped after the last time she may have got the message...

“I won’t keep asking you, Brooke. This is done. We are done. Have been since the moment you decided our matebond meant nothing.” I snarled at her, and her eyes filled with tears. No doubt the fake ones she was so good at conjuring up at a moment's notice when she felt they were of benefit to her. The ones I had so easily fallen for many times early on in our relationship, but had soon learned meant nothing.

“Mason, please. You know I made a mistake.” She begged, putting on the most pathetic and pleading voice she could. Fluttering her ridiculously long lashes at me. Again, hoping that would benefit her. I don’t know if that worked on her other men, but it sure as hell was not about to work on me.

I shook my head in disgust. How I had ever felt anything for this woman in front of me was beyond me. This had been my fated mate. The one selected for me by the Moon Goddess, and I can recall the moment I met her, being blown away by how beautiful she was. Thinking the Moon Goddess had blessed me, yet now, it seemed the Moon Goddess had fucked up. And fucked up royally, because this woman was not worthy of being a chosen mate, let alone a Luna. She was not trustworthy.

Her betrayal had crushed me. Crushed my heart. And I would not allow her back in. I could not give her the opportunity to do that to me again. I turned to look at her, a sneer upon my face. I did not care how nasty I sounded. She deserved all that came to her.

“A mistake?” I questioned her statement. “Which time? Because it isn’t like it was just the once Brooke, which would have been bad enough. No, it went on for months. And he wasn’t the only one either. So, why not do us a favor and fuck off. Back to the hole you crept out of. I do not want you anymore. Why can you not accept that?”

Her eyes widened at my words as she shook her head in disbelief, her long ponytail swinging as she did. “I am your fated mate, you should not be talking to me like that. I remember the day you met me. How happy you were. And, Mase, what about the day you marked me? Remember how good that was?” she began. I knew she was trying to manipulate me, and despite the memories hurting, because they had been special once upon a time, it was not going to work. Not today. Not ever.

“No, Brooke, you were my fated mate. Were. As in not any longer. I rejected you. You know, like kicked you to the curb? The moment I knew you had allowed another man to touch you when you were mine. That changed the way I looked at you instantly. And yes, of course, I was happy to have met my fated mate. That is how matebonds are supposed to work. It is just a shame you did not respect the matebond in quite the same way, isn’t it? Allowing any old dick near you. So willing to betray our bond, our trust. Why would I ever want that back?”

Brooke stood in front of my office desk, biting her lip, as if to hold herself from talking, and I could see tears slipping from her eyes. She turned to walk away from me, but as she reached my office door, she turned back, looking at me with pleading eyes. “I need you back, Mase. I still want to be with you. That never changed. I want to be the Luna again. I miss what we had... and I have nowhere else to go.” She began to sob, but this time the tears seemed suddenly more real, and now I saw her true reasoning for all of this.

I allowed her words to flow over me. So, the truth was she had come here in a bid to win me back simply because she had nobody else to turn to. She had always loved the role of Luna, and the control it gave her. It had always bugged me a little how she seemed power hungry, but I had let it go, because everything else about her, I had loved. Until she had done the unspeakable, of course.

And now it seemed she was craving that title once more. She didn’t want me, she needed me. She needed the things I could give her. She had hoped she would be able to play upon my emotions and manipulate me? Well, I had news for her. My emotions were long gone. Shut away, and closed, especially to her.

She had ruined me the moment I had walked in on her and that man at it in our bed. The pain of the betrayal had near killed me. I had no intention of letting her back into my life. Not now and not ever. I was done with this.

“I said fuck off. So do it. I couldn’t give a damn if you have nobody else to turn to Brooke, you put yourself into that situation. So, now it is time to put your big girl panties on. That is, assuming you know how to keep your panties on, of course, and sort your own mess out. Now, get the hell out of here, and out of my pack.” I snarled, moving toward her, opening the door to ensure she left this time.

My whole body shook as she looked at me in shock. This was not how I had wanted to start my day, but I did not need my former mate holding me down any longer. “And I do not want you coming back. I mean it, or my guards will be told to attack.” I warned her this time, seeing as every other time I told her to leave, she simply returned at a later time.

She slowly nodded, before leaving, as I strode angrily across my office, before falling into my seat. Life sure liked to slap me when I was down, I swear… but that one could stay away!