Episode 8

ALPHA’s REBORN MATE

CHAPTER 8

ATHENA

I came out of my room when someone knocked on my door and told me that Alpha Aiden was already here and waiting for me downstairs. He was my childhood friend and also my mate but he didn’t know that yet because I wasn’t yet of age. I hadn’t yet turned eighteen so he couldn’t feel the mate bond yet.

But I knew now, I and my wolf because I had been reawakened a day before my eighteenth birthday.

Why had the goddess brought me back to this exact moment though? What was I supposed to do with this information I had?

“Hi birthday girl.” Aiden greeted cheerfully, his arms spread wide and waiting for a hug. He was very fond of me and loved to hug me, I liked it too and a part of me wanted to walk right into his arms and stay there, drinking in his scent. But I couldn’t do that anymore. Meeting him and loving him was a mistake that got me killed.

I only glanced at him and didn’t return his smile or cheer. I walked past him and left him hanging, not letting our bodies touch. I sat at the very corner of the table. My intentions were clear, I wanted to avoid him.

I could tell he was confused from the puzzled look on his face. He turned around to face me, disappointment etched on his face.

We always sat next to each other at breakfast or across from each other but today, I put a clear distance between us and made sure I wouldn’t have to stare into his face, I couldn’t bear to look at him.

He could tell something was off and I heard him mutter to himself.

“Are you on your period?” He asked but before I could answer, he replied. “No, you finished last week, so what could the problem be?” He whispered the last part to himself.

But I ignored him, placed some pancakes on my plate and began to munch on them. I wasn’t going to wait for him.

He came to the table and sat down, stealing glances at me as he ate too. It was just the two of us at breakfast, we were late and the others were done. But Aiden always waited for me so we could eat together. I regretted that fact today.

“You haven’t forgotten our promise, have you?” He asked after we ate in complete silence for a few minutes.

“What promise?” I asked finally looking up at his for the first time since he came here. My heart still skipped when I saw his face. He looked younger, but I guess I did too.

A piece of memory flashed though my mind and I remembered the promise we had made each other. I had asked that we celebrate my birthday under my favorite tree. I had planted that tree when I was five and had watched it grow. Aiden and I had taken care of the tree together and we met there on many occasions to just hang out and spend time together.

I wanted to be with him there when I turned eighteen because I was certain he would be my mate.

“I do not wish to celebrate my birthday anymore.” I said, looking away from him.

* * * *

AIDEN

“What do you mean?” I asked, a frown creasing my face. I couldn’t help but be upset by her words. She had been acting weird all morning and I didn’t know what the problem was. How could she cancel a plan she had made herself.

“I said, I’m not going through with the plan.” She repeated

“I heard you, but why? I’m already here.”

“Then go home. You don’t have to be here anymore.” She said without so much as looking in my direction, like I wasn’t even in the room.

My hands fisted and anger surged through me. Why was she acting this way? What was she suddenly pushing me away?

“I’m not leaving. I’m staying right here.” I said. I couldn’t pass up the chance of smelling her and finding out if truly she was my mate. In a few hours from now, she would turn eighteen. We had planned to stay together today and I would be the first to see her when she clocked eighteen. I had to know if she was mine.

Even if she wasn’t fated to be my mate. The Alpha has a chance to chose and I would chose her.

That was the plan

“Suit yourself.” She said

My heart ached at her words. What had happened to her? Was there something she wasn’t telling me?

Athena and I had been friends for as long as I can remember. She was three years younger than me but that didn’t stop me from getting close to her. She filled my thoughts when she wasn’t there and I longed to see her each moment.

Sabre felt it too. My wolf and I knew that she was someone special, we had to mark her as ours. So even when I heard that Athena might not be able to shift, because she did not have her wolf, I didn’t care. In fact it didn’t bother me at all. Besides, it wasn’t yet time and there was no telling what would happen.

Maybe I was blinded by love. It didn’t matter, I wanted her as my Luna despite the imperfections she had.

We continued our meal in silence but I could barely taste the food. My mind wandered and tried to cook up explanations as to why she was behaving that way. When we said goodbye last night, she seemed fine, in fact she had been excited that she would soon come of age.

My gaze left my food as I heard the screeching of her chair against the floor as she stood to leave, still not looking at me.

“Where are you going?” I asked her, holding her hand to make her look at me.

“None of your Business.” She said, snatching her hand from mine and turning to leave. But I couldn’t let her leave.

I reached out to her and grabbed her again, this time pulling her closer so she would look at me. Finally, I could see those cerulean eyes I had longed to gaze into.

“Tell me what happened to you.” I pleaded

“Let me go Aiden.”

“Not until you talk to me. Why are you being like this?”

She tried again to free herself from my grip but gave up after several attempts.

“What part of my words do you not understand? I don’t want you anymore.

This time, Sabre got angry but I did my best to stop him from taking over. I gritted my teeth, my wolf raging in my head.

“I want to know why. There has to be a reason for this sudden change.”

“No, nothing at all. I’m just sick of this place and I want to start a new life elsewhere. Away from here, away from you and everyone. I’ll be an adult soon after all.”

I looked at her skeptically. Where was all this coming from?

“Are you going to leave your family too? What will you do all alone?

She pondered on my question for a while before answering.

“No,but I will leave this pack and start a new life elsewhere.”

“Where will you go?”

“I don’t know yet, I’m still thinking about it. But I’d rather be anywhere else but here, even the human world is much more appealing to me.”

My grip on her hand tightened. I didn’t like her choice of place. Why would she even want to go mix with the humans?

“You’re hurting me. This is one of the reasons why I want to be away from you, you’re always hurting me.”

I let go of her hands immediately when I heard her words.

I always hurt her? What did she mean by that? When had I ever hurt her?

I heard receding footsteps and I noticed that she had taken advantage of my being distracted and had fled from me. I couldn’t do anything but sigh at that.

— — —

I spent the next hours following Damian, the leader of his pack and Athena’s brother touring the training arena.

His pack, cranian pack was one of the smallest wolf pack around and they were short on warriors. They relied on other neighboring packs for help during wars, especially mine which was the largest. So we had agreed on training their men so they would be better equipped to stand on their own.

We were discussing this arrangements. I would be sending my Gamma over along with a few other men to help them train once we agreed on the day to begin.

Truth be told, I wanted the training to start as soon as possible so I would have an excuse to see Athena often. She had avoided me all day.

She refused to have lunch with me this afternoon as well and I had to eat alone.

“She threw me out of her room right after she woke up and she’s been acting weird towards me too.” Greta said when I asked her if she knew what was going on with her best friend.

“Did anything happen last night?

Greta shook her head. “Nothing happened. She was excited about her birthday and I had to persuade her to go to bed.”

My heart sank at her words. I really needed to see her and speak with her, at least to clear out any misunderstanding.

“Maybe something happened in her sleep?”

“I don’t know Alpha, she hasn’t spoken to me.”

“I guess you don’t know where she is right now.”

She shook her head, confirming that I was right.

I guess I’d have to find her myself.