Home / Werewolf / The Alpha's Reluctant Mate / Chapter 1: Dangerous Promises

Share

The Alpha's Reluctant Mate
The Alpha's Reluctant Mate
Author: Katrina Guerin

Chapter 1: Dangerous Promises

Author: Katrina Guerin
last update Last Updated: 2022-09-17 14:07:54
The party was in full swing at the Wisteria mansion. I had been here before but not for a party. It was held in the ballroom of the west wing of the mansion, and the chandelier seemed to sparkle enchantingly. I imagined that it was polished before the day of the party.

There were also appetizers being served such as veggie and cheese tartlets and grilled garlic toasts. Champagne was served to anyone who was the legal age. The decorations included black tablecloths, a beautiful arrangement of flowers, and an expensive crystal vase.

I admired the decorations and atmosphere of the high-class party briefly before trying to find my boyfriend. He stood by a tall girl with black hair down to half of her back. I didn't feel jealous as I knew he only had eyes for me.

Seconds later I was next to my boyfriend, Ash. We had been dating for a few months now, and it seemed destined as he was going to be a future Alpha of his pack too. I still couldn't believe that he was my boyfriend. He was tall and handsome and had bright green eyes, wavy blond hair, and a sculpted jawline.

He greeted me with a happy tone to his deep voice, "There's my beautiful girlfriend, Cleo." He gazed at me and took my hand in his. "How are you enjoying the party?"

I smiled at him and said, "I'm having a great time."

"I'm glad to hear. Would you like to dance with me?"

I nodded yes and he led me to the dance floor where other members of his pack were. Everyone else was dancing. He pulled me close against him, and we danced a classic slow dance. His hands traveled down to my waist, and then his soft lips were on mine. I kissed him back and wrapped my arms around his neck.

Ash pulled away after a while and looked at me with wonder. "I never get tired of kissing you Cleo Sharpe. I'd kiss you all day if I could."

I tried to not turn red but my fair skin probably betrayed me. "That is very sweet of you to say. So why did you stop kissing me? I wasn't done yet."

He grinned widely at me and leaned in to whisper in my ear, "We can always kiss more away

from everyone else's view later. I promise."

Ash leaned in to kiss me urgently and nipped at my upper lip a little. I tried not to show how pleased I was and kept quiet. When he pulled away, I stared deep into his green eyes. He was the only one I wanted to be with.

He held my hand and brought it up to his lips to kiss and said, "I love you so much Cleo. I'm so happy you're my girl."

"I love you too Ash. I'm so happy that you're my boyfriend."

He squeezed my hand gently, and we went back to dancing. I rested my head on his shoulder as we continued to slow dance. I couldn't believe how long we had been dating already.

It felt like just yesterday that he had first asked me out. This was a time before we both knew we were going to be future Alphas. I've never regretted going on that first date by our favorite spot in his pack's territory. I remembered how nervous I was that day. Ash kept telling me how beautiful and kind I was. We ended the date with a sweet first kiss.

We kept dancing for another couple of songs and sat down at a table at the front of the ballroom. The table we were assigned to also held my parents and his. I considered the table to be all of the people who were at the top of the pack's order.

I'd probably throw a party differently. I wanted more members to feel like equals with each other instead of feeling separated. I drew my attention back on the present when I saw steaming hot containers of food come along.

At this point, we were served a dinner of a lobster tail and steamed vegetables. I folded my napkin in my lap and began to eat. The lobster had a sweet taste that made me savor every bite. I also enjoyed the freshly made bread that was warm, airy, and buttery. The mousse chocolate cake was my favorite by far. It was sweet without being too rich and was light and melted in my mouth.

Not much conversation happened when everyone dug into their food. It was that delicious. I think I found a new favorite food with that chocolate cake. Maybe I'd have a second piece if we were allowed.

Ash put his arm around me as he sipped his champagne. He was three years older than me, but I had not turned twenty-one yet. I was one of the only few at the table without a glass of champagne and had water. I took a glance at my parents. They were laughing and talking with Ash's parents.

Suddenly, Ash stood up and clinked his glass to get everyone's attention. People's conversations slowly died down. It was quiet enough that a pin drop would've been heard. He set his glass down and moved to stand near my chair. We all waited to see what he would say. My heartbeat started to get faster when I looked at him.

He got down on one knee and pulled out a large diamond ring before looking into my eyes, "Would you marry me Cleo Sharpe?"

I was shocked at his question and was sure my mouth had dropped open noticeably. My parents along with everyone else were also surprised at the turn in events. The rest of guests waited to see what my answer was. I went by my heart to give an answer to his question.

"Yes, I'll marry you Ash Wisteria."

He smiled and said, "She said yes."

There was faint scattered applause throughout the room. Most people in the room were still in shock and whispered to each other. My parents were among the people who wore shocked expressions. Mom's hand was still over her mouth while her eyes were widened.

Ash sat back down next to me and slid the ring on my left hand's ring finger.

The biggest issue was I didn't even know if Ash was my destined mate. Every werewolf had a mate they had to be with. Everyone knew it was very taboo to be with someone who wasn't their mate. I only had one friend in another pack that was with a girl who wasn't his mate. He had turned down his mate for this other girl.

Finding out one's mate doesn't happen at any given point either. I looked at my ring in amazement and horror while hoping Ash was supposed to be my mate.

Related chapters

  • The Alpha's Reluctant Mate   Chapter 2: Fighting Fate

    It was my twenty-first birthday. Ash planned to come over to my pack's headquarters and give me my gift and have lunch with me. My pack's headquarters were located in a luxury cabin in the woods. It was equipped with a large kitchen, bathrooms, multiple bedrooms, meeting room, and an expansive training room. The doorbell rang and I let Ash inside the cabin. I noticed he had on a white dress shirt and jeans that hugged all the right places. He was so sexy. We sat on the couch, and he looked so excited to give me my gift. It looked like it'd be jewelry when I saw the small white cardboard box. I opened it up and tried to fake a happy reaction when I saw the gift. It was a gaudy gold bracelet with rubies that my sister would've liked. Didn't he know I enjoyed elegant yet simple jewelry? I managed to say, "Thanks Ash." "You're welcome. I saw it and thought of you." Suddenly a weird feeling came in the pit of my gut. It was almost as if a voice told me "he's

    Last Updated : 2022-09-17
  • The Alpha's Reluctant Mate   Chapter 3: Rejection

    I stared outside my window at the woods outside the pack headquarters. Sometimes I needed to just think about any worries I had as a future Alpha. It always helped me with figuring out solutions to my problems. My heart rate also slowed down. A knock came on my door a few minutes later. My dad stood on the other side as I opened the door. I definitely had my dad's long nose and his eye shape. He had the same shade of hair color as me too. He motioned for me to follow him which I obeyed. He seemed even more serious than usual as we walked side by side down the hall. "Cleo, I think it's time you started doing more Alpha responsibilities. It's nearly your time to take over for me," dad said while we kept walking. "I completely agree and need to get more experience. There's so many things I need to learn still." He smiled wide and wrapped me in a hug, "I'm so happy that you want to learn more about being an Alpha. I can rest easy when you take over for me one d

    Last Updated : 2022-09-17
  • The Alpha's Reluctant Mate   Chapter 4: Strong Enough

    I trained to become stronger over the next few days. One morning I woke up early and began serious training. I'd have to train in human and wolf form to become equally strong. I sparred with my friend, Megan Hunter. We were in the gym in the headquarters of our pack. Megan knocked me down with a wooden staff that we sparred with. She scolded, "Cleo, are you even trying?" I narrowed my eyes at her and said, "I am trying! Just give me time to warm-up." She scoffed and said, "Well you sure need a lot of warm-up time. It's been fifteen minutes already." I waited until she was ready and tried to strike her with my staff. She dodged it effortlessly which made me more determined. I kept trying to hit her, but she was faster than me and dodged every time. Eventually I knocked her down and smiled. When I let my guard down, Megan swept me with her staff causing me to fall down on my butt. I got up and we kept exchanging hits during the spar. We kept this up for an

    Last Updated : 2022-09-17
  • The Alpha's Reluctant Mate   Chapter 5: Unwanted

    Ash and I had breakfast. He looked at me intensely after we were done. His eyes felt like they were staring into my soul. I looked back at him and felt myself reddening.Ash suddenly asked, "When do you want to get married?" He added, "I'm hoping for sooner than later."I frowned and said, "I don't think we can until my training is done. I'm sorry." I looked into his green eyes and added, "I really do want to get married, Ash."Ash suddenly got a mischievous grin on his face and asked, "Why don't we just elope? We could go today." He ran a hand through my hair and added, "It isn't crazy. Other people do it."I shook my head no and told him, "We can't. That wouldn't be right. I…" I paused and took a deep breath and continued, "I met my destined mate. But I rejected him. I only want to be with you." Ash's face looked as if I had struck him. His mouth was set into one of disgust, and no sign of his previous happiness held. I reached up to touch his shoulder, but he pushed my hand aw

    Last Updated : 2022-09-17
  • The Alpha's Reluctant Mate   Chapter 6: A Date with Her?

    Zander POVI drove to the café where I had a date set up with Cleo. My rock music was set to a higher volume to drown out my thoughts. I hoped the date would go wrong. If only I could've gotten out of it.I couldn't believe Cleo had actually agreed to go on a date with me. I'd bet her parents had convinced her to do this. She may have been my mate, but I wasn't excited to see her again. I sat with a bored expression on my face.There was no point in hiding how I felt about the night. I rested my hand under my chin and looked out the window. I wished to be anywhere but the café.The café was a French style and had simple white tablecloths and triangle folded napkins with pictures of Paris scattered throughout the place. There were even authentic berets placed on a table near the cashier's counter. I was told to wear one but would never wear something like that.Cleo entered the café. She wasn't trying hard to impress me. A thin purple shirt hung on her loosely, while her jeans were

    Last Updated : 2022-09-17
  • The Alpha's Reluctant Mate   Chapter 7: Stay Away

    Zander POVHe stood beside my chair. Great. I needed to be bothered by a stranger. I set my hand underneath my jaw and stared at him unamused.The guy gave me a death glare and had his arms crossed over his chest. I assumed this was Cleo's fiancé. His testosterone was showing. How did he know we were even at the café? I found it a little creepy. We hadn't openly told everyone about this date. I thought her parents were the only ones who knew about our plans. Had someone within our pack spread rumors that reached his pack? I've never seen him around ours, so I knew he was from a different one."Ash, what are you doing here?" Cleo's voice sounded up an octave than usual as she asked the question. She seemed almost scared with her unusual pitch of voice. I wasn't scared at all. He didn't look intimidating. He wore a dress shirt and top of the line jeans and shoes. Ash seemed like someone who thought he was better than everyone else. It was the way he stood up straight and tall.

    Last Updated : 2022-09-17
  • The Alpha's Reluctant Mate   Chapter 8: Off to Training

    Zander POVI strolled through the mansion and walked past Cleo's room. I wasn't sure why I headed that direction, because I tried to not to see her much after the date. She probably hated me after that night. I had almost punched her fiancé in the face after all.Who wouldn't hate someone after that happens? I'd be surprised if she actually didn't hate me. Plus, our date was pretty bad. My wish had come true.I stopped when I heard her voice say, "Mom, do I seriously have to go off to train at another pack? Why can't I stay here?"I heard her dad's familiar voice sternly state, "You've got to train at another pack, since you aren't with your mate. It'll help make up for the loss of strength you have." He added, "This isn't optional Cleo."Cleo sounded angry and said, "Okay. I guess I'll go."Her mom added, "Zander is going to be going with you."I had to hear what she was going to say about me and stayed a little longer. Cleo's voice rose to anger and she said, "He has to go with

    Last Updated : 2022-09-17
  • The Alpha's Reluctant Mate   Chapter 9: Welcome!

    Zander gazed into my eyes before pulling away quickly. My heart was racing so fast. I wondered if he heard my heart beating. It felt as if it would leap out of my chest.He said apologetically, "I don't know what came over me. Please forgive me."Forgive him for trying to kiss me? He shouldn't have apologized for that. Wait, what was I saying? I had Ash. But I couldn't ignore what I felt for Zander. He still had my heart rate up just by looking at me.Finally, I said, "It's okay. Let's just forget about this.""Good idea."I turned my gaze away from him and tried to calm myself down.He seemed different tonight, and I felt more aware of him than usual. Part of me wanted that kiss from him. I shook my head and noticed he was watching me."What are you thinking about?""Nothing." I tried to avoid eye contact and added, "We should get back on the road."He nodded his head in agreement and paid the bill for us without asking me. On the way out the door he held it for me. I tried t

    Last Updated : 2022-09-17

Latest chapter

  • The Alpha's Reluctant Mate   Chapter 50: My True Mate

    The next morning, I woke to Zander's sleeping face next to me. My heart almost burst with how much I loved him. I smiled to myself remembering the day before. I stroked his hair and moved a strand away from his eyes.It was almost hard to stop stroking his hair. As Zander slept, I heard him say something. I thought it was sweet how he said my name while sleeping. I knew what he was dreaming about and felt happy he couldn't get me off his mind. Zander wouldn't get out of my mind either.A few more minutes later, I got of bed and went into the shower with my clothes from the day before. I didn't care if I repeated my outfit. While I was waiting for the water to get hot, Zander came in and slowly took in the sight of me. He was still naked from our night together.Zander approached me and whispered in my ear, "Want me to join you?"I nodded my head and stepped into the shower. The water was hot and so was Zander's gaze.Zander pressed me against the wall and knelt down near my fe

  • The Alpha's Reluctant Mate   Chapter 49: He's Mine

    I interrupted Zander after I found him in the kitchen eating dinner. "Do you want to hang out?"As I looked at Zander, I realized something. I knew I could be with Zander since Ash was out of my life. I didn't have to keep my promise to him anymore, and he had Candice now. Zander got up and went over to me and kissed my cheek. "Just let me finish my dinner first, and I'll meet you in my room."I headed towards his room and sat down on his desk chair. Before I had never looked around his room and decided to check it out. He had a board with drawings pinned to it. Some of them were of me and others were of wolves. Suddenly Zander's voice startled me, "Do you like what you see?""These drawings are really good. I didn't know you had this talent.""I get it from my mom. She was an artist back in the day. I learned from her.""I'm sure she'd be proud of you."Zander got quiet and didn't say anything back. Had I gone too far by saying that? I didn't want him to feel grief all over

  • The Alpha's Reluctant Mate   Chapter 48: What Just Happened?

    Zander and I kissed for a while and then went back to just cuddling. Suddenly, a knock came on the door. Zander groaned and looked up in annoyance.I got up and answered the door. It was Megan and she had a look of relief on her face. She hugged me and said, "Thank God you're alive. I was so worried when I lost sight of you outside."Her words made me tear up a little. "I'm glad you're alive too. I was worried about you during the battle."Megan's eyes filled with tears, and she hugged me tighter. I needed her comfort from the horrible ambush we had just gotten over. It made me feel a hint better.Megan asked, "Have you seen your parents yet?"I shook my head no and asked, "Why, have they been looking for me?"Megan nodded her head yes and walked away. My parents probably thought I was dead. I felt extremely guilty for letting them worry about me for so long. I walked out the door with Zander trailing behind me. We got to my parents' room quickly, and I urgently knocked on th

  • The Alpha's Reluctant Mate   Chapter 47: Escaped!

    When I finished fighting another warrior, I tried to get close to Zander. He was still running towards Maurice.Suddenly, a few of Maurice's lackies blocked Zander's path. Maurice was going to get away. I had to help Zander out. Maurice didn't deserve to escape.He needed to pay for his crime. I would gladly help Zander to bring him down.Someone came running at Zander and pushed him to the ground. He was held by his hair, and I rushed to be at his side.I smacked the warrior with my wooden staff in the back. He lost his grip on Zander's hair and fell to the ground. Zander didn't waste time in pounding the guy. I searched the area but didn't see Maurice around. Had he already run away? I hoped I was wrong.More and more warriors came towards us. It seemed like the fighting would never end with how many of them there were.For some reason, I checked to see if Megan was around. I hadn't seen my friend around for a while. Was she okay?A few seconds later, I spotted Megan and she w

  • The Alpha's Reluctant Mate   Chapter 46: Battle

    Ash sprinted off before I could even go after him. Was he scared of me or something?I chased after him but got stopped by a sudden warrior. The warrior was a girl a little older than me. She had a nasty scar across her cheek.The girl tried to knock me down with her wooden staff. I narrowly avoided being smacked by her staff and rushed away from her. She trailed after me and attempted to whack me with the staff again.I grabbed the staff out of her hands and swept her off her feet. She fell to the floor with a thud. I took the opportunity to kick her in the side and wanted her to stay down. Before anyone else showed, I ran towards the living room. There were many warriors fighting against our members who hadn't had their dinner spiked. Luckily, not everyone in our pack was a guard.I spotted Megan fighting against a guy who was taller than she was. Of course, she was kicking his ass and getting a lot of good kicks and punches in.Where was Zander? My heart sped up at the though

  • The Alpha's Reluctant Mate   Chapter 45: Betrayed Again!

    I tended to Zander's wounds over the next few days, and he got better. My presence helped him heal even faster than usual, despite the fractured ribs he had. I still can't believe that Ash would attack him so underhandedly. Meanwhile, I was still trying to forget about his betrayal.Being back home at my pack helped me feel better. I needed to get my mind off of Ash and what he did to me. Candice was someone I needed to avoid as well. No way was I seeing my traitorous sister anytime soon. She made me feel disgusted when I looked at her.So far when I had passed by Candice, I avoided eye contact and wouldn't talk to her. She hadn't tried to talk to me either. I just hoped our parents hadn't noticed our behavior. They knew we didn't get along the best, but at least we tolerated each other.A moment later, I texted Megan if she wanted to hang out and do something. It was the early afternoon, and I was taking a break from any Alpha training. It seemed time that I finally got some moment

  • The Alpha's Reluctant Mate   Chapter 44: Payback

    Zander POVMy fist connected with Ash's face. Blood dripped from his lips, and Ash wiped it off with the back of his hand before swinging his fist towards me.I narrowly avoided getting the impact of his punch. We started rolling around on the ground throwing hits at each other.Eventually Ash had me pinned under him and grasped my throat tightly with his hands. He started choking me and made me cough. I had to get him to release his grip on me, or my windpipe would be crushed.He squeezed harder and harder on my throat. It was getting more difficult to breathe.I reached out and tried to make him loosen his grip on me. I latched onto his wrist and tried to injure him. An odd crunching noise was heard, as I kept grasping his wrist harder.Ash cried out in pain and let go long enough for me to get away. I tried to get more oxygen back into my system and stood up quickly. Ash's gaze burned with pure hatred towards me. "You're going to regret doing that!"He ran towards me at full

  • The Alpha's Reluctant Mate   Chapter 43: She's Mine

    Zander POVLoud footsteps approached Cleo's room where I was hiding out. I wondered who was coming. I prepared to explain myself in case it was her parents. We didn't need to get reprimanded for leaving the Full Moon pack before our training was over.Cleo came into the room with an irritated look on her face. I got up from her desk chair that I had been sitting on. It was a little concerning to see how angry she was. I'd never seen Cleo look this level of pissed off. She was flushed and had her hands clenched into tight fists.Things must've gone badly when she talked to Ash. I wanted to know what that asshole had done to her. Ash had never been someone I liked around our pack, but now I absolutely hated him. He was a sad excuse for a future Alpha.I knew I had to comfort Cleo and let her vent. She seemed like she needed someone to talk to. Holding in anger wasn't good to do. I knew that from experience in the past. I hoped that her anger wouldn't stay with her too long.I came ov

  • The Alpha's Reluctant Mate   Chapter 42: Was It Real?

    I stomped down the hall towards the guest room we had for Ash. I didn't care how ridiculous I probably looked. Ash had really provoked me.He had no clue what was coming to him. I hoped he wasn't there for his sake. So many things ran through my mind about what I needed to tell him. Adrenaline coursed through my veins while my heart beat incredibly fast.He only had that room as an honorary guest of the pack. I wanted to throw him out of my pack by his shoulders after this betrayal. Ash didn't deserve to stay among us anymore, because he had lost all my trust. I didn't want someone like that around all of us.I barged into Ash's room without knocking. Ash sat up on the bed and looked at me with an unreadable expression. He didn't seem surprised I showed up. How could he just sit there looking unaffected by me?Ash cleared his throat and got off the bed. He was fully dressed and had his hair brushed. I felt disgusted looking at his face. "Cleo, what brings you here?"Was he serio

DMCA.com Protection Status