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Chapter 17: Sneaking Out
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The Alpha's Reluctant Mate Chapter 18: Dreams, Hopes, and Secrets
Zander POVCleo took a sip of her soda and looked at me. "What are your biggest hopes and dreams?"Was she really asking me this? I was caught off guard with the weight of her serious question. I took another bite of my burger to stall on my answer. Honestly, I didn't know if I wanted Cleo to know me on that level. Normally, I didn't let many people in.I swallowed and said, "I'd say my biggest hope would be to become someone that others look up to. I want people to say 'Zander is what I aspire to be like'. No one's ever wanted to be like me, and I think that'd be cool." I paused and continued, "My top dream is to become an Alpha of a pack one day. I know I could lead others if I was given a chance."I let her absorb everything I said. Cleo had a look of surprise on her. She took a bite of her fish sandwich and looked at me. She swallowed and said, "Those weren't answers I was expecting from you. I didn't know you had such high hopes and dreams. You wanting to be an Alpha reall
The Alpha's Reluctant Mate Chapter 19: Your Pack
Things felt different for the rest of the drive after opening up to one another. It was also because he had comforted me when I needed it. I felt closer to him than ever before. Zander had more to him than I had originally thought. He actually was a person that I wanted to learn more about. As we got closer to the pack, Zander seemed on edge. I wanted to make sure Zander wanted to return to his old pack. My heart hurt to see him look so stressed.I spoke up and asked, "Are you sure you want to do this?"He clenched his teeth and said, "Yeah I'm sure. I need to figure out who killed my parents. I can't back out now.""But..." I was cut off by his annoyed tone."Just drop it. You can't change my mind. We're almost there. I can't turn back to the Full Moon pack." He added, "You were the one who wanted to come with me. I never told you that you had to come."It was quiet for the rest of the trip. Zander being tense made me feel crappy too. Our trip had been a really nice one until we
The Alpha's Reluctant Mate Chapter 20: Rumors
The feast had started and I sat with Zander. This caused other members to get up and leave. These members didn't even excuse themselves. They scoffed and gave disgusted looks at Zander. I shook my head at their cruel treatment. Why couldn't these stubborn people forgive and forget the past? It was years ago. They should just move on.I thought they were just being petty. It wasn't like Zander had killed someone in their pack. I shook my head and stabbed my lamb chop with my steak knife. People like that made me mad. Zander looked over at me knowingly and said, "Cleo, don't worry about them. I don't care that they hate me. Besides I belong to your pack." He added, "They mean nothing to me."How could he just be calm about those jerks? I wanted to tell all of them off for their immaturity."So, it doesn't bother you at all being back?" Zander ran his hand through his hair and sighed, "It does a little. But we won't be here longer than necessary."He pushed his plate of food to t
The Alpha's Reluctant Mate Chapter 21: He's My Friend
I finished exercising on the treadmill and got off the machine. Something was bothering me. Then I glanced over at the women who had talked about Zander. They continued to talk and didn't even notice I had listened in on them. There was no way I was letting them get away with talking about him like that. It was despicable. I felt an urge to stand up to these women, since he wasn't there himself. We had finally gotten connected enough to be friends. Maybe we had been friends for a little bit, but I was fighting it.I shared more with him than I had shared with anyone, even Ash. Something about Zander was more special than what I had with Ash. Our being mates might've given an advantage that Ash would never understand.No way would I let these girls trash talk him and who he was as a person. He wasn't the person they believed he was. I had to set the record straight or else I'd regret not sticking up for Zander.The redhead woman was the first one I needed to talk to. She had mad
The Alpha's Reluctant Mate Chapter 22: Chemistry and A Serious Talk
Zander entered my suite and said, "We need to talk. Would you want to join me on a picnic?"Was he asking me on a date? I hoped he wasn't suggesting that. My hands started to get sweaty.I looked at him and said, "Okay, but it's not a date.""I never said it was. Think of it as one friend sharing a meal with another friend."I was disappointed yet relieved at the same time. My heart hammered in my chest thinking of being alone with him again.Zander drove away from the pack and took me to a cute park with picnic tables. But he set a blanket down on the grass near a table. I looked at him in puzzlement. What was he up to?He said, "I had to get us away from listening ears. Let's talk."That was a great idea. Now I understood why he wanted to leave the Wisteria mansion.I grabbed a PB and J sandwich from the picnic basket and took a bite. I swallowed and told him, "When should we look for information that's about your parents?"Zander took a swig of his water from a thermos and
The Alpha's Reluctant Mate Chapter 23: The Archives
I stayed up late and waited until it was around one in the morning. Zander and I had decided to look around while everyone was asleep. We didn't want to risk getting caught snooping around. That was not a risk I wanted to take. This pack had been like a second home to me for the past few months. I wouldn't lose their trust that easily.Before I left my suite, I went into the bathroom and looked at myself. I had taken off my makeup and looked kind of tired. This was not something I wanted Zander to see. It wasn't like I wanted to impress him or anything, however. As a girl, I just wanted to look my best regardless of the situation.I debated whether I should a little makeup on or not for a couple minutes. Seconds later, I chose to reapply a little bit of eyeliner and concealer with a faint bit of pale pink lipstick. It was better than looking like a zombie. I even rebrushed my hair, since it had flattened when I laid on the bed.Not wanting to wake anyone, I crept quietly to Zander
The Alpha's Reluctant Mate Chapter 24: Her Fiancé
I pulled away from Zander's kiss and checked the caller ID. My face fell when I saw Ash's name. What was he calling for? I wished he hadn't interrupted Zander and me, but I felt a lump in my throat thinking that.I picked up and said, "What do you want Ash?"Ash's voice came out bitter and he said, "I can't believe you didn't tell me you were staying with my pack. What kind of fiancé are you?!" He continued ranting, "Maybe you didn't want me to come, so you could spend more time with your mate. My friend told me that Zander came with you."Why hadn't I thought of that when I came here? I should've known that someone would tell Ash that I had been at his pack. I'd been careless.I clenched my fists and explained, "I'm helping him with something. Nothing wrong is going on here." Well, except for that kiss we briefly shared. I wouldn't tell Ash that. He would've blown up at me. Ash's voice got angrier while he stated, "It's your fault for our lack of communication. I mean, first
The Alpha's Reluctant Mate Chapter 25: My Ring?
Zander followed after me and gently held my hand to stop me in the hallway. I was on my way back to my suite. I looked at him with an impatient expression. Didn't he see I wanted some distance from him?Why did he have to after me like that? Zander needed to give me more space, or I'd be further pulled to him. That was the opposite of what I needed. "Cleo, can we talk about the…"I cut him off because I knew what he wanted to say. "I can't do this right now." A tear threatened to escape, and I bit my lip hard. "Just go back to your room and forget about tonight."He frowned at me and pulled me against his chest. Zander's eyes looked into mine with an intensity that made my breathing become shallow. I disliked how he affected me so easily. Zander gave a pained expression and said, "I don't want to forget about kissing you. Don't lie and say you didn't enjoy it. I know your lips reacted to mine." He added, "I'd kiss you again to prove it but I won't."He wasn't wrong but should I
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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
