002

Her parents had described what it felt like, that instant jolt brought by that first touch. The description had nothing on the real feeling. 

She was still trembling from the jolt that had run through her whole body in mere seconds.

Slowly she lifted her eyes and stifled a gasp. The man staring back at her with wide eyes had to be one of the most gorgeous men he had ever met.

And she had met lots of gorgeous men in her lifetime.

He looked unfamiliar. She was sure she had never met him before which was strange. Judging from the black tuxedo he was wearing; she could see that this one was from a high-class family. 

And she had met every member of the upper class in their pack.

Who was this handsome looking green-eyed guy, that was staring at her like she had two heads?

She tried to imagine what was going through his mind, as they stayed, staring at each other.

Was he happy?

Finding one’s mate was a huge and beautiful thing to encounter, especially now that the pack has gotten bigger, spread across the globe and it was hard to keep in touch.

You could be in Decorah and your destined mate could be married in Florida.

“Uhm……” The guy, her mate muttered, blinking a few before getting up abruptly with a pinched look.

“Fuck!” He muttered again, and ran his fingers through his neatly combed black hair.

“I am sorry, who are you?”

Yvonne blinked at the sudden question and also stood up.

“I am Yvonne Marshall,” Shew said proudly. Everyone knew the Marshall family. Every single one in the town.

“Okay Yvonne. This is kind of…. shocking, and... oh fuck, I have to leave please, I can’t handle this right now”

He said and left, leaving her standing there in her own confusion.

Well that was not how he imagined her mating would go.

Oh well, the poor guy must be shocked. He just needs a moment to himself to think about it, that was all.

Yvonne grinned and released a little squeal when the reality of what just happened dawned on her again.

She just fucking found her mate!!!!!

Ahhn. She couldn’t wait to see her mum and Samantha and share the news with them just to rob it in their faces.

“Who’s the ridiculous one now momma?” She whispered with a very wide grin and made her way back to the party hall, almost jumping with each step, out of excitement,

She prayed, and she knew that the mother Goddess would not disappoint her. And she did not, as always, she came through for one of her own when called.

When she got to the party hall, everyone was sitting and the music was not playing anymore. 

Guess the Alpha was there already.

Still smiling, Yvonne made her way to their table, and grinned when her mum raised a brow at her.

“What happened? Why are you exposing all thirty-two?” Becky asked and Yvonne giggled.

“Can’t I choose to just be happy on this beautiful night? It’s a good night to be jolly, don’t you think mum?”  She turned to her mum, who frowned, obviously fighting a smile of her own.

“God alone knows what’s wrong with you, you crazy child” Her mum said, rolling her eyes.

“Oh, I can’t wait to tell you mum.”

“Have anyone seen Samantha?” 

“I think I saw her with some boy, a good-looking man. Where does she find all those hot guys? I'd love to try out someday” 

Becky sighed blissfully and Yvonne laughed.

“You will get your own hot guy soon enough”

She herself had gotten her own hot guy. She couldn’t wait to show off her mate to her mum, sister and Samantha.

Speaking of, where on earth was the guy?  They needed to talk about this before the frenzy of the mating heat.

Yvonne surveyed the room with her eyes and saw his back turned to her at the other end of the hall, in what seemed like a heated conversation with one of the council’s members.

As if sensing her sight on him, he turned around and caught her eyes.

His frown deepened his handsome features contorted in anger.

What was wrong?

Then he walked away from the man he had been speaking to and walked to the front of the hall.

Yvonne frowned when he picked up a glass, then hit it with a spoon repeatedly, drawing everyone’s attention.

What was he up to?

“Is he speaking instead of his father today?” Becky whispered and Yvonne turned to her with a frown.

“His father?”

“Yeah. That’s the Alphas son I was telling u about” 

Her heart jumped. She was mated to the Alphas son? 

Oh wow.

She turned her attention to him, still wondering what he was about to do. His face was hard as stone, and his hair which was neatly styled was now ruffled.

“I need everyone’s attention please” He said, in a loud voice and the chatter in the room died down instantly.

“I am sure most of you already know who I am. But for those who don’t, my name is Lucien. Alpha Joseph's son. Yeah, I grew up in another country with my aunt, so it's not a surprise that y’all don’t know me.”

Nobody made a sound, and he continued.

“I am so sorry to interrupt whatever it is you all must have been doing, but I have a very important announcement to make”

He turned to me and held Yvonne’s gaze. Her heart started racing. Was he going to claim her right here and let everyone know that she was his mate?

But from the look of detest on his face, that was highly unlikely’

Yvonne held her breath waiting for…what she didn’t know.

“I’d love to call out Yvonne Marshall here.” He said and Yvonne saw her parents’ eyes widen as they stared at her in shock.

She ignored them, tried to calm her nerves and stood up calmly…hoping her knees were not shaking.

She was Yvonne Marshall. She does not tremble or shake for anybody.

She walked up to him and swallowed tight, then faced the crowd with her head held high.

“Thank you” Lucien said before addressing the room again.

“I grew up in the midst of humans, so I never believed in some of the werewolves' customs. Plus come on, this is the twenty-first century. Isn’t it time we push away some customs and move forward with the rest of the world?”

Yvonne’s heart sank with each word he said, and she felt her throat closing up with each word he uttered. Because somehow now she knew what was about to happen.

“I believe that we are free to choose who we get to spend the rest of our lives with, not force ourselves to accept some destiny and fate stuff” 

Then he turned to look at Yvonne,

“So, I’d love you all to bear me witness as I do this”

“I have a wife. A very pregnant wife back at home, I won’t let destiny get in the way of my marriage and happiness.’

Everyone gasped, as if they could now understand what was happening.

Meanwhile didn’t make a single sound, she didn’t say a word. She just stood, frozen, void of all emotion as she listened to Lucien.

“I want you all to bear me witness as I Lucien Reject Yvonne Marshall as my mate”

The whole room grew so quiet, you could easily hear a pin drop.

It was as if everyone there was scared to breathe, talk less, say a word.

Yvonne tried her best to stand still and not recoil from the stab of pain and embarrassment rushing through her.

She has heard about mate rejection before, her mum had told her about it, but she never imagined that she would get to experience it after years of praying and waiting for this.

She stood, her feet rooted to the ground as Lucien walked up to her and touched her chin.

Even that touch had her insides weeping out in joy and longing. But what was the point?

All that will be lost in a moment.

Staring blankly at the wall on the far end of the hall, just to avoid Lucien’s eyes, she braced herself for what she knew was coming next.

Her mother had told her about this, had described the pain.

How worse could it get?

But she was no way ready for the crippling pain that slammed into her when Lucien’s fangs pierced the skin of her neck.

She gasped out loudly as an excruciating pain, one like she had never felt in her life shot through her, from her core to every fiber of her being. Slams after slams the pain hit her, even after Lucien released her and it took all of her controls to not collapse on the floor and wail out in pain.

But she had had enough humiliation for the day, there was no way she would show the whole pack that she could not handle pain.

Yvonne took in sharp breaths after the other, everywhere getting blurry as her eyes burned with unshed tears.

She tried to say what she knew she needed to say, but her throat was closed up tight and she was almost afraid that if she tried to say anything, she would betray the composure she was trying to keep.

She cringed when she felt her mother walk up behind her and place a hand on her shoulder.

For that moment she wished she could collapse into her mums’ arms and let the building wail in her throat out.

“I’m right here baby” Her mum whispered with a sniff. Was she crying?

“Accept the rejection, it will ease the pain”

Gathering up every strand of strength she had, Yvonne ignored the waves of excruciating pain slamming through her body and took another breath. 

“I Yvonne Marshall….” She cleared her throat “Accept the alpha’s rejection”

The moment the last word left her lips, the pain stopped so suddenly, her knees almost gave out from the rush of relief.

Was that supposed to make her feel better? She didn’t feel a little bit better.

Because the humiliation, and heartbreak was still there.

She turned towards the crowd, and her stomach coiled to see all the guests present in the event, staring at her with different expressions.

Her mother’s hand squeezed her shoulder firmly, a comforting squeeze. But Yvonne didn’t need comfort from anyone and she didn’t  need anyone’s pity. Not even her mother’s.

Her throat still burning up, she shrugged away from her mother’s hold and walked out of the room, head held high even as her head ached and her eyes blurry with unshed tears.

But she would not succumb and lose her composure.

When she finally made it outside and inside her limo, she pressed her hand tightly on her stomach, bent over and released a very lou