Chapter Two

My mate whose name I had learned was Dominique, cleared his throat and turned his gaze away. He then removed his jacket and gently covered me with it.

"Don't move. I'll take care of things."

I lay there, watching as Dominique made his way toward the angry truck driver, who pointed angrily in my direction. The driver's hateful glare stung, but I couldn't dwell on it for long as I observed Dominique in action.

He carried himself like a majestic prince, his aura exuding dominance. At that moment, all I could think was, "How could this godly man be my mate?"

Dominique Wolf. That's the name he had shared with me. He had settled matters with the truck driver, ensuring that onlookers dispersed without capturing any photos or videos of the incident. His commanding presence made it clear that he held authority, something only an alpha could achieve.

I had healed swiftly, thanks to my werewolf abilities, and was now walking beside Dominique down the pavement.

However, there was one important topic we hadn't addressed – the fact that we were mates. I had hoped he would bring it up, but his silence had grown unbearable.

"So, are you not going to say anything?" I finally couldn't contain my frustration any longer. "I know you felt that we're mates."

Dominique continued walking, ignoring my words. Annoyed, I caught up to him and blocked his path.

"Why are you behaving like this? Are you shocked and trying to comprehend it?” I asked, feeling desperate. “What's going on in your mind?"

Contrary to what most humans believed, finding a mate among werewolves was rare. It wasn't a straightforward romantic fairy tale, and most wolves went their whole lives without ever encountering their mate. Mates marked each other as a sign of commitment, and if one died after marking the other, it could lead to unbearable pain.

"Look, love, I saw you on the road about to be killed by that truck, and I helped you. I'm going back home now." Dominique sidestepped me and continued walking.

I couldn't accept his nonchalant attitude. I ran after him, blocking his path once more.

"I'm grateful for your help, really, but aren't you excited even a little bit that we are mates?" I asked. "We've both found our chance at happiness and if we could just—"

Dominique chuckled before abruptly glaring at me. "Who told you that mates equal happiness? Are you that naive?" He took a step toward me, and I instinctively stepped back.

"Look here, mates serve as a weakness, and they steal your powers. The Moon Goddess pairs you with a stranger, and she expects you to date them. The whole mate thing is nonsense, and I don't want any part of it."

Tears welled up in my eyes. "Why are you saying that? You're my mate, and the Moon Goddess doesn't make mistakes."

Dominique looked at me with cold indifference. "She does, and this is an example of a mistake in our situation. Of all the women she could have paired me with, she chose someone as weak as you. I'm expected to protect you always, and I don't want that. Our pairing is a mistake."

I tried to hold onto some hope. "You're wrong. You're my mate, and the Moon Goddess doesn't make mistakes. Why are you rejecting our bond?"

"It's simple. You're nowhere near my league. You're a weak werewolf, and an alpha can't be with someone as weak as you.” Dominique sneered. “You're a pathetic excuse for a werewolf, and you think you deserve me?"

The pain that shot through my chest was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. I bit my lip, trying to suppress the despair that was welling up inside me.

"Please, don't do this to me, Dominique," I sobbed. "Don't disrespect our bond."

Dominique scoffed, and the look he shot me made me feel like I was nothing, like I was dirt beneath his feet.

"I want nothing to do with you, Megan. I, Dominique Wolf, Alpha of the Red Creek Pack reject this bond."

My heart ached, and my legs gave way. I fell to the ground, and the pain in my chest was excruciating, far worse than any breakup or heartache I'd ever endured.

My heart had shattered, leaving me feeling empty and hollow. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I reached out toward my mate. However, he only looked at me with disdain.

"I wish I never met you," Dominique sneered as he turned and walked away from me. I watched him until he disappeared into the distance, my world falling apart.

Throughout my life, luck had rarely been on my side. At the age of ten, my parents and I were in a tragic accident that took my mother's life. At fourteen, my father fell in love with Charity Keith and, a year later, a fall from a three-story building claimed his life.

It was only me and charity and I grew up listening to her telling me stories all about mates.

Mates had always been my source of fascination and hope. I longed for the Moon Goddess to grant me a mate who would always be there, bringing joy and love into my world. It was the ideal, the dream I had clung to, but now that wish had been granted, and my mate wanted nothing to do with me. My heartache was unbearable.

I buried my face in my hands and sobbed for all I was worth. My heart felt like it had been ripped from my chest, leaving me with an overwhelming sense of despair and emptiness. The wound was invisible, but it had damaged me irreparably, and all I could do was wail into the darkness.

***

“Megan, please. Can you come out and have some breakfast?”

I buried my head further into the blanket hearing Charity’s voice outside my bedroom door.

It had already been two weeks since that awful experience and I had resigned myself to spending all day in my room and bawling my eyes out. I only came outside for food and tried to avoid Charity as much as possible. I hadn't told her about that day and although I felt guilty hiding something like that from her, I just couldn't bring myself to tell her that my mate rejected me the same day Micheal broke up with me.

Talk about a double homicide situation.

“I’m worried, Megan. You came home after your date with Micheal and you locked yourself inside.”

I swallowed hearing the concern in Charity’s voice and my eyes welled with tears. It seems like that's what I have been doing for the past two weeks now and I was exhausted but didn't know how to stop.

“Okay, that’s it.”

The door burst open with a loud bang, and I jolted back in surprise. My eyes widened, taking in Charity who had just barged into my space.

“Now, tell me what’s going on.”