The Scent of a Mate

Jayson's POV.

The Scent of a Mate

I couldn't believe Raymond's persistence. My Beta, my best friend, was driving me crazy with his constant worry about his mate, Alex. They were inseparable, those two, but today was different. It was Alex's first day of school, and for the first time since they found each other, they were apart. And this dude just can't let me breathe.

"Where could he be, he is not even answering his phone, he said he would be ending class by 2 pm. See, it's almost 2:30, are you sure he is okay?" Raymond asked in a panicking state.

"He should be on his way back from school. Come on, stop acting like a child. It's not even that late, It's not like he will just appear here immediately after class, you know how the traffic is these days." I chided Raymond, who was visibly restless. I was growing tired of his behaviour, and I needed a break. Pushing my chair back, I got up, causing it to thud against the wall with a resounding noise that surely reverberated throughout the entire pack. Well, I don't care, I just needed to free myself from Ray's whimpering like a lost puppy. Here he is crying that his mate is not back from school yet, he never cares to ask how I feel knowing that I am yet to meet my mate

As I headed towards the door, leaving Raymond to continue his puppy-like whining for his mate, the door swung open, and in walked Alex, his school bag slung over his shoulder. Raymond's face instantly lit up with a smile, and he exhaled in relief. Without hesitation, he rushed to Alex, embraced him tightly, and planted a passionate kiss on his lips.

"What took you so long?" Raymond asked, his voice laced with concern.

"Did I really take that long? Maybe it's the traffic; I left school immediately after class," Alex responded with a reassuring smile. He made that feminine gesture that gets my best friend horny almost every time he sees him.

Raymond and Alex began making out right there in front of me, and I couldn't help but find it a little gross. I mean, sure, they were mates, by mate I mean soulmates, the moon goddess gets every werewolf a perfect match, bound by soul, and werewolves often find their mates at the tender age of 16, just as Alex and Raymond had. But for me, Jayson, who is already 23, I am yet to find my mate. I wondered when I would ever meet her and finally bid farewell to the meaningless one-night stands that had filled my life.

I spiralled into a sombre mood, plagued by thoughts of why I hadn't seen my mate yet. Had the Moon Goddess forgotten about me? Or maybe something terrible had happened to her. Was she even alive? Would I have to live my entire life without experiencing the perfect completeness that comes with finding a soulmate? I always crave that feeling, but it seemed that feeling was far from me.

Lost in my thoughts, I suddenly couldn't stand the sight of Alex and Raymond continuing their passionate display of affection in front of me. "Hey, will you two get a room? Stop suffocating me with all this lovey-dovey stuff," I grumbled, trying to mask my jealousy.

They chuckled and separated, but I couldn't shake off the strange feeling that had enveloped me. I turned my attention to Alex, dragged him to a seat and began asking him about school, pretending like I wanted to know when in a real sense I only wanted to separate them. But as I spoke to him, I discovered a scent, an unusual one that filled the air. It smelled like paradise, like home; it was the smell of love. My senses as a werewolf heightened instantly. I could feel my wolf stirring within me, struggling to break free.

It was then that I realized the source of the scent—it was coming from Alex's bag. My instincts took over, and I grabbed the bag, emptying its contents onto the ground. Among the items, I found a pen, and it was the pen that emitted that enticing aroma, It was then that I realised that the scent could only be the scent of my mate.

I turned to Alex, my alpha instincts surging through me. I gripped him by the neck and slammed him against the wall, holding the pen up to his face. "What is my mate's scent doing on this pen?" I growled, my eyes locked onto him, the pressure on his throat intensifying. He was no longer Alex to me at that moment, he was merely someone standing before me and my mate. I pressed him so hard, if he wasn't a werewolf, he should have gotten a raptured Oesophagus.

Raymond, ever protective of his mate, pushed me away and positioned himself between Alex and me. "Wo, wo, wo... What's gotten into you, Jay? Why are you choking my mate?" His words were laced with concern and authority.

Being an alpha meant I was the strongest in our pack, but my strength was rivalled only by my Beta, Raymond. And now, with Alex being his mate, he was equally protective. But being the alpha also meant I was even more protective of my pack members, and the idea that someone might have a connection to my mate was driving me mad.

Alex gasped for air, his face reddening as he spoke, "I honestly don't know what you're talking about. But if this pen smells like your mate, then I know who she is. But..." He said he hesitated before speaking, I gave him a look of "Yes?" and he continued. "She's human, and yes, she's in my class. I gave her the pen to use when her own ran out of ink. If you want, I can arrange for you to meet her."

The revelation hit me like a lightning bolt. My mate was a human, and she had been right under my nose all along. This was a twist I hadn't expected, and as my thoughts raced, I couldn't help but wonder if fate was finally leading me to the one I'd been searching for all these years. I walked to Alex with intensity, Ray mistook it for another attack, he tried to block me, but I made him know that it was not what he was thinking. "Please, I'd like to meet with her".