Jonathan’s POV
Gabriella and I got back to the harbor twenty minutes later. We rode the hour long drive to her house in silence. I parked in front of her house and we both got out the car. I kissed her good-bye before she went inside. I sped home, knowing that the Head Alpha has been waiting for over an hour. Even at the speed I was going, I got to the pack house another hour later.
I started walking to the front door, when the sweetest smell invaded my nose. ‘Mate’ Max, my wolf, growled. My mate? In the pack house? I slowly walked to the front door and opened it. The scent was even stronger. It was like vanilla and lavender. I looked around for the owner of the scent.
A girl walked out of the kitchen. She was stunning. She had shiny, blonde hair. A gray top with a belt. She wore black boots, black pants, and a black leather jacket. My eyes met hers, and I saw all of her emotions. Relief. Happiness. I just wanted to wrap her in my arms and never let her go.
But I couldn’t. I had Gabriella. She was set to be my Luna. I couldn’t just cancel her Luna ceremony. She was so excited to be Luna. I didn’t want to be the cause of her despair. I blocked out Max so he wouldn’t be able to protest. This girl isn’t good for us anyway. Her power is obvious. She probably has Alpha blood. I studied her for a moment. She looked confident. Too confident. We probably won’t even be able to rule the pack together. We would just be in each other’s way. I convinced myself that me and her wouldn’t work out.
As much as it pained me. I wiped my face of any emotion and walked up to her. I looked her in the eyes. “I, Alpha Jonathan White, reject you as my mate and Luna” she looked like she was about to fall to her knees. I just broke her. Not being able to watch, I walked up stairs and into my bed room.
‘What the fuck is your problem?!’ Max yelled at me when I unblocked him.
‘She’s not good for us. We already have Gabriella’ I told him.
‘You don’t even know her name! How do you know if she isn’t good for us?
‘She’s an Alpha. That brings complications. She would hurt Gabriella if I accepted her’ I explained my reasons. Max growled at me and stopped responding.
I sighed and mind-linked Daniel. ‘I’m back. Where’s Mr. Head Alpha?’ I asked.
‘Alpha Elliot is in a guest room. He was exhausted. Don’t bother him’ Daniel told me.
‘I just wanna get this over with’
‘Well if you were here earlier, this meeting would be done’ he snapped. And with that, he blocked me out his mind. I laid in bed, thinking about my mate. Her wavy blonde hair. Her beautiful light skin. Her hypnotizing blue eyes. I told myself that she was already messing up my life. She would be too much of a distraction with her bright smile and sweet scent.
After a while, I shook the thoughts out my head and headed over to Gabriella’s. She could distract me.
When I got to her house, Gabriella opened the door. “Hey. I wasn’t exp-” she was cut off when I crushed my lips on hers. I led her back into the house and closed the door with my foot. Gabriella didn’t question my actions as I took us into her bedroom. I took off her clothes and threw them on the floor. Then all thoughts of my mate drifted away.
*****1
I walked back into the pack house around two in the morning. My mate’s scent still filled the house. She’s still here. I followed her scent upstairs. I stopped where the scent was its strongest, outside one of the guestrooms. I turned the knob, but it was locked. Why would she lock it? I strained my hearing and heard her soft snores and steady heart beat. She’s sleeping? Why is she here anyway? She should’ve left when I rejected her.
‘What are you doing?’ Daniel hit my arm and asked through the mind-link.
‘Who’s the Alpha chick?’ I pointed at the door with my thumb.
‘She’s a guest’ He answered vaguely. ‘Stop being a creep and go to bed’
I’m not really creeping if she’s in my pack house. ‘What about the meeting?’ I questioned.
‘Do you wanna wake up a man who has had less than ten hours of sleep the past week?’ Daniel raised an eyebrow. I shrugged. The sooner, the better. ‘I rescheduled the meeting for tomorrow’ I nodded and trudged down the hall, to my room. I plopped on the bed and instantly fell asleep.
Daniel woke me up around seven. He said the the Head Alpha wanted to have the meeting. I got out of bed and put on dark-colored jeans and a black shirt. I walked downstairs to the dining table. Daniel was sitting at the table with a bald man and my mate. My mate was eating breakfast.
“I am sorry for keeping you waiting” I apologized to the Alpha. He nodded. “Let’s get started shall we?” I sat at the table. I looked at my mate, expecting her to leave. But she didn’t even look up at me. She was extremely focused on her cereal.
Daniel cleared his throat. “Alpha Elliot. You said that you have news from the Council?” he asked.
The Alpha nodded. “Due to recent events, the Council thought it was in everyo-”
I wasn’t listening to either of them. My mate was sitting across from me. Without meaning to, she was distracting me from an important meeting. “I’m sorry” I interrupted the Head Alpha and turned to my mate. “This is a meeting. You have no business here”
Daniel stared at me wide-eyed. My mate looked up at me and gave me a look filled with disgust and hatred. Alpha Elliot growled. “That is my niece you are talking to” he warned. “She could be here”
I’m making my second impression very bad. I swore under my breath. “I’m Alpha Jonathan White” I introduced myself. My mate ignored me. But I knew I deserved it. I sighed and continued with the meeting. “My apologies. Please continue” I said in a professional manner.
“The Council thought that it was in everyone’s best interest that we create a rule involving mates and Alphas” he started. “After recent events, involving the Forest Wanderer and Hollow Moon pack, the Council passed a new law. Only an Alpha and his true mate can lead a pack”
But Gabriella has already been chosen for Luna. “What if it was decided before the law was passed?” I asked.
“Do you have a Luna?” Elliot asked. I shook my head. “Then you must cancel the ceremony”
“What if I never find my mate?” I inquired. I could just convince people that I never seen my mate, then I won’t have to have her as a Luna. Gabriella could be Luna. There would be no ruling problems. Everyone would be happy.
Elliot sighed and gave me an apologetic look. “Then you cannot lead the pack” I glanced at my mate, who’s name I still don’t know. I felt disgusted with myself. I was making up excuses not to be with her. I was convincing myself of all this shit for nothing. I didn’t want to hurt Gabriella; but I hurt my mate- someone who I should be protecting.
“Is that all?” Daniel asked. Elliot nodded and told us that he would leave soon. “I have to check up on my mate. Have a nice trip” Daniel said while shaking hands with the Alpha. He turned to my mate and kissed her cheek. I fought back a growl. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Annabelle”
Annabelle. Beautiful name. Elliot walked out with Daniel, leaving my mate and I alone. “Annabelle” I started. “I apolo-”
“Don’t!” she shouted. We’re lucky that Daniel and Elliot left, or else they could hear us. “You just want me, so you can keep your precious title” she hissed at me.
“That’s not true!” I argued. She waited for me to continue, but I didn’t know what to say. I just didn’t want to complicate things? She’s has Alpha blood. We would just clash all the time; and we will end up destroying each other. I couldn’t explain my mindset because I barely even understood it.
“Unbelievable” she mumbled.
I opened my mouth to argue, but an unfamiliar male voice filled the house. “Babe! I’m back!” A male, about our age, came into the kitchen. He wasn’t from my pack. He looked from me to Annabelle.
“Babe? Anna?” He asked. Babe?! He just called my mate Babe!
My mate smiled at him. “Hi Thomas” she greeted him. They stared at each other, probably talking through the mind-link. I narrowed my eyes at the guy. I could probably take him. I’m taller, and most likely stronger. But he’s a Beta.
“Him?” Thomas growled and pointed at me. Without hesitation, he walked up to me and punched me in the face.