~ A mate

**Rowan's POV**

“Is this even necessary?” I growled, looking at the invitation card in my hands with the Whitecrest Pack seal. “Since when do I go to such events?”

“We need to mingle with other packs if we want to make alliances with them,” Flynn said, looking at me seriously. “This is important, Alpha. We can’t miss this opportunity.”

A scoff escaped my lips. “What opportunity are we going to miss? What does the Crescent Moon Pack lack?”

Flynn sighed heavily like he had the weight of the whole world on his shoulders. He was my beta and had been for the past five years since I took over from my retired father.

I think he was finally starting to get tired of me. Soon, he might leave just like everyone else.

“We may be the richest and strongest pack, but we will soon weaken if our Alpha has no Luna. Most of our pack members haven’t been able to find their mates because we’ve closed ourselves off. We don’t interact with other packs, and we can’t have people who just have chosen mates. We need fated mates too. It’s the goddess’ wish.”

I arched an eyebrow. “So, you want me to go to this shitty event to play around just to look for a mate? Dude, I’m twenty-seven. If I had a mate, I would have met her by now.”

“Oh really?” Flynn asked. “She would have dropped from the sky?”

A growl escaped my lips. “Don’t speak to me that fucking way.”

“Sorry, Alpha,” Flynn said, straightening his back, but I knew he wasn’t afraid. He was the only person who could tell me off, and my wolf would tolerate him. “We all just want you to find your fated mate. And most of our pack members are looking forward to meeting theirs too.”

I fell silent for a few seconds before saying, “A mate? I’m not interested in such a useless thing.”

Flynn inhaled sharply, and I was sure he would give up on me now.

“Alpha, please… this is your father’s wish. He knew you got an invitation and accepted it on your behalf. Who knows? You might find our Luna,” Flynn remarked. When he saw that I was still not interested, he added. “He also said if you don’t find your mate, then he will arrange for you to marry Brooke–”

“The fuck?” I growled, and Flynn smirked at finally getting my attention. “Why the fuck would I marry Brooke?”

“Oh, you know why… she was the late beta’s daughter and since she’s an orphan and your father promised to take care of her, making her your Luna would be the best course of action.”

“He should marry her then,” I spat, furrowing my eyebrows.

Brooke? Is he kidding me?

That she-wolf was irritating and fake as fuck. Why would Dad want to make her my Luna?

“He’s serious this time around… he might use something that you’ve always wanted. And you will end up giving in… and choosing Brooke as your mate.”

I wrinkled my nose in disgust.

“Oh hell no.”

“Oh hell yeah… if you don’t want that ending, you've got to go to this event. At least you can say you’re searching.”

I frowned deeply.

He was right.

I needed to placate my old man somehow. But I knew I wouldn’t find my fated mate. That’s because I had already found her, and she’s dead.

The day I found her is the day I lost her. I’ve never told anyone… she was a rogue, and was already dying at that time.

I didn’t see the need to tell anyone my Luna had died.

There’s no way I would find a second chance mate. That kind of miracle never happens in our world.

You only get one soulmate for life.

“Fine… when is this event again?” I asked, and Flynn grinned from ear to ear.

“Why are you so excited? You already have a mate,” I murmured.

“I’m happy you’re finally willing to try,” he said. “It’s in a few days. I’ll get a few of the pack members ready.”

I sighed when he walked out of my office, excited like a little kid.

Well, it won’t hurt to get some air in another pack. Perhaps that fool, Silas, won’t annoy me this time.

…

That was what I thought, but the moment I laid my eyes on Silas Fenwick, the Alpha of the Whitecrest pack and my former best friend, a murderous growl reverberated in my chest.

He approached me with a blonde female clinging to his arm like she was trying to mould herself into him.

“You’re late,” he said.

“Yeah… the rules don’t apply to me,” I replied cockily, looking around the area.

The place was empty, and I could hear some thudding sounds in the distance, signalling that the forest ahead was occupied.

“So, what do I have to do?” I asked.

“Well, for this game, the one who captures the biggest animal wins, and they will get an anonymous prize,” Silas said. “More like the prize will be decided after the games are over.”

I arched an eyebrow. “What happened to granting a wish?”

He sneered, and the female beside him laughed. “Well, someone was becoming too delusional, so we changed the rules–”

“I wasn’t talking to you,” I cut her off icily, and she flinched, her heart racing.

“Come on, Alpha Rowan. Don’t scare my lady… she’s already scared of you thanks to your reputation.”

“Ah… you mean the rumour that I fuck women to their deaths?” I scoffed, glancing at the blonde woman. For some reason, she annoyed the fuck out of me. “You have no reason to worry. You wouldn’t even get a chance.”

I saw something flash through her eyes before she smiled at me. “Alpha Rowan, since this is your first time coming to such an event, I would like to recommend the areas that have the biggest animals. If you go towards the east side, you’re sure to find something big there.”

~ A trap

**Raina's POV**

The sound of mocking laughter reached my ears, and my heart lurched.

“Oh goddess… did you come here to entertain us with your jokes?” Someone asked, sneering.

“You will win?” Jake snickered, glancing at Silas. “Alpha, I think someone is in the wrong place. Should I ask someone to take her back to the packhouse?”

“Will they be able to carry that load?” Silas asked, and the rest of the crowd burst into fits of laughter.

I took a step back and placed a hand over my stomach instinctively before tucking it in. I always did this to make my stomach look flat, but it didn’t help.

“Silas, it’s fine. If she wants to participate, we can’t stop her,” Gwen said, and I raised my eyes to look at her. What was she playing at?

This was the first time she was speaking up for me in public. She’d been acting strange today, and I couldn’t help but question her motives.

“She will get in everyone’s way,” Silas said, glancing at me and giving me a warning look.

I trembled, knowing what that look meant. I was going to get punished later for defying his orders. He told me to stay hidden, but here I was, embarrassing him and the entire pack.

But I couldn’t stay hidden today… not when there was a chance I could win my freedom.

There’s no way Silas would let me go. He didn’t love me, but he didn’t want to let me go either and always made sure he reminded me that I had nowhere to go.

But I was done and ready to live as a lone wolf. I was more human than wolf anyway… I could find a decent job among the humans and spend the rest of my days there.

At least there were people like me among the humans.

“No, Silas… that’s not very nice,” Gwen said. “She’s also part of our pack and deserves a chance to participate. I bet there’s something she wants to ask you when she wins.”

“Maybe she wants to be your Luna,” Jake chipped in, and everyone burst into laughter.

“This fatty is not Luna material. Luna material is someone like Gwen. She’s beautiful, smart and has one of the fastest wolves in the pack,” someone in the crowd said, and I won’t lie, their words stung.

I was once again reminded that I could never fit in.

“Jake, don’t make jokes like that again,” Silas uttered, his voice laced with anger. “Anyway, today’s prize is not a wish. I will decide what the prize is when I see the winner.”

Anger washed over me in violent waves.

“That’s not fair… how could you change rules at the last minute?” I asked, unable to hold myself back.

Silas glared at me. “Because this is my pack, and I decide what happens on my land. Jake, make the announcement.”

I coiled my hands into fists, feeling like someone had punched me in the gut.

He was doing this on purpose- leaving the prize open so that I couldn’t demand a wish in case I won.

He didn’t believe I could win, but he didn’t want to risk it either. What a calculating and cruel man.

I wanted to give up and return to the packhouse, but Silas forced me to head into the forest. He said I had already shown up, so he didn’t allow me to back out until I participated in the games.

There were a few who seemed to feel sorry for me. They led me towards the area where some big animals are found, and we split up because this was a competition… they had already gone out of their way to help me.

As I made my way through the dense forest, I heard a twig snap, and I turned, sliding an arrow from the quiver on my back and raising my bow into position, ready to strike.

When I was at the werewolf academy, I loved archery. No one knew this, but I was quite good, and if I didn’t suddenly start having more flesh on my body, I would have continued with my archery and maybe become a professional archer in the human world. The bullying made me drop out of so many school activities.

The sound of rustling leaves reached my ears from the left, and I turned swiftly, aiming my bow and arrow in that direction.

Still… there was nothing.

I frowned.

That’s odd… normally, I should be able to spot even something as small as a rabbit.

But so far, I hadn't seen any animals in this place.

I heard some more intense rustling, and it seemed like it was getting closer. Since I couldn’t see anything, my heart jumped into my throat, and I stumbled back, only for me to feel iron jaws clamp around my foot.

“Ah!!!” A scream tore through my throat as excruciating pain shot through me.

I dropped on my ass, my leg trembling at the intensity of the pain jarring through me. It hurt so much that it knocked the air out of my lungs for a few seconds.

My eyes blurred with tears, the pain threatening to consume me.

I didn’t like pain.

My whole body felt like it was on fire, and I felt like I was going to die.

Who the hell put an animal trap in the hunting grounds when there was a hunting game event?

I tried to remove the leg-hold trap, but its jaws were locked into my skin, embedded into my bone. If I forced my leg out, I would lose my foot.

My heart clenched in pain. Who could I even ask for help? No one would come for me. I could feel my wolf whimpering, feeling guilty about our weak state. If I was a normal werewolf, rescuing myself from this trap would have been easy.

I sat for a while, watching my leg bleed out. The pain was so intense that I ended up sweating heavily, and my loose clothes now stuck to my body like a second skin.

All hope was lost, or so I thought, until an intoxicating scent filled the air. It was a mix of woody and something sweet… if I were to be specific, something like cedarwood with hints of dark chocolate.

My wolf stirred within me, and I could feel her excitement, which made me frown because why would she be excited in this situation? I was about to lose a leg for fucksakes. If I lose a leg, so does she, and we would never be able to run in the woods again.

Suddenly, the delicious scent intensified, and I couldn’t help salivating. Footsteps followed, and I looked up, my breath catching in my throat at the man staring down at me with a hungry look in his eyes.

It's shameless of me since I was in pain, and this was the first time I was seeing this man, but I couldn't help but notice how devilishly handsome he was- dark caramel brown, medium, neatly styled hair... a neat, trimmed beard with a sharp enough jaw to cut through glass...

He definitely wasn't from this pack.

“Oh my…” the man said, his deep, sexy voice reaching my ears. I felt my core clench at how smooth he sounded. “I came here to hunt the biggest prey, little did I know I would find something even better.”

My heart raced as my wolf pranced around in my mind.

‘Mate!’ I growled in my mind, and my eyes widened when it dawned on me.

This man was my fated mate! I could feel the undeniable magnetic pull between us… the way his voice alone was enough to make my knees weak… the way I wanted to bare my neck to him and let him mark me, claim me as his… he was definitely my mate.

I could feel butterflies in my stomach, but I suddenly lowered my eyes, my heart clenching in excruciating pain.

How could I get excited about meeting my mate when I know what would come next is a brutal rejection?

I sighed, not bothering to look at him. “Go on. Do your worst.”

“What are you–”

“Alpha! Alpha Rowan! Why did you run off? You found something?” Someone’s voice came as they approached.

The man I now knew as Alpha Rowan approached me. He crouched to my eye-level before grabbing my chin.

Immediately, I felt sparks and tingles coursing through me, making me shiver, and a gasp escaped my lips.

What was this feeling? It was new… but I didn’t hate it.

Alpha Rowan smirked, tilting my head up, his touch sending delicious shivers down my spine.

“Yeah...” He said, more to himself than to the person who was approaching.

His eyes glowed a deep red.

“I did find something… something big and round,” he murmured, his eyes raking up and down my body. “Just the way I love my prey… with some extra meat on its bones.”

~ Prey

**Raina's POV**

To say I was shocked would be an understatement.

What the hell was going on?

Who was this Alpha Rowan, and why was he looking at me like I was the most delicious dessert in the world? Like I was a prey and he was a predator who’d been hunting me down the whole day and finally caught me?

I closed my eyes, waiting for the rejection I was expecting because none of this was making sense.

Was he trying to mock me before rejecting me in front of the entire pack?

No…

I would rather he rejects me right here… then I could keep it to myself, and no one would ever know I was mated to an Alpha and he rejected me.

I couldn’t take any more humiliation. Especially from my fated mate. The person who was approaching suddenly retreated, and I breathed out in relief… at least there would be no witness to my rejection.

“Please be quick… there’s no need to drag this out,” I managed to say, not daring to open my eyes.

I was scared that if I looked at him again, I would want to be his mate. But I couldn’t get myself hurt by an Alpha again…

“Let’s get this over and done with…” I added, my heart slamming hard against my ribcage.

Silence fell between us, but I could feel Alpha Rowan’s presence… he was so close, his scent kept wafting into my nostrils, making me feel things I’ve never felt before.

Was this the power of a mate bond?

I heard it was instant love… once you meet your fated mate, it would feel like you’ve known each other for ages. Like you were meant to be and finally found each other…

I was afraid that if I looked into this man’s onyx eyes again, I would want him to embrace me and claim me.

Silence continued to stretch between us, and it put me on edge.

One second…

Two seconds…

Why the hell wasn’t he rejecting me yet?

I suddenly felt the pressure on my leg subside before a curse left Alpha Rowan’s lips.

“Fuck, who did this to you?”

My eyes fluttered open, and I glanced at Alpha Rowan in disbelief as he held my bleeding leg, examining it with a frown on his handsome face.

His touch on my skin had a certain calming effect that I couldn’t explain. For a moment, I felt like the pain I had felt earlier was nothing but an illusion.

“You’re not rejecting me?” I asked, bemused.

Alpha Rowan glanced at me, arching an eyebrow. “Why would I? Do you want me to reject you?”

I lowered my head. “Well… because I’m… you know… ugly and fa–”

A low guttural growl reverberated from his chest, and I had to clamp my thighs shut as my core clenched repeatedly with need.

“I don’t see anyone ugly here… I only see my gorgeous, beautiful mate. I don’t know who lied to you, but they are blind,” he said, looking into my eyes. “Actually, I’m glad they are blind… that way, I get to keep you to myself.”

My heart skipped a beat.

Was this a dream?

It had to be… because where did this man who claimed I was beautiful come from?

No one had ever found me attractive… even if Silas made use of my body to satisfy his own needs, he only did it because men stick their dicks in anything, not that he was attracted to me. He always looked at me with so much disgust, I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror anymore.

“I don’t know if this is a prank, but please, don’t play with me, I already get enough of that in this pack,” I said, looking away.

My stomach was churning, and my wolf was getting angry with me because I was pushing our mate away. But I didn’t want to make a fool of myself… there’s no way this handsome man would want me as his mate.

“I’m not rejecting you… I would be a fool to do so,” Alpha Rowan said, frowning deeply as he glanced at my still bleeding leg.

He must have noticed that there was something wrong with me. As a werewolf, my leg should have healed by now, but it just kept bleeding and throbbing in pain.

That’s it… He’s going to reject me now that he knows I don’t function like a normal werewolf.

“I guess I’ll have to prove it to you, right, dear mate?” Alpha Rowan remarked in his deep velvety voice. “Let’s start by doing something about this wound of yours, which doesn’t look like it will heal anytime soon.”

Before I could tell what was happening, Alpha Rowan raised my leg, leaning forward. When I felt the first stroke of his tongue on my skin, I trembled, arching my back as waves of tingles coursed through me.