**Calder's POV**
I’m stood in a crowd of people my mother is making her speech talking about welcoming the pack it’s my turn next, I asked Artemis how her sister was doing she linked her to see where she was but apparently, she is making the most of this whole shindig and trying to find her mate. At least someone is enthusiastic, I guess.
I stand up the podium and begin to make speak , I’m a man of few words so I like to keep it short but as I’m coming towards the end I see a girl in the back ground she’s wearing and emerald green off the shoulder dress she looks stunning .For a second I forget what where I am and carry on speaking my eyes still focused on her she’s not really paying any attention to me and its kind off pissing me off I want her to look at me , this random stranger who I don't know is getting under my skin internally Vidar is going nuts who is she ? .
I quickly finish my speech and I am about to walk to the back of the crowd to find her when Sigi stops me.
"Calder. Are you okay the end of that speech was a little intense your eyes went black? Are you okay? "
He is looking a little worse for wear.
"Sigi I’m okay just got a little annoyed thinking about the rogues " I stare at him hoping he won’t sense that lie, I opt to move away from me and ask him how conversation is going.
"Sigi enough about me, how did it go with Cynthia?" I can see from the face I pulls that it didn't go as well as he had hoped.
"Honestly, Calder it was horrible, Thir and I know she is my mate but well she. " He takes a short breath and runs his hands through his hair before continuing "She has a mate, or rather she had one he died so she doesn't think I’m her mate, I know I am though I just have to convince her”.
"Sigi, second chance mates are really rare are you sure about this? " I already know the answer to this as I’ve known him my whole life and I know from the current look on his face that he is sure.
"I’m sure Calder in fact I’ve never been surer or anything in my entire life, when we touched, I know she felt it but it’s like something blocked her from feeling it fully. I just have to spend the rest of the night trying to convince her”.
"Sigi, are you sure the other thing you wanted to do following them on their sisters run is going to be a good idea it doesn't exactly invoke trust " I’m hoping he says he no longer goes with that plan because following them on their sisters 21st birthday run is not ideal.
"I’m not going to do that Calder, but I am going to offer to be their guide while they run instead, I want to make sure she’s okay”.
With his final words I simply nod, and we follow the now moving crowds into the dining room, as we are walking, I’m hit with the scent of the Strawberries and Cinnamon only faintly with this Vidar seems to perk up with this, I scan the room hoping to see her but everyone is wearing masks so I can’t see anyone’s eyes fuck Freya and all her stupid ideas!
"Calder, we have to find her”.
"Why are you so hell bend on this she wolfs Vidar?" I’m getting kind of pissed what is he not telling me.
I feel him get super angry and then he utters the words I’ve always wanted but it couldn’t be at a worse time.
"Mate "
Then he closes the link.
Without realizing I’ve made it to my seat my mother willing me to sit down. I sit and as I do I spot the girl in the green dress she’s with Robbie and Jackson and another girl in pink who I assume is her friend they all seem to be laughing together and Jackson is super close to her I let out a small growl and I see Alpha Eric and Sigurd look at me, I cough and shake it off.
The evening gets started there lots of casual conversation going on I make small talk with Alpha Eric, I know he’s keen to talk about the rogues, but this isn’t the time. There are several beautiful looking females, a lot of whom have been spending most of the night trying desperately to get my attention.
I however cannot focus on any of them my eyes are still so heavily focused on the girl in the green dress I’m watching her so intently I almost feel a little creepy. But then I see someone sit down next to her and he pulls her chair towards him before she can even realise what’s going on. It looks as though some heated words are exchanged and just as quickly, she is pulled one way she is pulled back towards Jackson.
Jackson looks mad he says something to the other guy who is radiating anger and the girl in the green speaks and then Jackson proceeds to nuzzle into her neck without realizing I’ve bent the fork in my hand I place it down take a deep breath and as I look back over to her, I see her heading towards the door.
I don’t know what comes over me, but I quickly excuse myself and get up to follow her.
I’m stood just outside the double doors, there are a few people standing around and chatting, a few who seems to have found their mates and are hoping to slip off but the girl in the green is nowhere to be found. Out of instinct I sniff the air hoping to catch her scent, but I don’t even know what she smells like then it hits me again that intoxicating strawberry and cinnamon smell, I follow it until I’m back outside. Then I see her, the girl in the green dress walking towards the gardens.
Realization hits.
The scent is hers, but she has a mate and Vidar said she was ours. I don’t want to scare her, so I continue to follow keeping my distance. She’s walking around the white rose bushes my grandmother planted she places her small delicate hand on each one as she passes through.
I don’t even know this woman, but I’m intoxicated with every move she makes I just want to be near her to protect her. She carries on walking taking in the garden as she moves the moonlight hits her hair and just like in her wolf form the curls that sit at the back are shimmering in emerald green.
Vidar has been whining nonstop since we have seen her and connected the dots, I need to get him to shut up, so I hide behind one of the taller bushes to talk to him without her seeing.
"MATE. GO TO MATE “I can’t Vidar she has a mate!
"Vidar we can’t she has a mate we saw her with Jackson, in fact we don’t even know her. We have only seen her from far away or the back of her "
" But she is our mate Calder we love her " He whimpers as he’s talking.
"Vidar! enough we don’t know her!" I cut him off he not thinking straight and in turn I’m now not thinking straight.
As I come out from where I’m stood, I look around hoping to see her she’s taken a seat on one of the garden benches her back away from me, I sit and watch her for a while and then I see the wolf that was bothering her at the table come out from the shadows, they clearly know each other.
I observe them as he sits on the other side of the bench, the conversation between them seems more polite than before she doesn’t seem to be angry at him. I continue watching her body language suggests whatever he is saying to her now is making her uncomfortable.
Within seconds the scene has taken for the worst he’s now kissing her why she is trying to pull away, she stands up, but he has grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to him, I hear her let out a small moan of pain and he’s nuzzling her like he’s about to mark her while she tries to fight him off.
And that’s when I lose it, a growl escapes my chest and without even thinking I run over there ripping the guy from her and throwing him across the garden, placing myself between the two of them I growl at him and say only one word.
"MINE"
He looks visibly panicked and he runs off in the direction of the forest. I suddenly realise the girl is stood behind me, I turn to her.
Her mask is now off, Its Artemis and Cynthia's sister Selene.
I look at her confused, when I picked her up when she was sick, she had no scent and I felt nothing, but it was her all along. I want nothing more than to grab hold of her, to protect her and tell her everything will be okay.
Her Emerald green eyes are fixated on me so I take a step towards her, she doesn’t move but I her breathing is heavy I can see her chest rising and falling rapidly in the tightness of her dress.
I pull her close to me taking in the way she smells and feels feeling the calmness of her helping me alleviate my rage I can only manage to muster one word to her as I hold her.
"Mate "