Chapter 10 To Reject My Mate
Calhoun's POV
"I caught her trying to sneak out," I tell Natalie, something which isn't a lie.
"Why'd you even want to do that?" Her face transforms into confusion as she leaves the stairs and meets with us.
"It's just…I don't feel welcomed here." Kristen thins her lips and fiddles with her small, delicate hands. Hands that she had run through my bare back under the rain last night.
"But I thought we've gotten past this already," Natalie tucks her daughter's hair behind her ear and touches her cheek, "My poor baby is now a woman. I can recall when you always teared up when I left you in someone's care. Now you're all grown up, cannot wait to get away from me."
"It's not like that, Mother," Kristen ensures she's avoiding my gaze as she tries to defend herself.
"You have three weeks until you're returning to school for your final semester. I want you to stay, so you can bond with Calhoun and me." Natalie clasp Kristen's hands in hers.
And I just clench my jaw.
If only she knows how I cannot control myself around her daughter because we are mates. How we've fcked twice, first on the evening of my bachelor's night and the second was our wedding night when I turned her down and went for her daughter instead.
It's not like I'm remorseless, I mean it has always been Natalie until I met Kristen two nights ago and I've turned into this cheating, insensitive bastard who cannot look her right in the eyes and feel like I used to, because my wolf is against me being with anyone else but Kristen.
Even right here and now, my head is filled up with Kristen. The salty taste of her lips, the feel of bountiful milky white tits, the warmth, and tightness from her cnt. Her soft moans that sound muffled when she's trying to suppress them because she's afraid of moaning out loud.
Do I love her? No. I am just so blinded by lust and too greedy to let her slip off my fingers because she's mine.
Both mother and daughter are still talking, and I can't see the way Kristen's eyes are getting red from tears because she's trying to suppress the guilt of betraying Natalie.
She's a good girl. And the hidden games we've played twice are dangerous. It could lead to enmity between mother and daughter, which is why I have to fix things or it'll be out of control and explode into a disaster.
"You're a member of the Greyhound pack now because I am Luna. Calhoun is a nice man, he'll protect you and be a father figure to you." I hear Natalie reassure Kristen, cupping her face in her hands.
Father figure? That's just unsettling. I'll never see Kristen as my stepdaughter even if I reject her in the council hall and we spend the rest of our lives avoiding each other.
"Just promise me you won't run away again," Natalie says softly.
"I promise, Mother," Kristen reluctantly replies and then she shifts her gaze to mine.
God, she's young. Even looks younger than her age. Her green eyes are so captivating and mesmerizing. And it helps that she doesn't look like Natalie.
"Now let's get you to your room, I'll have the cooks prepare your favorite," Natalie winks at me and then leads Kristen to the stairs.
Whilst ascending the stairs with her mother, Kristen casts a shoulder glance in my direction.
I can't tell what it means but I do feel like shit right now, for putting her in this position.
"You have to reject her," Bruce just goes straight to the point without beating around the bush. He was there when Kristen was trying to sneak out and I dismissed everyone just so I could speak with her. Something which he tagged as, 'dangerous.'
"It's not so easy, I've never had a mate before," I've never been so deeply affected by his bluntness until now. And it's because I know he's right but I just hate to admit it.
"Things would've been less complicated if you two hadn't slept with each other." He pins on this with a big frown on his face.
"You're not wrong," putting my hand over my face, I sigh heavily, "having my mate show up a day to my wedding was a sign that I shouldn't have gone ahead with the wedding even if I love Natalie."
"How could you even say that, Alpha Calhoun?" Bruce cannot hide the shock and disappointment on his face.
"You've been with this woman for eight months and now you want to throw that away because of her daughter?" He's close to yelling right now and it's frustrating.
"Sometimes things don't always go as planned."
"Aside from the fact that you've banged Kristen, do you have any feelings for her?"
"I don't know, she's my mate and that just complicates things. Hell, I couldn't even touch Natalie last night," pushing my fingers through my hair, I heave deeply.
"Then you have to reject her and break the mate bond ASAP, because once there's confusion, it's an impending disaster. Natalie is your Luna now, you don't want her to find out you've fcked her daughter."
If only he knows that we did fcked last night too.
"You're just confused and you need to man the fck up, do what is right to save your marriage from crumbling. That's the advice I can give to you as your Beta and best friend."
My response is a firm nod.
"The pack run is supposed to be today but would you like to shift it because of your wedding yesterday?" Bruce inquires.
"No, it shouldn't be canceled," I shake my head in disapproval, "people have been anticipating it, mostly Natalie."
"Fine," Bruce rises to his feet, "if there's anything else, let me know."
"Nothing, just go about with your duty at the company," I tell him.
Bruce gives me a firm nod in return, leaving me alone with my thoughts once more.
Natalie and Kristen are having breakfast with a few of my men at the dining hall. I told them I would not be joining them as I ought to be busy this morning. The pack run is to take place by 4 pm today in the courtyard, so I have until 3:59 PM to decide if I'm rejecting Kristen or not, because if our mate bond exceeds tonight, then things will be messed up not just for me, but my two women. One my wife, the other my mate.
Bruce is right, I've known Natalie for eight months and Kristen is just two days. I was completely tied to Natalie before I met Kristen at the club. Now, I need to do the right thing even though I am more connected to my mate than my wife.
There's a sudden soft knock on my door and I don't need anyone to tell me it's Kristen, because I can feel her.
"Come in," I permit the door to be open.
Kristen quietly walks in and shuts the door behind her.
"I know why you're here," these words leave my mouth before she can even speak.
And she snaps her head to meet my gaze.
"Meet me at the council hall after the pack run, I'll reject you in front of the elders and a few of my men."
Something like disappointment flashes through her eyes and disappears as fast as it arrived. I can't tell. I don't know if I imagined it.
"Can we not do it alone?" Kristen rubs the side of her arm as she drops this question.
Quickly, I look away from her because I'm afraid I'll take back my words if our eyes still meet. My body doesn't want this but in my head, nothing could've been more right.
"Alpha Calhoun, I asked if you cannot reject me secretly. I don't want people to find out," Kristen rasps out, making my body tremble with the need to claim her.
This has to stop before it gets too late.
Upon having a grip on myself, I turn my rotating chair to face her.
"Custom demands that people have to be there to witness a rejection. I'll let these people know before the pack run. We can do it without your mother's knowledge."