Derek’s POV
As I walked into the pack house, I was greeted with cheers and applause. Everyone rushed to meet me. I had been away from home for too long, four years, to be exact. On my eighteenth birthday, I discovered that my mate wasn't in Moonstone pack. I didn't see it as a big deal though, because I knew I could always pick a mate, but my father had insisted that I find my fated mate before I could ascend the Alpha throne.
So I traveled around from one pack to the other for four years in search of my mate, but she was nowhere to be found. So I had to come back home.
My father pulled me into a bear hug. Beta Viktor, my childhood friend and mate at training, extended his arm for a handshake. “Welcome, Alpha; it's an honour to have you back,” he said solemnly.
I smiled. The pack had prepared a huge feast in my honour. The smell of the feast wafted throughout the pack house, but an even more potent smell distracted me. The scent of sandalwood was driving me crazy. What was that? It was the most fragrant scent that I have ever perceived in my entire life, and it was getting fainter and fainter as if the source was moving away from me.
My wolf recognised what it meant. My mate, whom I had spent four years travelling around in search of, was in my pack, and she was not here in the pack house celebrating like the rest of the pack. She was moving in the opposite direction.
“Who's missing?” I asked Viktor.
“No one,” said Viktor, looking confused.
“That's impossible!” I said sternly, using my Alpha voice.
“Alpha, please let's talk about this privately,” said Viktor in a low voice.
I rolled my eyes but obliged him, and we both headed out of the packhouse. "Okay, I believe this is private enough. Now tell me who's missing.” I asked him immediately.
“Well,” spluttered Viktor, “the only person missing is Tiana.”
“Who's Tiana?” I asked, looking confused.
“She's my little sister,” replied Viktor.
“Then why isn't she here? Is she feeling too big to welcome her Alpha, who has been away for four years?” I asked, my voice deadly.
”Well, Alpha, the thing is my sister is wolf-less, so I had to throw her out of the pack house.” He replied, looking at the floor like he was embarrassed.
I was shocked by his reply. Wolf-less. My heart plummeted. My mate could not be wolf-less. I was an Alpha. How could I be fated to someone who is wolf-less? How can someone who doesn't have a wolf be my mate and Luna of the pack?
“Are you sure?” I asked, slowly turning to face him and looking deep into his eyes.
“Yeah, Tiana is nineteen years old. She should have phased on her birthday last year but she didn't,” Viktor explained.
I was of two minds now. If she really was my mate, my heart broke for her, but at the same time, my pride was devastated. I could not accept such a mate; it doesn't matter how long I have waited for her.
I come from a long line of extremely powerful Alphas, who were all mated to very impressive and powerful she-wolves, so taking a wolf-less she-wolf as my mate wasn't an option.
“You can go now,” I replied before signaling one of the guards outside to come.
The guard ran towards me and the bow in respect. I waited until Viktor went into the pack house before turning to the guard standing beside me. “Take me to the house of the former Beta,” I said to him.
The sandalwood scent became stable and stronger as we got closer to a huge nice house. When we got there I asked the guard to call Tiana out.
“Tiana!” yelled the guard. But there was no response.
“Tiana! Come out, the Alpha wants to see you.” The guard knocked before calling out again, and this time we could hear the soft sound of footsteps approaching. When I heard the sound of the door being opened, I immediately signaled the guard to go back to his post.
A petite girl hesitantly stepped out of the house. I was immediately struck by her beauty. My wolf, Ryder, howled in excitement. Her blonde hair cascaded around her and was one of the main contributors to her amazing scent. Her face looked so innocent, her doe eyes wide and fearful.
“I'm Derek Aston, the Alpha of Moonstone pack,” I said frankly.
“I'm Tiana Early,” she said with a little bow.
“Daughter of the former Beta,” I added.
She shrugged.
Your brother tells me you are wolf-less?” I said, cutting right to the chase.
She nodded, keeping her eyes down. My heart plummeted.
“You've never heard from your wolf? And you've never shifted too?” I confirmed.
“No, never,” she said.
“What happened on your eighteenth birthday?” I asked.
“Nothing,” she said. “Alpha,” she added, gulping.
I wondered if she even felt our wolf bond being wolf-less.
Suddenly she raised her head and looked me directly in the eyes. It seems like she just felt the mate bond and that she knew what we were. I was surprised that she suddenly recognised me as her mate after we'd spent about ten minutes talking.
But she doesn't have a wolf, how is it possible that she could suddenly recognise me as her mate? Or did she have a wolf and is keeping it a secret? But if she did have a wolf, I would have smelt it. She might recognise me as her mate, but I don't think she has a wolf, and I can't have a weak she-wolf as my Luna.
Even if she has a wolf, everyone already thinks she doesn't, and if I make her my Luna, all our rival packs will deem me a weak Alpha, and my pack members will think the same of me. It doesn't matter how long I have waited for her, but I don't have a choice but to reject her.
“Please don't do it, Derek; she's our gift from the Moon Goddess and we've waited four years to meet her,” Ryder cried out, but I couldn't care less.
Before I started talking, she said something that startled me.
“You came here to reject me, right?” She said. I was astonished for a moment. Why doesn't she look sad or upset? It is almost as if she was expecting this. And how did she know?
“Why do you care? You just want her to keep suffering. Ryder snarled.
My wolf was mad at me, and I couldn't blame him. All he wants is his mate but I can't accept a weak and wolf-less she-wolf as our mate.
“I don't care, she can't be my Luna, she is weak,” I replied Ryder.
“Mark my words, Derek. If you reject her, I won't forgive you.” He threatened.
“Too bad I don't care about what anyone thinks,” I countered.
“I know your wolf Ryder doesn't want to reject me, but I know you've already made up your mind.” She said, making me look at her in confusion. No one knows my wolf's name, not even my father or mother, so how did she know my wolf's name, and how was she able to tell that he didn't want to reject her?
“How do you know his name?” I asked, genuinely curious.
“It doesn't matter,” she said, looking down.
"Okay, let's get on with it then. And since you don't have a wolf, it won't be that painful.” I said, looking at her with pity. “I, Derek Aston, future Alpha of Moonstone pack, reject you, Tiana Ealy, as my mate and Luna.” As soon as I finished speaking, I felt our bond break.
It was so painful that I almost fell; my chest was on fire, and a few tears escaped my eyes. What is happening? Why isn't she in pain? I don't understand how she was still standing. Even if she doesn't have a wolf, she was supposed to feel the pain of the mate bond break. But she just stood still like nothing happened.
“Ryder, why doesn't she feel the rejection?” I asked my wolf. He must have a clue why she seemed unbothered by all of this.
“I don't know; she must be powerful or something,” he said, whimpering as he retreated to the back of my mind.
I walked away from her quickly to avoid her finding out that I felt the pain of the broken mate bond. Although it wasn't completely broken, as she had not accepted it.
“You will tell no one of what happened or what we've discussed here. It will be as though you were never my mate.” I said with my Alpha voice before finally walking away.