Chapter 2 - A Chosen Mate

Kaden.

“Kaden, honey. You’re home.”

“Mom.” I stretched out my arms for an embrace.

She hugged me and kissed my cheeks.

“I’m setting the table for dinner, your dad wants you in his office, I think he has something to say to you.” She pulled my cheeks disengaged from the hug, and went back to the kitchen.

I climbed the stairs to my room dropped my bag on the bed, stripped myself naked, and went into the bathroom for a bath.

I wash my hair, and let the water run down my body. I glance at the mirror, admiring how fucking good I look without those shirts on.

‘Kaden, to my study.’ Dad mind-linked me.

I rolled my eyes. ‘In the shower.’

‘It’s important.’ He growled.

‘Be there.’

I closed the mind link and turned off the shower.

I came out of the bathroom and picked up my phone, there were several missed calls from Sara, a desperate bitch.

I huffed and tossed my phone to the bed.

My wolf growled in my head and I shut him up.

“Dad, you wanted to see me?” I pulled out a chair and sat down with my legs crossed.

The light in his study was dimmed, I doubted if he was reading. He was probably thinking.

He swiveled his chair and faced me. He stared at me for a while without saying anything.

“Can you get to it, I have some important thing to sort out.”

“I have found a mate for you.” He blurted out.

“What do you mean?”

“Baron’s daughter, Stephane, will be your chosen mate since your mate hasn’t been found. You’re nineteen, and it’s only right you have your mate and be ready to take over the pack and be a leader.” He folded his hand on his desk.

“You have no right to choose a mate for me!” My voice rose.

“I do have the right to. I’m your father, and I have a right to choose the one that’s best for you. Stephane is the perfect Luna for you, she has everything a Luna should have, she’s bold, fearless, and a strong wolf.”

“I’m not ready yet,” I mumbled.

“You’ve to be ready because you’re gonna be Alpha when you graduate from high school.”

“I wanna go to college.”

“You’re not going, you’ll be home-schooled.”

“You can’t make these choices for me.” I drawled.

“I CAN!” he yelled and slammed his fist on the table.

“Your mate is Stephane and we are having a dinner meeting with them tomorrow evening. Get ready, and I heard you two had a thing before, it’s better isn’t it?”

“I don’t even like her.”

“You don’t have to, and she likes you, you can get to like her after you get married. I never loved your mother when we first met, love came later on.” He shrugged.

“Dad, I’m not like you!”

“That’s what we are gonna change, you’re getting married to Stephane.”

“What if I find my mate?” I asked seething.

“You spent an entire year searching for her, I don’t have much patience. I have plans to retire as Alpha.”

“What if I find my mate?” I asked again.

He cleared his throat. “We will consider it.”

I pushed the chair backward grudgingly and stormed out of his study room.

“Kaden!”

“I’m not done talking to you...”

I ignored him and headed for my room, I met Sara on my bed in a seductive gown, she smirked when she saw me.

I was suddenly irritated.

“How did you get in here!” I barked.

“Your mom let me in.” She pouted.

“Get out,” I growled.

“Wait, What? Kaden, I just got here.”

“I said get out!”

I didn’t wait for her to get up from the bed before I dragged her out of my room and shut the door. I groaned and punched the wall.

Fuck.

This wasn’t what I wanted.

I slumped on my bed, Stephane was my chosen mate.

I have known Stephane since we were little, she was the Beta’s daughter but I never wanted anything to do with her.

“Kaden, come downstairs for dinner.” Mom knocked on my door.

“Not hungry,” I replied.

“I made your fav—“

“Not now, Mom, please leave my fucking door!” She stopped knocking, and I heard her footsteps retreating.

I didn’t have breakfast when I left for school, I was angry at Dad’s decision but I knew he was gonna make such a decision sooner or later because I didn’t have a mate.

I was in my final year of high school. I would have graduated sooner but I went for my Alpha training and took a break from school before I came back.

I went to my morning class, we were having English lessons.

I skipped classes most times because of my basketball games but our match has been canceled, and we have to wait for the announcement of our next game.

“...have you been listening to Janine, you seem lost.” Mrs. Kate, the teacher looked concerned.

I looked over my shoulders and saw her seated beside the window at the last row in the class, her lips were broken, and her left cheek had a purplish mark.

She nodded curtly and I looked away.

“So, we are having a project presentation, and I will be having your guys in the study group. You can work together, and present your works together. You’ve three weeks for it. It’s gonna be in five groups, okay?” She clapped her hands.

“It’s gonna be your CA okay and you don’t wanna lose 20 marks for this, and those who need scholarships to college, you shouldn’t miss this and make sure you do well on your presentation. Now, I’m gonna call the names of the groups and the members in it...”

I didn’t know who was in the same group I was, but it was a group B. I picked up my bag to leave the class.

“Why would she put her as the leader of group B, she can’t speak. I think Mrs. Kate is mocking her too.”

I wasn’t paying much attention to what the girls behind me were whispering about.

“Hey, Nana, wanna come to my place tonight.” I stretched out my hotel card to her, she was one of the prettiest girls in class. It only seemed right, I had her too. She grinned and nodded linking her hand around mine.

“Get your hands off.”

“Tonight?” Stephane stood up. “We have a meeting tonight.” She whispered.

“I’m busy,” I smirked and ignored her.

I packed my notebooks inside my bag and flung them across my shoulders.

I felt a hand touch me from behind and twirl around, and my gaze fell on the grip with big brown eyes, I was towering over her, she was about five foot and four inches tall, and I hadn’t stood this close to her before.

She gave me a note.

The slightest touch of her hand against mine, made my heart skip a beat, her gaze was soft and tender.

The note was that I was part of her study group.

I didn’t have anything to do in the meantime, so I decided to follow her out of curiosity.

She walked so fast, keeping a long distance between us. As if she didn’t want anyone to see us walking together, and it cracked me up a little.

I mean who won’t want to be seen walking with me, Kaden Hansford?

She stopped in front of an empty class and pushed the door, the room was cleaned, and there were a few chairs and tables around.

Three other persons were in the room, I guess they were part of the study group. I dropped my bag and decided to take a seat next to her. That seemed to annoy her, she frowned, and picked up her notebook, moved to the next seat.

I chuckled and decided to steal a glance at her. Her head was down, and she wore glasses, she was scribbling something in her notebook.

Fuck, why does it feel like my heart it’s itching?

“Is this some joke? I’m pissed off already,” One of the girls said, I recognized her voice from the classroom earlier.

“How can she be the leader of our study group? Everyone I’m Mira, and I am against her being our leader.” She snapped. “Kaden is here...”She tucks her hair behind her ears with a smile.

She passed a note to Mira.

I still couldn’t understand what was going on.

“You want me to be the leader?” Mira smiled shyly.

She nodded.

“Okay.” She chuckled and sat down.

I turned and stared at her, she was staring at a blank space, I reached out to touch her face, and she flinched.

Why did I do that?

I cleared my throat and muttered. “Were you hit?”

She eyed me suspiciously and moved further away from me.

“What’s your name?”

She pointed at the nametag on her shirt.

Janine Baron.