Chapter 34

Clay’s P.O.V

Flora’s friend, Dorothy, stared at me with wide eyes as I moved closer to stand in front of her. Everyone had gone quiet as they watched my next move but my mind was clear.

I had thought the transition would be difficult. That the pull of the mating bond would force me to love someone else eternally. That everything I felt before the mating ceremony would vanish in a heartbeat, leaving me with only one woman in my mind…my mate.

But I never had to worry.

“Clay…” Dorothy whispered; her dark brown eyes filled with adoration.

I gave her a polite smile before taking her hands in mine. I needed all the strength I could get right now, because I was about to do something that no one had ever attempted to do before.

“Dorothy,” I told her kindly. “You are a wonderful person and one day, you will find the one you are truly meant to be with. But I’m afraid that’s not me.”

Her eyes widened, but this time in horror as hushed whispers began to rise from all sides.

I never had to worry…because in my mind, there was no mating bond; no undeniable love forced upon me by the stars. There was only the feeling of what I could only describe as true love. Only one woman’s name etched on my heart forever.

Flora.

“I, Clay Raven Scotsman, officially reject you, Dorothy Summers as my mate with everyone present here as witness to my decision.”

And just like that the bond vanished, leaving only Flora’s image in my mind, like it was always supposed to be.

The entire crowd gasped in horror as Dorothy removed her hand from mine as if I had just burned her. A second later, her knees bucked and she fell to the floor.

I knelt in front of her to help her up, but she slapped my hand away as her parents arrived to help her.

“How could you!” Her mother, Mrs. Summers looked at me in despair as her daughter broke down sobbing. “This is blasphemy!”

The next thing I know, I’m being flung to the floor as I felt the sting of the punch on my cheek and the taste of blood inside my mouth.

“How dare you reject my daughter?” Dorothy’s father stood menacingly over me; his teeth bared and his eyes bloodshot. “She was chosen for you by the Moon Goddess! You reject the Goddess by rejecting your mate! We will never accept you as our Alpha!”

“I would gladly reject the position of Alpha if it means I can be with the woman I love.” I told him calmly as I once again heard several gasps around the room. “I’d rather have been born human if I can’t even choose the person I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

‘What is he saying?’

‘This is blasphemy!’

‘How can he reject a mate?’

Whispers swirled around the room and I saw Alpha Nicolas and Luna Maria rush to where we were.

“I’m extremely sorry for the events of today,” Alpha Nicolas announced to the entire room as Luna Maria helped me to my feet and stood in between Dorothy’s father and me to keep us apart.

“Please, if you would give us time to understand what’s going on…it’ll be best for all of us if we disband this party.” Alpha Nicolas sighed and everyone nodded in agreement as they began to leave for their homes.

I looked around the room for Flora as the guests left one by one, but I couldn’t spot her anywhere. I think she left right after she heard Dorothy calling me her mate. Guilt made me look towards Dorothy once and I found her sobbing uncontrollably in her mother’s arms while her father stood protectively in front of her, his expression murderous.

I’d always told Flora that I’d reject my mate to be with her, and I had done just that, because my heart belonged to only one woman. But what I hadn’t taken into consideration was what would happen to my mate after I rejected her?

The breaking of the bond must be hurting her both physically and emotionally. But what could I do? Why was fate so cruel as to have chosen Flora’s best friend as my mate? Why couldn’t it have been some other woman that I barely knew or saw? But the answer was a complicated one. It would still hurt to have the mating bond broken and it would still be difficult to face them afterwards. And why wasn’t I hurting? Why wasn’t the broken bond affecting me?

When everyone had cleared the room, Alpha Nicolas ordered the guards to close the doors and then he turned to me. “Son…what just happened?”

“You saw what happened, Alpha Nicolas.” I bowed my head respectfully.

“Yes, I did. We all saw what happened and it is still unbelievable.” His eyes were hard. “Are you not feeling well? Are you drunk? Drugged?”

“I’m perfectly sane and healthy.” I told him.

“Then why the fuck are you trying to reject your mate?” This time, his voice boomed, echoing through the house like thunder, making us all flinch.

“You don’t understand…I don’t feel any bond towards her!” I ran my hand through my hair, trying to explain myself to everyone around me. “I can’t accept what I can’t feel!”

“Clay-”

“Dear,” it was Luna Maria’s polite voice that cut off Alpha Nicolas’s angry bellow. “I think we all had a rough day. Sometimes, it takes time for the bond to set in. I think we should all rest and regroup tomorrow with a fresh mind. What do you think?”

Alpha Nicolas sighed and rand a hand down his face before turning to Mr. Summers. “I’m so sorry for what happened today.” He apologized. “I think my mate is right. We should meet again tomorrow and decide what to do.”

Mrs. Summers spoke to her husband in Mandarin and then he slowly backed down. Dorothy was still crying, clutching onto her mother for dear life, but her sobs had lessened in intensity.

“We shall meet tomorrow.” He told us, his eyes spitting fire at me. “And my daughter will have justice.”

With that, they left the room, leaving me with Alpha Nicolas and Luna Maria, both of whom turned to me once everyone had cleared out.

“Son…why?” It was Luna Maria who spoke, her eyes troubled as she looked at me.

“I wish I could explain to you what I’m feeling, aunt, but I’m afraid I can’t.” I told her sadly. “I don’t feel the mating bond. It doesn’t exist inside my mind. My wolf doesn’t recognize Dorothy as its mate. What other way do you want me to explain it to you? Because those are all the words I had.”

“Maybe it’s taking time to set in?” Alpha Nicolas asked hopefully. “Maybe your aunt is right, you should rest for tonight and think out it in the morning with a fresh mind.”

“I’m in love with Flora.” I told him firmly. “And the only person I see as my mate is her.”

With that, I walked out of the pack house, unable to handle the scrutiny any longer.

I was tired of explaining myself over and over again. My love for Flora was stronger than a bond pre-decided by the Moon Goddess. How many times did I need to say it for them to understand? And besides, my wolf was getting restless. I needed to get to Flora and clear out the misunderstandings. I also needed to tell her that we are definitely back together.

That little stunt she pulled, right before my birthday, it was going to cost her for trying to break my heart like that.

I hurried towards the woods, in the direction of Flora’s house. I couldn’t wait to see her, to tell her that the mating bond didn’t work on me. I was still madly in love with her and if our pack wasn’t ready to accept that, then we would leave, go somewhere else. Hell, I was fine with living among humans. We could settle down in some quiet neighbourhood near a forest and have the life we always wanted. I was ready to give up everything for her, even the title of Alpha.

But that was when I found Riley running towards me from the direction of the woods. I paused to greet him, but as he got closer, I could clearly see the panic on his face. I waited till he came to a stop in front of me, his eyes wild and his clothes drenched in sweat.

“Riley? What-”

“Flora’s gone. We can’t find her anywhere.”

And my world came crashing down around me.