Mate's Pleasure

Scarlett

A week has passed since the new moon. Every morning since, I’ve woken up in a foul mood. I’m dealing with a wild fetish, and it’s driving me up the wall.

Anita sends me a few new toys, suggesting I keep myself busy until she can help me manage it. That night at the club was the most thrilling sex I’ve ever had. I crave more, and it’s driving me nuts.

My two older sisters can sense my arousal, so they share some tricks to mask my scent.

We have one more week before graduation. So, this entire week is crammed with exams.

I stroll through the hallways, headphones in my ears, fresh from finishing an exam. Suddenly, I feel like I’m being watched.

I glance over to see Jeffrey staring at me, his eyes dark with desire. I figure Alley must have stirred that up, and he’s trying not to let her see it. I flash him a shy smile, and he returns it.

A sudden chill runs down my spine, but I shrug it off and continue with my mundane life.

***

Graduation is finally here, and a party is thrown in our honor.

Anita is back from training, and we make up for lost time, even though we talked almost every day while she was away. She also helps me control my urges a bit.

Alpha Jeffrey invites neighboring packs to join our pack in celebration. I’m ecstatic to be done with college and my thesis!

Anita and I spend over two hours getting ready, bickering over outfits for an hour.

All her outfits include skirts, and I’m not in the mood for a skirt. She insists we match, and every outfit she’s picked out includes a skirt.

My reasoning is simple. One, if a fight breaks out, I can’t kick ass in a skirt. Two, it’s easier for some jerk to try and take advantage of me. Not that I think I’d mind.

We finally settle on an olive, low-cut, shirring waist, crisscross, pocket romper.

We rush to the party. It’s held at Alpha Jeffrey’s house. It’s just started, but it’s already wild.

I head to the beer pong table. My teammate is Alpha Jeffrey. Great . . . We’re up against his beta, Beta Alex, and the Blue Moon Pack beta, Beta James.

They have two points, while we have ten—five more and we’ll be the winners.

It’s my turn again, and I focus on the cup I want the ball to land in. Just as I release my ball, Beta Alex tries to shift the table, but my ball still lands in a cup. We all cheer and laugh at his failed attempt.

Jeffrey and I share a side-hug, and he holds onto me longer than I’d like. Now that we’ve won the game, I go and find Anita.

We start dancing, then the two guys from the night of the new moon, Chandler and Damien, join in. I’m enjoying it—their hands exploring my body.

Soon, they pull Anita into the mix, and we start to make out. I stop dancing when the sweetest scent of caramel fills my nose.

My second mate is here. I get excited and tell them about it. The guys pout, but respect the mate pull/call.

Anita follows me as I push through the crowd. The scent gets stronger the further we walk away from the party.

We finally get outside, and I see Jeffrey standing next to another guy.

He’s handsome, tan, tall, lean, and sexy. He’s wearing a black, long-sleeve, fitted shirt with green pants and black shoes. He’s leaning against a white and black Chevrolet Corvette.

The guy gives me a sexy smile as he looks me up and down. Then his smile fades, and I frown.

“This is a joke, right?”

I look at him like he’s grown two heads. What does he mean?

“What are you talking about?” Anita asks him. He looks disappointed that I’m his mate.

“You’re cute, but . . . is that all I got to work with?” he says. Moon Goddess, if this is a joke, it’s a pretty sick one.

“You’re a cocky son of a bitch, aren’t you?” I tell him, and he just laughs.

“Baby girl, I’d rather your friend over you.” He looks at me with disdain. He continues, “At least I can survive off her meat. Your little ass would starve me.” Well, I never!

“Baby boy, you’re a fucking idiot, and I will treasure the time I won’t have to listen to your big-ass ego. It will be the thing that kills me just by climbing over it and jumping to your IQ.

“So without delay, I, Scarlett Henry of Red River Pack, absolutely could not reject your ass any faster . . . ” I stop, and he continues, with a sneer on his lips.

“I couldn’t agree more. I, Christian Alexander, Gamma of Forest Green Pack, accept your rejection.” I was expecting it to be painful, but it isn’t. It’s just a small tug on my heart.

I might have played tough, but on the inside, I’m crying like a baby. A small group of pack members from my pack and another pack have gathered around us, and I feel embarrassed.

My mate didn’t give me a chance; he judged my appearance and didn’t like what he saw.

Anita is ready to claw his eyes out, but I just pull her with me to my safe zone. We walk away, the crowd parting for us, and we head to the river.

She sits by a tree, and I stand near the riverbank, staring up at the Moon, asking her to stop playing her cruel games with me.

I was rejected twice—the pain of my first rejection returning like a vengeful tsunami.

I gaze at the river, the moonlight reflecting off the water, and my shadow’s reflection visible against it. I don’t bother removing my clothes; I just dive into the water.

The water welcomes me with its warmth, comforting me. I swim down until I touch the bottom, and stay under.

I cry hard, screaming and clutching my chest. The river washes away my tears, and I keep crying. I swallow water, so I swim back up, breaking the surface and coughing out the water violently.

I let myself drift with the current, my gaze fixed on the moon. It feels like someone up there is getting a kick out of my misery. I can't stand the way I'm feeling. Unwanted, worthless—like I'm not enough.

The sound of splashes reaches my ears, the telltale sign of bodies entering the water. I lift my head and see my sisters and Anita. My sisters, who never venture into the river, are here with me. Their presence is a comfort, a silent promise that I'll be okay.

Tears well up in my eyes as they surround me, their silent support overwhelming. We make our way to the riverbank, where I sit sandwiched between two of my sisters. The other, along with Anita, settles behind me.

We sit in a comfortable silence, the only sounds being the wind rustling the trees and the distant hoots of owls questioning the intruders in their territory.