Hated by My Mate: The Unwanted Luna
Scent of the Mate
WOLFGANG
I rolled my eyes as Tallulah made her way back to her own table, but like every other male in line of sight, I couldn’t help but be drawn to the gentle swaying of her behind.
Remus whistled. “You lucky son of a— OW!” He grabbed the back of his arm where Aspen had just pinched him.
She smiled at him as she tucked into her starter, and I let out a quiet chuckle.
“He’s right, Wolfie,” Max said. “If you’re not going to find your mate, you could do a hell of a lot worse than being paired with Tallulah.”
I peered at him. “She laughs at her own jokes.”
“Well, yeah. Someone has to. We can’t all look like we’re sucking on sour lemons all the time.”
Remus laughed until I shot him a glare.
I can’t believe I let Max and Remus throw this shitty party. My birthday was three months ago. What’s the use of celebrating it now?
Of course, I knew it wasn’t really about me. They had just wanted an excuse to throw a party.
I couldn’t blame them entirely for the whole affair. Had they had their way, it would have been a Blood Moon Pack-only event, with fewer canapés and hors d’oeuvres and more kegs of beer.
But then the elders had caught wind of it…
“C’mon, Wolfgang, it’s just for one night,” Max whined. “Look, if you’re not interested in flirting with Tallulah or finding a mate, then at least help me find mine finally.”
“That’s what you keep saying. And in your quest to find her, you’ve slept with ninety percent of the females in the pack,” Remus argued, adjusting his glasses.
“Oh, shut it. You don’t care because you already have a mate,” Max shot. “I’m thirty next year. How the hell haven’t I found her yet.”
No one said anything, but we all knew the reason. Most young wolves destined to inherit power in their packs get a grace period—that time between learning to take over and actually doing so.
It’s the time in a wolf’s life when he goes out into the world, visits other packs, and truly learns to connect with his wolf.
It’s also the time most young leaders find the one fated by the Moon Goddess to be their mate.
But Max, Remus, and I hadn’t been so lucky. We had all become leaders long before we’d hoped we would. Long before we should have. The war against the rogues had seen to that.
“You’ll find her in due time,” Remus said, repeating the same old words of wisdom everyone in the pack said to the wolves who went their whole lives without finding their mates.
I pushed my untouched food away from me. “Damn the mates, damn arranged relationships, and damn belated birthday parties. All I want is to find that rogue, Klaus, and his lackeys.”
“Ugh. We’ve been chasing those assholes for years!” Max said. “One night off won’t hurt us. We’ve all gotta let off some steam now and then.”
Max waggled his eyebrows at me. “Even you must be feeling tempted by all the ladies after you.”
“None of them is my mate,” I said.
Max shrugged. “I’m not saying you have to fall in love. But having a warm body next to you in bed will do you the world of good. Hell, it might even make you think more clearly about finding Klaus.”
Remus kissed the back of Aspen’s hand. “He’s right about that.”
“Not interested.”
The last thing on my mind was finding myself a mate. It would only be one more person to worry about. No, all I wanted was to catch that bastard Klaus and put an end to the war.
“What do you mean, not interested! You know, I’m starting to think that she-wolves might just not be your thing,” he said with a grin, earning another glare from me.
“Our beta has a funny way with words, Wolfgang, but he’s right. No one has ever seen you interested in a woman. We’ve never even seen you speak to one,” Remus added.
“So the elders decide to commandeer this party and turn it into an inter-pack celebration in some blatant attempt to get me to choose Tallulah as my luna?”
Max rolled his eyes. You know what those old men are like. Their power means little more than to try to keep the alpha in check, but they wield it over you like an executioner’s axe.”
Remus held his hands up in surrender. “I’m just saying, if you showed some interest in a she-wolf now and then, the pack probably wouldn’t be so anxious about you not having a luna right now.”
Max snickered at my side. He knew as well as I did that Remus was right.
But I’d be damned if I was going to admit it.
“There are just so many more important things to be doing right now,” I said.
Remus tightened his lips. “Says you.”
He let go of Aspen’s hand and leaned forward. “Look, we have more reason than most to want to end this war. We all lost loved ones to the rogues.
“But to the rest of the pack, they want to see that we’re focusing on the future, not just the past. They want a luna who will care for them and give you pups, securing your line.”
I peered across the hall at the next table. Tallulah had switched seats and was now sitting directly in front of me. She batted her long eyelashes at me.
“But why her?”
“You know why,” Max said. “Your father wanted the two of you to wed. He thought you a good match.”
I sniggered. “We’re anything but.”
Max shrugged. “Maybe you’re both destined to be each other’s mate, but your wolves haven’t realized yet.”
I looked at him like he was mad.
“What? I don’t know. It’s happened before…I think. Maybe the Moon Goddess has plans for you both but she needs you guys to wait for some reason.”
“Or,” Remus said, taking over, “maybe you’re right. Maybe your dad didn’t think you were a great match.
“But maybe he was thinking about how to end the war, just as you do. By uniting our pack with the Blue Moons, the rogues have no chance.”
Damn you, Remus. You really are the smartest of us.
“Fine. If I really must pair with her to put an end to this war, that’s what I’ll do.”
A big smile spread over Max’s face. “Good. Then the next question is, are you going to go over and flirt with her tonight, or will you bed some other she-wolf to get it out of your system?”
“Leave me alone. Go and find your mate and leave me in peace.”
Max put his hands around me and threw his head back as he wailed. “No! I’m starting to believe I’m mateless. Oh, Moon Goddess! Is it my fate to be a lone wolf forever? Woe is me!”
“Let me go, you idiot!”
But he had an iron grip on me. “No. Comfort me! I’m lonely, heartbroken, abandoned.”
“I said get off!”
He finally let go while laughing, and I got to my feet.
“I’m going to ask Tallulah to dance. Might as well play along with the charade. It seems it’s the fastest and easiest way to get everyone off my back and back to focusing on the rogues.”
No sooner had I taken two steps when a heavenly scent crept into my nostrils. I raised my head to sniff the air for the source.
“What the…? Hey!” Max said.
“Do you smell that?” I asked him.
“Smell what?” Aspen asked.
“Huh?” Max sniffed the air. “I don’t know exactly what I’m supposed to be smelling, dude.”
I ignored him. The smell was sweet and delicate, like vanilla and marshmallows.
Suddenly, my wolf started howling like crazy in my head. He jumped up and ran from side to side, also sniffing the air.
“Mate, our mate. I can smell her. I smell our mate,” Cronnos said from within.
I stood frozen to the spot. This could not be happening. I hadn’t found my mate for eight years. Why now?
“Wolfgang? Are you okay?” Remus asked.
“Yeah, dude. You turned really pale. Are you all right?” Max inquired.
“Uh…yeah. I’m okay,” I said, still focused on the scent.
“Our mate is finally here, kid. Find her! I can smell her!” Cronnos shouted.
I looked over at Tallulah to see if she was experiencing the same bout of confusion as me. But she looked normal.
As she was speaking to her father, she caught me staring and proceeded to wiggle her fingers at me.
“But the smell isn’t coming from—?”
“That’s because it isn’t her,” Cronnos interrupted.
“What? But Father said…”
I snapped out of my trance. “I…need to use the restroom. Excuse me.” Before anyone could say anything else, I made my way toward the exit.
“Where are you going?” Cronnos demanded. “We have to find our mate!”
“Are you serious?” I growled in my mind. “We don’t have time for that. Rogues are gathering at the borders. There could be another war.”
“That can wait!” Cronnos howled, thrashing to get out. “Our mate needs us!”
“If I wanted a luna, I’d just ask Tallulah.” I sidestepped some women who were eyeing me up and down.
So much nonsense. I’m surrounded by fools who like to pretend we’re not at war, not in danger. I don’t have time for this.
“That woman isn’t destined for us.” Cronnos’s anger was bleeding through. “You cannot deny the mate bond.”
“Watch me. If it’s for the good of the pack, I can do anything.”
“Run from it all you like, but the second you lay your eyes on her, you’re going to fall tail over paw for her.”
“Yeah, I doubt that.”
AURORA
“Are you sure he’s here?” My heart was pounding so loudly, I was positive everyone at the ball could hear it. My mate! Is my mate really here?
“I’m positive,” Rhea sang in my mind. She sounded jubilant.
My wolf’s excitement was contagious, and I found myself smiling for a moment. It was really happening. I was going to meet the love of my life!
I looked around at all the beautiful women in flowing dresses, then back down at my maid uniform. If only I was wearing a pretty dress like them…
“Don’t worry about that,” Rhea assured me. “Our mate will think we’re beautiful no matter what we’re wearing…or if we aren’t wearing anything at all.”
“Rhea!” I gasped, my cheeks turning bright red.
My wolf giggled in my mind. “It’s true! That’s the beauty of the bond. Our fated mate will love us unconditionally for the rest of our lives…and we will love them back with all our heart and soul.”
I shook my head. No, I don’t want this. Not now. Not yet!
“What is it?” Rhea said. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m not ready to find my mate. I’ve got more important things to do right now.”
Rhea tilted her head, showing me her confusion.
“Male wolves are so domineering. Mates are even worse. So possessive. He’ll never let me leave the pack’s territory to go and learn about my mom and where she came from.
“Hell, he’ll probably never even let me leave the village.”
“You don’t know that,” Rhea said. “Give him a… Wait! There he is!”
My heart skipped a beat. My eyes searched the crowd, and I saw him.
Oh.
My.
God.
It was Alpha Wolfgang, and he was heading straight for me.
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