Lost Lycan's Mate: The Finale
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A. K. Glandt
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Bitter Resentments
Nahta
I stood on the balcony overlooking the city, my eyes fixated on Kieran and Jezebelâs intertwined forms as they disappeared into the distance.
They looked like a perfect couple, the viridian of her dress matching the soft wonder on his face.
He told me he wasnât sure about her, but my intuition made me overly cautious. At this moment, Kieran looked pretty lovesick.
My heart felt heavy, and I struggled to control the bitterness that threatened to spill over. It felt like history was repeating itselfâlike when my mother chose death over taking care of me.
Abandonment seeped into my soul again.
âNahta?â A quiet voice called from behind me, forcing me to turn around. Jameel stood there, his eyes filled with concern. He was a city guard in charge of administrative work, not fighting.
This man was supposedly my mate, but he was nothing compared to the strong, dominant Alpha I had always imagined for myself.
âJameel,â I spat out, the venom in my tone surprising even myself. âWhat do you want?â
âUm...â Jameel hesitated, his brows knitting together in worry. âI just wanted to see if you were alright.â
It was a known secret that I loved Kieran. The entire city guard, including Jameel, knew it. Even so, he didnât have to come check on me.
âOf course, Iâm not alright!â I shouted back, hot tears stinging at the corners of my eyes.
Why did fate have to be so cruel? As a lycan, I only got one mateâand this was him? My heart yearned for someone like Kieran: a good fighter, a leader, someone with crass humor who could make me laugh when things got rough.
Not someone as fragile and sensitive as Jameel.
âNahta, please,â Jameel pleaded, stepping closer. âI can⊠You can talk to me. I promise you are in a safe space. You can trust me. Canât you try?â
âTry?â I scoffed, shaking my head. âYou donât understand, Jameel. Youâll never understand. So donât ask me to try and share my burdens with you.â
Saying the words out loud only made the truth sting more.
âMaybe, I donât,â he admitted, pain flickering in his eyes. âBut that doesnât mean I canât listen, Nahta.â
âStop,â I warned, my voice wavering. âI donât want to hear it.â I couldnât stand to listen to his sincerity; it only made me angrier at myself for not being able to accept him as my mate.
âNahta, pleaseââ Jameel tried again, but this time I cut him off.
I didnât want to give him a chance to say the words, to tell me that I was his mate.
âEnough!â I roared, causing him to flinch. My heart clenched at the sight; I didnât want to hurt him, but I couldnât help how I felt. âYou need to leave, Jameel. JustâŠgo.â
He stared at me for a long moment before nodding slowly and turning to walk away. As I watched him go, a small part of me wanted to call him back, to apologize, to try and make this work.
But the rest of meâthe part that had been abandoned and was now facing those same fears againâheld me back.
âNahta,â Jameel said softly, stopping at the doorway. He glanced back at me, his eyes filled with sadness.
âI know Iâm not Kieran, and I never will be. But I promise you, I will do everything in my power to be the best mate I can be. You donât have to accept me now, or ever. But just know that Iâll always be here for you, no matter what.â
âThank you, but this will never work out. I will never love you,â I whispered, even as my chest tightened with pain.
As the door closed behind him, I turned back to the balcony, staring out at the city once more. The sun had set, and the streets were illuminated by flickering lamplights.
The shadows cast by the buildings seemed to mirror the darkness in my heart.
âNahta!â A familiar voice called out from below, and I glanced down to see Malik standing on the street, staring up at me. The smirk on his face did nothing to alleviate my rage.
âWhat do you want?â I snarled at him.
âWhat you should be asking,â he trilled back. âIs how I can help you make this potentially disastrous mate situation work for you.â
I snorted so hard I could see steam come out of my nose. âI donât need your help.â
âEveryone says that, but I always change their minds. Look at Sitka.â
âYou messed up a lot of shit for Sitka, so letâs not go there.â
Something flickered in his eyes, but he didnât give up. Classic Malik. âYou think you deserve better than him,â he observed casually.
So what if I did? What if I wanted something different? I only pictured myself with one man, and Lune had not only deprived me of him but also threw his very antithesis my way.
âHeâs stronger than you know, Nahta,â Malik steepled his fingers in front of his chest. His brows furrowed as he clicked his tongue to the roof of his mouth. âHe wouldnât be a city guard if he werenât. Itâs not an easy job.â
âDid he hire you to write his resume? You really donât need to hype him up for me, Malik. Plus, donât you need to go snoop somewhere else? Iâm really busy.â
âStaring into space and thinking lovelorn thoughts about a certain someone who just got married? Thatâs not a healthy way to spend your time,â Malik tutted.
I was just moments away from flying down and twisting his ear so painfully heâd remember what heâd been in his past life.
He caught the rage on my face and grinned. âI see Iâm very close to the steep edge. Iâll go now.â
Before I could do anything else, Malik flitted into a procession up ahead and disappeared.
âNasty little git,â I muttered to myself.
I remained on the balcony from where I had a vantage point of watching the cityâs gates. From here, I could see Jameel in a face-off with some of the bulkier guards.
A streak of protectiveness washed over me, but I didnât like it. Stupid mate of mine, couldnât even muster the courage to defend himself!
âDamn it,â I whispered under my breath, feeling the old wound of abandonment tearing open once again. My mother had chosen death over raising me, and now Fate seemed to be laughing at me by shackling me to a man who couldnât even protect himself.
I left my perch and headed to the gates.
âHey, Jameel!â one of the guards yelled, smirking maliciously. âWhy donât you show us your famous battle stance? You know, the one where you hide behind the nearest wall?â
The others laughed, and I saw Jameelâs cheeks flush red. I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. No more. I wouldnât stand by and watch this any longer.
âExcuse me,â I growled. The guards turned to look at me, their smirks fading as they caught sight of the fury in my eyes.
âWhoa, whatâs her problem?â one of them muttered, but I ignored him. I was focused on the man who had been taunting Jameelâa burly guard with a scar across his cheek and an ego the size of a mountain.
âHey!â I shouted, grabbing his attention. âYou think youâre so tough? Letâs see how you fare against me.â
The guardâs eyes widened, and he looked around, clearly hoping someone would come to his rescue. But no one moved. Instead, they watched with interest as I squared off against the bully.
âFine,â he mumbled, dropping into a fighting stance. âBut donât blame me when you end up with a broken nose.â
âTalk is cheap,â I retorted, lunging forward. Our fists collided, and I felt the satisfying crunch of bone beneath my knuckles. The guard staggered back, clutching his hand in pain.
âIs that all youâve got?â I snarled, pressing my advantage. The fight was brutal, messy, and over far too quickly for my liking. The guard crumpled to the ground, blood pouring from his battered face.
âNever underestimate your opponent,â I told him coldly, turning away. The other guards stared at me, a mix of fear and respect in their eyes. But I didnât care about them.
My gaze fell upon Jameel, who stood there looking stunned by my sudden display of violence.
âThank you,â he whispered, his voice barely audible above the murmurs of the crowd.
I wanted to say something in response, to acknowledge his gratitude, but the words wouldnât come.
Instead, I clenched my jaw and walked past him, not even sparing him a glance. I had saved him from the torment of his fellow guards, but my heart still burned with resentment toward him.
âDamn you, Jameel,â I thought bitterly, fighting back tears as I retreated to the solitude of my room. âWhy did you have to be my mate?â
