Chapter 3 I Don't Have A Mate

• Gina's P.O.V
• A smile made its way to my lips as I reread the text. Maybe he had realized how wrong he was for rejecting me and wanted to apologize. With a hopeful mind I sauntered out of the bathroom and made my way to the parking lot.
• There he was, standing by his car, his black hair fell perfectly at the sides of his face, framing his face in all the right angles. His beautiful brown eyes looked intensely at his phone. Last night he had stared at me with that much intensity, I hoped it wasn't the last time.
• “Hey” I called out to announce my presence expecting him to look up at me with regret and a sense of apology but all I got was just an acknowledgement of my presence.
• My hands instinctively joined each other behind my back. This was it, he was going to apologize for rejecting me, he was going to apologize for kissing that woman. I was going to forgive him and then he was going to kiss me and take me in his arms because that was where I belonged.
• “My parents called for a meeting and requested your presence” he stated and unlocked his car.
• “Was that why you called me?” I couldn't help but ask. Where was my apology? Where was the regret?
• “Yes. Why else would I have called you here?”
• “Maybe to apologize for the show I had to watch in your office. I am your mate William. How could you kiss that woman in front of me?”
• His eyes arched in question of my sanity as he took a step toward me, I shuddered from the proximity. His brown orbs grew a bit darker as he bent to my level.
• “I rejected you” he reminded me “There is nothing between us. The earlier you accept that, the better it would be for you”
• My eyes shut on impulse as a tear fell out. No. I wasn't going to let him see my tears. I wiped it away and moved back, his scent was clouding my thoughts. How was it possible that I was mad at him and still wanted him to love me at the same time? He was breaking my heart with every chance, why then did I still feel attracted to him? Why did the goddess do this to me?
• “Get into the car” his voice went low as he turned towards his car and got into the driver's seat.
• His parents' house was at least a ten minute drive. I didn't think I was ready to be alone in a closed space with him after everything that happened in the past twenty four hours
• “No. I'll take a cab” I quickly responded.
• “Get into the car now, Regina” his tone left no room for refusal and I found myself climbing into the passenger seat of his black Tesla.
• *********
• The silence in the Alpha’s sitting room was loud as everyone waited for the Alpha to speak. Alpha Thomas sat beside his wife, Luna Anne in his sitting room. William sat beside his mother and I sat next to Audrey.
• “The reason I called for this meeting is to announce that yesterday, William finally agreed to be engaged to the only daughter of the Tetratemo Pack, Stella” Alpha Thomas began.
• It felt like a slap to my face.
• Wait! If he agreed to the engagement last night that only meant that he slept with me knowing he was going to reject me.
• He used me…
• “Is she his mate?” Audrey asked curiously from my side.
• Luna Anne shook her head in reply.
• “No. He doesn't have a mate” she turned to him with a raised eyebrow.
• “You still haven't found your mate right?” His mother asked him.
• Williams eyes crossed mine for a brief second before stopping at his mother's
• “I wasn't given a mate. Marrying Stella is what's best”
• “It doesn't matter, some of us are not entitled to mates” Alpha Thomas stated. The Luna was not his mate after all. He never found his mate and always believed William wouldn't get one too but he did.
• I'm his mate.
• “Do you love Stella?” the words left my mouth before I could stop them.
• William made sure to not break eye contact as he said the words that shattered any little hope I had left.
• “I do”
• My heart cracked at his words. He made it sound so easy to dismiss that we were mates. He was lying to his family about not having a mate, but I believed that he was also lying about loving Stella.
• Stella was probably the woman he kissed at his office. She was gorgeous. Why wouldn’t he choose her over me? She was the heir to the Tetratemo pack, an alliance with them would surely do our pack good.
• “We have something we'd like to ask of you” Luna Anne’s voice cut through my thoughts.
• “What's that?” I asked silently, trying my best not to show the hurt in my voice.
• Alpha Thomas leaned forward and folded his hands on his knees.
• “The pack recently suffered a loss in finances after we lost our alliance with the greenwood pack. So we need to form a strong alliance with the South Rare Gem pack”
• This was the first time that the Alpha was discussing pack matters with me but I didn't understand how it concerned me.
• “What do you want me to do Alpha?”
• “They have a son that has no mate, we were hoping you two would make a perfect match. We want you to get married to Nathan North”
• My jaw dropped instantly at the request.
• “What?”
• “We already discussed this with his family and they are more than happy to form this alliance. You still don't have a mate right?”
• Instinctively, I looked at William. He had denied me, so why not.
• “No I don't have a mate” I said with a straight face, his eyes twitched a little and I swear I saw him form a fist but he composed himself quickly.
• “Then it's settled. You will meet Nathan North and if all goes well, the two of you will be engaged before the next five full moons”
• ********
• “You're not really going to go through with this engagement right?” William asked me once I got into his car to go back to the office.
• “What does it matter? I have no mate. I might as well get married and help the pack” I replied, trying to fix my seatbelt.
• He turned to me, his eyes full of an emotion I couldn’t read. Swiftly, he grabbed my arm and pulled me towards him.
• “You have a mate” he said, his eyes boring into mine.
• My chest rose with each breath I let out. What was he saying? I swallowed hard and met his gaze despite the fast beating of my heart.
• “Who is my mate?”
• “Me”