Chapter 4. Unexpected

HAZEL’S POV

It’s been a few days since the celebration of my father’s empire. These few days have been the best for me so far. I do not have female friends to gossip and laugh with and talk about the joy of finally having a mate. Well, I used to, but I lost touch with all of them because I couldn’t get my wolf. I was holed up in my room with a smile plastered on my face. I could not stop smiling. You guessed right! There was a freaking werewolf ready to mate me!

I was expecting the Alpha of my pack to take me, but he didn’t. A beta from another pack did. It felt surreal! He was even ready to do the mating ceremony by the weekend! I could not believe it myself. I had done my digging these past few days on him. I mean for him to want to settle for someone like me, he did have a fault or something! I mean why else would he? Unfortunately, he was clean! He had no deformity. He was beyond perfect! I never had the chance to look at him that night, but with my digging, I saw his pictures, and Holy Smokes! He was smoking hot!

This felt too good to be true! There had to be something! The sound of my door being flung open dragged me away from my train of thought. It was some of the maidens. A woman was supposed to look healthy for her mating ceremony and the past few days, I had been given special treatment in my room by these maidens. I wasn’t allowed to go out. I was constantly cleaned and fed healthy food continuously in these past few days and now my body was glowing! I could not wait for this mating ceremony so I could have a full view of the man I would spend the rest of my life with.

***

Cheers of Joy and happiness filled the air as I sat beside my mate. The weekend had come and the mating ceremony was ongoing... He was not looking at me. He had his eyes on the crowd as they screamed in excitement. My eyes flickered to them and I saw some members of the Blood Moon Pack seated at a corner throwing occasional smiles at me. I saw their Alpha and their Luna. The Luna was extremely gorgeous.

I really could not wait to be part of their pack.

The Alpha joined us according to our customs and everyone cheered as soon as we were pronounced mates. As the mating ceremony ended, the after-party began immediately. Food, drinks, music, and excitement flowed. I turned to my side, about to say a word to Ervin but he was nowhere to be found. My eyebrows furrowed.

Where was he? I looked amongst the crowd, searching for the brunette-haired man but I could not see him anywhere. I weaved through the crowd, heading to the room my dad gave to him. I was never allowed out of my room, but from the gossip flying around, I knew where his room was situated. I got there and lifted my hands to knock but decided against it and turned the door knob. Unfortunately, it was locked, from outside. I sighed in frustration. Where the hell was he?

Had my Dad summoned him? I headed to my Dad’s office and was surprised to bump into Ervin. He was just leaving my father’s office.

“Oh hi!” I squeaked. I looked away shyly staring at my shoes.

“Excuse me.” Ervin apologized as he moved aside, giving room for me to pass. I looked up at him but he was already walking away. My countenance dropped. Was he avoiding me? Or he thought I was coming to see my father? I rolled my eyes and turned to go after him but my father’s voice halted me.

“Hazel” Shit! I cursed mentally but I still headed into his office.

“Dad.” I greeted them with a smile. I had not seen him for days now. Him and my brothers. Not even Jason. I found it weird but I didn’t dwell so much on it.

“Sit Hazel.” My dad ordered pointing at the chair that was opposite him.

I hesitantly sat down and faced him. My dad began to talk about random things about how to live with a mate. What to do and what not to do. The list went on and on and on. My mind trailed off at some point and after about thirty minutes words of advice, he finally let me go. Ervin’s room was the first place on my mind. I headed straight to it, greeting some of the house helps along the way. When I got to it, I knocked and stood anxiously as my heart raced, waiting for an answer, but there was none. I knocked again. Still none. And again and still none then I pushed it open, turning the knob. Surprisingly, it opened. I slowly walked in, expecting to see him or at least someone inside, but the room was empty. It looked like no one was there. I could swear that no one stayed here the past few days, well, except for his faded scent and ruffled bed. What was going on?

I walked out and bumped into Jason. He looked surprised to see me.

“Oh hey!” He stuttered. His voice was thick with nervousness as he peeped into the room suspiciously. My heart began to race as it began to dawn on me that something was not right.

“Where’s Ervin?” I asked.

“Oh…” Jason mumbled and threw me a plastic smile. “Follow me.” With that, he began walking at a quick pace that was hard for me to keep up with my heels.

“Is everything alright?” I blurted out because nothing seemed right. Everything was happening in a fast motion and I could not quite grab or comprehend it. We turned a corner and Jason stopped as he grabbed my shoulders. I don’t know why my heart raced faster but I knew and felt it in my gut that he was about to give me a very bad news

“First of all Hazel, I need you to calm down. Can you do that for me?” Jason said as his eyes peered into mine. I nodded as I stared back anxiously waiting for him to drop the news. “Ervin would not be staying in this pack after the mating ceremony,” Jason said. “He is the beta of his and he has duties to perform.”

“Oh. Okay.” I said as I sighed in relief. Of course, I knew he was the beta and we would have to go to his pack. “So when would we be leaving?”

“He has gone,” Jason said. My eyes snapped up to Jason.

“What! Without me!” I whined. Well, maybe something urgent came up. I understood. “When will he come and get me? Aren’t mates supposed to like to live together?”

“He prefers you being here and him being there. He would be coming over often though.”

I felt my heart drop to my feet. Of course, he would want that. There goes my happiness and high hopes. I sighed in exhaustion and turned away with a heavy heart to walk up to my room and curl myself in bed and cry. I was thankful that Jason didn’t stop me. He understood that I wanted to be alone and he respected it. As I was about to head to the stairs, the sound of my Dad’s voice reached my ears. My legs carried me to his office where he sat and answered the call.

“….Okay. He’s leaving right now?” My dad said. Immediately he saw me, he hung up on the call and beckoned on me to sit. I begrudgingly walked over and sat. “Listen to me and listen carefully….” My dad began.

He told me about the problems of the Blood Moon Pack and how Ervin was willing to give up his chance to mate his goddess-given mate, but rather chose to mate me He told me about the deals they struck and how it would benefit me. I was beyond stunned. I sat on the seat as I watched my dad speak and tears rolled down my eyes. It was all a lie! Ervin never really liked me! Of course, he didn’t! Who would ever like me? He just used me due to my and my father's desperation.

I suddenly felt anger build up in me and I stood up, pushing the chair behind me, rather noisily, and ran out of my dad’s office. Gladly, he didn’t follow me. He probably thought I was going up to my room to sulk, but I was rather going after Ervin. I was certain that my dad was speaking with the alpha when I got into his office, which meant that Ervin was just leaving with the weapons and help my dad aided him with.

“Bloody gold digger!” I gritted under my breath as I ran. Normally, I wasn’t as fast as other werewolves, but due to my rage and need to revenge, I was fast enough. I knew the route out of my pack and that was where I headed, hoping to find Ervin. I sighted a truck driving past the pack gates. I pushed myself forward, increasing my speed, and stopped right in front of the car. The brakes screeched as the driver brought the car to a stop.

I watched as Ervin climbed out of the car looking confused. With an unfound rage, I marched towards him ready to attack but the unexpected happened. As soon as I got to him, staring at him in his eyes, challenging him, I felt something stir up in me. My eyebrows furrowed and the rage I felt slowly dissipated leaving me confused. I felt my heart grow warm and my belly fill with butterflies. What was this feeling?

With our eyes still locked, I noticed how blue his eyes were. It looked stormy as he stared at me with so much intensity and raw emotions that made me want to curl away and at the same time run into his arms. Staring at him made my heart flutter and my knees weak. His scents invaded my senses. He was scented of chocolates and a rainforest.

It was soothing to my soul and I wanted nothing more than to bask in it. That was when it dawned on me. I had read this in books. I have been taught this from childhood. It was something I never dreamed of experiencing. These were the things experienced when mates meet.

“MATE,” I whispered under my breath in great shock. Ervin was my goddess-given mate!