The Alpha's Claimed Mate

I could sense Zak’s anger at me and didn’t know how to respond to him. He was right. I shouldn’t have arbitrarily made decisions when the mate bond involved both of us. But what else was I supposed to do? Tell him that I was going to die in ten years and watch him lose his mind?

The effect of the mate bond was stronger, the more powerful you were. Even I was feeling the pull so strongly, I couldn’t imagine how much worse it would be for him. I looked up to see Zak’s icy blue eyes tainted with betrayal.

“You wouldn’t understand,” I said, pained. 

“Then make me understand, Ashley.” Zak gritted his teeth. 

There was no other way out.

“I just don’t want a mate. That’s why.” 

He chuckled bitterly.

“I can’t even hear a lie in your voice. Is that another trick of yours or is that the truth? Do you really think I can trust your words?” He took a step forward. I tried to take one step back, away from him, since being so close to Zak on Lure Day was making my senses go haywire. 

But he had already backed me to the bed with another stride. I put my hands on his chest to push him away. They only got caught in his instead.

“Alpha Zak, I really don’t want a mate. I don’t fancy being bound to others. That really is why. It’s not in my nature. I love my freedom, and I also know all the responsibilities that come with being a Luna Superior. So please, let me go.” His composure crumbled with each word I spoke. 

“Then you just have to say so. You don’t have to do anything but stay by my side, if that’s what you wish. I can make anything you want come true if you just be by my side.” Zak pulled me closer with my hands on his chest and put his forehead on mine. I barely resisted the urge to cry. Why was he being so stubborn?

“So why Ashley? Why are you still lying?” 

I looked up at him in shock, bumping my forehead with his. I stayed silent, not knowing how to respond.

‘How does he know?’

He let out a small laugh and smiled. Zak looked me in the eye with an icy glare that could freeze glaciers. 

“Did you really think your petty tricks would work on me? If so, you are thoroughly mistaken. I won’t ask you questions, if that’s what you wish. But don’t you dare think of escaping,” he said, his hands on my waist tightening. I sighed against his chest and thought about it rationally.

I couldn’t escape him even if I wanted to. This mate bond was so strong that one glance at him was all it needed to make me lose my defenses. But I needed to escape somehow. I put that thought away.

Right now, I needed to make this skeptical mate of mine trust me, so that when I broke his trust, he would never even think of looking for me again. It might be painful for him to be betrayed, but it would still be better than him watching me die slowly.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think it through properly.” I did mean my words this time. The ice in his eyes melted ever so slightly. These Lycan lie detectors seriously. He really could tell my lies apart.

“I don’t trust you, Ashley. After the ceremony, you are coming with me to Eternal Frost. No excuses. And you better not try to pull anything during the ceremony,” Zak warned.

I nodded. The ceremony was not important. As long as he didn’t mark me, I could still escape. As I was thinking about how to run away, he suddenly buried his face in the crook of my neck, his icy breath sending shivers down my spine. Zak’s arms around my waist trapped me in a hug.

I froze, not knowing what to do.

“We will talk about everything after the ceremony.” He stood up straight, as if nothing had happened, and walked away from me. I blinked, trying to process what just happened. Couldn’t he have held me for a little longer?

… ’No Ash. No falling for this sly guy.’ I shook my head.

Zak held out his hand for me to take. I took it and in a moment; the surroundings changed from his bedroom to a ballroom. I cursed him in my mind. Why did he not give me time to change into something else? 

“Alpha Superior Zakariya Frost and his Chosen Luna,” the herald announced, noticing our presence. 

Our abrupt entrance caught all eyes in the wide hall, but nobody dared to approach, sensing his aura. Of course, that didn’t apply to a certain white-haired, red-eyed rabbit-like Alpha Superior, who walked over to us with a bright smile on his face. 

“Rumors are circulating already. I heard that she’s your true mate, and that you whisked her away as soon as you found her? I’m so curious Zak, who knew that an iceberg like you would be blessed by Cerne?” Rafayel said, poking fun at Zak.

Zak ignored him. 

“This is Ashley Diamante, my soon to be Luna. Take care of her while I go over to Alpha Enya. I have business to take care of. Don’t let her out of your sight,” he said and walked away leaving a dumbfounded me and an equally flabbergasted Rafayel behind. 

“He told me to make myself free because he has an important task for me to do… I guess he really cherished you, miss. To assign you an Alpha Superior as a bodyguard,” Rafayel teased. 

‘It’s not that he cherishes me, but because he is afraid I’d be able to outsmart anyone who wasn’t an Alpha Superior,’ I wanted to say but held back. I was quite touched that Zak didn’t underestimate me one bit.

“Yes, he is very protective of me for some reason,” I affirmed. Wasn’t this guy supposed to be his friend? He should talk some sense into him. Rafayel gave me a grin. 

“Want me to introduce you to some of the other Alphas?” He asked.

“Nah, I’m good.” I didn’t want to get acquainted with any of them. The fewer people who recognised me, the better. 

He shrugged and stood beside me, pointing to random people and whispering juicy gossip in my ears, which I tuned out. Interesting as they were, I was not in the mood to listen to anything. I looked around and found some food on the table. Luckily, unlike most balls where the food was only for decorative purposes, they served actual food here and other people were also eating desserts.

My mood perked up when I caught sight of Claire, who was crying while eating some delicious-looking chocolate cake. Next to her was a guy with platinum blonde hair who was consoling her, well, at least trying to. He looked fairly handsome in the distance. I assumed that guy to be Rylan, the one who picked her as his mate.

I tapped on Rafayel’s shoulder and he stopped speaking immediately. He looked at me with curious red eyes. I pointed to Claire and whispered, “That’s my best friend. I want to surprise her. Can you stay here for a moment? You can join me after.”

A mischievous glint lit up his eyes, and he nodded understandingly. I went over to the place where Claire was standing quickly. Rylan saw me, but I gestured for him to shush.

“Boo,” I whispered in her ear.