The Mates of Monsters

Chapter 3

The Alpha steps toward me, and without a thought, I step back. A breath leaves his lips, his chest sinking with impatience. I stand as stiff as a board.

"I thought maybe it was the audience making you, well, uncomfortable," he says. "You'll have to tell me what it is because I'm out of guesses."

I watch him as a nervous look overcomes my face. My lips part only slightly for the slightest words, but not even those come out.

The Alpha takes a few steps closer, and I feel the desk hit my backside. He pauses. "Don't—don't do that," I breathe, scolding his body for doing what it is wired to do.

"Come near you?" He questions, not taking me seriously.

"Yes."

He breathes in. "That might be a problem, Brigette."

Internally, I'm throwing around every curse word I can think of. How could this happen? Why now? Why him?

"I'm sorry," I say suddenly. "This isn't right. This isn't supposed to happen."

"And what is suppose to happen?"

My arms cross over my chest, restraining myself from doing something stupid. "It's just—you're not my mate."

He takes a seat in one of the carefully placed chairs in front of my Alpha's desk, moving slowly. I stay against the desk, watching cautiously as if he might attack me with his charm or authority or touch—all utterly terrifying. "Everything inside of me believes otherwise. You're my mate, there's no mistaking it."

"But I-I wouldn't be a good one. I would make a terrible mate, trust me. You don't want this."

"Are you trying to convince me to not want you?" He asks.

I look away from his somewhat amused grin. "Frankly, yes. I mean it. I really wouldn't be good at it."

"I always thought this moment would go in a much different direction than it is," the Alpha considers, his haunting voice toying with me. "You know you hear stories about finding your mate, but I can't say I've heard one remotely close to this."

"And what did you expect? For me to run into your arms and have to whisk me off to whatever place you come from?"

I know where he comes from. There are only so many Alphas in the world, so many places secluded enough to house packs of hundreds. He's from east of here—on the coast.

He studies me for a minute. My eyes follow the grown, brown strands of his hair to those few pieces that fall forward. As if he knows where my eyes are, he runs his hand through it, combing the stray hairs back. "You don't want to leave home?" He asks.

"No, I do want to leave home. I just don't want a mate."

The Alpha peers to the floor, sighs, then finds my eyes. "You're fighting it, aren't you? You're defiant, you've made that clear, but there is no point in trying to deny it. So how about you tell me why you don't want a mate."

"I just don't," I say. "I meant what I said. It's just not for me."

"And you know this how?"

I swallow and step away from the desk. "Look, I didn't want a regular mate, but you—an Alpha—you're a prison sentence. I don't want this life. I don't want to be a Luna. Any other girl from any pack would beg the goddess to be your mate, so please, don't—don't try to whisk me away. Don't think that I'll eventually get over myself. Let's just snip this in the bud, alright?"

The Alpha stands up. He looks down at me, unfazed. "I'm sorry, Brigette. But that isn't going to happen."

"Fine," I say softly. "But when I run, just give me a head start, will you?"