How come I got a playboy for a mate?

Chapter Four

Mason POV

My mother is unbelievable. Woo? Do I have to woo my mate? This sounds so ridiculous. Why should I have to woo what the goddess gave me as my one true mate? I can hardly believe it.

How am I supposed to woo her? Woman, fall at my feet, wanting to be with me, and now I have to woo a girl because she said no?

‘Heather, dear, I think you should let Mason prove he can be a good mate, don’t you think?’ Mum suggests, trying to coax this minx to accept me. ACCEPT ME!! A prince.

‘Nope, I don’t have to do anything of the sort.’ Her sweet soft voice answers promptly, she is standing with her arms folded and refusing to give in. I nearly fell off my chair at her defiance.

‘How about you try dating him, please?’ Mother coaxed again. I know Mother could order her, but I think things would be worse if she did. This woman was determined to make my life hard.

‘Okay, I will date him, let’s say for six months. If I see him with another woman in that time, I will add a week to the length of time, and if he comes to pick me up for a date and I smell another woman's scent on him, I will refuse to go on the date and add a week to the trial.’ She says, and I am flabbergasted at her nerve to negotiate like this, we are going to be dating on her terms, my mate, the one made for me.

‘How about one month?’ Mum tried to continue to negotiate with this vixen.

‘Five months.’ Heather countered back, still not looking at me, but at Mother as she negotiated my future dates with her.

‘Two months.’ Mum countered back.

‘Four months.’ Heather tries again, but you can see she is weakening.

‘Three months.’ The room stays quiet as they wait to see what Heather says. She looks at me briefly and then back at my mother, not at all impressed with this negotiation.

‘Fine three months, but every time he comes near me, and he has the smell of another woman, I will add another week to the trial, going by his reputation, we will never be mated, and I won’t listen to any excuses about why he smells of another woman.’ She glares daringly at me.

‘You need to get the scent of my brother’s mate, so you know, I don’t want to lose a week because you smell one of the family on me.’ I said, not liking this at all.

‘I know what Sabrina smells like. Don’t worry, it is all the other women you like to be with that will add a week, and I won’t accept any excuses as to why you have their smell on you.’ she rebuffs again, and I wonder what our dates are going to be like if she is so determined to not be my mate.

‘Heather, dear, have you finished school?’ the queen asked, kindly she seemed to be all in, with this dating thing.

‘Yes, your majesty, I have started working with my father at the beginning of school break, he is the Delta of his pack, and I am learning how to be his assistant.’ She says proudly, standing up with more confidence than a moment ago during the negotiating.

‘It would be advisable to let your father know, that, from the start of the week, you will come here, and I will teach you what I expect you to be doing once mated, and you stay alongside me. I would like you here at eight am until three in the afternoon, and if we have special occasions and parties, I expect you to attend.’ Mum orders, making this sound even harder.

‘What? Why?’ she is still defiant.

‘Because my dear, you are my son’s mate, and he is the second eldest, that means one day you will be the beta wife and should know how best to serve the future queen. We should start your training early.’ She says with a smug smile.

‘Beta wife? I am only a Delta.’ She stammers back in shock.

‘It is a custom for the royal sons to take on all the roles. We expect the eldest to have at least three sons and if he does not, then the second-eldest son will take the position. It has always been this way.’ Dad spoke for the first time since greeting Heather when she was first escorted into the castle and Mother started the negotiating, his voice deep and full of authority. My mate looked at Dad in shock when he spoke. Heather nodded her head, accepting what Dad said.

My mate is a strong woman, and won’t be a pushover, it is going to take a bit of patience to get her to accept me as her mate.

‘Today is Thursday, Mason. I suggest you take Heather out on your first date on Saturday. That will give Heather time to adjust to this new situation and advise her family of her new position. Don’t let me down, son.’

Mum said this was for both of us. Although she addressed me as she organized our first date, she was also advising Heather, that there was no way out of this. Sooner or later, she will have to be my mate. I intend to have her in mind in three months. No way am I going out with any other woman, now I have found my mate.

‘Fine.’ Heather says, ‘The three months start on Saturday.’

She looks over to me, ‘Don’t come smelling of another woman, or I will ignore you and won't step out the door.’ She growls at me.

‘May I leave now?’ she addressed my dad and mum.

'Certainly dear, it was nice to meet you at last.’ Mother answers, in a chirpy voice, to Heather.

Mum is ecstatic that one of her boys has a mate, one down four to go and Mum won’t stop till we all have a mate.

‘Certainly, we shall appoint you a driver, who will pick you up each day and return when you have finished. Do you have a phone?’ Dad asked his hand out, waiting for the phone.

‘Yes. Sir.’

‘Good,’ he took the phone, and we heard a ding of Dad and then Mum’s phone.

‘Please, give the driver your number, and he will give you his, then if you need to use him at any time, you can call him, whether it is castle related or not, he will be yours to command from today onward.’ Mum says to my mate as she takes the phone back from dad.

‘Thank you, Sir.’

Heather walks out with Gerry, the driver, and I am now excited and nervous about seeing her on Saturday.