Rejected By Her Mate, Mated To His Brother.

CHAPTER THREE: Only She Deserves To Be Luna.

MAE'S POV:

“Romero Blackstone is my mate. My wolf recognises and basks in his scent.” I say in a heated tone as I glare at Rowan.

I feel Romero's proud gaze on me, but I don't look in his direction, scared at what I might find in his gaze. I don't know what he expects from me by declaring me as his mate, but one thing I know for sure is that I can't love him.

My heart is too broken and destroyed in this moment by Rowan's betrayal to even consider loving another person.

I will never recover.

Everyone surrounding us starts murmuring rather loudly while giving Rowan weird looks. It is basically unheard of for a werewolf to claim another's mate as his.

The threat of the moon goddess curse flits through my mind, but I can't be bothered by it. I've already lost so much in my life, what's one curse to add to the mix?

I don't care what happens to me anymore, so long as I get my revenge.

“What do you have to say to that, Rowan?” A pack elder asks an enraged looking Rowan who is sending death glares at me.

Everyone's attention is focused on him, and in the heat of everything, his face immediately relaxes, his lips morphing into an easy smile. He takes on the facade everyone is used to seeing.

“I will not dispute what the lady has said. I must have been mistaken. Now that I think about it, my wolf has always gone wild whenever I'm around Nova Winters. She is my true mate.” Rowan says as he holds out his hand to Nova who is standing a bit far away from him.

My eyes burn at his words and further at Nova's actions as she places her hands in his.

“I'm sorry for mistaking something so easy and cheap for you, my love.” Rowan says in an easy tone as he pulls Nova into his arms.

A lone tear rolls down my cheeks at his words. No one in the pack attempts to defend my honor and I don't even expect them to.

My heart breaks in despair, and I wish for death.

“It's okay to be rejected, Brother. Just remember that a fake duplicate will never suffice for the original.” Romero says in a harsh booming tone that draws the attention of everyone towards him.

My eyes bulge in shock at his words. Did he – did he just defend me?!

Nova reddens in anger at being called a fake duplicate. Rowan looks about ready to spit nails. He opens his mouth to respond, but Romero beats him to it.

“Let the festival begin. I can't wait to be bonded to my beautiful mate.” Romero says with a beautiful smile as he walks towards me with an easy gait.

He holds out his hand to me, patiently waiting for me to place mine in them. His fingers engulf mine as he gently pulls me into him. I can see Rowan glaring at me from under his eyelids, but I completely ignore him.

“Gutter trash.” Nova murmurs just before they both walk away from me.

I swallow my words and try to hold back my tears as we move towards the main festival area. Irrespective of how hard I try not to, I find my eyes rolling back to Nova and Rowan, standing a little far off from us.

I imagine all the perfect ways I can kill them. I could gouge out Nova's eyes and cut off Rowan's male appendage.

“I don't know if I should be offended that you keep staring at another man while standing beside your mate.” Romero's cold tone filters through to me.

A gasp escapes my lips, and I immediately turn towards him, my cheeks reddening in embarrassment.

“I'm trying to come up with the perfect way to kill both of them.” I say in a heated tone as I return his intense gaze.

It suddenly occurs to me that this is the first time that we are speaking.

“Then we make just the perfect match.” Romero says with a small smile that doesn't reach his eyes.

Our conversation is soon forgotten as the full moon suddenly makes an appearance. Our wolves are reduced to their baser selves, and if not for the silver salts mixed in our drinks, we would probably all shift into our wolf forms.

The tension in the large area heightens as we all turn to face our mates. My eyes close in on Romero's dark blue gaze, and I can't turn away from them.

We both recite our vows under the moon before I calmly tilt my head to the side in order to accept the mating mark.

Romero leans forward, and suddenly, his close proximity to me elicits feelings in my body that leave me completely confused and stunned.

My stomach tightens in nervousness as his lips hover an inch above my skin.

A gasp escapes my lips as he blows gently on the skin. The hairs on my arms rise and I suddenly feel lightheaded.

I unconsciously lift my hands to his arms where I hold on tightly so as not to fall down. But immediately our skin comes in contact, my legs give out under me.

His hands circle my waist in order to hold me upright. I have never felt such arousal before in my entire life.

His lips close around the skin on my neck at the juncture where my shoulder meets my neck. I moan loudly as my fingers tighten on his arms.

He continues to suckle on my neck, heightening my arousal until I feel almost ready to orgasm from his lips on my skin.

His large hands hold me upright, spanning over my lower back.

Just when I'm about to orgasm, he bites down, breaking into my skin.

“Aaarrrgggggghhh!!” I scream in pleasure and agony.

My lower abdomen tightens and suddenly, I'm pushed over the precipice, and I orgasm for the first time in my life. It rocks my body so badly that if not for his hands holding me up, I probably would have collapsed into a puddle on the ground.

My eyes remain tightly closed as I try to regain my bearings.

Then all of a sudden, the moment is broken as Romero pushes away harshly from me.

“So the rumors were indeed right.” Romero says with a mocking smirk on his lips as he stares tauntingly at me.

“What – what are you talking about?” I stutter as I look around us, realizing that people were already starting to take note of us now that the mating ritual was over.

“You are indeed a whore.” He spits out angrily at me before stalking away from me, leaving me cold and breathless.

My eyes are wide from shock and surprise. What the hell just happened?!

My eyes land on Nova who gives me a mocking smile as she glares at me. Some people turn away to hide their smiles, but not before I see them.

They are – they are all laughing at me.

Every other person is wrapped up in their mate's arms while I'm left standing alone.

Before I can stop myself, I turn my back on all of them as I run towards the gate of the large Manor.

I run and keep running as tears stream down my face in torrents. By the time I make it home, my eyes start to hurt from all the crying I've done.

I collapse into my bed in the dark room as I have a sinking realization.

I'm mated to a man that hates and despises me.

And come tomorrow, I will have to return to his house.

__________________________

MAE'S POV:

I stuff my clothes into the small bag open on the ground. My eyes tingle but I can't even cry any longer.

I'm very certain that the feelings of despair and wariness threatening to overtake me now are not the normal feelings a lady who has just been bonded to her fated mate should feel.

I don't know which one I dread more though. Staying home long enough for my aunt and cousin to return, or going to the Manor where I would be alone with Romero and my former mate who rejected me.

They all slept at the Manor last night considering the fact that Nova is now mated to Rowan. But I know they will be back very soon.

Aunt Amaya and Nova are definitely the worst option, I realize with a sinking feeling.

I close the small bag which holds all my possessions in this world. My clothes, a few shoes, and a picture of me and my parents.

I hurry out of the room and down the stairs, only to come in contact with Aunt Amaya and Nova standing by the door.

“Oh look who it is! The w***e who wanted to steal my mate for herself.” Nova says in a mocking tone as she glares at me.

Years of pent up anger and frustration finally boil over. “You really should look in the mirror, Nova, it's you. You are the w***e for sleeping with your cousin's fated mate.”

“How does it feel knowing that you would never have anything for yourself unless it belonged to me first?” I ask in an enraged tone.

Nova's mouth hangs wide open at my words. This is the first time I've ever spoken back to her before. I guess the fact that I'm leaving their house today gives me the bolster I need.

‘Thwack!’

The booming sound of Aunt Amaya's hands connecting with my cheeks resounds everywhere in the foyer.

My bag clutters to the ground, and I lift my hand up cupping my cheeks. My eyes instantly fill with tears as I glare at her.

“This is how you repay us after taking you in when you were abandoned by your bastard parents?!” Aunt Amaya asks in a tone filled with rage.

I don't try to defend myself nor do I try to retaliate. I just let the tears roll down my cheeks as I promise myself that this is the last time they will ever see me cry.

“And where do you think you are going? You are going to go back to that house and reject that bastard as your mate. You will not be bonded to him.” Aunt Amaya says in a tone of finality.

“Why?!” I ask in an alarmed tone before I can stop myself.

“Because he's obviously the oldest son and therefore next in line to becoming the Supreme Alpha of the pack.” Nova says with a heavy frown on her face as she glares at me as though I've stolen something of hers.

“Nova is the only one who deserves to be Luna. And the only way Rowan will have a chance is if Romero is left without a mate, and you are going to help her achieve that.” Aunt Amaya says in a cold tone.

I swallow bitterly at her words. Why does life always treat me this way?

“You are going to help me because that's what good cousins do. And that shouldn't be a problem considering your mate despises you. You should have seen the way the ladies were wrapped around him last night.” Nova says in a taunting tone.

I know I shouldn't let her words get to me, but they do. I have a hard time reconciling the image of the cold and aloof man who saved me from embarrassment to this man who hates the sight of me.

“No. I won't reject Romero. We will make it work out.” I say while swallowing heavily.

I realize that staying with a man who hates me is ten times better than living with Aunt Amaya and her husband. I would probably be dead before the year is over.

“You talk like you have a choice.” Aunt Amaya says in a condescending tone.

“If you don't do as I've said, I will not only expose to everyone that you are a part witch, but I will also make sure you die a very very horrible death.” Aunt Amaya says with a very evil expression on her face that causes my heart to sink to the bottom of my stomach.