Rejected by the Alpha of Fire

Getting to Know Her

Helio’s POV

As I twirled Kora across the dance floor, I did my best to maintain my smile. I prided myself in being able to be in control in most social engagements, but Kora was not easily swayed by my confidence. Getting a sense of what she was thinking was as hard as figuring out which way the winds would blow.

Once we had found each other, the initial confusion had started to fade. Now, she was just looking at me with an almost calculative gaze, as if weighing my worthiness with no doubts about her own.

It was irritating, but to be fair, she was a beautiful, eligible young woman and the one the Moon Goddess had chosen for me.

My mate.

“So, what exactly do you do as crown prince?” Kora asked, looking up at me. “Other than dance the waltz?”

I cracked a tense smile. “I very rarely dance the waltz. Most recently, I’ve been sitting in territory meetings and offering my opinions when necessary. Otherwise, I’m in training.”

“For?”

I c****d an eyebrow at her. “Weaponry, controlling my powers, of course. And you, Princess?”

“I oversee the western frontier.”

There was a challenge in her eyes. Queen Araceli had been on the throne alone since King Pilan died eight years ago. As I understood it, she’d had no problem taking over the throne when he died and had employed her two eldest children in running the expanded territories of the Howling Winds Pack. Kora was younger than her brother, who was acting crown prince, but Kora did all the work of a crown prince, plus some if the rumors were true. There were even rumors that Kora would be inheriting the throne rather than her brother.

“The mountain trade routes, correct?” I asked. “I—”

The sound of breaking glass and cackling broke through the air, cutting me off. The music stopped abruptly and the gasps of the guests filled the air.

“Excuse me for a moment, Princess.”

I moved toward the gathering crowd. Then, I heard running footsteps. A blur of blonde and sapphire rushed toward the glass doors that led to the garden and vanished into the night. The crowd parted with murmurs of pardon until I saw Meri standing in front of the mess. I wasn’t surprised, but I was damn sure irritated.

“Meri,” I said with a sharp edge to my voice, my irritation evident in my words.

She whirled around with wide eyes. Her dark hair spun around her like silk as she turned to face me. Her cheeks flushed as she looked at me with a soft gaze.

“What in the Goddess’s name are you doing?” I demanded.

Her shoulders slumped a little. “Prince Helio, I—”

“Do you think now is the time for your games?” I asked. “How dare you cause a scene here, of all places? I would have thought that your father taught you better.”

“But I didn’t! That awful b***h—”

“Don’t make excuses, Meri,” I cut her off. “You’ve irritated me enough.”

She bit her lip and stepped closer, grabbing my arm and pressing up against me as she pouted.

“Please don’t be upset. It was just a bit of fun, and honestly, she shouldn’t have been so clumsy,” Meri simpered. “Let’s not talk about her.” She reached up to brush my hair out of my eyes, like she often did, but I jerked away. Letting out a breath, she continued, “The servants will clean it up. There’s no need to be upset. How about a dance?” She tugged at my arms.

I shook her off. “Don’t touch me, Meri. I’m not in the mood for you tonight. Why in the name of the Moon Goddess would I dance with you and not my mate?”

Her eyes widened, and the pout on her lips faltered into something like shock. She grabbed for me. “But, Prince Helio—”

“Last warning, Meri,” I said. “You have a bit of leniency because of the service your father has rendered the pack, but don’t forget your place. You’ve done enough.”

Her surprise deepened, and she took a step back as if my words had wounded her. But I had no patience for her antics. I turned to summon a group of servants to clean up the mess, something neither of my parents, who watched from a distance, had bothered to do yet.

“But…” Meri whispered. Her eyes were glossy and wounded as she looked up at me.

I had no idea what was going through her head, and it hardly mattered. Her jaw trembled, and she took a few steps closer to me, staring up as if she thought her gaze would do something. I c****d an eyebrow at her as a sneaking suspicion started to dawn on me.

Did she think she was my mate? The thought almost made me laugh. Meri was the daughter of Drake Capri, my father’s Beta. Before he’d become Beta, he’d been a common soldier of Ember Moon. His wife was the daughter of a wealthy merchant family, but she was still just a commoner.

As for Meri, she was ill-tempered, spoiled, and more irritating than most other women her age. I spent a lot of time with her because her brother, Cole, was my best friend. And it was the easiest way to prevent her from causing chaos. Making her my mate would have been crueler than the situation I was already saddled with in the form of Princess Kora.

I was the next in line to be King of the Ember Moon Pack. The idea that she could be my mate was ridiculous. My mate had to be of equal standing to me, equal nobility, and able to shoulder the expectations and responsibilities that came with my position.

As the servants came over, I smelled Kora’s airy, light scent getting closer. She stood between Meri and me before I could say anything. Meri didn’t have the sense to back down and offer Kora any sort of respect, but that wasn’t my problem either. As far as I knew, Kora was the exact type of woman I never wanted to date: too outspoken, too full of herself, and unwilling to bend.

“Back off, my mate,” Kora said, her voice firm and a little irritated. “You’ve already caused a scene. The least you could do is show the proper respect for your prince and visiting royalty.”

I didn’t listen or care what Meri’s reply was. The servants had started to clear away the mess and set the table back up, and I left the two to their little argument. I scanned the area, searching, before heading toward the glass doors.