The Defiant Mate

Prologue

Jay-la POV

“I just need 2 minutes of your time.” Jay-la pleaded with the future Alpha of her pack, Alpha Nathan, of the Blood Moon Pack. She had a hand on his arm. He was frowning down at that hand, then those deep dark blue eyes she had once drowned in glared at her, at her touch, in a deep disapproving manner.

They had been lovers casually for just over a year now, but it was all over now. He had found his Fated Mate, gifted to him by the Moon Goddess herself, and just like that, he no longer had even a minute to spare for her.

Jay-la had loved him with all she had; her whole heart. Even though she had known that this day would come. She had always kept the relationship with him light, playful and fun, so he would never know she was in love with him. He was not her fated mate, nor she, his. Jay-la just wanted to wish him well and let him know that she was going to leave, to finish her law degree on campus full-time. That she would be interning on her breaks. So she wouldn’t be coming home for at least the next two years.

Jay-la just couldn’t watch him with his fated mate, see how happy they would be, how in love. Seeing them around making out and getting all hot and heavy; when it used to be her and him. It would just cause her too much heartache. She would never tell him that though.

As she stood there clinging to his arm, pleading for just 2 minutes of his time, she was trying to smile up at him brightly like she always did. When his fated mate, Sophia, walked into the room, glared at Jay-la and the way she was holding onto him. Sophia did not care about the fact that Nathan and Jay-la had been friends since childhood. That for 20 years they had known each other, a fun friendship that she cherished.

Sophia’s wolf snarled at the sight before her and Sophia yelled “Get your filthy dirty paws off of my mate,” as she stalked over and yanked Jay-la’s hand off of his arm. Yanked her away from Nathan, as her other hand had stuck her, slapping her face so hard that Jay-la staggered back a step, her hand touching her now stinging cheek.

Kora, Jay-la’s wolf, roared with rage inside of her mind, at the hurt and pain, the sheer viciousness of the sudden attack. Kora had raced forward, ripping to the surface before Jay-la could stop her, and with claws pushing out of her fingertips, stuck Sophia right back. A full slap to her own face, all claws out, tearing through the skin on the future Luna’s cheek, leaving 3 bloody scratches down her face, and blood dripping off her onto her clothes.

Sophia had screamed in pain from the attack on her own face, clutching at her face with both hands, her eyes had turned to her mate as tears spilled down her bloody face. Jay-la knew she would heal and quickly, she had a wolf.

Nathan’s blue eyes had widened at the sight of his mate’s injury. He reached out for his mate and cradled her in his arms, holding her to his chest to comfort her. His blue eyes turned on Jay-la, and they were so filled with rage, his wolf right there with him. He roared in anger at the pain inflicted on his mate, by her: “Leave this pack. Don’t you ever come back.”

Jay-la stared up at him horrified by his words, tears brimming in her green eyes. It was treason to attack the Luna or Alpha or even the future Luna or Alpha of your pack, and her wolf had just done that, attacked the future Luna with claws out. She turned and hurried out of the room. If she stayed a minute longer she would only incur further punishment or perhaps death.

Kora whined in the distress and pain of leaving him, leaving their home, leaving their family. She knew, as did Jay-la, they would never be allowed to come home again. If he had been the actual Alpha, not the heir, she would have just been banished and marked as a rogue with nowhere to go.

Jay-la’s steps quickened as she headed out the packhouse front door, till she was running, tears streaming down her face, heading for her car. She didn’t dare stay a minute longer. What if he changed his mind? What if his mate changed his mind on her punishment? And wanted her beaten and imprisoned or dead.

There was no time to say goodbye to her family, her mum, dad or her older brother. She just ran, tears streaming, for her car. She heard the future Beta of the pack, Jackson, call out after her “Jay-la what’s wrong?” There was concern in his voice, but she didn’t stop to tell him, just got in the car and drove away as fast as she could, to get off pack territory, before worse was to come.

At least Nathan hadn’t had the power to demote her to a worthless rogue on the spot. Her only blessing at the time. It could still happen though. His father, Alpha Blaine, would choose whether or not that was still to come. He would hear Sophia and Nathan’s side of the story, and judge her from it.

‘Why?’ Jay-la asked her wolf Kora, sobs wracking her as she drove away back to the university she had spent the past 2 years studying at. Lucky for her, she lived on campus and had a dorm to retreat to, somewhere to go. Now she couldn’t return to her pack.

‘Protect Pup.’ Kora howled in pain, Jay-la’s tears burned even more, her heart ached so much she didn’t know if she could endure it. A baby. His baby. And he had just tossed her away like garbage and forbidden her to return. The pain in her chest and inside of Kora felt as though it was ripping them apart, but they had to endure it, survive it for their pup.