The Alpha Rejected Me Again

CHAPTER 4

Zander's POV

It’s the first day of school.

My most dreaded day. If you were to ask me, I would say it’s useless. You can learn everything outside. Most of the time, the toughest life lessons are learned not in books but with first-hand experience.

That’s why I don’t understand why we still have to do this. Why do we need to waste almost eight hours a day sitting inside a dull classroom?

I took a deep breath before finally taking a step inside Imperial University where I am currently in my second year of studies. But I stopped on my track when my senses caught on something. My whole body turned cold and rigid. What I thought would be a yet ordinary day again turned out to be so different.

“Can you smell it?” Logan, my wolf, asked excitedly. I can feel his growing excitement. He's even prancing inside my head.

“Yes,” I answered while gritting my teeth. Another inhale and the scent became more evident.

This can’t be happening...

But I can really smell it. The most delicious scent wafted through my nose. The distinct smell of spiced, warm cinnamon lingered in the air. It was enough to make my wolf titillated as he has never been before. I can't blame him since I also feel something stirring inside of me. I knew very well what this meant.

“Mate!” Logan chanted inside my head. "That's our mate's scent!"

“What are you waiting for?!” he growled when I didn’t do or say anything. I remained rooted where I stood. What does he even expect me to do? Does he really think that I would be excited about this whole mate bond thing?

“I expect you to come where that scent is coming! Find our mate!” his voice showed his impatience. He started fighting me for dominance as if he could take control. I have mastered the art of shackling my beast. He couldn’t do anything unless I told him to.

"Do you understand what you're saying?" I asked, instead of doing what he wanted.

"Of course! It's the most natural thing to do!" he growled. "Why? Don't tell me you have other plans in mind?!"

I ignored him and took a deep breath, inhaling the most intoxicating scent that I ever smelled in my whole life. I closed my eyes and held the air inside my lungs for as long as I could. It’s as if I wanted to embed that scent into my system. I stood there for a while before finally taking another step away before the scent could overcome my senses completely.

I felt my wolf’s strong defiance but he couldn’t do anything to stop me. Not even the stabbing pain in my chest can change my mind right now.

“Where are you going? You should go the other way!” he roared. “Our mate’s scent is coming from the opposite direction.” His anger was coming off in waves. But so is mine.

Other students that I walked past looked at me strangely. They must have sensed my foul mood. Not that I am ever in a good mood. I ignored them as I kept on walking away until the smell got too faint for me to smell.

“I said go back! Why are you running away from our mate?!” he growled. “Go back! Claim her!” his beastly voice echoed inside my head. He’s trying to intimidate me.

“No.” I calmly answered as I got faster. Soon enough, I am using my full speed to get the hell away from there. To run away from that damned fated mate…

“What are you trying to do? Do you really think that you can run away from this?” Logan started. He is starting to piss me off.

“You know very well that I can do just that,” I told him. My voice was stripped of any emotions.

“Do not underestimate the power of the mate bond!” those are his final words before cutting off our link in annoyance.

Finally.

Now I can be alone with my own thoughts. I slumped my body to the ground, lying completely on the grass. Then I looked up at the skies with resentment. I feel that the Moon Goddess is betraying me all over again. I prayed to her. Heck, I wished so hard for her not to give me a mate even months before my birthday.

And to answer those prayers, she threw my mate across my path the day, right after I turned eighteen? What the hell? Can’t she wait a little longer? Is she that eager to find something to torture me again?

Now I’m starting to wonder if she’s up there. Or maybe she is, but she clearly doesn’t have time to listen to me. What’s new with that anyway? She never did. Probably never will. I will just have to accept whatever it is she decides for me. f**k that.

“Watch me.” I spat while still looking up above. As if someone actually sees me right now.

“I will do everything in my power to defy this damned mate bond.” I spat each word with vile. I will never, ever give in to that stupid fate.

“Zander, where are you?” a voice called me using the mind link. I know very well whose voice that is. It’s my annoying friend Lucas. He is the prince of our kingdom, but we have been friends for a long time now that I get a free pass to scowl at him.

“What?” I snapped angrily, but he just ignored me. They're already used to my grumpy attitude. Sometimes I even wonder why they still consider me a friend. We've known each other since we were kids because we live in the same circle. We only got closer, however, when we both started studying here.

At first, I was only following my father's orders. He wanted me to spy on him and the royal family. But as time passed by, I learned to accept him as my friend. He isn't that bad of a friend after all. He made me realize that what my father desperately wanted was wrong.

"You're already late," he told me as if I wasn't completely aware.

I didn't answer him. Instead, I harshly stood up and started to walk into our classroom. If only I could hold my breath, I would so as not to get even a whiff of that cursed scent. My steps became hurried in the fear that I would smell it again.

Heads turned my way when I walked through the door. The old professor glared at me but didn't say anything. I took the only available seat. My eyes scanned the room and almost groaned when he started his lecture. It was so f*****g boring that I just wanted to block my ears. Why would they want to torture us like this?!

He is teaching Lycan history. I'm not even a Lycan, so I don't get the point of studying this. Even Lucas, who is a Lycan himself, is bored out of his wits in this class, but we have to endure it like every other student here.

Lunchtime came. My friends, Lucas, Marcus, and Fredrick, came up to me. We usually eat lunch together. I had no choice but to go with them, even if I just wanted to be left alone. I want to think, but I know they won't just leave me alone. I don't want to tell them about my issues either. I'm used to keeping everything to myself.

"You're frowning again, my friend," Fredrick teased while we were waiting for our food. I wanted to smack him on the head. Why doesn't he just mind his own f*****g business and leave me the hell alone?!

I kept quiet despite the things that I wanted to say.

"When did he ever smile?" Lucas chuckled, which annoyed me more.

"Right! The summer break didn't cool him off!" Marcus butted in.

"It's called summer for a reason. Surely not to cool you off!" I snorted, trying to divert their f*****g attention. I don't need it on me.

"I agree. My summer was sure steamy." Fredrick smirked with a glint of naughtiness in his eyes. I almost rolled my eyes.

He acts like a hormonal teenager. Well, technically, we're still teenagers. But isn't he getting tired of fooling around? Even Lucas, who practically had every she-wolf throwing herself at him, already got tired of the fvcking game.

"Did you have a summer fling?" Marcus asked, his brow c****d up in curiosity.

Now they had found something else to talk about, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

They were talking about their summer vacations, but I couldn't keep up. First, nothing good happened during my summer vacation. It wasn't even a vacation at all. Second, my mind is preoccupied, mainly because of what happened this morning. Her scent seemed to be etched in my whole being now. I couldn't get it off my system no matter how hard I tried.

It's a good thing that I haven't smelled her again since then. Perhaps she's not studying here? Maybe she was just a visitor who dropped by this morning?

I hope so. I would be doomed if she was a student here. My fvcked up life will be fvcked up even more.

"Stop talking about our mate like that!" Logan growled. He surfaced again just to defend our mate.

"You know the reason very well." I talked to him through our mind link.

"Trust the moon goddess. She knows what she's doing," he snapped.

"Do you really believe that?!" I scoffed before cutting him off. I never knew my wolf could be this romantic towards the mate thing.

But just as soon as I spoke, I caught a whiff of that scent again. I clenched my jaw as I looked around. I so much wanted to run away again, but I didn't want to appear weak. I can't keep on running away. I had to see her once and for all, so I knew what was coming to me. Or maybe I should just reject her as soon as possible to get this over with!

"Mate!" Logan uttered as he started prancing inside my head. He was so excited that I couldn't do anything to shut him up, so I just ignored him as much as I could. It wasn't hard to do since my attention shifted to what was coming.

"Don't you dare reject her, or else..." he threatened, but I couldn't hear him anymore. My attention is solely focused on what's coming. Or rather, who's coming?

The scent intensifies with each passing second. She must be going here to the cafeteria. I fixed my gaze on the door while waiting for the other half I was supposed to be with. Can she sense me too? Well, that is if she really is a she. With the way the Moon Goddess had been playing with me, I wouldn't be surprised at all if he would give me another male wolf as my mate.

It took a good few minutes before the scent filled the whole room as a lone she-wolf stepped in. I'm sure that it's her. I held my breath to stop her scent from intoxicating me. I scanned her with my piercing gaze from head to foot before my eyes landed on her face again.

"Mate! Mate!" Logan chanted like a lovestruck puppy inside my head.

She's not even that extraordinary. She has an average height. The top of her head would probably reach a little below my shoulder. She's too short for me. Her long, black hair braided on either side of her head. It made her fair skin stand out even more. She has dark brows framing her bright blue eyes, a slender nose, and naturally plump, reddish lips. Right. Not so attractive...

"What the hell are you saying?!" my wolf growled in disapproval. "She's the most beautiful she-wolf I have ever seen!"

I sighed.

Okay. She's beautiful, I have to admit that, but definitely not the best that I have ever seen. She seemed young, probably hadn't turned eighteen yet. It was proved when she just walked to the counter with her head bowed down. I could smell her fear but I am sure that she hasn't sensed me yet. But that's not what bothered me the most.

Fuck. f**k it. I f*****g knew it!

The Moon Goddess surely had ways to f**k me up all over again. My mate is a she-wolf but an Omega!

"Have you sensed your mate yet?" Marcus suddenly asked. I almost choked on my food because of that. Can he read minds now?

Am I that obvious? Perhaps. Because even after his question, I still can't tear my eyes off my mate.

Now her gaze found mine and surprisingly, she looked back at me like she wasn't intimidated by my aura at all. At that moment, I wished that I could read what was in her mind. What is she thinking while looking at me like that?

"You turned eighteen yesterday, right?" I heard Marcus ask again when I didn't say anything.

"It was your birthday?!" Fredrick exclaimed, which somehow changed the subject. I could never have been more thankful for his big mouth until now.

"Yeah." I lazily drawled, my eyes still fixed on my mate.

"And you didn't even bother to invite us?" he asked incredulously, like it was a big deal.

"I didn't celebrate. I was busy." I answered quietly, which is the truth. I never celebrated any of my birthdays. But definitely not because I was busy.

"So, have you found your mate yet?" Lucas pressed after a while. I shot him an annoyed look. Why is he even interested?

"How about you? Have you found her?" I asked, knowing he turned eighteen last year and still hadn't found the one for him. She's probably still a fetus right now.

"What?" he chuckled. "I was just asking you. I already feel bad for the poor girl who will be fated for you."

"No," I growled impatiently.

This time, I was finally able to look away from her. I needed to do it before these idiots noticed how I was staring at her. I couldn't let that happen since I have no intentions of letting anyone know that I am fated to an Omega.

Honestly, her rank isn't the biggest reason why I am so dejected right now. She could be an Alpha's daughter and yet I would probably feel the same.

I don't need a mate. She will only be my weakness. There's just no place for her in my life...