Their Mate And Luna

CHAPTER 7

VINCE AND VANCE

VINCE

A bloody omega. What was the moon goddess thinking? She must have been high on too much moonlight glow to mate us to that weakling. There were other she-wolves with strong bloodlines and status, yet she skipped alphas, betas and gammas for a mere omega. And a very weak one at that.

Not just weak only, no one knew her parentage. Her aunt and uncle brought her into the pack years ago after her parents clearly abandoned her somewhere.

As alphas, my brother and I need strong mates who can fight in case of an attack. This she-wolf hardly ever shows up for training. More like never shows up. She was weak of course. A little kick to her head was enough to put her in a coma.

We didn't need any liability, especially one that would have a huge target on her back as our mate. Our enemies would use her anytime as a way to attack us and the pack.

We found out she was our mate three years ago. It was at the mating anniversary of our parents. She was fifteen then and was helping her aunt, who is a caterer, arrange the food table for the event.

I had awoken to a unique and intoxicating scent of sweet vanilla and dark chocolate as I laid in bed that early morning. Sniffing the she-wolf sleeping beside me, thinking she was the one emitting this scent. My wolf, too, was affected, with his ears perked up and tongue dangling out of his mouth, salivating in response to the scent assaulting us.

Seeing that it wasn't her, I gave in to my instincts and allowed my wolf to lead us to the source of the scent. That morning was the first time I wasn't t able to control my senses. I knew this was my mate. It could only be her.

Outside my door, I found my brother, also having the same bewildered and bewitched expression on his face.

"You smell something?" I had asked him.

"Sweet vanilla and dark chocolate." He responded, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply. He nodded and without any hesitation, we both dashed downstairs, pushing past people and objects in our near-naked haste.

Outside, a large tent had been set up, with seats and tables arranged inside for the guests. People moved out of our way when they saw our crazed expressions and half clad bodies. Not to mention that we were breathing heavily, our wolves pushing forward to meet their mate.

We identified our mate's scent was coming from a long table covered with a white cloth, but no one was there. Just before we reached there, she emerged from underneath it, holding a plastic crate full of plates.

"No way," I gasped in the mindlink, suddenly hit with a mixture of surprise, desire and recognition.

"She's the one!" Vance barked in surprise into the link as well.

The smell of sweet vanilla and dark chocolate filled our lungs as the early morning breeze blew around her, lifting her brown hair from her face, revealing the pinkest lips I had ever seen. Her brown eyes lifted up towards our grey ones. Everything and everyone disappeared from my mind and only her filled it up. She became my entire world.

"Good morning, alphas," she greeted us, smiling. Her voice, the sweetest melody to ever reach my ears. Her rosy cheeks rising over her face, stretching her pink lips into the most enchanting smile ever to bless me. I yearned to feel their softness against mine. Her warm brown eyes looking at me felt like a blessing. And I wanted them to remain on me forever.

"Morning, Nicole," we both chorused, still gazing at her, captivated by her presence.

Her name felt perfect on my tongue. Each letter became tattooed on it. My wolf begged me to touch her, loving how her name rolled off his senses, dripping like warm butter down it's ears.

I noticed my brother struggling with his wolf too.

"Bro, we can't do this," Vance's voice trembled. I could feel he had the same yearning as me through our twin bond. "We can't accept her."

"We have to reject her," I concurred, though it pained me. Reluctantly, we tore our gazes away from her, and began to leave, straining against the invisible chains of her scent and the mate bond that was now strong within us. The fresh mate bond made it harder to do, especially with our wolves getting a taste of her scent, urging us to turn around and lay claim to her. Though we couldn't mark her until she turned eighteen, we could still let the world know she was ours. But that was the last thing we were going to do.

"She won't feel the rejection until she gets her wolf." I explained to my brother.

"We have to wait till she's eighteen. Three damn years from now!" He fumed, which wasn't unusual of him. He loved having his way and wished we could reject Nicole immediately that day. I wished the same thing, but we had to wait for her. My own frustration simmered, knowing that our path was not unfolding as we had envisioned.

"We have to. And until then, we need to stay as far away from her as possible," I told him with a heavy heart.

"Damn right! And not show her any sign that we are her mates. Or let anyone know," he affirmed as both of us turned to give her one last regretful look.

"Easy brother. We have enough women to fill our days until then."

And so, we made a solemn pact. We ensured that we never allowed her close to us, concealing any inkling of interest. Even when we found ourselves in the same place due to her Aunt and Uncle's relationship with our parents, we always had hard stares directed her way. Making it abundantly clear she was unwelcome near us. Our hostility never slacked for once.

When Savannah, her cousin, became mates with Tim our Beta, we refused to let the change in dynamics alter our decision. We clung to our resolve.

Our plan proved effective. She always shied away from us, avoiding eye contact and keeping her distance. For three long years, we fought against the pull of the mate bond towards her, fought our wolves, determined not to let them stay too long near her scent.

We didn't raise a hand to help her or speak out against those who bullied her. We heard all the stories, which only fortified our resolve against her. If she couldn't stand up to her peers, how could she protect herself in times of real danger?

Pathetic thing!

My wolf would growl everytime we passed her or I was with another woman, but I never budged. I know Vance too was experiencing the same too with his wolf.

We were aware her birthday was coming up soon, and we were preparing for it. We followed Savannah home together with Tim as she hoped to get there before midnight to witness Nicole's transformation into her wolf. She thought we were eager to see this event not knowing we were only going to unburden ourselves from the three-year-old bondage her dear cousin had unwittingly inflicted on us.

Footsteps echoed through the house, followed by a burst of her tantalizing scent before she came out.

Her shifting was happening. A part of me wished that perhaps we had been wrong all along, but when she stood before us, sniffing, and her brown eyes transformed into a deep gold, I knew we weren't. She was our mate, a fact further confirmed by her wolf simply saying, "mate."

My wolf growled, howled, and whimpered as she cowered away from us in fear, which had become her natural reaction when it comes to us. It was our doing. The surprise on her face blended with the pain of her shifting. The sounds of her cracking bones, enraged my wolf. He begged me to go to her, but I refused. He asked to come forward, wanting to force his way through, but I resisted.

We should have shifted along with her, soothing her as she found her wolf. Even when Savannah spoke the words, Vance and I made no effort to conceal our intent. We rejected her outright ignoring the painful whimpers of our wolves, freeing ourselves from her forever.

When she screamed, her eyes shifted from gold to a shade of purple, with a subtle glimmer before she collapsed to the ground.

As she fell, I felt something crumble inside me and a deep sense of loss overtook me.

VANCE

I couldn't wait for the time to come. As we chatted with Tim and Savvy, my thoughts kept drifting to Billie. She had agreed to leave her bedroom window open for me. Once Vince and I were finished with rejecting Nicole, I was going to her.

Twenty minutes before midnight, Savannah drags Tim along with her to witness Nicole's shift, and we offered to join them.

Since that morning, three years ago, when we discovered she was our mate, I have been curious to see her wolf. Will its fur be as brown as her hair? Most werewolves always had furs the colours of their hairs. Will she retain her deep brown coloured eyes in her wolf form? Eyes that haunted me for the past three years.

We arrived and moments later, Nicole bursts out, already starting to shift, and she recognised us as her mates.

Vince and I remained resolute, ignoring the stunned looks on both Tim and Savannah's faces. They will be our betas and will learn not to question our decisions.

If she weren't in the process of shifting, I was certain Nicole would have wet her pants in fear upon discovering that we were her mates. I could see the pain and hurt in her golden eyes as her wolf howled in agony at being betrayed and rejected by her fated mates.

As strong alphas we need a strong mate, and it was already a challenge enough that we had to share one. I wasn't against this since we are twins. There was a high chance of us having the same mate. Our mate should be adding value to the pack.

The burden of having a mate who was the weakest of omegas in the pack weighed heavily on my mind. I envisioned endless situations where we'd have to defend her, both physically and emotionally, against her peers and even our pack members. The thought of protecting her during a real attack sent shivers down my spine. I need a mate who can fight, who is strong enough to protect and defend herself and others, not a fragile liability.

My wolf roared within, his anger and frustration evident in his savage growls and howls, as I officially rejected her.

With the deed done, my brother and I walked away from the collapsed form, surrounded by her family. I couldn't ignore the unsettling emptiness that crept into my heart.

"How do you feel, bro?" I ask him, trying to gauge his emotions.

"Good," he replies, though I could sense the lack of enthusiasm in his voice. We had both been eagerly awaiting this day.

"You?" He inquires, glancing at me.

"Good," I reply, matching his tone. "We're finally free."

"Yes, we are." He says in a resigned tone.

We went our separate ways and I made my way to Billie's window, I lift up the glass and enter into her room. She's greets me with a warm smile, rising to meet me with a passionate kiss, holding my face with her strong hands.

Now, this is how a Luna should be—strong and brimming passion for her alpha.

Yet, as I start to kiss her back, that empty feeling spreads further in my heart.