Fake Mate of the Drogomor Alpha

Chapter 10 : A Last Resort

*Zara*

Noah's stubbornness was driving me to the brink of madness. I could see the vulnerability brewing beneath the surface. It surprised me that he had opened up to me like that.

I didn't mind, but I wished there was more that I could do for him and that he would actually listen to me.

He didn't have to be miserable. I knew it. He was determined to self-sabotage, and his flirtations were getting on my nerves.

Like me, my wolf was starting to refocus on finding my real mate—the shifter from the woods.

I gazed into his blazing blue eyes with an unwavering state of my own. It was cute how a few strands fell into his face, and I was tempted to reach up and move them. I resisted the urge. Touching him right now wasn't the best of plans.

I felt that shock rush through me when I cupped his cheek, and it completely took my breath away. I knew at that moment that he wasn't playing games or trying to seduce me. It made me feel all the more confused by my response to him.

We weren't meant to be more than him and Serena. I pushed away my emotions to focus on what was important right now. I needed to stall the wedding and convince Noah to take selecting his mate seriously.

“I will let you get back to whatever it is you were doing," I finally said, shattering the silence that had stretched between us.

“M'hmm. Well, let me know if you change your mind, gorgeous. I will be waiting," he breathed huskily.

For the first time, I didn't detect any humor or playing. I got a sense that he may have meant it.

He backed away and turned, returning to his workout regimen.

I turned and left, heading back to my room to gather my bearings.

He had so many walls up, but that was the second time he'd cracked a little and let me see behind his mask.

I shook my head. It didn't matter.

The Luna Lily would be difficult to find, but was the only play I had left. I remembered my mentor, Niva, telling me all about this Luna Lily, and how it was exceptionally hard to get to.

None of my normal tactics had worked, and I knew this could be my one shot at finding Noah his true mate. Now, if only I could get him to delay his wedding plans for it, I thought.

After mulling it over in my head for a while, I decided to head to Issac and Estella's office again, sending them a message to meet with me there.

They sat before me, their concern clear in their expressions.

“Hello, Zara," Issac said formally, his eyes locked upon me.

“Hello, Alpha Issac," I greeted him. “I have a strategy to help with the dilemma of Noah and Serena not being a match. There's a magical flower known as the Luna Lily. It reveals true mates."

“It does?" Issac said, his brows raising in surprise.

Estella leaned forward, intrigued. “Was this not brought up before because it is difficult to find?" she asked.

I nodded. “Right on the nose," I said. “The journey is difficult, but I am determined to help Noah and Serena avoid making a big mistake. This engagement with Serena is just not meant to be."

Issac nodded in agreement, going silent to mull this over for a moment. I saw a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. I wondered if he would argue about the logic of it, or even claim that this flower was a fairy tale like Noah had.

Finally, he spoke. “It is worth looking into if it can find the right match for Noah," he said.

I resisted the urge to collapse with relief at his response. Thank the Goddess that they both could see reason.

Estella nodded in agreement, her gaze also skeptical, but with a hint of hope there as well.

I couldn't blame them after all the hoops I'd unsuccessfully been jumping through lately to try and get Noah to cooperate with finding his match. This back and forth I had going with their son was dragging out.

I felt a nervous pang in my stomach, knowing I was running out of time and would be showing the fact that I was expecting soon. I'd be seen as a fool, and could even imagine Noah rubbing it in, using it as a further excuse to not bother with true mates.

I couldn't be taken seriously if I was pregnant without yet finding my own mate. Frustration billowed through me, but it vanished instantly as I recalled the visceral lust and love that flowed through me that night. I knew that once I saw him again, everything would work out.

I felt it in my soul.

I just had to get through this assignment with Noah first.

***

A few days later, I sat in front of Noah. We were engaging in the same debate we had been for the past few days as the final rays of the sun tickled the horizon.

“I can't believe you're still going on about this silly fairytale, pretty little matchmaker," Noah drawled, side-eyeing me as he leaned on his elbow as if he had no cares in the world. “The wedding will not be delayed over chasing some story."

“It isn't some story," I sighed. “Legends usually have truth, Noah, and this Luna Lily is out there. It can help me solve this and figure out who your match is."

“Well, that is easy. We know the answer by now, and a fake flower won't tell us any different. Problem solved—no journey, no delayed wedding. The only thing that will delay it is if you–"

“If I take Serena's place, which is not happening. “Yes, I know," I said with a heavy amount of sass in my tone.

I locked eyes with his blazing blue. He had the nerve to look amused.

“You got it. So, what will it be, lovely little matchmaker? You know, I like the sound of that. It's cute, like you," he purred, causing me to reach up and pinch the bridge of my nose.

I clearly needed a new tactic. He wasn't going to listen to my line of thinking or logic because he believed in neither my magic, nor true mates, nor the Luna Lily. There had to be some other way to get through to him....

“Have you thought about how this will affect your future family, Noah?" I asked, piecing together a different argument to hopefully get through to him.

Noah furrowed his brow, locking his powerful blue eyes on me and raising a brow.

“What do you mean?" he asked cautiously.

His eyes focused, and I knew I had his attention now.

“Finding your destined mate will be better for your family. You want to figure that out before marriage, Noah."

“I'm listening."

Well, that was a welcome change. I continued, hoping I could get through to him this way. “Securing your mate bond will be the best defense against betrayal and hurt, like I said before. But think about it further for your children."

“What do you mean, my children?" he muttered in an unamused voice.

“Don't you want a loving mother, one like you had, for your children?" I asked him, wanting him to think of his mother in a good way rather than her being gone.

He went silent for a moment, his eyes growing distant. He was thinking this through, I could tell, which was a good sign. I needed to continue and drive it home so that it'd stick.

“The Drogomor pack, and your children, need a Luna that is best for them. Convenience isn't best for it. You know that yourself. You had to see it in your life before. At best, it's two people tolerating each other who never find happiness. The pack and children will see and feel that," I said.

He opened his mouth to respond, then closed it. I'd actually made him tongue tied, for once. That surely meant it was working. He had no comeback—serious, flirtatious, or otherwise.

Then, I said, “You're a good person, Noah. I know you are. You may not care about your own happiness, but your pack and your children will. You want to do the best for them as the Alpha."

I knew he wasn't balking at the idea of being either a father or Alpha, especially given how much he was hesitating right now. I'd definitely caught him off guard. The flicker of hope within me grew into a full-on blaze.

I stared into his eyes, noting two possible emotions. Was it hope, or doubt, I wondered, or a mixture of both maybe.

Regardless, I went in for the opportunity. “You want what's best for your pack and family, correct?"

“Yes, but Serena–" he tried to say.

But I wasn't having it.

I shook my head. “Even if you believe it is all a fairytale, you should give it a chance. What if it turns out to be real? You are not on a time crunch. You have a chance to do this in a better way, Noah."

I could see the will to be stubborn and argue with me cross his face, but I had him cornered and needed to seal that fact. “Just delay the wedding a little bit so we can journey to find the Luna Lily."

Noah snorted. “Delay the wedding for some fairy tale flower—you are still on this. I thought you would try to convince me your matchmaking nonsense magic was going to form a miracle and tell me the answer to everything."

“My gift doesn't work like that, Noah," I said, “hence the need to go find that flower for us. Your case is exceedingly difficult, and I am determined to figure this out."

“I thought this flower was a facade to delay things and save your job, even though being with me would be so much simpler—no journey needed," he said, giving me a wink.

There was the seduction again, but that was, as usual, not going to work.

“Conveniently setting yourself up with your matchmaker is not an option either, Noah," I said flatly.

Those games were getting on my nerves, despite how charming he thought he was.

“Oh, but it is," Noah said with a light smirk, allowing the games to carry on further.

At my head shake, he sighed and glared down at the table, knowing he wasn't cracking me right now. I knew he wouldn't ever break my stubbornness, regardless of how hard he tried.

I bounced back to what I needed to do to delay this wedding and hopefully confirm to him the connection to Serena was just not there. “If the flower reveals you two are mismatched, you can make an informed decision about the future rather than risking regret," I said.

“What makes you think I will believe a flower over your judgment, all-powerful matchmaker?" he asked. “I thought your little powers were the end all be all."

“They aren't. Sometimes I need help, and confirmation, from things like Luna Lily. I didn't expect this case to fall under that, but here we are." I sighed. “Again, I know there's a good person hiding under the stubborn mask you put up in there. Please agree to this one thing, for your pack and for your future family."

I remained tense with anticipation while I waited for his answer. I wondered whether he would consider the future of his pack and children or continue to be stubborn.