His Mate The Wolf Hunter

CH 1 - His Human Mate

I hopped in my car and drove to the mall where Ms. Renee ran the store she owned with Symone. Being eight months pregnant, Symone couldn't work full time, so she didn't go there as often as before. But there have been plenty of pack members more than happy to assist our new Luna and help Ms. Renee out since she is such a great lady.

As I stepped into the mall, a scent fell on me like a ton of bricks. It was hypnotizing. It was a strong scent of cinnamon, only more invigorating.

"What is that?" I thought to myself. Then I heard it. My wolf bellowed in my mind loudly that dreaded word.

"MATE!" I stopped in my tracks.

"No, Leo! Don't do this to me!" I begged my wolf. I never wanted to find my mate. I love my life as it is. I have beautiful girls throwing themselves at me constantly, and I love it. I can have one or three girls a night if I want to. I enjoy my freedom. I don't want to be tied down to one woman. I don't want this!

My wolf has other plans for us as he begins searching for the source of the powerful scent. I walk around the mall until I reach Ms. Renee's shop on the second floor. She spots me and waves.

"Hey, baby! What took you so long? I need you to help me move these boxes into the back room." I looked at her for a moment, then realized the scent was coming from here.

I start searching for her, but it only takes one second before I spot her. My wolf yells again in my mind.

"MATE!"

She is gorgeous! She is shorter than me with dark skin that reminds me of black satin. She has enchanting and unique gray eyes and a beautiful slender body with a small chest and a stunning smile. I have never laid eyes on a woman more stunning in all my life. She spoke to one of the shop employees as I stepped towards her, feeling high from her scent. Then I paused, realizing something I hadn't a moment ago.

"You're human." I accidentally said out loud. She turned, finally laying her eyes on me. Everyone looked at me now- all of them with perplexed looks.

She stood there staring into me with those unusual gray eyes, and I felt a magnetic pull from them. I walked closer to her, then stopped only a few inches away. She stared at me with what almost looked like fear in her eyes. I suppose it would be intimidating to have someone my size stalking you without saying a word. I must look a little crazy to her. I tried to play it off and walked past her to the boxes that Ms. Renee had mentioned. Ms. Renee followed me into the back room and closed the door.

"Boy, what was that about?" she questioned. I dropped into a chair and buried my face in my hands.

"That customer out there...that woman is my mate." I looked up at her, and her eyes grew wide.

"Wow. Well, that's a good thing, isn't it? She is beautiful, and she seems like a nice girl. She was inquiring about the cashier position."

"What?! She can't work here!" I stood up, almost forgetting who I was talking to.

"Hey! Watch your tone with me! You need to calm down and tell me why you think she can't work here. I looked over her resume, and she seems like the perfect fit so far. I was going to give her references a call later today." I walked to Ms. Renee and gently grabbed her hands.

"Please, Ms. Renee. Not her. She's my mate. I can't be anywhere near her. She's human." Ms. Renee moved her hands and crossed her arms. The last part slipped out, and I regretted the words almost instantly.

"She's human AND? What of it? So am I. So is your Luna. You should know better than to reject your mate simply because she is human. Look at what it almost did to your Alpha. But Roman wised up and learned from his mistake. Now you're about to make the same one!"

Part of me knows she's right. I accepted Symone as my Luna because Roman is my friend and Alpha. But taking my own human mate is a different story. I don't want a mate. I love my life the way it is. Having a mate will change everything, and that's not what I had planned for my life. I planned on being a bachelor and dying an old man with about four young women in my bed. Ms. Renee rolled her eyes.

"If you really feel that way about her, just reject her and move forward." Ms. Renee stepped out of the room without another word.

After collecting my thoughts, I stepped out to reject the beautiful girl when some guy walked up to her and kissed her lips. I froze in place when I saw that she didn't pull back. She kissed him too! I felt a rage building up inside me. I wanted to rip out his intestines and strangle him with them. I try to calm myself. I was just about to reject her, so who cares? He must be her boyfriend.

"But she is our mate! Kill him and take her right here on the floor!" my wolf Leo growls and howls at me.

I stand there, and my feet feel glued to the floor. I watched as she left hand in hand with this guy who was not me. That gut-wrenching feeling was exactly why I wanted nothing to do with the mate bond. The sooner I can reject her, the better off I'll be.

After a threat was issued against our pregnant Luna and unborn heir, Alpha Roman placed travel restrictions for Black River pack members. I was assigned as an escort for Ms. Renee as requested by Luna Symone and returned to the mall with her a few weeks later. We entered the mall, and all I could think about was her. She shows up a few minutes after Ms. Renee and me to get a rundown of her duties and meet the other owner.

Her name is Naomi, and she is stunning. When she walked in, I could not help but stare at her beautiful skin. It's flawless. She has a bright smile, and her eyes light up when she laughs. I began feeling hurt when I realized she barely even noticed me. She only said hello when Ms. Renee introduced us. She shook my hand but didn't seem affected by my touch, but I was affected by hers. Damn it! I despise this woman!

I started pulling out boxes of inventory for Ms. Renee as she went over the job with Naomi. I couldn't look away from her. I kept looking at those sexy lips and her hypnotizing eyes. I want to get rid of these feelings for this human! I want nothing to do with her. I decided to wait for the right time to reject her, so I didn't make a scene. Ms. Renee will have my head if I make a scene in her store. I picked up on Symone's and Roman's scents. I hurried out of the room to greet them on the main floor.

"Hello Symone, Roman. Can I talk to you, man?" Roman nodded and kissed Symone on the hand before we stepped outside the store.

"Man, I can't take s**t anymore. I need to reject her now. She is driving me f*****g crazy!" I tried to keep my voice down, but I couldn't help myself. This woman has crept under my skin, and I want her out."

"Darien, you need to calm the hell down. If she is making you this crazy, just reject her now and get it over with. In a few weeks on the new moon, the bond will be broken for good, and you can go back to your life of random women," he said sarcastically.

"There doesn't seem to be a bond. We shook hands, and I could feel sparks through my whole body. But she didn't even flinch! She just smiled and went about her business." Roman looked at me, perplexed.

"So, you are upset because she isn't throwing herself at your feet? Is that what this is about?" Roman questioned, annoyed.

"No! I wouldn't want her throwing herself at my feet. It would only make it more difficult when I reject her." Roman gave me another puzzled look.

"Difficult for her or you?"

I looked at him and scoffed. "I don't feel anything but annoyance for this woman. Nothing else. I hate her."

Roman crossed his arms. A stern look crosses his face. "You don't hate her, D. She has done nothing to you, and you don't even know the girl. You have feelings for her, but you're too slow to understand what you feel. If she is bothering you that much, reject her and stop howling about it. Hell, it didn't take me this long to reject Symone, and I knew I didn't want to do it."

He turned from me to walk back into the store, but I grabbed his arm. "Seriously, I don't want to make things awkward between us. She works here, and if I have to be here too, it will only make things uncomfortable."

Roman turned to me again. "Reject her. I will send a couple of our best warriors to replace you. You can go back to the pack." He turned from me again and walked back inside.

I stood there and looked through the glass door at the beautiful woman that I knew was mine. My wolf kept screaming in my head while I refused him what he wanted most. I will not limit myself to one woman, least of all a human woman. I didn't care what my sister said or even my Alpha. I don't want a mate, and that is final.

"I'm going to walk into this store and reject this woman before these feelings get worse," I said aloud. Just as I put my hand on the door, she turned and looked directly at me. It's almost as if she heard what I said. But she's only human. Her intense gray eyes were stunning, and I froze in place for a moment. She smiled at me and waved. I waved back like an i***t. Damn it! Why does the Moon Goddess mock me this way?

"Thank you again for the job," Naomi said to Symone as I walked back inside. "I use your products myself, and they are amazing!" Naomi flips her wavy, shoulder-length hair and laughs. Man, that laugh is to die for.

"Take her! She is our mate!" Leo started growling in my head.

"No! I will not dedicate my life to protecting some useless human,"

"What was your name again?" I heard a sweet voice behind me and turned to find Naomi.

"I- uh. My name is Darien." Wow, I sound like a bumbling i***t.

"Hey, why don't you show Naomi where the inventory is kept. My mom is stepping out to grab some coffee with Roman, and I'm going to prep the tills before it's time to open." Symone gave me a giant knowing smile.

"What? I can't I-"

"Yes, you can." Roman insisted as he held the door open for his mother-in-law.

"You can reject her in the back room. Do it quickly." Roman mind linked me. I hesitated a moment, then led Naomi into the inventory room.

"Alright, so what do we have here?" She looked at me and rubbed her hands together. I said nothing.

"Are you alright?" asked Naomi.

I didn't understand her demeanor. She didn't seem to have any reaction to my presence at all. It's as if she felt nothing for me.

"Yes, I'm fine. Sorry. I was just thinking about someone." I finally said. I explained everything to her, then turned to leave the room.

"You don't like me much, do you?" she asked, taking me completely by surprise.

"What do you mean? I don't even know you." I wanted to say, "YES! I cannot stand you, human!" But it's not her fault.

"Then stop looking like that." She stepped in front of me with a furrowed brow.

"Like what?"

"You look like you don't like me. Or much of anything for that matter. Here, try this." She placed her hands on my cheeks and gently pushed them up to force me into a smile. The warmth of her hands sent a surge of sparks through my entire body. I could hear my wolf, Leo, growl with contentment. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to prevent a growl from escaping my mouth.

"There, that's better." She started laughing, probably because I looked ridiculous. I saw my reflection in the glass case, then looked down at Naomi. I didn't realize it, but my forced smile became genuine. She stopped laughing and gave me a soft, warm expression.

"See? That's not so bad, is it?" Her eyes locked onto mine, and I felt my heart pounding in my chest. She still seemed unfazed by me, though.

Before I could respond, a man's scent distracted me. I looked out the glass window of the storage room and saw a man standing in front of Symone, talking. I rushed out the door and to my Luna's side.

"Hello, miss. I was wondering- whoa!" He took a step back. "You're a quick one," he said. I used my speed to get to Symone as quickly as I could.

"This store is not open for another twenty minutes, hence the closed door." It was the man who I saw tonging Naomi down a few weeks ago.

"Yes, I figured that out," he smirked. This asshole was testing me with his sarcasm.

"It's okay, Darien. Let him in," Symone said.

"Relax, big guy. I was just looking for..." He stopped mid-sentence and rushed passed me. "Hey, baby! I'm sorry. I came as quickly as I could. I brought your wallet." She wrapped her arms around the man, and they kissed. I fought to suppress my wolf as he pushed to the surface. My tight fists began to bleed from my claws, growing into my palms.

Symone grabbed some paper towels as she scolded through the mind link. "Would you calm the hell down? You don't want her, so stop freaking out over her boyfriend." She placed a few paper towels into the palm of my hand and pressed down, trying to stop the bleeding.

"Oh my god. What happened to your hand?" Naomi looked over at us. I am surprised she even noticed with her tongue down that asshole's throat.

"Oh, he cut himself with this box cutter. It's nothing. He's a fast healer. It will be fine." Symone gave a big smile, then darted her eyes at me.

Symone linked me once more. "Reject her or claim her. Pick one and do it quickly before you drive yourself crazy."

"I am sorry for the intrusion. Naomi left her wallet at our house this morning." said the asshole boyfriend. Leo let out a vicious growl in my head. I was left once again fighting for control.

"Okay, well, she has it now, and we have lots to do so...bye!"

"Thanks, babe. I will see you later, okay?" Naomi says to the asshole before Symone closes the door.

Roman and Ms. Renee returned with pastries and coffee for everyone, and I gulped mine quickly. "I'm gonna need something much stronger than this," I whisper to Roman.

"What the hell happened to your hand?" I moved the paper towel to show him my bloody hand. Thanks to my rejuvenating powers, my hand was already beginning to heal.

"Did you reject her?" I shook my head. His eyes lit up with anger. "I told you to reject her before I left. You have had plenty of time to do this. I need you at your best, Darien. Something is coming after my unborn child, and I need you by my side to protect Symone. You cannot be at your best if you are battling your instincts."

He was right. I didn't even notice when that man came to the store. What if he came to hurt Symone? Roman would have had my head, and I would have gladly given it to him. I need to do something about this woman before I get someone hurt.

I turned to my Alpha with my head down. I am his Beta. If I cannot handle a situation like this, I am utterly useless to him and our pack. "You are right, Alpha. I swear, I will handle this matter." Roman nodded before going to his wife's side.

Surely the Moon Goddess is punishing me for being so critical of Roman's and Symone's relationship. She must be trying to teach me a lesson.

"Dude, stop staring at her. You're freaking her out." Roman linked. I tried to play it off like I was staring at the wall behind her, but it didn't work. She glanced at me with an uneasy expression. This woman was already weakening me. I refused to live the rest of my life like that.

"Hey, could I speak to you for a minute?" She looked around at everyone nervously. Everyone tried to look elsewhere, hoping not to give away that they knew what would happen. They all sucked at it, by the way.

She nodded timidly, then followed me into the inventory room, where some workers from my pack were preparing for the day. "Can you ladies wait outside for a bit, please?" They nodded and walked out.

"Umm, what's this about? Everything okay?" She still seems nervous. I was too.

I closed the door behind the other ladies as they walked out, then turned to her. Without hesitation, I said those dreaded words.

"I, Beta Darien Neidhart, hereby reject you, Naomi, as my mate." I felt an ache in my chest as the words escaped my lips. Naomi looks down with her hand on her stomach.

"What- what does that mean?" She looks up at me again, those steel gray eyes piercing right through me. "You reject me? As your what? Mate? But I don't understand. I don't even know you."

She looked confused, and I couldn't blame her. She didn't know what was going on. I stared at her a moment, and before I could stop myself, I pressed my lips against hers.

I was shocked when I felt her lean into me. She didn't push me away. Finally, she stepped back, wide-eyed with confusion.

"I- I need to get ready for my shift." Naomi quickly opened the door and practically ran out the inventory room, then out the shop door. I walked out after her, and everyone was staring at me.

Some of the workers were trying not to look directly at me. Ms. Renee and Symone just shook their heads.

"Permission to return to the pack, Alpha." I bowed my head to Roman.

"Carlos and Deja just pulled into the parking lot. You can go back now. I will talk to you later." I bowed once more before walking out the door. I saw Naomi coming out of the bathroom as I made my way to the escalator to return to the pack. She looked away from me before hurrying into the store again.

"Way to send mixed signals, ass wipe." Leo said to me in my head."

I screwed up. I screwed up, bad.