Like Magnet

"Mate?" I was so stunned to hear that word from his mouth that the wine glass slipped from my hand and shattered, creating a mess between us. To make it worse, the wine also splattered on his shoes and pants.

"Oh, Goddess! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to–" Any further word refused to come out of my mouth as I felt a lump in my throat and tears brimming in my eyes.

"Hey, it's okay. It's not a big deal." I felt his warm palms on my shoulders. "Calm down," he whispered to me in his gentle voice while rubbing my shoulders. That simple gesture alone was somehow enough to soothe my nerves.

"Shall we go outside to get some fresh air?"

I nodded in response. I wanted to get as far away from here as possible because even without heightened hearing, I could hear people whispering about me.

He asked someone to clean up the mess I had caused before holding my hand and carefully leading me around the glass shards scattered on the floor. When we reached the side door, he placed his arm around my waist and pulled me close.

I instantly stiffened, not because of his action but because of the sudden increase in murmurs behind us. Why can't these people stick their noses elsewhere?

I was so engrossed in worrying about becoming the topic of gossip that it took me a while to realize that I was in the middle of a beautiful garden filled with pink roses in full bloom.

"Can I finally know your name, mate?" His alluring voice grabbed my attention away from those roses and towards him. He was standing before me and staring at me with those eager eyes.

"Valerie Lane." My voice came out as a whisper, making me wonder if he even heard me.

He smiled in response. "That's a lovely name." He took my hand and kissed my knuckles like a gentleman. "I'm Caleb Lockhart."

Caleb Lockhart? Why do I feel like I've heard this name before?

The wires in my brain connected and a light bulb went on in my head. HE IS THE BETA OF THE HELBLAZE PACK! It suddenly made sense why those people were whispering about me. Their beta called me his mate! Of course, they would gossip.

Wait a minute!

"How do you know I am your mate?" I voiced my thoughts before processing how this question would reveal my shortcomings.

"What do you mean how?" I could clearly see the confusion on his face. He furrowed his brows and answered while trying to maintain a smile on his face, "Like everyone else. I felt the connection between us, and was drawn to you as if you were the strongest magnet on earth."

The smile suddenly vanished from his face as if he realized something. "Wait! Don't tell me you didn't feel anything! Is that why you ran away from me?"

Well, shit! I was going to get rejected, wasn't I?

"Um…" I lowered my head and clasped my palms together. "I'm sorry… I didn't feel the mate pull. I… haven't transformed."

"Dear Goddess! You haven't turned eighteen yet?" I heard the shock in his tone.

I swiftly shook my head. "No, I'm already eighteen and a half but, I didn't get my wolf."

I expected him to express his shock but he didn't speak for quite a while. Was he perhaps angry at the Moon Goddess for pairing him up with a useless girl like me? Was he so furious that he couldn't utter a single word?

I lifted my head to look at him. He had an unreadable expression when he finally said, "I see. So, that's why you tried to run away from me instead of running to me."

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't know," I stammered.

He went silent once again.

I was getting more and more nervous as I waited for him to finally explode or reject me without so much as sparing another glance at me.

Just by thinking about the rejection, my hands got cold and clammy and so did my feet inside the heels. The tension in the air got so thicker that I wanted to tuck my non-existent tail between my legs and run back to Roseville.

Running again wouldn't do me any good though. If I was going to get rejected anyway, I might as well accept the rejection right now. So, I gulped dryly and steeled my nerves.

I took one last glance at my handsome mate and spoke while trying my best not to stutter, "Mr. Lockhart, I understand if you wish to reject me. A wolfless girl like me wouldn't be a suitable match for a powerful Beta like you."

But then, his reply took me by surprise.

"Who said anything about rejecting you?" He closed the little gap between us. Our bodies were so close that his hot breath was fanning across my face. As if that wasn't enough to send electricity throughout my body, he caressed my cheek and said with a flirty smirk, "You are stuck with me for life, Valerie." 

'Oh, dear Goddess! Just kill me already!' I screamed in my head when I heard him taking my name. And the way he said I was stuck with him for life… Ahhhhh! This man was seriously dangerous to my heart.

I smiled and nervously spoke my mind, "I was scared thinking you were going to reject me because you stood there like a statue for quite a while."

"Oh, that?" He gave me a whimsical smile and said while massaging his nape, "I was thinking that since you don't have your wolf, I will have to keep you close to me. I can't afford to get careless with your safety because my small carelessness can cost me your life."

His cheerful face suddenly turned into a serious one when he looked deep into my eyes and muttered, "I don't think I can live with myself if anything bad ever happens to you."

I shivered with joy upon hearing something so deep from him, that too at our first meeting. I think this is how mate bonds are–intense. I suddenly felt a little disheartened thinking how I might never feel such intense love towards him.

Would it be fair for him? No.

Would I try my best to love him as deeply as I can? Definitely.

I was yanked back from my thoughts when I suddenly felt his hands on my waist. He pulled me closer, my body was now resting against his.

I couldn't help but blush when I felt his toned body and also couldn't resist but deeply inhale his intoxicating scent. I'm sure I was being too obvious, but I didn't care. He's my mate.

As I was getting high on his scent, he asked another astonishing question to me in his earnest tone, "Valerie, why don't you move in with me?"