Dear Enemy, You're My Mate

Chapter 65 (Dear Alpha, I Reject You) **

Beginning Of Book 2

Maya

From the moment I was born, I was different.

My twin sister, Lily, was born with black hair and the presence of an inner white wolf whose power couldn't be mistaken—she was strong from the beginning, a natural luna.

Meanwhile, I was born with white hair, and to my misery, there wasn't any trace of an inner wolf within me. And although my parents have always loved me and accepted me for who I am, I've always thought of myself as an outsider being the only human in the Winterbite pack.

I mean, my pack members never bullied me—Lily glared at anyone who even glanced my way. But truth to be told, I'm looked down upon by both my pack and family members.

My family loves me, yet they never let me make my own decisions. They deem me helpless, and sometimes I don't get the chance to finish my half-spoken sentence.

If that isn't enough, they give me guilty, sympathetic smiles whenever there is a hunt. Their treatment frustrates me, and they all seem to think I'm jealous of them for being werewolves, but honestly? I want them to stop thinking I can't be happy as a human.

"Darling, you're lovely in that dress," Patricia, my mother, says to Lily as we enter the Springclan's mansion. "I'm sure the other pack will make allies with our pack—you radiate both confidence and power, darling."

Lily beams at my mother, and then she exchanges a grin with my father, and while I try to smile, I can't help but feel like an outsider. I'm a question mark when it comes to the werewolf hierarchy.

Dior, my father, places a hand on the small of my sister's back when the doors open, leading her inside. "You look great, sweetheart."

"Thank you," Lily says with glistening eyes. "I hope the alpha of the Springclan will accept and become our ally tonight at the ball."

"He is a fool if he doesn't consider it." My dad says. "Arvin needs us if he wishes to stand a chance against the other random packs forming and threatening to take over our territories."

"Right."

I silently follow my family inside like the black sheep in their glorious werewolf presence, or perhaps I should call myself the white sheep, considering everyone else has hair the color of a raven.

"Ah, Patricia! It's been so long!"

"Alice!" My mother is teary-eyed. "I didn't know the Springclan had sent you an invitation!"

Alice embraces my mother as soon as we are inside. She is a powerful witch and an old friend to my mother—I use their reunion as a chance to escape from my family. I honestly can't breathe around them without suffering and seeing myself as an utter failure sometimes.

I slink through a crowd of people and curse the pompous dress I'm wearing. I'm shy at heart—I couldn't say no when my mother brought the pink, frilly thing into my room. I also wanted to make her proud, so I put on the dress despite hating girly-looking clothes.

"I can't move in this thing..." I curse and pick up a cupcake from a nearby table with treats. I love sweets. "At least the food seems okay."

Without caring, I smash the pink cupcake into my mouth but experience my cheeks turning molten hot when I catch a stranger laughing at me. He tries to stifle the laugh with his gloved hand pressed to his mouth, but he is failing horribly.

"Humans certainly are the real animals!"

I glare at the man. He is tall and handsome with short and brown hair cropped shorter on the sides. A shudder travels through me, one of those creepy, slow ones you get when you're watching a horror movie, and the man gasps in realization when our eyes meet.

"My m-mate!" He exclaims, which makes the entire party go quiet.

Confused, I let my eyes dart around the room. One could drop a needle and be able to tell when it hits the floor; no one is even moving a muscle and keep gaping like goldfish.

Did I miss something?

An older man cracks the silence by coughing. With elegance and grace, he proceeds to break through the crowd. People give him space, and I lift an eyebrow. He appears to be a monocle-wearing butler.

"Are you sure, my alpha?" His lips quiver when he speaks, and I recognize his expression when he sizes me up—he is ashamed of what I am and feels sorry for what I am not. For the past eighteen years, everyone around me has worn the same face.

The man in front of me, who must be Arvin, nods, which makes the entire crowd break out in cheers and whistles. I have no clue what is happening or why people are celebrating because even though I can feel the mate-bond between us, I don't remember accepting him.

And why would I accept Arvin?!

My sister has spoken ill about the man for an entire year, telling me about the horrible things he has done. Arvin doesn't care about his pack members, and even children who can shape-shift have been forced to join the battles their alpha has fought.

Not to mention that Arvin only cares about himself. The man spends hours in front of the mirror, admiring himself—I could never be together with a person like that!

Shaken, I turn around to find my parents and gasp when I see my mother drying a happy tear from her eye. Her face says it all—she is satisfied that I have finally found my place in the world, and that revelation makes my insides boil with rage.

Even my father seems proud of me, happy that the war between our pack and the Springclan will soon be a mere memory. Jesus Christ—doesn't anyone in here think about what I want?

I stand there, shaking with inner anger, and when I say nothing, my mother dares to step forward to encourage me. "Maya? Aren't you going to accept your mate?"

My dad nods, smiling faintly in the dim light. "Go on—there is no need to be shy, darling."

I swallow thickly and lift my chin to study Arvin's face. He is grinning at me, so confident of himself already, but as my eyes move to his heart, I can see the darkness hiding inside.

I might not have an inner wolf, but I've always been able to tell if a person is good or evil, and Arvin's heart is rotten.

"No..." The word comes out from my lips faster than I think, but I've revealed the truth—I don't want Arvin.

My heart yearns to find a lover, someone sweet and kind, and I'm sorry, but I don't think Arvin possesses a single romantic bone in his entire body. The man reminds me of the devil.

The crowd gasps in shock at my chosen word, including my family, and I avert my eyes with my heart pounding in shame. I can sense my family's burning disappointment and stare ahead after following my heart's inner voice.

I inhale, and the gossip unfolds.

"Wait... What did she say?"

"Is the human rejecting the alpha?"

Someone snorts. "How amusing."

"Is she insane?" Another one asks. "Arvin is loaded, and he is the alpha—that rat won't find another mate willing to accept her!"

My cheeks burn from the ongoing conversations around me, but I won't falter. I've made up my mind, and I won't let Arvin change my mind, even if his eyes reflect hurt and wrath.

"No?" Arvin questions, folding his arms beneath his puffed chest with a sinister laugh. "You realize a war will break out if you don't accept me as your mate and lover? And since the moon goddess has chosen me as your mate, your body belongs to me—you're rightfully mine."

"What if I don't want to be yours?" I ask.

Arvin's lips curl by the corners, and he lowers his voice, so I'm the only one able to hear him.

"You don't have a choice, dear. I've heard the tales of you—you're a disgrace to your family and a failure of a werewolf. No one in their right mind would want you as their mate, but I'm not picky." His eyes travel to my breasts, which send a shudder through my entire body, making Arvin laugh in amusement. "And you appear ready for the taking—I can't wait to bury my cock deep inside of your sweet, little human pussy."

His words settle my resolve, and I clench my fist before lacing my voice with both hatred and venom—this man could be the goddamn president of Sweden, and I still wouldn't accept him! Arvin is disgusting!

"No!" I shout and take a step forward, pushing my finger into the shocked alpha's chest with my eyes never leaving his. The audience goes quiet, but I don't care—my mind is set, and I'm not about to accept this clown as my mate. "I, Maya Lavigne, reject you, Arvin Johanson, as my mate and lover. You won't touch me, and I will NEVER be your luna."