Anita smiled seeing the man appearing from the wood, “and where are you coming from?”

Asher smiled, “Alpha Damien wanted to see me.”

“Let me guess, he wants to know when you are ready to take up your responsibility?” she chuckled while Asher rolled his eyes.

“Where is Naomi, I thought I told you to stay with her?” he asked, his eyes glancing around.

Anita shrugged, “I have no idea. One minute she was here and the next she was not. But don’t worry, the blood moon is here, you can just sniff her out.” She grinned.

Asher stared at her silently for some seconds before asking, “What did you do, Ann?”

“Nothing,” she grinned as the first howl roared in the night. “Would you look at that, someone already found his mate.”

“You did not hide her somewhere tricky, did you?” Asher asked, going back to the discussion.

“Tricky or not, won’t you still find her?” she raised an eyebrow and Asher just sighed. Just then, two wolves ran past them into the woods, however, a very delicious scent wafted into his nostrils and his eyes glowed red. “Oh, you have already picked her up, haven’t you?” Anita asked but before she could make a jest of him, she perceived a tantalizing smell and froze. “Do you smell that?”

“I don’t think you are smelling what I am smelling,” Asher smiled, his eyes glowing redder by the second, “go get him.”

Anita didn’t want to believe it was what Asher was thinking but the scent was too good that she couldn’t ignore it and it seemed to be coming from the woods. She glanced up at him, wanting to say something but deciding against it the next minute. She walked past him towards the woods, wondering why the smell would be coming from there instead as only the mated wolves are in the woods.

Gideon had come to the mating ceremony tonight simply because he wanted to see if Naomi was mated to the alpha king, he wasn’t expecting to be held spellbound by the most delicious smell he had ever perceived. He was tempted to go into the garden and searched for the owner of the smell but he mustn’t blow his cover, he must not forget that he was in the home of the alpha king and he was still a fugitive. He wanted to run away but the smell held him rooted at his spot and soon, he could sense that it was getting closer. His eyes were sharp, ready to see who owns the smell, who, obviously was his mate.

The first thing he saw was the red hair glistening with the red background. He couldn’t believe his eyes, he had seen the red haired before, he had seen her at the party in the human realm, the first place he had seen Naomi. And he had seen her a while ago talking with the Alpha king. No matter if this woman was his mate, the fact that she is closed to the alpha king already made it bad news and he knew he mustn’t let her see him. And so, even though her mating smell was so tantalizing, he teared himself away and ran into the woods, away from her.

Anita could tell she was closed to the owner of the smell just now but all of sudden, it seemed like it was moving away. She didn’t think twice and just gave a pursuit. Hell, she has been searching for her mate for nearly ten years now and just when she was about to meet him, he started running away? Sensing that she couldn’t catch him on her human feet, she shapeshifted into her reddish-brown wolf without thinking and gave a hot pursuit.

Gideon knew he was almost losing the scent before but now, it had come back in full force, he knew instantly that she had shapeshifted, it was obvious her wolf doesn’t want to lose her mate. He knew to escape her would be shapeshifting as well but his wolf has been longing for a mate for so long that if he should dare shape shift now, his wolf would be running to reunite with her instead. If it wasn’t for the blood moon heightening their scent, he may be able to escape her by hiding but how can he do that when she can find him even in hell?

Just then, something landed on him and they tumbled over a couple of times before stilling with a wolf lying on top of him. The scent was so rich now and his fangs were itching to bite. He could see it from her green eyes that she wants the same too. She stepped away from him, watching him as he slowly got up. There was no doubt this was his mate, and she looks pretty strong too. The goddess must really hate him by giving him a mate from the Westwood packs. How can he be with her without exposing his identity? How can he protect his people if he lets himself be swayed by the mating scent?

He gulped and shook his head, trying to keep a clear head. “We can’t mark each other.” He said and he saw the shock in her green eyes. He knows that if its not for the fact she would be totally naked, she would have shapeshifted by now. “Listen, this is wrong.” He gulped, shaking his head once more, “we can’t be together,” he closed his eyes. What are you doing, Gideon, you have always looked forward to finding your mate, he yelled in his mind. But this time, he wasn’t thinking for himself. As the future leader of the Eastwood packs, he has to do what is right for his people, their safety matters first and that leaves only one choice, he has to reject his mate. Just the thought alone felt like a knife was impaled in his heart. That was how strong the mating bond is, this woman, he doesn’t even know her but he was already feeling like his world revolves around her.

“Why would you say that?” he heard and opened his eyes, shocked to see the beautiful naked woman in front of him. Perhaps his words had shocked her so much that she had shifted, throwing caution into the wind. “You don’t…want me?” Anita asked, the hurt clear in her voice and her eyes. By the time she saw his face, she already knew he was younger but the thought of finally finding her mate didn’t let her reason about that. So what if she was a few years older, he is her mate and that was all that matters.

“No, no, no, is not that…I mean…” Gideon was torn between doing what was right and following fate. Goddess really loved him, she gave him such a beautiful woman, he couldn’t stop his eyes from trailing to her firm round boobs and he gulped. His desire skyrocketing immediately. This was his mate, he can have her, he just have to step forward and claim her. Without asking, he could already tell that she looked a few years older but he didn’t mind. This has been a little secret of his that no one knows, he has a thing for older women and Goddess actually gave him an older mate to fulfill his fantasies forever.

“What do you mean then?” Anita asked, her heart was racing, she could hear the tiny beats like a thousand drums.

“Listen, I…"

“You are not from around here, I have never seen you before,” Anita stated. Obviously he was not cause if he were, they would have met long before now. He doesn’t look like he just got his wolf and was witnessing his first mating ceremony and since it’s like that, it means that they have not mated before now because they have never met and that only means one thing. She gasped at recognition, “are you a rogue?”

Gideon froze at the question, how could she hit the nail on the head at first try?

“Oh my God,” Anita whispered, taking a step back, “I’m mated to a rogue.”

Gideon saw the disappointment in her eyes and every desire he felt melted away and he felt like a bucket of iced water was dumped on him.

“I’m an alpha’s daughter and I am mated to a rogue,” Anita whispered, the condition of what would come next weighing her down. If she accepts him, she would automatically become a rogue. How, why? Why her? If she becomes a rogue, how can she be Asher’s beta? She would lose all her privileges, she would never have a pack anymore, never be invited to any social functions. And to make it worse, she would never be allowed to see Asher ever again. How can this be her fate? No, no, no one must know, no one must know she was mated to a rogue, absolutely no one, not even Asher.

Seeing her reaction, Gideon found out he was thinking too high before, he thought he was going to reject her to protect his people, turns out, she doesn’t even want him. Of course, like she said, she is an alpha’s daughter, how can she be ready to give up her life of privilege to be on a run with him? Here he was, feeling bad at actually letting her go only to find out that he would be doing her more of the favor than himself. “No one saw us, no one would know.”

His words called Anita back from her frantic moment and she frowned, “what are you talking about?”

“It’s obvious we can’t be together. I am what you already know and it’s obvious that you won’t sacrifice your life of freedom to be with me. So it only leaves us with one choice, we have to reject each other.”

The word stroke a chord in Anita’s brain; rejection. Can she bear being rejected? She came to realize that she feared being rejected more than she feared not letting anyone know. But then, what can she really do now?

“I, Gideon…”

“Wait,” she said, shocking herself too but she gulped and added, “give me time,” and with that, she turned and shifting into her wolf, ran away.

Gideon watched her leave, shocked, why would she ask for time? Is she really considering him? He doesn’t know where it came from but a feeling of hope soon enveloped him and he smiled, licking his lips as he watched her run. Her naked body flashing in his mind and he gulped and shook his head for a clear mind, maybe, just maybe, he won’t be mate-less after all.