It was that day again, where the Alpha games were held at the Alpha King's arena. Every year, it was held to rank the Alphas and establish stability within the werewolf nation but overall, it was also there to really get rid of some Alpha tensions amongst all the Alphas. If they fought once a year, it was less likely they will fight amongst each other and end up killing each other.

This year was different though.

Natalya sat in the stands along with the other Alphas as they watched their chosen representative fight in their stead. She chosen Yulian, her Beta to fight in her place. She was confident in his ability to fight and knew that he will try his damn hardest to earn first.

Yulian just finished his first fight, taking down Alpha Seth's warrior with quick precision. She could tell he was excited to win with the puff in his chest. She was proud of him too.

The day past by with many rounds finishing with fighters who either won or loss badly.  Natalya was getting bored.

He disappeared behind a door and another door opened. Two more male werewolves appeared. They were shirtless and dressed in loose sweat pants. They were about the same built.

"Alpha Ethan's stead, Jeremiah." The announcer gestured with his hand to a strawberry color hair man who looked to be in his late thirties and then turned to the other competitor.

Her grip on her chair tightened when her eyes landed on the man before her. The strong definition of his muscular back down to curve of his buttocks that were almost peeking out of the black cotton sweats he had on. She gnawed at her bottom lip in silent anticipation--silently pleading for the man to turn around.

"Alpha Viktor's stead, Constantin." Her gut clenched and she closed her eyes to contain her emotions. She was sure her eyes were glowing dark as the night. She wanted that man. Her wolf was clawing at her skin and she knew she needed to see his face.

When she opened her eyes again, the man had turned around. Slowly, his gaze lift up from the ground and he blinked as he stared at the Alphas before him. His gaze trail the line slowly until it stopped on her. She stopped breathing. She was sure her heart wasn't beating. She couldn't hear anything else because the only person who was had her full attention was the man in front of her.

"Mine." She whispered and his eyes darkened as he also took in every detail of her face and what he can see of her body. She forced herself to breathe again as the bell sounded. Her mate turned back to his opponent.

She couldn't believe her eyes. She felt it. She felt the bond severed. She felt the loss of him. All those years, her heart felt like someone took it and locked it away and now all she felt was this protective instinct to protect him with all her might. There was no denying it, he is her mate and he is alive.

"He is alive." She whispered to herself.

She watched him fight his opponent and was awed by how beautiful he fought. Every hit he landed weakened his opponent more. She held her breath each time he got hurt by his opponent and it took everything in him not to run to him and fight off who was hurting him.

She noticed a very old scar that ran across her mate's throat. She wondered what it was and who had caused it. Turning slightly, she saw Alpha Viktor sitting a few chairs to her left. She stood up and walked over to him. She glanced down at her mate who took a moment to look at her before he caught the fist his opponent was throwing at him and twisting his hand enough to crack his radius bone.

"Alpha Natalya, to whom do I owe the pleasure of thanking for your presence?" He asked his eyes were roaming her body. She clenched her jaw and moved to sit in the chair next to him.

"There is something I want." She started.

He arched an eyebrow and she turned to look at the arena where her mate was still fighting.

"Pray tell what it is that you seek and I will try my best in giving it to you." He said casually. She rolled her eyes.

"I want your stead, Constantin." She proposed and Alpha Viktor looked surprise. He glanced at her mate before looking back at her.

"I don't know why you would want him. He is just a useless person in my pack." He stated flatly. Her grip on the arm chair tightened.

"In exchange for your pack member. I will have my pack deliver you twelve hundred pounds of rice and five hundred pounds of flour. We all know your land is struggling with farming and you can make use of the rice that my pack have harvested." She offered and Alpha Viktor's demeanor changed. He knew how valuable six hundred pounds of rice was. It could feed his whole pack for a few months even a year if they use sparingly.

"All that for just one pack member?" Alpha Viktor asked.

She nodded and Alpha Viktor looked back at Constantin.

"What is so special about him?" He asked and his eyes grew suspicious. She had to stop him from connecting any dots or he will demand much more from her.

"Take it or leave it. This is your last chance to accept it." She growled impatiently.

"What if I said no? What if I said I want more from you?" He thought to negotiate his way for more. She snarled and her fingers came up to wrap around his throat.

"Take it or leave it. I am not here to offer you any more than that, Alpha Viktor. I suggest you think wisely before you ask for more." She warned and Alpha Viktor lifted up a hand in silent surrender. She released him and then the sound clapping filled the air. The fight has ended. She turned to look and saw her mate staring at her intensely. She turned back to Alpha Viktor.

"Deal or no deal?" She growled.

"Deal." Alpha Viktor didn't waste in accepting.

"He is leaving with me after this. Your delivery will be at the edge of your territory by nightfall." She promised and walked away from him. She could feel her mate's gaze penetrating her back all the way back to her seat. She watched him as he was directed to leave for the next fighters to come in.

**

She entered into the room where all the fighters were in either waiting for the time go out and fight or fix themselves up for the next one. Her eyes roamed the room slowly as she silently sought out the one thing she wanted.

Yulian appeared at the corner of her eyes, "What are you doing here?"

"To eye all the naked men." She answered sarcastically.

Yulian scoffed and when she found just the man she was looking for she marched through the group of people toward him. He seemed to have felt her presence because he looked up from cleaning up his hand to her.

He was truly beautiful. His dark brunette fell over his forehead wet from fighting and sweating. His eyes were the color of emerald under the lighting fixture it gleamed. Her eyes trailed down his almost crooked nose to his impeccably filled lips.

"Mine." She whispered and took a step toward him. He shook his head and put his hand out. She frowned not understanding what he meant.

"You are mine." She enforced it to him. Again, her mate shook her head. She wondered if he was going to reject her but if he was why wasn't he saying anything? It will break her heart to know that he was alive all this time only to find he didn't want her.

"What is going on?" Yulian asked as he appeared to her right.

Constantin looked up at Yulian before reaching for her hand. The sparks that erupted from that first touch had both their eyes darkening in response. He blinked hard with his jaw clenched before he began tracing out letters slowly for her to follow.

Reject me

"Fat chance." She responded and yanked her hand from his as she realized he can't speak. Her mate was mute. When they get home, she means to find out what happened to him. She has a feeling it has to do with the scar on his throat but she wasn't going to say anything yet. Right now, her main objective was to get him home. 

She began signing into the air. She learned in her instructions class and on her free time, two other languages besides Russian—Italian and Signed.

You're stuck with me. There is no way you are getting rid of me.

Her mate's lip thinned and his eyes narrowed into slit, clearly showing his displeasure. He didn't like her answer and he began signing quickly into the air. He looked angry while signing but she found it absolutely adorable. She liked the way his eyebrows furrowed and his lips purse as he was making a point to her.

"Ok, what is going on here?" Yulian asked again.

I am mute. I am a nobody. You don't need me.

She scoffed at his response before signing just as quickly in the air.

So you're telling me that because you are mute, you are unable to perform as a man and love me the way a mate should?

A guttural sound escaped his lips which sounded like a growl. He didn't like that answer too.

I'm saying you deserve better than me.

She rolled her eyes and answered him.

"Let me be the one to determine that." She answered. "Either way, you are going home with me. I already spoke to Alpha Viktor. You are now mine."

Her mate's eyes narrowed again. What did you do?

"I gave him what he needed in return for you." She replied.

"You need to explain to me, Nat. I don't understand." Yulian asked again. She turned to him.

"Yulian, this is my mate, Constantin. Constantin, this is Yulian. He is my Beta." She introduced them.

"You're mate?" Yulian looked surprise but she stopped him.

I am not going with you. He signed to her his handsome scarred face transforming into a scowled. She smirked before laughing. His scowl slipped a little at her reaction and she saw a glint of awe pass through his eyes as he watched her laugh. She stopped and took a step closer to him.

Their close proximity was like a thick blanket wrapping around them and pulling them close together. He inhaled sharply and she moved to pat him on his bare chest. Sparks flew and his eyes darkened.

"This is funny. You think you have a choice." She replied to him. His eyes widened and she purposely ran her hand down his chest. Her body reacted immediately. She liked what she saw.

He wasn't going anywhere.