HIS FATHER, MY MATE

Mate...Or not?

"Mate"

They both said at the same time, but only one of them had a smile.

The first time she saw Kael was when she was sixteen years old. She could remember her sister running after him and making a fuss about his paying attention to her. Even then, Lyra always talked about him, but she never saw him or noticed how affectionate they suddenly were towards each other.

Kael was her mate, and she could not wait to share the news with Lyra.

“You are Lyra’s sister, right?” was the first thing he said to her when they were alone.

“Yes, you know my sister?” Aria asked him.

“Yes, who doesn't? She hangs around with my guys and me, unlike you. She claims you are either training or just stuck in your room reading or something. You don't do well with being outside, do you?” he asked with a smile, and Aria could have sworn she felt her stomach do a backflip.

She blushed harder than ever before. The mate's pull between them was so strong that if he touched her, she would probably lose her breath.

“Yeah, well, I'm not a fan of people, and I have always loved my space, so…” she said with a smile of her own.

Kael studied her for a moment, his expression unreadable. “That's… rare around here. Most people would kill to be the center of attention.”

Aria chuckled softly, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “Yeah, well, I’d rather kill for quiet.”

That earned a real laugh from him. It was low, rich, and surprisingly warm. It wrapped around her like a velvet ribbon, making her wolf stir restlessly beneath her skin. His eyes sparkled with something she couldn’t quite place.

“Maybe you're exactly what I need, then,” he said, so casually it almost didn’t register. But it did. Her breath caught. His words sank into her chest and bloomed there.

She was about to respond, at least say anything, say something clever, but a voice interrupted them.

“Kael!” Lyra’s voice cut through the moment, bright and too familiar.

He turned just in time to catch Lyra throwing her arms around him. She kissed his cheek like she’d done it a hundred times before. Aria froze, the bond still buzzing through her like wildfire, and yet... Lyra acted like nothing had changed.

“I was looking everywhere for you,” Lyra pouted. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming to the Calling?”

Kael gave her a small smile but didn’t respond. Instead, he looked back at Aria, something flickering behind his eyes.

“You didn’t tell her?” Aria asked Lyra, her voice quiet, confused.

“Tell me what?” Lyra’s smile faltered just slightly.

“I…” Aria hesitated. “Kael’s my mate.”

Silence stretched. For a moment, the world stilled. Lyra’s expression didn’t break, but something behind her eyes darkened.

“Oh.” She blinked. “Well, that’s… wow. Congrats, I guess.”

Kael stepped back then, rubbing the back of his neck. “I should go tell my father,” he said quickly. “We’ll talk later?”

Aria nodded slowly, a knot already forming in her chest. He didn’t touch her. Not even a brush of fingers. No kisses. No claiming.

Something wasn’t right.

Just a few moments ago, he was flirting with her. He was saying things that made her want him, and now, he looked distant. Maybe it was nothing, just perhaps. She thought to herself.

A feeling sank deep into her chest, and she could feel her wolf stirring uneasily in her chest.

Then Lyra turned to her, her expression changing.

“I said it, didn't I?! She exclaimed.

Aria watched her as if she didn't understand her sudden excitement.

Days passed, and still, Kael kept his distance. They would go out for drinks, but that was all. There was no getting to know each other, no talk about when they would mark each other, and when he spoke of the mate bond, he said it as if it were forced, and he hated it, but usually it was accompanied by a reassuring smile.

There were no walks under the moonlight, no long conversations about their future, no touch that set her soul alight the way it should have. The mate bond buzzed like static in her chest, alive, present, yearning, but Kael felt like a ghost. He was kind to her, no doubt, but still, he was distant, cold, and he didn't feel like hers… never hers.

At first, Aria thought she was imagining things. Maybe he was nervous, or he just needed time to get used to the idea of having a mate. They did call him a manwhore, she thought to herself. But the more she watched him, the way he laughed a little too easily around Lyra, the way their glances lingered a little too long.

Something inside her coiled tight with unease, but she couldn't say it out loud. Not yet. Not without proof.

But deep down, she knew something was wrong.

And Lyra… Lyra was being too sweet.

It was almost suffocating. She would push her to go out so that she could see Kael. He had a mate now, so it was not proper for her to meet with him in public alone, especially since he was her sister’s mate. So, instead, she turned to her sister. They would hang with Kael, and, as always, she felt so out of place.

They all knew Lyra, and she did her job by rubbing it all over her face.

“It’s nice to see that this man finally has a mate, a warrior at that. Kael, finally someone who can put you in your place,” one of his friends roared with a laugh. Aria laughed with him but said nothing.

“Come on, she is a girl, and I’m the alpha. What can she do, really?” Kael responded with an arrogant smile, and everyone looked suddenly uncomfortable. Given Kael's arrogance, it was no surprise that he found his friend’s statement offensive.

The day passed with Aria saying nothing, engaging in light conversation while Lyra sat between her and Kael, claiming she wanted to be closer to both of them.

One evening, Aria found herself walking the trail toward the river, boots crunching softly against the fallen leaves. She needed air; her chest felt too tight, and she needed to breathe.

And that’s when Nia found her.

“There you are,” Nia called from behind, quick to fall in step beside her.

Aria looked up and jumped into an attacking stance with a threatening growl about to escape her lips.

“Whoa, whoa, easy there, tiger. It’s me, Nia,” she replied with her hands raised in surrender.

Aria immediately dropped her hands and sighed. “How did you know I was here?” she asked after she had calmed down.

“Well, after the training, I saw you sneak off into the woods, and I followed,” Nia pointed out.

Aria gave a weak laugh. “Yeah, well, I wanted a little bit quiet.”

“Well, when you vanish like that and don't answer when people call you, it calls for a little concern, and by the way, shouldn't you be with your mate or making a move to move in with him or something?” she suddenly asked Aria.

Aria said nothing but watched as Nia talked about how her mate was the best and how soon they would mark each other. The sweet things he says to her, and how he cannot get his hands off her.