Theirs to Protect

Chapter5

After Mother rudely woke Nate up, he dressed and brushed his teeth. Then, he sat at the end of his bed for an obnoxious amount of time contemplating his upcoming nuptials. He was pissed. This was not how his mating was supposed to go. He and Ben had always lived under the impression that they would find their fated mate and live happily ever after. Instead, they were being forced into a marriage to satisfy an alliance. He was angry. Angry at his father for making them do this. Angry at Mother for going along with Father’s ridiculous plan, and mad at the Moon Goddess for forsaking them. He had never been particularly religious, but his mother had instilled the lessons of the Moon Goddess in him. He knew that she was responsible for their gift of being a wolf. She was also responsible for creating their fated mate. The mate that would be perfect for them in every way. He didn’t understand what he had done to cause the Moon Goddess to deny them the mate they longed for. He knew he didn’t pray to the Goddess as he should, and he only observed the solstice because Mother would never allow them to insult the religion by not honoring their creator. But Nate did not feel that a few missed prayers would anger the Goddess so much that she would deny them this gift.

The marriage chamber that his mother was so excited about would be at the other end of the palace, near the royal chambers. Today, while he and Ben were primped and primed for the mating ceremony, servants would be moving all of their personal belongings into that chamber. And when the princess arrived her things would also be taken straight to the chambers that the three of them would share. It was going to be an adjustment for Nate. He was used to and liked his own space. He had always been quick to get angry when things went wrong. His father called it a hot temper. Usually, when that happened, Nate could escape to his room and stew in his anger until he calmed down. He had no idea where or how he would manage his anger without his own space to cool off in. Sharing a room with his twin was not going to be a burden. It was their bride that concerned him. She is probably some spoilt snotty brat who will make them miserable. How was he supposed to get ready for that? How was he supposed to accept the fact that they would never have the love that his parents had. The love that is only between fated mates. Why had the Moon Goddess abandoned them?

The stress of his predicament weighed heavily on Nate. He worried about his future. He worried about his twin. And he worried about his place as the future alpha of the pack. He and Ben would be the alphas one day, and being alpha was a big responsibility. And having a mate by your side was important. Nate just didn’t believe it was important enough to warrant him marrying a princess he had never met. There was still time. Werewolves lived for a couple of hundred years, and his father was only in his seventieth year. The twins had plenty of time to meet their fated mate before they took over the pack. Why were his parents so adamant that they marry now? Why did it have to be a Fae? He needed a strong female. He needed a mate who could handle both him and Ben at their best and worst. What would a Fae Princess do when Nate’s anger burst free? No, she wouldn’t be able to handle it. The fae were notoriously known for being meek and submissive. Meekness would be a disaster and Nate only needed submission when he was f*****g her. This marriage would be miserable, and Nate didn’t look forward to a long life at odds with his mate. While Nate pondered his fate, the soon-to-be disaster, servants started to trickle into his chambers. They carried trunks that they would pack his things into. They were moving him to the marriage chamber.