His Breeder, Not His Mate

ANASTACIA “You stubborn child! How many times have I told you to stop getting into fights?” Mom pressed a band-aid gently to the cut on my cheek, then smoothed back my damp, messy hair, still streaked with paint and sand. I had only wanted to play with my friends, but instead, I ended up fighting. I couldn’t just stand by while those rowdy boys picked on Candice. Candice was my best friend. Watching her get hurt over and over tore at me. And that day, I finally snapped. “Look at you now. What if that wound leaves a scar?” Mom’s worried eyes searched mine as she sat across from me. My jaw tightened, fists clenching with unspent anger. “Tash, you don’t need to worry anymore.” She sighed, but I stayed silent. Fury still burned in me. If mom hadn’t shown up, those boys would have gone home with broken faces—and worse, they might have ended up dead. I swore the next time I saw them, I’d make sure they paid. They would never get away with hurting Candice again. “Do you remember the story I once told you about the Moon Priestess?” she asked suddenly. My head lifted in curiosity. “Moon Priestess?” She nodded, smiling softly. “The priestess who was meant to marry a handsome Alpha King,” she said. At once, I knew which story she meant. Chaelle—the brilliant and beautiful Moon Priestess of the Aurora Wolves Pack, betrothed to Alpha Rigel of the Shadow Moon Pack. Their wedding was meant to take place beneath the full moon. But it never happened. Alpha Rigel’s father had discovered that the Moon Priestess bore a scar on her face. Among the royal pack, a bride had to be flawless, no blemish, no scar, because such flaws brought shame to the entire pack. Worse still, it was revealed that the Moon Priestess had no special ability at all. I snorted and looked away. “There’s no way I’d ever become a Moon Priestess. You and dad already give me too many orders. Besides, I’m far too young to marry, mom.” I pouted. Her laugh rang out. “You silly child. I never said a ten-year-old could marry. I only want you to take care of yourself, because you’re a girl.” She chuckled, ruffling my hair. I looked up again, this time meeting her eyes seriously. “But when I turn eighteen, and I find my fated mate, I’ll be the one to propose.” She burst into laughter again, tears welling in her eyes. “You really are impossible,” she said between giggles, wiping her cheeks. “I mean it, mom.” I jutted out my lip. She leaned closer, cupping my face in her hands. “Let your fated one be the one to propose, sweetheart. That’s how it should be. All right?” “Fine,” I muttered, though my heart resisted. I wanted to be the one to ask, to make certain I would never lose my mate. “All right. Stay right here, I’ll prepare you some hot soup. Everything will be fine, you’ll see.” And she left for the kitchen. I was about to head upstairs when a series of frantic knocks rattled the front door. I ran to open it, expecting dad. Instead, I found Candice. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with fear. *** “You again? Haven’t you learned your lesson?” I shouted at the three boys who had cornered another child about our age. I bit my lip, wincing with every blow they delivered. The poor boy could do nothing but cry. His small frame curled into the grass as their kicks rained down. Candice told me they had followed her home, but the boy had stepped in to defend her. Outnumbered, he never stood a chance. How could he fight three stocky boys who looked years older than us with his thin and frail body? One of them turned on me, his glare sharp as knives. “You again, ugly ape!” The boy I believed to be their leader. He squared his shoulders, fists raised. I smirked. “Ugly ape? Better than boys who are still stuck in diapers.” His friends burst into laughter, as did Candice behind me. Only the boy in the grass stayed quiet, hugging his knees. My chest tightened with pity. This was exactly what had happened to Candice. Why did some children prefer cruelty over friendship? “Shut it, or you’re next!” he yelled, silencing the others. He turned back to me. “Say it again, ape!” “I said,” I mocked, “you are still stuck in diapers. That’s so childish. What a shame!” I hefted Uncle Brandon’s wooden baton onto my shoulder. “You’re only brave because of that stick! Fight me one-on-one if you’ve got guts!” he challenged. I smirked. Did he really forget what happened earlier? “Oh, sure!” I tossed the baton aside with a flourish and marched toward him. I grabbed his shirt, yanked him close, and landed a solid punch across his face. Shock flashed in his eyes, his ruddy cheeks draining of color. “Hey… are you all right?” I turned toward the boy, my tone softening. I felt as though I were a dame in shining armor at that very moment. Slowly, the boy raised his head. My breath caught. It was as if the world held its breath with me. His face… his eyes… something inside me stirred—something that whispered of familiarity deeper than memory. “Mate,” I whispered. “It’s you.” At last, I had found him. My fated mate. But the moment shattered. Something struck my temple, and the world went black. *** “Are you okay?” Even though my vision was blurred, I instinctively reached out, cupped his face with both hands, and pulled him close. “Mate… it’s really you.” Joy surged through me as his image cleared—those hazel eyes, so beautiful, yet shadowed with the same sorrow as Alpha Rigel’s. “M-mate? What are you talking about? I don’t understand.” His cheeks flushed crimson as he looked away. “But… thanks for saving me,” he murmured. “If it weren’t for you, I don’t know what would’ve happened.” I froze as the events came crashing back—the fight, the blow that dropped me. Shame burned my cheeks. I must have looked like a fool before him. “Ah, I… didn’t do much.” I scratched my head, forcing a grin. “I should go. Be careful on your way home. Bullies are everywhere.” I turned to leave, but his hand caught mine. “W-wait…” I looked back, startled. His grip tightened. “I’m not your fated mate.” His voice trembled with sorrow and regret. I held his gaze. “All I know is, we were destined to meet. And even if fate didn’t plan for us to be together, I’ll fight for you, I swear.” He smiled—a smile I knew I’d carry in my heart for years to come. “This is all I can give you,” he said softly. From his pocket, he pulled out a pink band-aid decorated with a tiny teddy bear and pressed it gently to the wound on my hand. “Thank you again,” he whispered, smiling. If only I could stay by his side, gazing upon his face for all eternity... “When I turn eighteen, I’ll marry you,” I said firmly, smiling. “I’ll make sure you’re the happiest groom in the world. As long as I live, no one will ever hurt you again.” I leaned in, pressed a tender kiss to his cheek, and walked away. But just as I turned to leave, his voice stopped me. “W-wait.” I looked back and took a step toward him. There was something different in his expression now. “Please… give me your hand,” he said. I looked at him curiously as I placed my hand in his. To my surprise, he lifted it to his lips and softly bit my index finger. A rush of warmth spread from my fingertip, coursing all the way to my chest. I pressed a hand over my heart, startled by the strange, unexplainable connection that sparked between us. “I’ll wait for you,” he whispered as he gently released my hand. My heart brimmed with happiness at the thought that he would wait for me. I may not have known his name, nor the pack he belonged to, but deep within my heart, I was certain—he was my fated one. And come what may, even the will of fate itself, I would make sure that promise was fulfilled.