HIS MATE HIS OBSESSION

CHAPTER1

“Wake up! Wake up! Hatty, you shouldn’t be sleeping!”

“Take a look!” Mia rushed into my room, thrusting her phone in my face.

With sleepy eyes, I glanced at the screen, but what I saw quickly jolted me fully awake.

Something that broke my heart—an intimate picture of Damian with another woman.

At first, I laughed. “It’s AI-generated,” I said, not wanting to believe what my eyes were seeing.

Seeing my mate with another woman—the man I love, the man who was supposed to mark me today and make me his Luna—it shattered me. Today was supposed to be the happiest day of my life. You know why?

Because Damian loves me so dearly. We’ve been together for a year now, and he’s been the best thing that’s ever happened to me.

The sound of my phone ringing came just at the right time, and the caller ID made me smile instantly, forgetting about the picture Mia had just shown me.

Mia glanced at me in disbelief. She turned to leave, but I grabbed her wrist, putting my phone on speaker. I wanted her to hear Damian profess his love to me. He wasn’t the one in that picture—he couldn’t be.

“Hi, babe,” he greeted sweetly, like he always did, and I blushed.

“I got you a dress for the engagement. A dispatcher is on the way to deliver it,” he said, his voice soft and warm. If there’s one thing my mate knows how to do, it’s say exactly what my heart longs to hear.

I giggled, smiling sheepishly. His sweet words always had a way of brightening my mood.

“You see?” I told Mia. “This picture clearly looks AI-generated.”

She looked dumbfounded as I tried to prove my point. “These fingers are slightly different from Damian’s,” I added, searching for more reasons to believe in him.

“Damian loves me so much. He wouldn’t hurt me. Look, he even got me a dress for our engagement!” I said, flaunting my ring finger and laughing like a fool.

Mia didn’t say a word. She just left the room quietly, embarrassed for me.

I happily checked the clock. In just a few hours, I’d give myself to the man I love. I couldn’t be happier.

Today was the day the Moon Goddess had prepared for me—for us. Damian and I. The man I’d always dreamed of being with. He would mark me today, and I would finally give myself to him—a gift I had saved for only him—because he was indeed a great man.

He had been taking care of my family, just my mom and me, ever since.

Soon, it was time. My heart pounded, nervous but excited.

I eagerly put on the dress the dispatcher had delivered—the dress Damian had chosen for me. I added light makeup, my full brown hair cascading down my shoulders.

It was a short black sequin dress that hugged my tiny hourglass figure. The cape draped elegantly, simple yet classy.

I looked at myself in the mirror and smiled, satisfied.

I wished my mom were well enough to witness my marking ceremony. Tears stung my eyes, but I held them back. She would be mad if she saw me cry.

I added more lip gloss and gave myself a final glance. The dress fit perfectly. Damian truly knew my style.

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The sound of clinking champagne glasses was deafening.

For a moment, I thought I might faint.

My heart pounded so violently it hurt, but I couldn’t tear my gaze away from the scene in front of me.

There he was—my mate, the man fate had chosen for me—kneeling before my stepsister with a ring in his hand.

Gasps and squeals filled the hall as he slipped a glittering diamond ring onto her finger.

My stepsister—radiant, smug, flawless—threw her arms around him as cameras flashed.

My wolf whimpered in pain. The bond burned like fire in my veins.

I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. The man who was supposed to be mine had chosen her.

He looked at me then, those warm brown eyes that once made me feel safe now colder than ice.

“Don’t look so shocked,” he murmured, lips barely moving as the crowd cheered. “You knew this was never going to happen, sweetheart. Perhaps you were too naïve to see it.”

My stomach twisted. “I’m your mate,” I whispered, trying to remind him.

“This is a prank,” I said, voice shaky. “It has to be. You just got me this dress a few hours ago. You told me you loved me.”

“Oh, the dress?” Damian raised a brow. “That was just a gift. I didn’t want you looking too bad for my engagement.”

He emphasized my like a dagger.

He smirked. “And? That doesn’t mean you’re worthy of me. You’re nothing but a lowborn girl. Did you really think I’d give up a powerful alliance for you?”

I flinched. His words cut deeper than any blade.

So that’s what this was all about. I was the real Beta’s daughter, but Clara took everything the moment she came into our house, becoming my father’s favorite.

He divorced my mom and claimed custody of me, yet all I endured under his roof was humiliation and pain.

“If you still want to be part of my life,” Damian added, leaning close, “you could always be my mistress. I’d take care of you. No one has to know.”

“And your sick mom,” he added mockingly, twisting the knife. He’d always said she was his responsibility too.

Now? Mistress.

The word burned in my ears. The humiliation clawed at my throat until I could barely breathe.

My stepsister’s triumphant smile only made it worse.

I couldn’t stay. I wouldn’t let them see me break—not Damian, not today. He wouldn’t see my tears.

I turned sharply, my heels clicking on the marble floor as I pushed through the sea of whispering faces.

My wolf growled low, restless and angry, but I held her back.

The cool night air hit my burning face, tears blurring the lights strung across the courtyard.

I didn’t stop walking. I didn’t know where I was going—only that I had to get away.

I had never felt pain like this. Not even my father’s cruelty hurt like this mate rejection.

---

I don’t remember entering the club.

One moment I was storming down dark streets, tears streaking my face, and the next, I was sitting under flickering neon lights, a glass of whiskey in my hand.

The club was nearly empty, the scent of liquor and cheap cologne heavy in the air.

“Another,” I croaked, sliding the glass across the counter.

The bartender gave me a look but refilled it without comment. I tossed it back, welcoming the burn in my throat.

Drink after drink dulled the sharp edges of my pain until humiliation became a distant ache.

“Rough night?”

The deep, velvety voice slid over me like silk, sending shivers down my spine.

I turned, my vision hazy, and froze.

The man sitting beside me didn’t belong here.

His suit was perfectly tailored, his broad shoulders filling the dark fabric effortlessly. His black hair gleamed under the dim lights, and his sharp jawline looked like it had been carved from stone.

But it was his eyes—stormy gray and piercing—that made my heart skip a beat.

He was beautiful. Dangerous. And he smelled faintly of cedarwood and power, a scent that stirred my wolf.

My blurry vision barely made out his face. He wore a mask covering his nose and jaw. I didn’t care why. I was too drunk to care.

“You could say that,” I muttered, forcing my voice to stay steady.

He studied me for a moment, his gaze unreadable. “You don’t belong here.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “Neither do you.”

His lips curved into a faint smirk, though his eyes stayed cold. “Touché.”

We sat in silence for a moment.

I drained my glass, then stumbled as I tried to stand.

My legs buckled, and I braced for the fall, but strong arms caught me.

It was him—the stranger.

“I want to go home,” I mumbled.

“You can’t,” his deep voice replied. “You look a mess.”

He held me with ease, like I weighed nothing. His warmth seeped into me, and I rested my head on his chest, forgetting my heartbreak.

He laid me gently on a bed. My blurry eyes watched him turn to leave.

“I like your smile,” I whispered flirtatiously.

He stopped in his tracks. My words seemed to freeze him.

He moved closer, inches from my face, staring at me so intensely I felt like I’d combust under his gaze.

“And your lips,” I added, but before I could say more, his lips crashed against mine.

His kiss was sweet and soft, yet possessive. I didn’t hesitate. I kissed him back, desperate and eager.

He lifted me easily, pinning me between his body and the wall.

I wrapped my legs around his waist, letting him deepen the kiss.

I tugged at his tie, fumbling, but he helped me undo it, then yanked off his shirt and tossed it aside.

My fingers roamed over his abs, tracing the hard lines of his body.

A moan escaped my lips.

“Are you sure you want this?” he asked between kisses.

“Yes,” I whispered instantly. I needed him. I’d never needed anyone this much.

But then my phone rang, loud and jarring.

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