Not Believing in Mates

Chapter 3 Melonie

It was not long before Melonie found herself in a more private seating area. One with nice, leather couches and servants bringing drinks and food. She didn’t decline a glass of champagne when offered, needing the boost to keep the edge off as she forced herself to be cordial and polite. “Melonie, is it? Tell me, why do you want to study music with us? Our bigger programs are for painting and designing.”

She took a deep breath before answering, picking her words carefully and trying not to sound strained. “I was an orphan for many years. Things tend to come and go when you are jostled between caretakers. However, I was given an iPod one Christmas. It was the most expensive thing I had owned for a long time. Having that constant in my life was useful.” The man seemed unimpressed. Such reasoning was quite underwhelming, after all. She had nailed it at the start, using her orphan past as a seller, but lost it with the lack of emotional follow up. Emotions have never been her strong suit.

“I see... Well the program is far more difficult to get into, and even harder to stay in. That is why all of our graduate students have become world-class composers and idols. I’m not sure your passion is strong enough for us to put in time with you. A more formal meeting with a portfolio will be required.” Melonie’s chest tightened at the initial rejection, wanting to pursue music more than anything else. She tried to bite back the anger welling in her as she heard it. It was difficult to say out loud, or even on paper, how important music was to her. She felt sick to her stomach just thinking about the influx of feelings this meeting had already caused.

Melonie was preparing to kindly thank them for the opportunity and leave when she had a feeling of deja vu. The smell of cherries and rain entered her nose again. “Beta Derek!” A low, alluring voice caused her head to snap towards the entrance of the little alcove. A large man, clearly an alpha, stood there, looking with warm, but calculating eyes at his beta. She watched as his nose twitched before his gaze dropped to her. Melonie felt her world pause on its axis, her eyes locked with his piercing, chocolate ones. All sound faded into the background, that small moment feeling like an eternity.

Melonie felt like she was floating, slowly gathering to her feet and stepping closer. The scent of cherries and rain got stronger, causing her to take in a deep breath. The alpha wets his lips with his tongue, Melonie finding her gaze dropping to watch.. As her own begin to part slightly, she saw more than heard one little word escape his mouth. “Mate,” and with that the spell was broken. She quickly tore her eyes away, turning around and grabbing her champagne, finishing the glass.

“Thank you, sir. I will.. Get my portfolio then.” She set her glass down harder than necessary before pushing past the alpha, who still stood in the doorway. She refused to look at him again, yet she couldn’t help the way her breath hitched at their contact, even without it being skin to skin. She couldn't ignore the way his small, possessive growl heated her body up in a way she had never felt before. Her wolf, who had settled down long before, stood again, pacing with anticipation but staying silent as Melonie walked away.

She did her best to look calm and collected in her rush to the bathroom. She didn't hesitate to lock the stall tightly behind her, pressing her back to the door and taking deep breaths. Her wolf continued to pace, now growing anxious and nipping at her subconscious as if she had done something wrong. Although her eyes stung, Melonie refused to cry, digging her fingers into her hands. Mate? She had a mate? Absolutely not. She refused. Mates were not real. They were a myth some believed they had, but which was really just a temporary infatuation with another. A dependency she did NOT need.

A drop of red dripped on the tile floor, Melonie’s vision honing in on it. Red. A deep red. Her gaze shifted to her hands or should she say claws. A soft growl escaped her wolf at the sight of her hands bleeding. She quickly loosened her grip, focusing on the stinging in her hands to forget what had just happened. She stayed a moment longer before turning around and unlocking the door, making her way to the sink to clean up. The wounds closed up quickly and Melonie placed a bit of cold water on her face, trying to ground herself again.

Melonie returned to her stoic facade before moving to check the hallway outside of the bathroom. She didn’t smell her so-called mate, but that didn’t mean the alpha wasn’t lurking. Seeing the coast to be clear, she finally exited the bathroom. Her wolf never settled, however, keeping them both on edge despite her silence. It wasn't too long before Melonie found herself at the exit of the gala, only to be stopped by a few volunteer warriors. “Nobody is allowed to leave for another hour, Miss.” Another hour? She felt her wolf bristle inside.

“I have already been here over an hour and I can’t leave? What is this, a prison? Move!” She can no longer help the way she tried to aggressively push past the warrior. Between her unsettled wolf and the alcohol, her self control had dwindled quite far. Yet the stone body in front of her didn’t budge.

“If any more force is used, I will have to report to the Alpha and Luna of your defiance.” An enraged reply was on the tip of Melonie’s tongue before a hand gently grabbed her elbow, “That won’t be necessary, sir. The lady and I will be going now.” Melonie stumbled back a step as she was tugged away. Only a second passed before she quickly slapped the hand away, glaring hard at whoever interfered.

Beta Derek simply smiled back at Melonie, lifting his hands up in a way to try and tone down some of her anger. “Alright little beauty, the hands will stay off. But we should go somewhere else before you cause a bigger scene.” Still seething, Melonie glanced around to see many whispering again. A bigger scene? As if him interfering wasn’t going to be the biggest drama in her pack anyway. Why would the Beta of Dawn Crescent interfere in her little spat that happens almost every year, after all? But as her wolf settled back down, she obliged, walking away to find an empty corridor.

After reaching an empty hallway, silence lurked between both of them. She had nothing to say. She felt no need to defend herself. This was how her pack saw her. How others saw her every year. Just the emo little troublemaker, always putting up a fight. There was nothing new to this situation, Nothing new to Melonie, at least. They said it is in her blood to be rebellious. What else did they expect from someone like her?

“Why did you leave when the alpha came?” were the first wordsto break the silence. Her memory suddenly shifted back to those hypnotizing, chocolate eyes. The way his tongue darted from his lips, just begging her to try and taste them. Why did she leave? Her wolf’s head perked up as well, wanting to know the answer. Yet Melonie didn’t say a word, just glaring silently at the Beta. He waited several minutes, but to no avail. She didn’t utter a word.

A sigh escaped Beta Derek’s lips as he pushed his back from the wall, getting ready to leave. “I have work to do, but the Head of our Arts Academy wants to see your portfolio tomorrow at breakfast. We will be staying the night here. Unless you have changed your mind about hoping to enroll, I will see you then,” with that he left. Melonie fiounds herself alone again, only this time she had a lot more to think about, and her wolf was awake to stir a few extra emotions in as well.