Mate I never wanted

She wants to divorce me

Lucien

I felt myself slowly coming back to the current moment and I could not understand where the hell was I... and who did this soft scent belonged to.

My brain was still cloudy, but that was normal given the fact that I was coming out of heavy. Usually it takes me a few hours to get my thoughts in order.

Right now my brain was in scrambles as memories of the last few days started to rush at me. It was more or less scattered into bits and pieces that I tried to put together, like a real jigsaw puzzle.

The warmth of the body next to mine made me realize that I was not alone.

Shit.

Vivian... the wolf that I was genetically matched with. I spent my heat with her.

Memories of her body and how it felt against mine...

Tiny shivers of lust filled my body and I felt myself getting turned on by her. She was still next to me, her welcoming body pressed up against mine. One move and I would be on her... a few centimeters and I could be in her again... filling her willing body...

FUCK.

I jumped out of bed as if it was on fire.

My heart beat so fast that I was sure it would jump out of my chest. She looked so inviting right now, all my fox and my human side also wanted to do was climb back into bed and just pretend that there was nothing outside those walls for at least a few more hours...

NO.

I have wasted so much time with her already and I have to leave this place, before the freaking idea of mating her for real and getting her pregnant starts sounding appealing again. I was no longer in heat, and thoughts like this should never cross my mind.

"Fuck..."

I murmured to myself as I picked up my shoes from the floor and quietly tried to leave the room without waking her up. If she woke up... hell, I have no idea how to handle her yet.

Once outside the room, I saw Richard standing guard. Well, at least some things are normal.

His eyes searched my face for signs that I was still in heat, because my scent probably had not yet returned to normal.

The moment our eyes met, he understood that I was back, and he lowered his head in respect.

"Sir, good to see you back."

"Want to explain to me why the hell am I here alone with her?"

I tried to talk calmly, but the tension in my voice was clearly loud enough.

"It was your request to come here. I took you here after your mother not only approved of it, but also encouraged it."

Mother...

I should have guessed.

So signing me up to get genetically matched without my knowledge was not enough. She wanted to make sure that I got attached to the girl.

Taking a few deep calming breaths.

"Your mother asked to remind you to call her when your heat is over. She wants to discuss the girl you have been matched with."

"I think we should pay her a visit instead."

The conversation I want to have with her should be made face to face.

"Of course sir, the ship is ready to depart whenever you are ready."

My mind was still trying to piece back together the last few days in a logical order, so it was hard for me to concentrate on anything. I let Richard fly the spaceship as I sat in my chair, completely lost in thought. That was when I received the damned message from that woman.

She is requesting annulment of our mating match and asks that I agree and make it go smoothly, so we can move on from this.

The thought of really mating her had not crossed my mind. I actually thought about asking for an annulment. That was the original plan. That was why I went alone to meet her. I wanted to talk with her eye to eye. Let her know that I was not the one to sign up for the matching, I would have even helped her find a match... but now... she requested it on her own, before the spot on her bed that I occupied was even cold.

"We are landing, Sir."

Richard drew me out of the storm in my head and I looked up at him. We arrived at my father's castle. I was sure that father was not here, but my mother rarely leaves the castle.

"Thank you, Richard. Refill the tanks and I will call you when I am ready to leave."

With a little bow of his head, Richard agreed as I left the spaceship.

"Yes, sir."

I walked out of the spaceship and Richard took it to the maintenance shops.

Slowly I walked towards the back gardens where my mother was probably having her afternoon tea, in. She is always there at this time of day.

And I was right.

She was tending to her roses as one of the maids brought a tray of tea. To no surprise, she had two cups on it, one for her and one for me. She probably already knew that I was coming.

Sure, everyone knew that she was not really involved in politics or court life, but it was by choice and not because she was not capable of playing all of them as puppets that they were in her hands. She never saw the appeal of playing those games, but the years she spent here made her a great player nevertheless.

"Mother."

I said to her as I laid a soft kiss to her cold cheek.

"Richard, darling, good to see that you are back from your heat. I hope you had a good time with Vivian."

That foxy look on her face...

"Mother, you know that I do not appreciate your mending my business. You signing me up to get genetically matched was a foul move on your side. You know that I do not wish to mate, not yet... and when the time comes, I want to pick a mate that is suitable for this position. Someone that would be worthy and capable of taking the place of the next empress. Not some commoner from the streets."

Mother turned to me with a soft look on her face and lifted her gloved hand to my cheek.

"Darling, our life is lonely as it is. You do not need a good empress by your side, but a good woman. You would have chosen someone to suit the role, but not you."

"And you are sure that matching would give me the right woman?"

"Yes."

"Matching does not always work. Look what it did to father and you."

The moment those words left my mouth, I regretted them. The shadow of hurt passed my mother's face, and I wanted to slap myself for hurting her.

"Your father and I... it's complicated. And we are the exception that proves the rule. Now come, let's have tea before it gets cold, and you can tell me about your mate."

"She is not my mate, and I have no plans on mating her."

"Darling, the fact that you haven't annulled the mating match is a sure sign that you are considering mating her. There is no need to try to deny it."

Sometimes I forget how well she knows me.

Felling a bit defeated and even more confused about my own feelings, I pulled out my mother's chair and helped her sit down. As I sat at the other side of the glass table. The garden around us was full of life and reminded me of the afternoons that used to spend here with her... I should make time to do this more often.

"So, son, tell me about my future daughter-in-law."

I rolled my eyes at her words.

"You do know that I remember that I had already told you everything, when I came last time?"

"Yes, but that was your heat brain talking, now I want my boys' opinion."