The Alpha’s Hidden Mate

Chapter 14 Mae

Have you ever walked into a room and instantly known that everyone was taking about you?

As the group walked up to the dining hall I could hear the dull roar of people from inside. I squeezed Liam’s hand as my stomach tightened with the anticipation. The other three went ahead of us and headed for a table towards the front of the hall. As soon as Liam and I crossed the threshold the room became almost completely silent. For a solid five seconds the noisiest thing was our foot steps walking up to the table. I felt my cheeks start to burn as hundreds of eyes were on me. I tried to walk with confidence, but not to seem arrogant. I was new here, and even though I was the Alpha’s mate, I needed to make sure that earned the pack’s respect.

There was a light murmuring as we approached the table. Before I could sit Liam turned to address the crowd, still holding my hand.

“Members of the Quartz Moon Pack, I am thrilled to let you know that I have found my mate, and your soon-to-be Luna!”

The hall erupted with applause and cheers. I didn’t know what to expect, but this was a very warm welcoming. I felt awkward, waiting for the applause to die down. I waved to Julie who was sitting near by. I made a mental note to go say hi to her once this all settled. As the noise started to die down I could feel the anticipation in the room - they were waiting for me to speak.

Shit. Deep breath.

“Thank you, Quartz Moon pack. I am so honored to be here, and I can’t tell you how happy I am to have found such an amazing community to be a part of. I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone and to help this pack in any way I can, so that we can continue to flourish together. Let’s eat!”

Clapping and light laughter flitted across the hall and the normal conversation picked up and the scraping of forks and plates signaled that everyone was back to eating. I sat down and Liam leaned over and gave me a kiss on the cheek. He looked at me like there was no one else in the world, it made my heart skip a beat.

A young woman came by with a plate for me and Liam. It was stacked high with roasted chicken and vegetables with wild rice and dinner rolls. The smell was incredible and my mouth instantly watered.

“Great speech, Mae,” said Garrett coming up for air from his food.

“Yeah, I think everyone liked it and you were really genuine,” said Ronan.

“Thanks guys. I probably should have prepared something.”

Liam leaned over to me, his lips brushing my ear and sending shivers down my body.

“You did amazing,” he whispered in my ear. All of the nerves in my body were pinging. It was getting harder and harder to resist this man.

“Why resist? He is our mate.” Pearl purred in my head. All the logical reasons about taking things more slowly we’re slipping away like water in my hands. Damn this mate bond.

As if sensing my internal fight, Liam reached under the table and rested his hand on my thigh. I glanced at him and he seemed nonplussed and casually ate his dinner. Damn this man and this mate bond.

Members of the pack started coming up to the table to introduce themselves and to say hello to the ranked members; warriors, house staff, people who held positions at the pack’s subsidiary businesses, teachers - it didn’t matter what they did within the pack, Liam, Garrett, Ronan and Charlotte knew them by name and spoke like old friends. My head was spinning trying to keep it all straight, but I loved how everyone seemed to care for and respect each other in the pack. At first it had seemed a little strange to me that by birth right Liam was suddenly in charge of all these people. But the more I saw of how they ran the pack and how they treated everyone, it became apparent that the ranked members just had everyone’s best interest in mind. It did register with me that at some point, I would have to help start making some of these more difficult decisions, and I didn’t take that lightly.

I was a little lost in my thoughts when Charlotte leaned forward and mumbled to us “incoming.”

I looked up to see a gorgeous blonde walking towards us. She was tall, with legs for days, long hair and icy blue eyes. She was covered from top to bottom in designer labels and it wasn’t subtle.

“Hi Cassie, it’s been a long time!” Said Charlotte. Cassie pulled up a chair in front of the group.

“Hi! Yes I just got back from Europe, doing some business trading. You know how it is.” She batted her eyes at Liam. Pearl growled in my head.

“I actually wanted to pick your brain a little bit Liam, because I have this opportunity to import textiles that I’m not sure is the right fit for my portfolio and I thought maybe you could help. I figured it could be like our old high school days, when you helped me study in the library,” she said with a wink.

I could feel Liam stiffen next to me, and I saw his jaw clench. Cassie hadn’t even looked at me yet, and was giving Liam a knowing smirk. I felt very uncomfortable, which I’m sure was her goal. She was clearly trying to reference some fling from the past. Pearl was pissed, she wanted to fight. But I reminded her (and myself) that Cassie was a part of the pack, and as the future Luna of this pack, she was just as important as anyone else.

“Well we have a team that can help with that. So you’re welcome to use them. I’m not in the textile business too much so I’m not sure how much help I can be,” said Liam.

“Oh sure, I just thought it might be nice to get together like old times,” she said as she flipped her hair.

“Cassie, have you met Mae?” Charlotte interrupted. “She is Liam’s mate and our future Luna.” She was clearly trying to snap Cassie back to reality, which I loved her for.

Cassie’s eyes moved over to me, slowly looking me over for a moment.

“Hi Mae,” she said, reaching out her hand. “Nice to meet you.” I took her hand and gave it a small shake.

“Aren’t you just a cute little thing. I love your dress, I would never have the confidence to meet the pack in something so comfortable,” she gave me a sickly sweet smile. I felt my cheeks heating a little.

“Thank you, I figured I should wear something that suits me, since as the future Luna, I’m here to be a leader in the pack, not a ruler. I’m looking forward to helping this pack as an equal, so I don’t feel the need to flaunt my status.” I tried to match her smile as I looked at her up and down as she has done with me earlier.

Garrett almost spit out his drink, Charlotte pretended to cough to cover a laugh, Ronan’s eyes got wide and he couldn’t look at us, and Liam smiled and put his arm around my shoulders with a kiss on my temple. Cassie’s smile faltered for a fraction of a second.

“Liam, you’re going to have your hands full getting your new Luna trained up, since she is so new to the pack,” said Cassie, not taking her eyes off me. “Let me know if you need some help getting it sorted. We’ve always made such a great team.”

“Actually Mae is doing great, she has the instincts and the personality to make a fantastic Luna,” said Charlotte. “We’re in good hands.”

“Yes, thank you Cassie but Mae is all set,” said Liam. His tone made it clear that the conversation was over. Cassie’s eyes searched his face for a moment and then she started to get up.

“Ok, well I’m just a quick call away if you need me. Liam, let’s catch up soon,” she said with a little wave of her hand.

She walked off, leaving our table to let out a collective exhale. I waited until Cassie was out of the dining hall and then stood up. I didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of knowing she had rattled me. Clearly she and Liam had a history and she also didn’t seem to respect me as his mate or the future Luna of the pack. I was brand new to this world with no history, no connections, no context for anything. How was I supposed to compete?

“Excuse me,” I mumbled and turned around. I wasn’t sure where I was going but I needed to get out of there. That interaction with Cassie had me doubting everything and I was starting to spiral into a panic attack.

I went to the first door I saw. Thank God, it was the Women’s restroom. I shut myself in a stall and tried to stop the tears from coming. Only a moment later there was a soft knock on the bathroom door.

“Mae? Are you ok?” Liam had followed me.

“Liam, this is the women’s bathroom. You can’t come in.” I knew he was just checking on me, but I was so embarrassed and unsure of myself, I didn’t know if I could face him.

“I’m the Alpha, I can go any where I want. Especially if my mate is upset. Talk to me, honey.”

He was standing outside the stall now. I knew he could have easily knocked down the door, but he was allowing me the physical wall so that I might let down my metaphorical wall.

“Cassie’s not wrong. I may be a wolf but I am completely out of my element. And she clearly doesn’t think I’m cut out to be Luna, or your mate for that matter. So if someone who has known you since you were a kid doesn’t think I can do it, how many other pack members feel that way? And then what if I do something stupid that just proves them right? What does that do to your reputation?”

Tears were silently falling now. I hate crying and I’d been doing it all week.

“Mae, Cassie is jealous. And a master at mind games. She and Charlotte rolled in the same group in high school but were barely friends. She has always had her eye on me because she wanted to be Luna, to have the power that’s associated with it. So she’d do things like show up in the library when I was studying or invite herself along with Garrett and Ronan and I, but I always knew that she wasn’t my mate and I wasn’t interested. I think she thought that since it had taken me so long to find my mate that maybe I would give up and she could be my chosen mate. But that’s never going to happen. You are my destined mate, and you are made to be perfect for me and for this pack. There is nothing you could do that would change my mind. And I don’t care what anyone else thinks, if they have a problem with you they have a problem with me. And if that’s the case they can leave.”

I wiped my face to get rid of the tears and unlocked the stall door. Liam slowly pulled the door open, looking at me with concern all over his face.

“You’re not going to reject me even if I don’t know how to be the Luna yet?” My voice was small and pitiful, tears threatened to start falling again.

In the last 48 hours, Liam’s rejection had become my greatest fear. He had become my whole world and the thought of losing him made my heart hurt so badly I thought it might stop if he left me. I hated being this vulnerable, I had avoided it most of my life. But everything was different now. I needed to be honest Liam about everything, even my insecurities.

Liam pulled me to him and enveloped me in a hug.

“Mae, I will never reject you. I have never wanted to be with someone more than I do with you. And you are going to be an incredible Luna. I know you will. Don’t let Cassie take away all the amazing qualities you have.”

We stood quietly, holding each other. His touch and his smell made me feel so much calmer. I looked up at him and gave him a small kiss and a smile. But the small kiss turned into a medium kiss. And then a big kiss. Before I knew it my hands were in his hair, kissing him deeply. He reached down and picked me up by the back of my thighs and butt, carrying me the bathroom counter. He started to hike up my dress, my legs wrapped around his waste. I could feel his bulge through his pants and my core was hot and wet, ready to take him. I couldn’t think straight, I just wanted him inside me.

I was just unbuckling his belt when he froze and then pulled back.

“f**k. Goddamn it. I’m so sorry Mae. You have no idea how badly I want to continue this. But Garrett just told me that there is a line of people waiting for us.” He rested his forehead on mine as we both tried to catch our breath. “And as much as I want you right here and now, I don’t think I want our first time to be in a women’s bathroom.”

I knew he was right but goddamn I wanted him. I took a few deeps breaths, trying to get my composure.

“You’re right. Sorry I got carried away.”

“Never apologize to me for that. I want that to happen all the time,” said Liam lifting me off the counter. I pulled my dress back down and fixed my hair, successfully making it look like we didn’t just have a major make out session.

“Well I’m happy to continue this at a later date,” I said with a wink as I turned to walk out the door.

“We will be continuing this tonight, and you will be screaming my name,” he said in a low husky voice. He gave my ass a hard smack that made me yelp in surprise and pleasure and then pushed me out the door with him.

Am I going to make it that long?