My Mate

Chapter 5

I didn't understand what Alpha Gael was yapping about either. Cyrus had said I wasn't his mate, which was why he refused to take responsibility for my child and even wanted me to abort it. Now, Alpha Gael was claiming that I was his mate and that he would protect me because of that. I couldn't make sense of this situation at all.

Even though I find it hard to believe that Cyrus or even werewolves ever existed, now that I'm pregnant and have read about them, I can't help but wonder. They say werewolves have mates and can find them through scent, but I know I can never be anyone's mate. I'm just an ordinary human, even though I'm carrying a werewolf's child. I have no idea what that means for me, but deep down, I know I can never be mated to any werewolf.

I knew Alpha Gael wanted to get to me because of my situation, but I wouldn’t let anyone deceive me again like that bastard did to me and my unborn baby. I didn’t need to think twice about what to do; I had to trust my instincts and flee from Alpha Gael as soon as possible.

"I said you should stop the car. I'm not following you anymore; I'll find my own way. I don't want to go with you any longer," I said, even though I knew how dangerous it was to wander around this werewolf territory. But I couldn't risk getting my heart broken again, especially since Alpha Gael seemed like someone who could make me fall in love just like Cyrus had.

Alpha Gael still didn’t stop the car after I told him to, continuing to drive as my anger began to boil over. "I know what you're thinking, but I'm not letting you go," he said. I sighed in frustration. Is every werewolf this stubborn? I couldn't even grasp what he meant by knowing what I was thinking.

I don't want to think that he can read or hear my mind, but that can't be true. I read a book about werewolves to understand them better, and if I'm Alpha Gael's mate, he shouldn't be able to read my thoughts yet. That can only happen once he marks me as his. This makes me know that he's lying about me being his mate.

"Look, you don't have to help me. I'm no longer interested in following you, and that's final," I said again, trying to keep my anger in check, but he was making it difficult.

"Since you're human, I know it'll be difficult for you to believe that you're my mate and the true Luna of this pack," he said again. I scoffed; it sounded ridiculous to me. I wasn't his mate—I was certain of that. Yet here he was, claiming that a mere human, a powerless girl, was the Luna of a werewolf pack.

The thought made me laugh inside. "You're not powerless," I heard Alpha Gael say, and I gasped in shock—he could actually hear my thoughts! But how?

I stared at him, confused. "H-how can you hear my thoughts?" I stuttered, surprised. Alpha Gael simply scoffed.

"You don't need to know about that. All I'll tell you is that you're my mate and the true Luna of this pack," Alpha Gael repeated that nonsense. I still didn't believe him, but I realized I couldn't underestimate anyone here, so I needed to be careful.

"The father of your pup is—" Alpha Gael began, and I listened intently, curious to know what he was about to say, but he stopped midway.

"Never mind," he said and I hissed silently. What did he mean about my father's child? Did he know Cyrus? I shook off the thought. Why would he know Cyrus? There's no way—Cyrus is in another city. This is a werewolf pack, and if he were part of them, he should obviously be here. So I doubted that was what he wanted to say.

I quickly shut down my thoughts, remembering that he could hear what I was thinking. I wasn't comfortable with a werewolf around me, especially given their powers. I knew Alpha Gael wouldn’t let me go; he was obsessed with calling me his mate, even though I wasn’t. From now on, I had to be careful around him and avoid making the same mistakes I had with Cyrus.

Alpha Gael's eye color changed the moment he heard my thoughts, but before he could do anything reckless, his eyes returned to their normal hue. Instead, he spoke up sarcastically, "Humans can be so stubborn, especially their females," he mumbled just loud enough for me to hear. I rolled my eyes at him in response, trying to keep my irritation hidden.

My hand found its way to my stomach. I couldn't believe I was having a baby—especially a werewolf baby. I realized I needed to get along with the other werewolves, but not Alpha Gael, if I wanted to take care of my child.

I started rubbing my stomach fondly. "It's Cyrus's loss for neglecting us. I'll make sure we become someone he'll never have again," I thought as Alpha Gael kept driving.

•

I gasped in shock when Alpha Gael drove into the pack house; it was far from what I had imagined. Considering how his mother's restaurant looked, I expected something less impressive. Although Alpha Gael himself was handsome, everything I had seen of them just a few hours ago made me realize they were different from us. They didn’t seem to care about showing off like humans do. But the pack house before me revealed their true wealth—this place was enormous and adorned with beautiful, expensive furnishings and I could swear I had never entered a house this large in my life, not even back in my hometown, and my mouth couldn't help but drop open in awe.

From what I could see, I imagined this pack house could accommodate more than five hundred people—that's how huge it was.

"You're shocked? Why didn't you go inside first? I'm sure you'd be even more surprised," Alpha Gael said as he opened the door and stepped down. I gasped at his words. Did he mean the inside would be even more beautiful and spacious than this?

I couldn't help but feel a surge of happiness at finally entering a house like this, even though it wasn't in my hometown. Alpha Gael walked closer to me to help me down from the truck.

"Let's go," he mumbled as we approached the pack house. No matter what, I couldn't help but be captivated by its stunning exterior. Alpha Gael had promised that I would be even more amazed inside, but the beauty of the outside was already enchanting my eyes.

As we entered, I noticed people—men, women, and even children—bowing to Alpha Gael. They were nothing like I had imagined; I had expected them to be less fashionable, more like the people in the city. Instead, they proved me wrong once again.

I was overwhelmed by the inside of this pack house stunning beauty. The sheer grandeur of the space made me feel dizzy; perhaps it was simply because I was seeing a house like this for the first time.

"I told you, you'd be more than shocked," Alpha Gael mumbled. A smile briefly crossed my face, but it vanished almost instantly as if it had never been there.

I momentarily forget my promise to myself: to not let him get to me and to never give him a soft spot. I remind myself that I won’t let him talk to me, but as we walk deeper into the house, my face betrays me, revealing my amazement.

The only difference between this place and Augusta is the air; it feels different here. Perhaps it’s because it’s filled with werewolves, and I can’t help but wonder how being the only human in this place might affect me.

"It won't affect you because you're carrying a half-werewolf inside you, and you're not the first human to be here—though they're dead anyway," Alpha Gael said, not even glancing at me. I turned to him, shock written all over my face, ready to tell him not to read my thoughts again. But what he said sent a shiver of fear through my entire body.

What did he mean when he said that every human here has died? Did that mean I was going to die as well? A wave of fear washed over me.

"What do you mean, every human is dead?" I asked, my voice trembling. Alpha Gael turned to me, staring at my face for a moment as I anxiously awaited his reply.

"I'm not going to explain anything to you because it's not something you need to know. But rest assured, I'll protect you no matter what," Alpha Gael said plainly. His words did little to ease my fear; in fact, I felt even more terrified by his refusal to explain.

I was on the verge of protesting, wanting him to explain everything so I could decide whether to leave this place or not. But then a strikingly handsome figure rushed closer to us, and I couldn't help but wonder if all werewolves were this breathtaking. Cyrus was also incredibly handsome, but I quickly shook that thought away as I recalled what Alpha Gael had said earlier. My fear returned, intensified, and overwhelming.

"Welcome back, Alpha Gael," the handsome man said. Before he could say anything more, he turned to Alpha Gael, as if to indicate that there were things he couldn't say in my presence.

After a moment, a woman who appeared to be around my age approached and bowed to Alpha Gael. True to my observation, it seemed that all these werewolves were incredibly beautiful.

"I'm here, Alpha Gael," the lady said, and I wondered when he had called for her, as I hadn't heard him say any name. Suddenly, I remembered reading in a book that werewolves can link their minds to communicate, and I realized that’s exactly what Alpha Gael had done. I couldn't help but feel amazed by that power.

"Rylee, take her to one of the largest rooms here and attend to everything she needs," Alpha Gael instructed, casting me one last glance before hurrying away with the handsome man.

The lady turned to me with a beautiful smile, exuding warmth and friendliness. I felt compelled to ask her about what Alpha Gael had said—that every human in this pack had died before. I didn't want to end up meeting the same fate. The thought of death terrified me.