Everly POV I watched Zoe blow out her candles. Today was her 21st birthday, and I was blessed to call her one of my best friends. She is more like a sister to me. Zoe and Macey filled the places where my family should have been, but now I was happy with how far we all had come; we didnât need anyone; we only needed each other.
âHappy 21st,â I whisper to her, giving her a hug after setting the cake down.
âOh, we need napkins,â I tell Zoe before rushing off back to the kitchen. I go into the storeroom, grabbing a box of refills down and pulling a handful out before placing the box on the shelf. Just as I walk back out, Zoe rushes into the kitchen, her face pale and a look of horror on her face. She smacks straight into me before grabbing my arms.
âWhat is it? What happened?â I ask her, looking around for what scared her. When she didnât answer, I went to walk past her to investigate myself. It must be bad for her not to be able to tell me. Zoe feared nothing these days she had come out of her shell, but something happened for her to be such a nervous wreck.
âYou canât go out there, â She exclaims, gripping my arms and pulling me away from the door just as I was about to step out into the Restaurant. I hear Macey talking behind me in the Restaurant.
âSir, you canât go back there, â I hear her call to someone.
âWhat happened?â I ask her.
âZoe?â Gripping her arms when her eyes go wide as she stares over my shoulder. I got the feeling that who she feared was right behind me; only a second later, I stood up straight, his scent wafting to me, and Zoeâs eyes darted to mine.
My face must mirror the same horror hers do because she grabs my hands, squeezing them. I close my eyes, willing myself not to break. He will not break me. He does that nearly every night; I live with it. I wonât give him the satisfaction of seeing it.
âYour name is Everly, right?â I fight the urge to shiver hearing his voice. F*cking mate bond, itâs bad enough it tortures me; why does it have to affect me this way, every piece of me wanting to throw myself in his arms despite the fact he nearly ruined me.
The bond wanted that, not me. I was in control, I fought it this long, and I didnât work this hard for everything to unravel right now.
âYes, how may I help you, Alpha Valen?â I ask, turning around. My lungs compressed at the sight of him, he was gorgeous, and he f*cking knew he was, which just enraged me. Tall, dark, and handsome. What is it with men? They grow older, manlier, and more handsome while women just f*cking age?
Damn, my inner monologue was out of whack today, f*ck, was taking up a good chunk of my vocabulary.
âYou know my name and who I ann?â he asks.
âI also know what you are too, so how may I help you?â I asked him. I was impressed with how calm I sounded, despite screaming internally and wanting to run.
He blows out a breath and runs a hand through his hair before scratching his neck. He looks back out to the Restaurant.
âHow old are you?â he asks.
âOld enough to know you are my mate if thatâs what you are wondering,â I tell him. Didnât I know it? Five years of agony because I knew.
He seemed taken aback by my tone, yet I hated him despite the feeling vibrating through the bond that wasnât even forged yet. I hated what he put me through, hated how he hung up when I tried to tell him I was pregnant and laughed at me, saying he would never f*ck a seventeen-year-old. Well, f*cker, you did! And she raised your son herself, not that I would tell him that. Valerian is my world, and we donât need him in our lives.
I step past him and back into the Restaurant, managing to avoid his hand as he tries to touch me.
âCan we talk? â he asks. He looks nervous. I got the inkling that he didnât struggle this much with women; he clearly wasnât expecting it from his mate.
âWe just did. Nice chat. Macey will escort you out, â I tell him, pointing to Macey while I checked the dessert displays and grabbed a knife.
âLook, I know this came as a bit of shock, but I.â
âBut you what? Thought I would run off into the sunset with you, be dying for you to mark me, ah no thanks. The door is just behind you, if you just turn around, you shouldnât miss it, but in case you do, there is a green sign above it saying exit,â I tell him.
âWow, you are a real piece of f*cking work, â He snaps.
âWell, unless you are here for a specific reason that isnât about being my mate, then get out, â
âActually, I came here for a reason,â He mutters while looking around. We had managed to draw half the Restaurantâs attention, though we talked rather quietly. I knew it was his aura. As soon as I dismissed him, he got his hackles up and spilled it out.
âI need to speak to the manager about holding the annual Alpha meeting here, â He says before pulling a brochure from his pocket.
âDonât you have your own Hotels to do that at?â I ask him.
âI have been asked to hold it on neutral territory, â âWell, we are fully booked, â I tell him.â
âI didnât even give you the date,â He snaps.
âI know, but whatever date it is, the place is fully booked, and if it isnât, I will make sure it is, â I tell him, placing the cutting knife and napkins on the table next to Zoeâs birthday cake.
âI want to speak to the manager,â He says, following me around.
âYouâre speaking to her, â I tell him, clearing the table and walking back out to the kitchen. I scraped the plates before placing them in the sink and turning around, only to almost run into him as he was standing so close. I step back.
âThen I want to speak to the owner,â âYouâre looking at her,â I tell him. âYou own this place?â He scoffs.
âYeah, is that an issue? Do you feel threatened by my five-star rating compared to your k s! Didnât think a rogue woman could outdo you, I bet that is the real reason youâre here; you finally realized where all your guests wentâ
âWell,â He doesnât finish, instead, shutting up. âIt is, isnât it?â
âYes, and No, I wanted to book your functions room for the Alpha meeting and also check out the competition; I wasnât expecting to find my mate though,â he says.
âWell, like I said, we are booked out, so if you will excuse me,â I tell him, and he growls, stepping into my path.
âWhy are you being like this?â He asks. âBeing like what, Alpha Valen?â
âThis! I am your mate!â âI am well aware,â
âThen stop, just let me take you out or something, go somewhere with less of an audience,â he says,glancing around at the chefs.
âNo, thank you,â
âHave you got a boyfriend, is that it?â
âNo! I donât feel the need to f*ck everything in sight,â
âExcuse me?â he asks; I roll my eyes, trying to step around him when he blocks me again by placing his arm on the bench.
âI have work to do; please move, â I tell him.
âBeing an Alpha, I can forcefully mark you to make you submit. Our laws state Alphaâs can mark their mates if the mate is unwilling.â
âBeing rogue, I donât give a f*ck about status, and if you try that, that just shows your true character and every reason as to why I donât want to be your mate, â
âSo thatâs it?â He asks. I shrug, needing him to move. His boxing me in like this filled my head with his scent, making me want to do things I shouldnât do to him.
âSo, you hate me over what the media spills about me, you will judge me off that? You donât even know me; we just met, â He says.
He still hadnât realized who I was. We have met three times now, both other times a disaster because he was drunk, and well, I was underage, so this is on him either way. He should have been able to recognize me the first time.
âI would give you the world, and you wouldnât even give me a chance?â
âNo, you would give me Syphilis or some sexually transmitted disease, so I am not interested, â I tell him, realizing I was going to have to touch him to escape. I try to step around him when he traps me between him and the steel counter, his hands going to either side of my hips.
âDonât pretend the mate bond doesnât affect you the same as it does me, Everly, â He says, leaning in. I was rooted to the spot, completely frozen as he pressed his face into my neck. He growls the sound more like a purr the longer he sniffs me before he groans.
âValen, Baby? Valen, where are you?â Comes a sugary sweet voice. Valen freezes and growls at the blonde woman as she rushes in, shock on her face when she spots us.
âOh, there you are, â She says, rushing over, and he glares at her.
âI am not your baby, not your honey or any other stupid name you think you can call me; get out, Ashleyâ He snaps so cruelly I actually felt bad for her; she looked between us and her eyes well with tears.
âGet out! â He screams at her.
âBut..butâ
âBut nothing, I have work to do, and you should take your girlfriend home, â I tell him, using her as an escape. I quickly grip his wrist, moving it off the bench; I try not to think of the tingles that rushed across my palm though Valen gasped at my touch.
âShe isnât my girlfriend, â he says, glaring at her. âValen?â Ashley asks.
âYou can do better, â I tell her as I walk past her and place my hand on her shoulder. She looks at me and smiles sadly. It was odd feeling sorry for the girl he had been screwing.
âThatâs all you have to say; you arenât angry at her?â
âWhy would I be angry at her? Did you expect me to get jealous? Is that the reaction you were hoping for? I havenâ t got the time or the energy to feel anything for you, â I tell him before turning on my heel and walking out.
Macey and Zoe were waiting by the door as I walked out, Macey went to touch me, but I held up my hand to signal her away.
She knew instantly not to touch me; she knew I would break.
âGo, I will handle this, â they tell me. I rush out the door, heading for one of the apartments out the back that Zoe and I shared. I run through the gardens and up the steps before unlocking the door. The moment I close it, I fall apart.