HIS UNWORTHY MATE

*4 MONTHS LATER*

~HUNTER~

"You cannot know better than your parents. Hunter, come back here right this instant!"

My mother's voice carried a resounding boom along the walls of my childhood home as I stormed down the stairs.

"Hunter!" she yelled, "your father isn't done talking to you. If you take another foot off those stairs." The threat in her voice hung thick and unwavering, and I knew better than to test the theory of what would happen if I chose to ignore her.

I turned on my heel, facing back the way I had come, and Mom stood at the top of the staircase. I might be an Alpha, but despite being an Omega, my mom has always been scary. That woman will always give me a run for my money and can be pretty threatening when she wants to be.

"Go back to your father," she muttered, hands on her hips.

"Mom..." I began to say, but she waved her hand, cutting me off.

"I have no interest in what you have to say, Hunter. You'll climb back up these stairs and make your way to your father's office like a good boy. Now." She added in a commanding tone because I wasn't moving as fast as she wanted me to.

"I don't need you both controlling my life," I grumbled as I ascended the stairs.

"Then you should step up and start acting like a grown man. Start taking responsibility for your actions and be ready to face the repercussions. This whole thing became an issue because you couldn't control your temper, and that one decision in a moment of anger spiralled into an entire chain of events that we all have to suffer." My mom reprimanded me as she trailed me to Dad's office.

"How else should I have reacted? Mom, I caught her naked on top of another man." I tried to hold back the sneer in my voice.

It's been four months, and it still feels like yesterday. The pain is as fresh as that first day, and the emptiness won't disappear. I've tried to forget about her and move on, but the hollowness in my heart won't stop growing.

I've often thought back to that morning, trying to imagine what would've happened if I had reacted differently. But how was I expected to keep my cool at the sight of my mate naked on a man that wasn't me?

The need to remind her who she belonged to had clouded my mind, and I had sex with her right in that same spot. Why? It was because the sick part of me needed to prove to Darren that she was mine and remind Jade who she belonged to. But I couldn't look at her after that.

I just couldn't stomach the thought of ever touching her again. Her very existence repulsed me because it had become impossible to erase the image of her on top of Darren from my mind. Each time I tried to think that she might've been right about being drugged, my thoughts always strayed back to that morning and the possibilities of things that had happened between her and Darren overnight.

No.

She betrayed me.

She betrayed my trust and took my love for granted. Yet why do I still feel like I made the biggest mistake of my life by letting her go? I wonder if she's still alive.

I stopped before Dad's desk and cleared my throat, "I'm listening," I muttered, trying hard not to grumble.

Dad raised his head from whatever he was working on, and he dropped the pen in his hand on the desk, reclining into his seat and crossing both arms over his chest. "Are you sure you're ready to listen, or are you just here to continue acting like a petulant child?"

"I am ready to listen."

His eyes narrowed at me. "I don't need you to just listen, Hunter. Because it seems to me like you do not understand the gravity of our situation. The situation you caused." He paused, probably to take in my posture or get a read of my face.

"What happened with Jade isn't something that brought only shame upon us all and this pack. It is more than that. Your Alpha ascension was two months ago; if Jade were still here, you would be Alpha of Blackwood by now. And since that didn't happen, we've been set back a few paces."

"I know," I murmured.

Dad shook his head, "No, you don't. I don't think you understand. Power and power struggles are a constant that keeps our kind afloat. A pack like ours, with an Alpha Heir your age, should already have you as Alpha Head with the promise of an Heir. I shouldn't still be here in this seat running this pack. Not that I am too old to run things. No."

Dad sighed, shaking his head again as he continued. "That's not the problem because I can still do my job as Alpha Head. The problem is that I have an heir way past the normal age of his ascension, yet I am still in this seat like an Alpha with no Heir. You're an able-bodied Alpha, and the longer it takes for you to take a mate and take your place as Alpha Head, the more reason for our rival packs to think you're incompetent. Some of our enemies already have that thought, and do you know what it means when rival packs and the neighbouring packs start thinking I have an incompetent heir?"

"I– I think I do." My reply came out in a stutter because the look on Dad's face was all I needed to know that he wasn't just being the overbearing father that I loathed right now. No, he was dead serious, and right now, he was in his Alpha Head mode, the Alpha whose pack and reputation were more important to him than anything else.

"It means war, Hunter; soon, our enemies will start rearing their ugly heads. They will soon see us as an easy target because the fact that my heir is finding it hard to take a mate and take his seat only means that there's disruption within my household. It means there is a crack in the stronghold of this family, this pack, and the power struggle begins. It will start small, and it has already started."

He flipped through the pages of the file before him, and I realised that it must have been the reports from the patrol team. "Lately, there have been reports of strange wolf scouts loitering around the pack territory. Earlier this week, the patrol team apprehended two Delta wolves on rotation while trying to sneak into the pack. So far, we haven't gotten anything from them to know which pack they're from. But they were here to sniff around. Once these other Alphas are convinced that the crack is wide enough for them, they won't hesitate to try to shatter the wall of strength and fear we've managed to build around the name of this pack for the past centuries."

"If you refuse to do what's expected of you, surely, we will hold our own against these other packs. Undoubtedly, if they bring war to our doorstep, we will trample upon them. But it's a domino effect; if the first pack comes waging war and we defeat them, the second will come. As I said, it's a power struggle, and we Alphas are prideful beings. They won't stop coming because each Alpha wants to prove that they're the only one strong enough to subdue us, and they will keep coming. And each time they come, surely, we will lose men from each attack; we lose pack members. With time, our strength will wane, our warriors will slowly thin out, and we'll become vulnerable. Do you understand the gravity and repercussions of your decisions?" Dad asked, and I nodded mutely as the weight of his words wore me down.

"Do you understand in detail why I have been hard on you these past months?" I nodded mutely again at his question.

"Surely you understand what you must do, Hunter? You understand that you must do the right thing for this pack and the family name."

"Yes, I do, Father. I understand."

"Good, and what is that?" He asked in a steel voice that sent heavy pressure down on my entire body.

"I must take a chosen mate."

He clapped his hands with glee, yet the expression on his face was unchanging. "Great, I'm glad that we came to an understanding. You can go." And with that, he turned back to the report on his desk while I dragged myself out of his office with a huge stone sitting on my fucking chest.

~HUNTER~

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I ground out as soon as I opened the door to find the last fucking person I wanted to see standing before me.

"I came to talk." Arya's response came in a timid voice, and I rolled my eyes because she was not about to play that innocent omega game with me.

"About what, Arya? I don't remember having any unfinished business with you. So, fuck off." I spat, ready to shut the door in her face because I was over dealing with anyone who comes from the Dimaano family; they've fucked my life over enough times.

Arya sighed, holding onto the door, probably to prevent me from closing it in her face, but we both knew her holding the door wouldn't exactly stop me when I decided to close it. "I am not here looking for a fight, Hunter; I want to help."

"You want to help? Help who, me?" I couldn't help the laugh that spluttered out of me. "You want to help me after you and your sister expertly shattered my heart? How generous of you to come here to help the helpless Alpha." I snarled in her face.

"I know you need to take a chosen mate." She began.

"And you think I would choose you? You, of all people?" I hissed, cutting her off.

Arya heaved a sigh, stepping closer to breach the space between us. "I am not my sister. I am not Jade; I will never hurt you like that, Hunter. You know me."

I stared wide-eyed at her, "You will never hurt me like that? Should I remind you how you wrecked my heart and broke my trust more times than I could count? How you kept gaslighting me to make me believe I was overbearing and insecure, all the while, you were messing around with different boys behind my back. We were together for eight years, Arya. Eight fucking years of my life dedicated to loving only you while you were messing around with other guys. You are as bad as your sister; just because you aren't my mate doesn't make it different." I barked at her.

A tear slid down Arya's cheeks as she closed the distance between us. "Hunter," Her bottom lip trembled as she reached out her hand towards me. "You didn't believe me then, but I won't stop saying it. I never cheated on you, Hunter. I swear on my life, I never did."

"I saw you, Arya. I saw you at the birthday party with your human friends; you were on that dude's lap. I saw him kiss you." I bit out with venom as she shook her head, tears cascading down her cheeks like someone opened a fucking dam in her eyes.

Arya shook her head as she closed the little space left between us. I stepped back at the unexpected proximity, promptly letting go of the door handle. "That isn't what happened, Hunter. You never gave me a chance to explain myself. You showed up at the party, saw what you thought was happening, and you just concluded that I was cheating on you. Without giving me any time to explain, you broke up with me. I swear I didn't want to kiss him."

I took another step back as Arya pressed her palm to my chest. The sound of the door closing behind her caught my attention briefly as she stepped closer with every step. I tried taking away from her. "They were playing a game at the party. I didn't want to join, but my friend Bisi insisted. The bottle landed on me, and the dare was for me to kiss the person next to me. I swear I didn't want to do it. I stood up in annoyance, about to leave, and the guy chose that moment to drag me onto his lap. I barely had enough time to process what was going on when he kissed me, and that was what you saw."

"You're lying," I mumbled, shaking my head because I remembered what I saw. Her hands were on his shoulders, and he held her face in his palms.

"Why would I lie to you, Hunter, after all these years? You shut me out whenever I tried to tell you the truth."

"Even if you are telling the truth about that night, what about the other times I've caught you in compromising positions with other guys? My friends told me about the guys you were saying, all the boys from college you fucked behind my back." I spat, moving to remove her hand from my chest, but she gripped my clothes.

"They were lying to you. Hunter, you knew how much your friends hated me. Don't you remember how jealous they were that I chose you when they had all been trying to get into my pants? They wanted me, but I chose you, and they tried to destroy us, and you let them." Arya whispered low in that sultry voice she'd mastered right from our teenage days as she pressed her body against mine, palm cradling my face. "You were my first love, my first everything, Hunter; you are still my only love. We shared our firsts, our first kiss, our first touch, and our first lovemaking. We were so good together, Hunter, we were perfect, and you let your doubts destroy us."

My head hurt, and my brain tried to conjure up all the events from our past. Was I the one who destroyed us? Did I let my friends whisper lies in my ears, knowing very well that they were aware of my insecurities about losing Arya and how much I'd loved her?

"That doesn't explain all those boys. Yes, we were perfect together, but you messed around. It all couldn't have been lies." I shook my head, trying to dispel the feelings of her soft hands caressing my cheeks or the heat of our bodies pressed together.

Arya eyed me momentarily before dropping her hand from my face. I almost pulled her back at the loss of her warmth. "You know I've always been a people person, Hunter. I had been training to be Luna almost all my life, which meant I needed to be accommodating and easy to approach. I never messed around with anyone. I admit that there were times when I was a little too friendly, but it was all nothing. There was never anything else going on, but I guess even after all these years, you still choose not to believe me."

She cast her head down, wiping at the tears staining her cheek before raising her head. "I just... I love you so much, Hunter, and despite how much it hurt to see you moving on with my sister, I didn't try to stop it because I love you enough that I didn't mind seeing you with her as long as you were happy. And you were happy until now that you aren't. I hate seeing you unhappy. I didn't come here because it pleases me to try and covet my sister's ex-mate. No."

Shaking her head, Arya wiped at her face as more tears trickled down. "I am hurting too, Hunter, yet I can't stop worrying over you because I know you're hurting too. Even after all these years, I still want what's best for you. I've always wanted the best for you and thought I could help with everything. If I offered to be your chosen mate, you wouldn't have to deal with your father again, but I guess I was the only one who truly missed what we once had."

The room momentarily fell into a painful silence, with neither of us saying a word. I want to believe her, goddess; a part of me feels like this is all bullshit, but what if she's telling the truth? What if I still have the chance to make things right between us? I loved her; she was my first love, and she is still my first love.

'She could be useful. It doesn't matter if she's telling the truth; for now, she can be useful. We need a mate, and this pack needs their Alpha. If you won't go out to look for our mate, then make yourself useful in other ways.'

My wolf, Alaric, barked at me while my head throbbed with different thoughts.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come. It was wrong of me to..." Arya wiped at her eyes frantically, and her demeanour changed in seconds as she turned on her heel, ready to bolt out the door.

I reached out for her hand. "Arya, wait." Her steps halted as I gripped her hand. "Wait, don't go," I muttered low, and she pivoted to face me.

"You want me to stay?" Arya asked, lips wobbling. By the gods, I've always hated seeing her cry.

"I... I want you. You know I've always wanted you." I tugged at her hand, pulling her smack against my chest, and she let out a startled whimper that shot straight to my cock.

"You want me as your chosen mate? You don't hate me?"

"I've never hated you, Arya. You've always been my chosen mate. You hurt me, you broke my heart, Arya, but you've always been mine."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I didn't." I sealed my mouth over her lips to stop her rambling, and warmth engulfed me, my cock twitching with excitement as the familiar feel of her body pressed firmly against me.

~JADE~

I look around the large, empty meeting room as the supposed pack Alpha and one of the men who found and brought me here whisper to each other. I can barely pick up what they're saying, but I think I heard a few words that don't sit well with me. Perhaps I heard them wrong.

"What pack did you say you're from, again?" The Alpha asked, and I immediately cast my gaze back to him.

"Blackwood Pack," I responded with haste.

The Alpha shares a look with the second man; I don't know if he is the Beta or a guard. "That's a long way from here." The man mutters, to which the Alpha nods in agreement.

"Yes, I know, but I promise I mean no trouble. I just want a place to stay until I deliver my baby, and I'll be out of your hair before you know it, please." I begged, repeating what I said when the patrol guards found me outside their pack territory.

I'd been wandering the woods for the past seven months, running away from rogues and everything that tries to kill me, fighting when I can and hiding when I need to. Levana informed me that I could give birth any day now, and I feared what would happen if I fell into labour while trying to hide or run from rogue wolves.

Shifting into my wolf while I am this heavy isn't an option anymore; I stopped shifting right after my pregnancy hit the seven-month mark, and I have barely survived the dangers of being alone in those woods without the speed of my wolf and her fighting skills.

"Why did you leave your pack? You smell like you were once mated. I can still perceive the remnant of your Alpha's pheromones on you." The weird Alpha pointed out, and I nodded like I was not about to lie to him.

"I..." I pause, taking in a deep sigh as I let tears cloud my eyes, "I caught him cheating on me, and things got bad afterwards. I was willing to forgive and let it go because he was my mate, but then his sidepiece tried to kill my baby. My mate didn't believe me when I told him about it, so I ran because I couldn't stay one more day in that pack, knowing my life and the life of my baby were at risk, and I couldn't even count on my mate to protect us."

I wipe at the streak of tears flowing down my cheek and sniff. "Sorry, it's a touchy subject, and I get emotional easily."

"Pregnancy hormones, I've heard that happens." The man beside the Alpha murmurs, smiling like he just offered a solution to the world's biggest problem.

Of course, pregnancy hormones had to be the only reason why I would cry. It couldn't have had anything to do with the sob story I just told them. Even though I tweaked the truth and told them the opposite version of what happened, it doesn't change the fact that my mate,e who should've protected me, was the same person who banished me from the only family I know.

I can't tell them the truth because then they will know that I am defective, that I was banished for infidelity, and I know the minute they find out, they'll throw me out of their pack like vermin. I've tried that a few times, and it's always been the same result. This pack is my last resort before giving up, and if I have to lie to keep myself and my child safe, then who cares? I am glad I found the scarf wrapped around my neck in the woods when I did because, without it, I wouldn't have been able to conceal my brand.

"We usually don't take in strays." The Alpha comments, and my heart plummets to the pit of my stomach.

"I promise I won't be a problem for you, please. I'll look for my meals and help around the pack house. I just don't want to have my child out there in the woods, please." I struggle to shift off the chair, helplessly trying to kneel and beg to get my point across. Out there, it isn't safe, not when I could pop my pup any day.

The Alpha sighs, shaking his head while watching me struggle. "You didn't hear the rest; we don't usually take in strays, but you're in no condition to be left alone. It's dangerous, and you need a strong figure to protect you. A pregnant woman like you, beautiful as you are, needs a man." I try to ignore the objective part of his sentence despite how uncomfortable it makes me feel. He's just being nice; it doesn't have to mean anything.

"We have midwives in the pack. Gillian can show you the small cabin behind the pack house. I can't let you stay in the pack house until I know you won't be a problem for my people and our ways." His face contorted in a frown, and I shoved the suspicious thoughts to the back of my mind again.

What does he mean by our ways? I had shaken off the strange feeling when the patrol guards led me through the pack. There was something odd about how quiet and lonely the pack settlement was. I hadn't seen one person, a child, or even any female pack members until we walked by what I assumed was their pack house, and I saw two ladies, both with their heads cast down as they walked inside. I might be wrong, but I could swear I heard the sounds of shackles while they walked. Although I didn't see their feet since the garments they wore dragged behind them.

"No need to worry. You can use the cabin, and please stay for as long as needed. I'll have one of the maidens bring you a few clothes, food, and water. Rest for tonight, and please do not wander around the pack. We have strict rules, and loitering isn't allowed. Tomorrow, I will have one of my mistresses visit you. She will take you to the midwives, my assigned mistress will stay with you for a week, and we'll see if you're good enough to be invited to the pack house." He explains, and I nod stiffly while trying aimlessly to disregard all the warning signs in his words.

'We need to be careful. Something isn't right about them.' Levana says, and I couldn't agree more.

'It's strange what he's saying. I'll be careful.'

I know there are different packs with different rules and how they run things, but this is weird. It's almost creepy, but beggars can't be choosers, and I don't have many options, so I need to do what I have as long as they try anything funny with me.

"Thank you for your kindness; I genuinely appreciate you doing this for me. Thank you." I quickly mutter so I won't come off as ungrateful and because I don't want him to see the gears grinding in my head.

"No need for that. I believe everything in life happens for a reason. I am sure the spirits led you to our community for a reason, and it would be unruly of me to turn you away. Please." He walks over to me, reaching out his hand to help me up, and I take his hand with dread in my guts.

"Gillian, please show the beautiful maiden to the cabin." The Alpha smiles at his beta, whoever this Gillian man is, but I didn't miss how the corner of his upper lip quirked.

'Be alert, try and see what you can steal. We might need to leave immediately after the pup is delivered.'

Levana warned, and I grunted in response.

She doesn't need to tell me twice. Having the Alpha this close to me already makes my skin crawl, and I swear this Gillian man keeps giving me weird sideways glances as he leads me out of the large, empty meeting room.