by Alicia Banks
Wolf’s Fated Mate
A Paranormal Romance (Wolf Shifters of Wakerlin Series Book 4)
ALICIA BANKS
Contents
Title Page
Wolf’s Fated Mate
Wolf’s Fated Mate: A Paranormal Romance
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
How to Connect with the Author
About The Author
Books In This Series
Books By This Author
Wolf’s Fated Mate
A Paranormal Romance
(Wolf Shifters of Wakerlin Series Book 4)
ALICIA BANKS
Copyright © 2020 by Alicia Banks:
All rights are reserved.
It is illegal to reproduce any part of this Book in any form i.e. mechanical, electronical, printed, or audible form including storage information and retrieval system without any written permission from the Author, except brief quotation in a Book Review.
WOLF’S FATED MATE: A PARANORMAL ROMANCE (WOLF SHIFTERS OF WAKERLIN SERIES BOOK 4)
Wolf’s Fated Mate: A Paranormal Romance
BLURB:
What would you do if you get to know that most annoying, loud, noisy and egoistic member of the pack is chosen as your mate?
This is torturous.
And soul mates are not even real.
Right?
I wished I could deny it, but I couldn’t.
I was attracted to him.
He attracted almost every woman in the pack.
His effect stayed on me until he opened his mouth.
I pitied the girl who would end up being his mate.
It became painfully obvious that he was an egoistic jerk.
He is so full of himself and never stops bragging.
All my focus is to be the best warrior of the pack.
But everything shattered.
I never knew the girl I always pitied is me.
He is the exact opposite of the mate I want.
There might be some mistake by Moon Spirits.
I would never get another mate in this life.
But rejecting him is the only option.
And I am courageous enough to do that.
∞∞∞
Chapter 1
Rose
Rose stood at the centre of the clearing, surrounded by the rest of the pack. The ritual master, Salazar, stood in the centre. In front of him was a huge bonfire, and he sat near it, cross legged. His eyes were closed, and he was chanting the ancient words of the moon.
Rose sighed, wondering when this would end. She had sat through endless rituals, where the moon spirit revealed their soul mates. Today, it was Taylor’s turn. The most annoying, loud, noisy and egoistic member of the pack. He kept getting into fights with other pack members and was known to be a playboy. Rose pitied the girl who would end up with Taylor. Every girl in the pack was so nice.
Taylor was standing on the other side of the clearing, surrounded by his group of friends, who were equally as noisy and arrogant. Dominque, one of his closest friends, was the only one sitting far away, as he is the pack leader. Taylor was shamelessly flexing his muscles, his hazel eyes shining in the moonlight.
Rose wished she could deny it, but she couldn’t. She was attracted to him. Despite his flamboyant manner, he was charming, always quick to smile, and knew how make a girl blush. Of course, his looks helped. His strong muscular build, his chiselled jaw line, his hazel eyes and his light brown floppy hair, attracted almost every girl in the pack.
Rose remembered the first time he had flirted with her. They were having a small party, where all the young wolves had gotten together. He had spotted her from far away, and had walked over, smiling charmingly. Rose had been sitting with her friends, and when she saw him walking over, she blushed. The effect had stayed on her until he opened his mouth, and then it became painfully obvious. He was a jerk.
A very egoistic jerk. He thought he was the world, strong, powerful, best friends with the pack leader, and extremely handsome. Nevertheless, when he had walked over and started flirting with her, she had fallen for his charm. She had ignored his arrogant personality and flirted back. Rose shuddered at the memory, unable to believe she had fallen for him. She supressed the memory of what had happened. Never again.
Taylor was by now laughing loudly with his friends, high fiving and throwing flirtatious smiles to all the girls. Rose rolled her eyes. She had much better things to do, like training.
“Hey, Rose! Where have you been all day, girl?” Anna, one of her closest friends, asked.
“Where do you think I have been? Training out in the forest,” Rose said smirking.
“Wow, girl. You are pretty serious about this,” Anna said, raising an eyebrow.
“Look Anna, you know how much this means to me. I am tired of being called small, and skinny, and sickly. I am going to show them. I am going to be the strongest warrior in this pack,” Rose said.
“Alright, girl. Chill. I know how strongly you feel about this,” Anna said, smirking teasingly at her friend. “Now, how long do you think this ritual is going to take? Because I am hungry.”
“I don’t know. The last ritual took four hours. This is so stupid, like soul mates are not even real!” Rose said. “And to make it worse, this one is to find Taylor’s mate. Poor girl, whoever she is.”
“I don’t know. I believe in soul mates. I think they are the real deal. One person who is meant to be yours, in every way,” Anna said.
“Hey, sorry I got here late. I was getting snacks,” Delma, one of Rose’s friends, said. She sat next to Rose and offered them chips. Anna and Rose both took some, looking around as they ate.
“So, how long has the ritual guy been sitting in the centre, chanting stuff?” Delma asked.
“Two hours. This is torturous,” Rose said, grabbing some more chips.
“Shush, don’t speak like that about the ritual. It’s our culture, we should respect it. As werewolves, we believe in the moon spirit, to guide us. This is how things have always been done,” Anna said. She had always believed in true love and soul mates.
“Alright, Anna. Don’t get your panties in a twist,” Delma said.
“There are girls here, all dressed up. As if they are waiting to be announced as Taylor’s mate. Do they not see what an ass he is?” Rose asked.
“You are the only one who has such a problem with him. Every other girl loves him. Whoever gets chosen as his mate, will be the subject of much envy and jealousy,” Delma said.
“Come on. He is so full of himself. He never stops bragging; he thinks he is the very best. Worst of all, he is a playboy,” Rose said.
“Well, the ritual is sacred. You can’t just break such a sacred promise. He will be loyal after all this,” Anna said.
Rose scoffed, rolling her eyes.
“Once a playboy, always a playboy,” Rose said.
“I wonder if I will ever find my mate,” Anna said, gloomily.
“Well, think about it. Is there anyone else in the pack that you have felt a very strong attraction to? They say that even before the ritual, you will always feel a very strong attraction towards yo
ur mate,” Delma said.
Rose blushed as she remembered the only person she had ever felt attracted to. He could not be her mate. Just, no.
“Ooh, shush. The ritual master is about to speak,” Delma said.
The ritual master had stood up and was now walking towards Taylor. He took both of Taylor’s hands and said in a deep voice, “Taylor. You know the moon spirit has decided to reveal your mate today. Before I can tell you who it is, you must understand this is an ancient and sacred ritual. It is not a joke. It is a very serious matter. It is a matter of the hearts. Take this with faithfulness and loyalty. Know that now, your heart will be tied to another. Your actions will affect another. Be careful, that you do not shatter the heart that the moon spirit trusts you with.”
Taylor nodded, looking solemn. Rose rolled her eyes at his serious expression.
“Taylor. Your mate, as decreed by the Moon spirit, is… Rose,” the ritual master said.
Chapter 2
Rose
Rose just froze when she heard it. She was the mate for Taylor. Arrogant, full of himself Taylor? She couldn’t believe it, there must be some mistake. She looked around, panicking. Everyone was looking at her expectantly. Anna and Delma looked shocked, staring at her with their mouths open.
Taylor was looking at her, smiling. He outstretched his hand, as if waiting for her to grab it. Rose just stood there, frozen. There was awkward silence all around, as everyone continued to stare at her.
“She must be very shocked. After all, being my mate is such a privilege,” Taylor said, trying to lighten the mood. People laughed awkwardly, but Rose just stood there, frozen.
“Rose? Do you accept Taylor as your mate?” the ritual master asked. He stood there, holding the golden thread in his hands. Once the golden thread was tied around their hands, their mating will be confirmed. Breaking it was a severe offense in the eyes of the moon spirit. Bad luck had befallen every single person who had broken it.
“I…” Rose stammered.
“You must accept Taylor, Rose, for the ritual to be completed,” the ritual master said.
Rose was overwhelmed. Everyone’s eyes were on her, everyone waited for her answer. She didn’t know what to say or what to do. There was only one thing she knew; she couldn’t spend the rest of her life with a man like Taylor.
Rose turned around and ran. She heard Anna and Delma calling after her, but she ignored them. She just had to get away from all of this. She couldn’t handle it. She ran as fast as she could, not knowing where she was going. She couldn’t live with a man like Taylor.
She had always dreamed of being with someone she could have intellectual conversations with, someone sophisticated, humble, and kind. Instead, she got this jerk from hell. Rose finally stopped running, collapsing on the ground. She knew she had to give an answer, whether it was an acceptance or a rejection.
Everyone only went through the ritual once, and everyone got their mate once. You could reject them, but you had to live with the fact that you would never find another soul mate. Nearly everyone in the pack had accepted their mates. Everyone trusted that the moon spirit had chosen the right person, and until now, no one had ever been unhappy.
“Rose?” Delma’s voice came. “I followed your scent. Are you okay?”
“No. Delma, how can I live my life with Taylor? He is the exact opposite of the man I wanted. His head is stuck so far up his ass! I can never have long intellectual, meaningful conversations with him. I wanted someone I could trust with my heart. I can’t trust him. I can’t! He is rude and loud! Just last night I saw him drinking with his friends and getting into another drunken fight. I can’t, Delma! I can’t marry him,” Rose said, tears streaming down her eyes.
Delma grabbed her by her arms and shook her. “Listen to me, Rose. I know he isn’t the guy you wanted. I know there are lots of things about him that you hate, I know he isn’t ideal. But is he really that bad?”
“Maybe he is a better person than I think, but I still don’t want to be with him!” Rose said.
“Then reject him! It’s fine,” Delma said, hugging her.
“I won’t get another mate, after this. If I reject him, I have to accept that I will be alone for the rest of my life,” Rose said.
“It’s stupid. That we get just one mate. But, that’s how the moon spirit works. Look, you are overwhelmed right now. Take a day or two to think. Then decide. Yea?” Delma said.
Rose nodded, taking a deep breath. “Yea. That makes sense.”
“Good. Now you wanna walk home with me?” Delma asked, smiling at her.
“I don’t want to go home yet. I am going to train a bit, burn off my feelings,” Rose said.
Rose had been training to be one of the strongest warriors in the pack. Since she was little, she wanted to be a warrior. She read stories about wolves who were great warriors and wanted to grow up to be like them.
She was often at a disadvantage in most fights because she was small and petite. The other wolves were larger and stronger, and based on strength alone, could defeat her easily. Eventually, Rose had started training to be better in other ways. She trained to be quick on her feet, to dodge efficiently, to study the opponent’s movements. She read up on how to decipher body language, guess her opponent’s moves, and how best to strategize and attack.
“Alright,” Delma said hugging her. Rose watched her leave, and then turned her attention towards the mountain that ran around the forest. She bent down a little, took a deep breath in, and started punching.
Chapter 3
Taylor
Taylor sat near the river, drinking Sayor, an alcohol made from fermented bananas and grapes. He was surrounded by his friends, who were strangely quiet. Taylor knew it was because they were trying to give space to his wounded ego. Taylor didn’t know what to think about what had just happened. He didn’t even want a mate; he wasn’t ready to settle down. Sadly, the rules of the pack were that he had go through the ritual when he turned twenty-five.
He pulled out a cigarette and lighted it, taking a drag.
“Hey, Taylor. You are lucky. You didn’t want to settle yet, and the chick rejects you herself,” Harry said, starting to laugh.
Taylor picked up a bottle and threw it at him, which Harry dodged.
“Listen, man. I could reject her too; I don’t mind spending the rest of my life alone. But what confuses me is, why would she reject me?” Taylor asked. That was the question that baffled him. He was handsome, charming, sexy, and very strong. He was one of the best fighters of the pack. Girls fell on him like anything.
“Maybe she was just overwhelmed. She probably never thought she would get someone like you. I mean, you are obviously out of her league,” Harry said.
“Yes. That’s true. I mean there are sexier girls in the pack. No offense, but this one is short and skinny. I mean her eyes are blue, and that is pretty hot. Not much else going for her though,” Lucas said.
Taylor took another sip of his Sayor. He didn’t want to admit it, but he had always found Rose very attractive. He loved the way her beautiful black hair framed her face and how her eyes stood out against her olive complexion. He had often gazed at her when she was distracted, sitting around reading a book. He had always found it fascinating when she pursed her lips, her eyes narrowed in concentration as she read.
Even though the women he usually slept with were tall, blond, and curvy, he really liked Rose. She looked delicate, like a flower. Also, she smelled like a flower too. Taylor had caught her scent many times when she walked by.
Taylor could not believe she had just run off like that. Who did she think she was? Leaving him like that, humiliated.
“At least you dodged a bullet,” Harry said. “Think of all the chicks you can bang! Imagine being stuck with one woman, all your life.”
“It surprises me how immature you guys can be. Believe me, there is nothing more magical than being with your soul mate. Once you taste love, it’s hard to even think about anything else,”
Jacob, the only one of Taylor’s friends who was married, said.
The boys booed him loudly, and he held his hands up, grinning.
“Believe me. There is nothing like it. Let me tell you. You think you know what you need. You think this is the kind of partner I want. But you don’t know. Believe me. It’s only later you realise that what you needed was something else, entirely,” Jacob said, sipping his Sayor.
“Hey Jacobs, when did you change into a girl?” Lucas asked, and all the boys burst out laughing.
“Oh, my poor, stupid friends. You will understand it, one day,” Jacob said, smirking. “Have I told you guys about the sex?”
“No, my friend, you have not,” Taylor said, leaning forward.
“You boys know I have done my fair share of… sleeping around. But, my friends, you have never had it as good as you have it with your mate. Believe me, it’s just at another level. It’s like mind blowing,” Jacob said.
“No way, man. You are just trying to pull our leg,” Harry said.
“Nah, man. Best sex ever,” Jacob said, raising his Sayor to toast.
Taylor had been quiet all this time. He just wasn’t able to accept that a girl rejected him. He got up, throwing his bottle down.
“I am going for a walk, boys. See ya around,” Taylor said. The boys groaned and protested, but Taylor waved them goodbye and left.
He started walking around the forest, trying to clear his mind. He had been telling himself he didn’t care about the ritual, that he didn’t want to settle. The truth was it stung. He didn’t know why, but Rose’s reaction had really stung him. Not just his pride, but also his heart.
He was walking around, lost in his thoughts, when he heard someone talking. He frowned, glancing forward. It was Rose, sitting with her friend, Delma. Taylor started to walk away, not wanting to eavesdrop, but then he heard his name. He stopped, his senses high, trying to hear.
“No. Delma, how can I live my life with Taylor? He is the exact opposite of the man I wanted. His head is stuck so far up his ass! I can never have long intellectual, meaningful conversations with him. I wanted someone I could trust with my heart. I can’t trust him. I can’t! He is rude and loud! Just last night I saw him drinking with his friends and getting into another drunken fight. I can’t, Delma! I can’t marry him!” Rose was saying.