ALESTER:

“What were you serving earlier?” His voice was gruff and his face was in front of hers.

She opened her eyes wide, her pupils dilated as she stepped back in shock. He saw the fear and conflict in her eyes while she looked around the room and realized they were alone.

The smell got stronger, calling him to move closer to her. His body seemed to react on its own. Even his wolf couldn’t protest. It wanted the smell, like him.

She backed away as he got closer and yet the smell continued to grow and call him to her. The girl backed up against a wall, unable to go any further. Alester continued towards the girl as if possessed. The girl, terrified, stared him straight in the eyes. Preparing herself for what was to come.

Finally, he realized SHE was the scent. Alester’s forest green eyes caught with the girls vibrant greens and tans swirling into what looked brown from further away. Alester stopped just inches from her, transfixed.

The girl’s fear melted away in an instant. She knew she was not in danger.

“Alester.” She whispered. It was only seconds, yet joy sprung up inside him as she said his name.

It was as if she was giving him life. He yearned to answer with her name as well, but he realized he didn’t know it. He stared in awe and yearning at the girl as she brought her hand up to caress his face. Electricity shot through his body. Pleasure and excruciating pain. His wolf howled in agony and forced him to back away from the girl. “NO. MATE.” his wolf screamed through his lips. Forcing him to remember Phinoa. The girl looked hurt and dazed as he threw himself away from her.

Alester breathed in to take control of himself.

“Wh.. what’s your name?” Alester forced the words out of his mouth. He would fight his wolf if he had to. He at least needed to know her name.

“Samantha.” She whispered, as if she was out of breath.

“Sama-.” Alester started. Her eyes shot up to meet his again, yearning to hear him say her name.

The candy sweet smell of Phiona came from a few doors down. It cut through the haze of room. His wolf howled so loudly in his head that he couldn’t finish the word. He sniffed the air involuntarily and Phiona’s smell became bolder. She was coming closer. Alester’s wolf couldn’t hold it any longer. He took the reins and forced Alester to leave the room and run towards his mate. A pang of guilt shot through him as he left the girl shocked, hurt, confused, and alone.

“Alester!?” Phiona squealed in delight as he wrapped his arms around her tightly and inhaled her scent. His wolf trotted and spun in delight on the inside. To his wolf, it was heavenly. To Alester, Phiona’s scent was too sweet, like her fake personality. A constant reminder that he could not accept Phiona as his mate. He threw himself off of her.

“You. Are. NOT. My Mate.” He gritted his teeth. Phiona looked hurt, and a bit startled. She nervously played with her necklace, tears springing up into her eyes.

“I don’t care what my wolf says. You will never be my mate.” He spat. Phiona’s features softened, but the hurt was still there.

“You might not want to believe we are mates now. But your wolf knows we are. I know you will come to me. You can’t fight against our bond forever.”

She lifted her hand to caress his face. The same spot Samantha had caressed near moments ago. It was like she was wiping her away, but his wolf would not let him move away from the touch.

The touch was soft and sweet, just like her smell. It didn’t hold the electricity that he had felt with Samantha, nor the pain. It had something deeper. Something that pulled his wolf forward to lean into the softness of her hand. His wolf wanted to obey her, worship her. Anything she wanted, his wolf wanted to give. His wolf was loyal to Phiona.

Alester’s will grew as he watched Phiona pull closer. She wanted to kiss him.

He regained control and slapped her hand away and stomped off. Fighting his wolf with every fiber of his being and slamming the door to his room in anger and confusion.

He sat on his bed, trying to make sense of everything.

The last few hours were a whirlwind. He hated his mate. He hated his wolf. And his emotions were all over the place. He had to rein it in. It didn’t help that his wolf was angry at him, too.

‘What’s wrong with our mate!?’

She’s beautiful and smells great!” His wolf demanded.

“She’s self centered, manipulative, fake, and only cares about appearances!” He spat back, making sure his wolf understood the full fervency in which he hated Phiona.

“I refuse to be her mate! And I will reject her the next time I see her.” He concluded.

No, you won’t!

His wolf would not hear of such a thing. He growled at such a thought.

I know what it is. You can’t stop thinking about that girl. His wolf accused. If you weren’t thinking about her and her smell, then you would like our mate.

“Samantha.” Alester said out loud in defiance of his wolf, loving how it sounded on his lips. He said it a few more times.

“Samantha. Samantha. Samantha.”

He didn’t care what his wolf thought. Whether Samantha was there or wasn’t, he wouldn’t ever accept Phiona. But Samantha was there. And she was like nothing he had ever seen before. Not in looks, but in smell, and how quickly he came to care for her. They had met merely hours ago and yet he felt like he had known her for months.

He laid in his bed for a while, thinking about their last moments together and smiling.

“Shoot. Samantha! We just left here there!”

Alester frantically threw on some clothes before heading out his door, running into his dad.

“Son.” His dad grabbed his arm. “What is going on? Who is that girl and where have you been?” His dad needed answers.