Page 26 of Alpha's Rejected Mate

“But that hasn’t stopped the mating need, has it? Just because he said he banished you, tell me you don’t feel the least bit attracted to him. Tell me in the time he’s been working here, his scent hasn’t started to make you horny, or think of dirty things, or whatever! Tell me, Harper. Come on, let me hear that pretty voice of yours tell me that you feel absolutely nothing for Mateo.”

Harper glared at her friend. She clenched her hands into fists and felt the tears coming close to the surface. Silence filled the void.

“Shit, Harper, I’m sorry.”

“I promised myself I wouldn’t fall for him. He hurt me and I didn’t know what to do, what to feel, how to be.” She pressed her lips together and glanced down at the floor. “You’re right. With him being here, it’s hard to hate him. He is so close … and I’m not going to lie, he does smell good, and it’s nice having him around, but at the same time, I can’t help hating it a little.” She sniffled.

Franny went to her, and she was tempted to push her friend away, but what good would that do? She would be no better than Mateo when he pushed her away. She wrapped her arms around Franny, and her best friend held her tightly.

“What am I going to do?” Harper asked.

“Accept that he is your mate, and when the time comes, you’re going to want to have all kinds of sexy fun with him.”

Harper burst out laughing, she just couldn’t help it. “Let it happen?”

“Yeah, and don’t feel guilty.” Franny pulled away and cupped her face. “Mateo isn’t too bad, is he? He makes you laugh and you have started to enjoy spending time with him.”

She pressed her lips together and nodded. “Yeah, I have.”

“Then consider that a good thing.”

Franny wiped the tears off her face. “Start to look at the now, and not what he did back then. Men—people—always fuck up. Think about what he’s doing now, and if he’s not too bad, then … enjoy him.”

Harper sniffled and looking past Franny’s shoulder, she saw Mateo heading back, carrying a few food cartons. “I’m going to freshen up.”

She made her escape before he could arrive and start to ask questions. Stepping into the small bathroom, she locked the door and turned toward her reflection in the mirror. Her makeup was smudged. She hadn’t gone with a waterproof mascara, that was her fault. She reached for the bottle of makeup remover and a small cloth and began to clean up the mess the mascara had left behind. As she did this, she couldn’t help but think about Mateo.

Did it make her weak for thinking about him? For being curious about him? She found herself late at night, alone in her bed, with her thoughts drifting toward him. She couldn’t stop herself from imagining a life with him. Not only did she think of the future, she also thought about getting naked with him, mating with him.

She was a virgin. Mateo was also the first man she had ever kissed.

Shaking her head, she fixed her makeup, and for the first time in seven years, she couldn’t help but wonder if Franny was right. Would it be so bad, giving in to these urges? Even her wolf wasn’t so angry at being near him.

Maybe that was a sign.

****

“Yeah, my dad was so pissed at us. Trust me, he chased me around the yard, stick in hand, and my naked butt for him to get at.”

Harper laughed.

Mateo smiled.

“Wow, I can’t imagine you, a young Mateo, being naughty. Everyone always said that when the time came you were more than ready to take over, to be the main alpha,” Harper said.

“Yeah, because I was a rebellious kid.” He winked at her and she laughed some more. They were getting close to her house and he didn’t want it to end. He’d even started slowing his steps to prolong their time together.

At first, walking her home was spent in silence, but with Franny’s advice, he’d started to recount old memories. Franny had told him to start giving Harper a reason to want to be with him. He didn’t know if this would work or not. None of what he’d told her was lies, it was all the truth.

“I would have loved to have seen you then,” Harper said.

“You weren’t even born when I was a little one.”

Harper stopped and turned toward him. “Does that bother you?”

“It did,” he said.

“Oh.”

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