Page 10 of The Alpha's Reclaimed Mate

“You just aren’t trying hard enough.”

She wasn’t even listening to what I had to say. How could my own mother not take my side?

“If this fight is as bad as you act like it is, then you need to apologize to Oswald and Mara,” said my mother. “We can’t risk you losing your Alpha Female position so close to the mating ceremony.”

Was that what this was about? Was it the only thing that mattered to her?

“It doesn’t matter if you felt like Mara was overreacting. Just let it go. Oswald is your fated mate. In time he’ll more readily accept your point of view.”

That was what I had to do. Swallow my dignity and just accept Oswald’s bad temper and negligence? Accept that he would freely give his affections to other women while I was left in the dust, waiting for the moment he would smile at me?

I wasn’t strong enough to argue with my mother any longer. All I could do was nod, watching as she stood up and lingered at my door. “I’ll call Mrs. Foster and have you excused for today. But you have to understand that life isn’t going to excuse you whenever you have a hard time. I expect you to apologize to Mara or at least Oswald.”

She didn’t stay to hear my answer. She assumed I would apologize, like a good little Alpha in training. All my family cared about was me doing as I was told so they could maintain their high status. But the worst part was… all I had was my family. And if I couldn’t make them happy, what good was I to anyone? As soon as the door closed, I pulled my feet up on my bed and buried my face in my knees, letting shame swallow me whole.

In a small hand mirror, I practiced my smile. No amount of pretending could make it look less hollow. Despite four years of preparations, I suddenly felt like I wasn’t ready for this day. After the ceremony assistant had gotten me into my dress and done my hair and makeup, I sat alone in a white tent on the edge of the courtyard, looking through the small plastic window at the gathering outside. People were starting to file into the courtyard, finding their seats for the mating ceremony.

I heard my cousin approach but didn’t look his way even after he spoke. “Hey, Aria. You look really beautiful today.”

“Thanks.” But I didn’t feel beautiful. It didn’t even feel like this was my mating ceremony.

Dax entered the tent and stood beside me. “What’s the matter? Why do you sound so glum? Aren’t you excited?”

“I am,” I said, watching my family shuffle through the rows of chairs to find their places near the front. “It’s just… I haven’t seen or talked to Oswald since last week.”

“Since the fight?”

My silence confirmed as much. “I tried apologizing to Mara, but I’m pretty sure Oswald told her to stay away from me. They’re both avoiding me.”

“No, come on. Maybe Oswald is just nervous too.”

“He could have at least congratulated me on winning the fight against Preston… I passed all my tests, I completed all my training, and I’ve heard nothing from him.”

Dax sighed and touched my shoulder, gently coaxing me to my feet. “He’s just been dealing with a lot… But I promise when he sees you, he’s going to lose his mind. I mean, who wouldn’t feel like the luckiest guy in the world to have someone as smart as you by their side?”

I wanted to smile and appreciate my cousin’s optimism, but something told me it was more wishful thinking than grounded in reality.

The door to the tent pushed open again, and this time my father stood haloed in the sunlight. “It’s time, Aria.”

Dax held my hands. “You’re going to be alright,” he promised.

I met his eyes and nodded. This was my mating ceremony. After this, Oswald and I would be bound forever by our mating bond. No matter our differences, after this, we would be united on a whole new level. Surely after that, Oswald would open up to me. He would give me a chance. He had to… right?

After Dax left the tent, I stood next to my father, just out of view of everyone. Sweat dripped down my back inside my gossamer dress and collected on my hairline, my hair piled high in a red bun. A gorgeous pearl barrette held it all in place while a bouquet of white peonies and yellow day lilies blossomed between my hands. Whether or not I was ready, I certainly looked the part. I held my breath as the dulcet strings of our ceremony song started playing from the band off to the side. Oswald Moore, dressed in his elegant black tuxedo with his brown hair slicked back, strode down the aisle between the chairs, smiling at his packmates. He stood before the pack shaman and waited… for me.

I could barely breathe. I probably would have stood there frozen forever if not for my father taking my arm and urging me to walk with him.

As we emerged from behind the tent, everyone looked at us. My heart hammered louder than ever before. My feet drifted carefully across the grass so I didn’t trip in front of everyone. I didn’t even think to look up at Oswald, my attention scattered across the people gathered for my ceremony. My family sat in the front two rows on the left—my sisters, sneering or looking bored, and my mother, smiling tightly with her expectations of perfection. Dax sat behind them, grinning with encouragement. And then, staring at me from the front row to the right, was Mara.

What was she doing here? Why was she even invited to the mating ceremony?

I tried not to let her distract me. Shoving down my disappointment, I finally looked up at Oswald, searching for even the smallest flicker of support from him. I couldn’t help the warmth in my chest at the sight of my fated mate. It was only natural for me to feel that way; after all this time, my shifter instinct compelled me to love him. I did love him.

But he didn’t smile when he looked back at me. The coldness in his eyes was the same as it always was.

That just worsened my nerves. The toe of my white flats clipped the grass, and I almost stumbled. Embarrassed, I brushed a strand of hair behind my ear, clutching my bouquet close until I reached Oswald. My father took the bouquet from me, leaving my hands empty and idle and clammy with anxious sweat. Once he sat down, I found myself lacking the courage to meet Oswald’s eyes.

“We are gathered here on this beautiful afternoon to celebrate the union of Alpha Oswald Moore and his fated mate, Aria Gunn,” began the shaman. “Everyone, please arise and join us for the ceremonial mateship blessing.”

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