Page 33 of Alpha's Unclaimed Mate

“Titan, please,” I plead. “Show yourself.”

A flicker of movement inside sends a jolt through me. A weak, tired response comes: “I’m drained.”

Dread coils in my gut as I walk home. Titan’s voice lacks its usual power, replaced by a weary lethargy. He refuses to hunt, to speak, to shift—it feels so wrong.

Instead of using the main door, I climb through the window at the back of my room. A sharp pain shoots through my toes, and I wince, seeing the gash from the broken windowpane.

Limping to my bedroom and leaving a trail of blood behind me, I realize my body isn’t healing as quickly as usual. My mind keeps throwing images of Seren at me until I collapse onto a chaise longue and fall into an uneasy sleep.

I wake up uneasy and unrested, my mind foggy and my body on autopilot. A nagging ache resides in my bones, a constant reminder that something is missing. A persistent buzz in my head, like an overactive bee, refuses to stop. This is a direct consequence of Seren’s rejection, I’m sure of it. Titan will never forgive me. Without my wolf, I can’t lead this pack.

Maybe if there was a way to talk to Seren, I could make her understand. Maybe she could forgive me.

I walk to her room. The anticipation of the ceremony looms like a dark cloud, and I’m running out of time. In an hour, I have to be at the pack grounds, exchanging vows.

I haphazardly flip through her things, but find nothing new. Her phone still isn’t working. Suddenly, I remember Ella. I dial her number.

“Theron? I didn’t expect your call,” she answers before the third ring. “Congratulations on the upcoming ceremony. I wish you and?—”

“Ella, I know you know where Seren is. I need her number, her address, anything.”

There’s a pause. “Theron, why are you asking me this now? I thought you’d moved on from Seren.” Her voice is steady, but carries a sharp edge.

“I don’t have time for this,” I snap. “I’m asking you as your alpha. I need to find Seren before the ceremony.”

“As my alpha?” She laughs bitterly. “You may hold the title for your pack, but I quit two weeks ago. You were never my alpha, and you’re not my boss anymore.”

Her words hit me like a slap. “Ella, please. Just tell me where Seren is.”

“I met with Seren before she left town, but she didn’t share her destination with me. She’s made her choice, Theron. You’re free to mark Vanessa as your luna now. Seren has accepted it. Maybe it’s time you did too.”

“Ella, I?—”

“Goodbye, Theron.”

The call ends with a click. I’m left staring at the phone.

The buzzing in my head gets louder.

With only an hour left before the ceremony, I force myself to dress. Every movement feels like torture. I don’t like my reflection in the mirror.

A knock on the door is followed by a cheerful, “You ready, alpha?” I manage a nod in response to Luke’s toothy smile. Inan hour he will be my beta, my best friend, and my brother-in-law.

“Let’s go,” I whisper.

The drive to the packhouse takes less than ten minutes. We walk out together and I feel blinded by the decorations all over the pack grounds. My parents and the pack have gone overboard. Instead of fairy lights, crystal chandeliers hang from wires twenty feet above the ground. Ornate lanterns are strung along the periphery. Flowers are everywhere, but there’s not a petal of lilac to be seen. For once, I’m happy about that. I don’t need another reminder of her.

Every member of our pack and guests from the adjoining packs are gathered here, eyeing me expectantly.

The buzz in my head has intensified, a relentless drone that drowns out my thoughts.

The sky has already started turning dark. As the moon makes its quiet appearance, the crowd roars.

Within minutes, Vanessa walks in, wearing a dress woven with fresh flowers. She must look spectacular, since a sudden hush falls over the crowd. Murmurs of awe fill the air as she glides through the crowd, looking every bit like a goddess.

I’m not able to focus on anything except the garland around her neck, dark against her white dress. Fresh, vibrant lilacs. Taunting me. Cursing me.

Vanessa’s beauty is undeniable, but she feels distant and artificial. Her smile is charming, but it lacks the genuine warmth and sparkle that Seren’s always had. Vanessa’s cheeks don’t have the same endearing dimples.

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