~~Ophelia's POV~~
The next night....
Igrette introduced me to all of my mate's brothers. Which is the beta, being her mate, along with the delta and gamma, his youngest brothers. They actually were a lot more welcoming and even smiled at me. Yes, smiled. How are they all related to my jerk of a mate? I wondered.
We are all siting down for dinner socializing about random topics until his scent enters the room and everyone grows quiet. He sits down right across from me, causing me to submissively look down at my plate.
"How are you brother?" I think it was his brother Elijah that asked.
"Fine." He says.
His voice sent chills down my spine in a good way. What is wrong with me?
All throughout dinner, all I felt was his stare burning through me. I couldn't bring myself to look up, no matter how much I wanted to. What seemed like hours later he abruptly gets up and storms out. I let out a breath that I didn't know that I was holding.
"Excuse me." I say.
I go to my room and just cried. The sad part was that is wasn't for the loss of my pack, ory parents or my friends. It was for my mate. My mate that wouldn't speak to me .
Mates are supposed to be glued to each other's side. Always wanting to be closer to one another, physically, mentally, emotionally, but my mate seemed to want to be as far from me as possible.
*************
One month later
It's been exactly a month and the only words Lucas has said to me is "watch yourself." I never see him. I never even pick up his scent anymore to be honest.
Everyday Igrette and I go on a stroll in the gardens or hang out with his brother. Well it's more like she forces me, and I try to have fun, but my wolf has started to shut me out. Bags are under my eyes. I can't sleep. My appetite is gone.
"Ophelia." She says, snapping me out of it.
"Huh?" I ask.
"I'm starting to worry about you, I need you to talk to me. I know how you feel, and I can help." She says.
My eyes water just thinking about it.
"I can't." I say, my voice shaky.
"You can't what?" She asks with a frown.
"I can't talk about it. Just thinking about him makes me want to kill myself." I say.
"You despise him that much?" She asks, concerned.
"No, I don't despise him at all. Not even in the slightest. All I think about is his scent and his face and his body. What it would be like if we were together. If he wanted me..." I says.
"Oh Ophelia." She says.
"Is it because I'm not beautiful to him?" I ask.
"Of course not, you're gorgeous. He's different. He doesn't open up. He just might need time." She says.
"It's been a month Igrette. He won't even come near me. He hates me. My mate hates me." I say.
"He doesn't even know you enough to hate you." She says.
Tears roll down my face.
"That's what makes it all the worse." I say.
She goes to say something, but I interrupt her.
"Please let's not talk about it anymore, Igrette." I say.
She nods and we continue walking through the gardens only encompassed by our own silence.
~~Lucas's POV~~
I stare out the window watching her.
She's so beautiful. So insanely breathtaking. To say my heart aches was an understatement. My whole body aches. I felt the dull emptiness running through my veins constantly. I've never felt this way before. Just thinking about her makes my throat close with emotion and I've never been one to have emotions. I couldn't figure it out. How could I have a mate this perfect? So pure and beautiful.
I listen in on her conversation.
"You despise him that much?" Igrette asked
A knock on the door distracts me from heating the rest.
"What?" I growl.
My brother Jasper waltzes in and I roll my eyes at his presence.
"You look terrible, brother." He states.
I swear if he was anyone else, his head would be on a stick.
"Is that what you came in here for, Jasper? To tell me that I look awful?" I ask annoyed.
"No, I came in here to tell you that your mate is suffering because you won't acknowledge her." He says.
"She doesn't want me." I say.
He looks at me like I'm crazy.
"Are you blind? She doesn't want to eat or sleep. She keeps getting weaker. Igrette tells me she cries herself to sleep every night because her mate doesn't want her." He says.
She wants me? My wolf grows excited, but I surpress it.
"I'm not good for her. It wouldn't be safe." I say.
"Damnit, wake up Lucas. Your mate wants you. You've been waiting thousands of years for you mate. You destroyed her pack, killed her friends and she wants you. Look at how happy Igrette and Emmet are. Don't you want that? How does it make you feel that I know your mate better than you?" He says.
I growl.
"Stop." I say.
"No, how does it feel that I know her favorite color is blue, that she loves the forest and her parents died when she was a little girl. That she loves chocolate and always finishes the whole souffle the chef makes. She has a habit of biting her lip and she has a birthmark above her right breast." He says.
I growl and push him against the wall.
"HOW DARE YOU LOOK AT HER? SHE'S MINE!" I yell.
"Is she?" He asks.
I feel my bones start to crack so I prepare to jump off the balcony. As my humand form shifts into my wolf. The last words I hear my brother say are....
"You can't avoid this brother. As Shakespeare says. "Who could refrain that has a heart to love and in that hearts courage to make love known?" You are only but a coward without her Lucas, don't be foolish." He says.