บท 13: Mate?... Oh Hell No!

[TAMIKO]

"Should we wake him up? He's so lame for sleeping at a party," Judd said when he spotted Tamiko at the corner sleeping. He hadn't expected that Tamiko would even show up and now that he had, he was itching to cause him some trouble.

"No, let's wait for our mates. It's already midnight and the moon is at its peak. Let him be, besides, we can do with him whatever we want tomorrow," Zakhar said to his friends, like he was reminding them to focus on what had brought them here.

"Fine, you're no fun. Let's go mingle and wait for our mates," Gabe said dismissively as he and his friends went back to the crowd, ignoring the freak who was having a really peaceful nap amidst the loud music.

Tamiko was strange, but wasn't he also a strange darling?

Soon enough, there were whispers all over, with the unmated claiming their mates. It was a beautiful sight really, one that made the pack happy. Judd and Zahar had gotten their mates, and Danny too, had gotten his mate.

Gabe on the other hand, hadn't gotten a mate and was still waiting. He didn't have any worries because as the alpha's son, he would definitely find a mate tonight so he could take over the pack, and he was excited for it.

As the night progressed, the wolves who had found their mates, disappeared into the night with their partners, silently and excitedly leaving the party to get to know their mates better.

One by one, the ceremonial hall was growing emptier, and even then, Gabe hadn't found a mate, despite his friend finding their mates and leaving the ceremony as was expected. The wolves that remained were either unmated or had been mated earlier and still wanted to have some fun.

"Tamiko… I have to leave with my mate, brother. Will you be okay?" Danny asked, gently tapping Tamiko to wake him up, when he realized that his friend was still sleeping. He couldn't blame Tamiko though, because he didn't have a place to lay his head for the night.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be fine. Where is your mate? I need to warn him against breaking your heart or cheating on you. I may not fight back for myself, but I will definitely break a few bones here and there for you, brother," Tamiko said sincerely.

He loved Danny like a brother and never wanted to see him hurt, ever.

"Well, I knew you'd glare at him till kingdom come, so I figured I'd introduce you guys tomorrow. Besides, he's outside waiting for me," Dany said happily, and Tamiko just held Danny's face in his arms comfortingly.

"In that case, I'm happy for you, brother. But let him know that I will wring his neck if he hurts you, alright? Be happy, Danny, be happy for the both of us. Now go, don't keep your mate waiting, and don't worry about me... I'm Tamiko, remember?" the outcast said and Danny just sighed.

"Alright, and you be careful. If you need me, Tamiko—"

"Go have fun, and get fucked tonight, if possible alright. I'll be fine," Tamiko insisted and Danny pulled him into a hug before he walked toward the exit.

However, as Danny passed Gabe, he heard the alpha's son growl at him. It was all too new and made Danny wonder what was with the attitude.

If Gabe wanted a fight, then Danny would give him just that, after all, they were agemates and he didn't mind keeping his mate waiting a little longer, if this was his chance to avenge Tamiko.

Thankfully, Gabe didn't stop him, and let him go.

Tamiko on the other hand, went back to his peaceful slumber, free of mosquitoes, and a night of sleep, free of any thoughts of the Grealor pack members. This time, he went to sleep even happier knowing that Danny had someone to take care of him too.

However, before he could give in to his sleep completely, he heard an awfully familiar voice close to him. It was the voice that haunted him, and he'd hoped that even just for tonight, Gabe would leave him alone. Then again, that was easier said than done, given the shock that was waiting for Tamiko.

"Hello... Mate," Gabe whispered carefully, like he was too much in shock to even accept his sudden reality. Of all the people he had expected, the one before him was certainly never on his list, and frankly, it was understandable, but even then, damn.

'Oh hell no, Gabe??? My mate? Fuck me,' Tamiko said to himself as he pretended to snore into the night. This wasn't what he had planned for, and it certainly wasn't his problem.

The dark alpha's son, and his slave master, being his fated mate, was definitely tomorrow's problem, just like his woes.

And with that, the broken boy went back to sleep, muting out everyone,... Including his surfaced lycan.

"Tamiko…" Gabe called out a second time when he realized that the snores were fake and that the mate the midnight moon had given him didn't want him. Well, that was expected given what he had done to Tamiko earlier in the day anyway.

As Gabe watched his mate pretend not to listen to him, he wondered whether Tamiko could have accepted him if he had approached Tamiko when everyone was still at the party.

When the clock had struck midnight earlier, the alpha's son was the first to know who his mate was, thanks to the direct link he had with the goddess. He was a leader and as a result, nature would want him happy first.

But which part of his happiness consisted of the man he had been torturing his whole life? The very man he had forced to cut his wrists earlier? What the fuck was he even supposed to do with the new revelation?

'Tamiko is my mate?' Gabe had been shocked and so he pretended like he hadn't found a mate, when he wanted to go to Tamiko and be with him.

He had always dreamt of having a mate, and loving his mate with all he got. He had even prepared to keep his mate safe from himself if ever the time came.

And then the surprise came.

He had been too shocked to even face his truth, and even as he mingled with his friends and watched them have mates, Gabe had hoped that the goddess had made a mistake.

"You're an alpha's son, Gabe, one of the strongest alpha's sons. And that means you can only get paired with one of the strongest wolves or creatures to ever exist, just like the goddess paired me with your mother, a really strong warrior," Alpha Ashton's words rang in Gabe's mind.

Gabe wanted to believe those words, but then what he had been given was nothing more than a slave that the wolves had gotten used to. How the hell was he supposed to take Tamiko as a mate then?

'Is Tamiko a strong mate?' Gabe wondered as he remembered his father's words. It all just didn't make any sense to him and the more he thought about it, the more he thought he would go crazy, but maybe just for the night, he would try to bond, right?