Chapter 9 Refusal

• The party is lit.
• I dance in my mate's arms all night long, we grind, touch and kiss on the big dancefloor. Sometimes we are interrupted by new guests who still want to congratulate me, but we stay close to each other. In our relationship there is no room for third parties, we have enough of each other and remain true to our golden rule that the opposite sex does not come too close.
• Then we come close to Alpha Ahri, the old fox swings with a young werewolf, like he's in the old eighties. “Ahem, Alpha, are you having a good time?” I can't help teasing. Behind me, I hear a muffled laugh from Zane. Alpha Ahri looks up and when he sees me watching him, he turns beet red with embarrassment. Guilt is written all over his face. “Yes, yes”, he stammers while making frantic efforts to keep the voluptuous woman away.
• “Congrats Alpha, this party is amazing. Thank you for taking such good care of my pack member,” he turns to Zane, guiltily avoiding eye contact with me. Alpha Ahri clearly had no good intentions for the night, his attitude betraying his nefarious plans. “Actually, the whole pack is pleased with the way you approach this entire strange mating. But you’ve earned our respect. You and Mercedes are the perfect couple and role model for mates in Silver Moon,” he compliments Zane.
• Hearing this appreciation, I snuggle in my mate's arms again. “Yes, Alpha, the Moon Goddess has blessed me with a mate like Zane. I can't imagine a life without him," I agree. Zane pecks my lips as he looks at me adoringly. “It's not difficult with Mercedes, Alpha Ahri,” he replies softly. “Your pack has done a major job in her upbringing. She is perfect".
• “Well, I see everything is going well here, so I'll let you enjoy the rest of the evening,” concludes the Alpha. But before he could continue his business, I tapped him on the shoulder. “Alpha, now that I find you here, I want to raise an urgent matter with you,” I begin. “Zane says we can't have sex until I'm eighteen. But almost all of the she-wolves in our pack start experimenting at fifteen. And I'm sixteen now. We've been mates for so long, I want to make Zane mine, Alpha."
• Alpha Ahri's scratches his head, a sign that he's thinking deeply about my statement. “In fact, there's no objection to getting physical now,” he admits slowly. “But we only have Zane's word that he is your fated mate. Only when you are eighteen and you shift for the first time, can your wolf confirm to the pack that you are indeed fated,” he explains. “Don't get me wrong, but it's always safe to wait until you're eighteen. I'm sorry, Mercedes, that I can't support you with this. I understand the wait is long.”
• Disappointed, I stare at my Alpha and heave a deep sigh. But then I remember that Zane made me a promise, so maybe it'll be okay. Zane has the solution to all problems, so I'll have to trust him in this one too. “Okay, Alpha”, is all I can say.
• We dance on, I cling to Zane's chest for comfort.
• His hand runs through my hair, trying to reassure me. “Don't worry, love. It's going to be okay. Trust me," he whispers. Then I feel him nibbling on my earlobe, his hand on my back caressing my ass. A hot glow moves from my heart to my pussy, I press my thighs together to control the fiery itching. “Zane”, I exclaim breathlessly, my lips searching for his for a hot kiss. And when he slaps me lightly on my ass, I'm done. I grab his head and the kiss goes more passionate. “Let's get out of here, my love,” Zane says seductively in my ear when we need to get some air. Drunken with love, I grab his head again for another quick kiss, I just can't get enough of this guy.
• And then I feel a tap on my shoulder. Immediately I freeze in Zane's arms, I can't believe anyone has the guts to disrupt my private time with my mate. I mean, everyone here has eyes to see that I'm lusting after Zane, the least they can do is respect our privacy. I am for a kill for the person who is determined to divert my attention from my mate.
• With angry eyes I turn to the culprit.
• And to my horror, I see standing there no other than Glary, the son of Alpha Ahri, the Alpha next in line. Despite my father being the Beta of Silver Moon, I’m not part of his inner circle. For some unknown reason, my parents never raised me with the Alpha family, which is unusual. Usually, the pups of high rankings grow up together, are close friends and more often turn out to be mates later in life. But my father never takes me to the packhouse to meet the Alpha family, and I've never felt the need to mingle with them too.
• “Alpha Glary”, I acknowledge his presence politely, suppressing my previous temper. “I'm glad you're here too to celebrate my birthday”. I feel Zane's hand pulling around my waist like a vice. I intertwine our hands to reassure him.
• “Yes, it's a great party. Congratulations, Mercedes. You are now sweet sixteen”, he grins. When I look him in the face, there's something in his eyes that I definitely don't like. And besides, he stands too close to me, I'm starting to feel uncomfortable with that. It's crowded around us, but there's plenty of room to get further away from me. “Would you like to do a few dances with me? I'm the next Alpha in line and it would be strange if I didn't pay special attention to your anniversary," he suggests.
• Confidently he extends a hand to me to put mine in. I stare at it for some seconds before turning to hug Zane tightly. The idea of dancing in the arms of another man horrifies me.
• Look, I've been to parties before, but then I danced with my besties only with a lot of space between us. But that is clearly not Glary's plan.
• "No!" I firmly refuse...