Chapter 5

Ryle

"If there was one thing I detested, it was she-wolves confessing their feelings to anyone they pleased. I staunchly adhered to the belief that she-wolves should only be pursued by their destined mates. I upheld the traditional 'old love' values of wolves. Consequently, every time a she-wolf confessed her feelings to me, I felt repulsed and offended. I harbored a strong aversion to any romantic advances apart from those from my fated mate, whom I had yet to encounter until now.

Situations like what the woman in front of me did weren't new to me. And just like the other confessions before, I turned them down in the most ruthless way possible, discouraging them from continuing their affection for me. Just like what I did with the others, I tore their letters to shreds without an ounce of remorse. In fact, they should have thanked me because I was sparing them from experiencing more heartbreak if they opted to continue, as I knew they wouldn't stand any chance of winning my heart or attention.

"This is the lamest thing I've ever received."

My friends cheered from behind. They were used to me turning down girls on a regular basis. As twisted as it sounded, I enjoyed seeing their heartbroken expressions. For me, that was what they got for pursuing a wolf outside their mateship. They deserved to be humiliated in the worst possible way for being unfaithful to their mates.

But to my surprise, another she-wolf rushed to our side and grabbed the cheap girl behind her. Her hair was a fiery red, like a flame I was more than willing to get burned by.

Our eyes met, and I felt a lump in my throat, getting lost in her emerald-green eyes. Her angry expression added more tension between our eyes, making hers stand out even more. Unexpectedly, I got lost in her gaze, as if I was put under a spell, taking my breath away.

Just then, Koa, my spirit wolf, whispered in my mind.

'Mate.....'

I snapped back from reality, my senses jolting me awake. Blinking rapidly, I hesitated to make eye contact, a nervous flutter gripping me unexpectedly. I acted calm and collected, concealing the inner turmoil swirling beneath the surface.

'Is this cheap she-wolf your friend?' I asked with a smirk, desperate to keep my thoughts away from admiring her face.

'As a matter of fact, yes,' she answered. Dear goddess! I swore she sounded like an angel!

The lady with fiery red hair locked her eyes on me. I held my ground, refusing to yield in our silent staring match. In that moment, she flashed an arrogant grin, shaking her head with a mix of disappointment and anger.

'You know what’s funny? The lamest thing I ever saw today is you.'"

Her words surprised me, like a sudden gust of wind that I didn't see coming. I made a disapproving sound in response, feeling a sudden rush of offense. Without wasting any more time, I quickly replied.

"Oh, yeah! The one who was lame is your friend. How could she beg for love from a wolf outside her mateship? How desperate was she? These cheap actions only portray what kind of she-wolf she is."

“The kind of she-wolf the likes of you don’t deserve. What you did to her only proves what kind of werewolf you are. And honestly, it's such a turn-off.”

A surge of anger coursed through me upon hearing these words from my mate. The reality was starkly different from the dreamy picture I had painted for the first encounter with her. My expectations had revolved around something more romantic, more genuinely sweet, the kind of memory one treasures forever. Yet, the harsh truth stood before me. The enchanting daydreams of our fairy tale reunion morphed into an unexpected, bitter reality.

It was hatred at first sight, a nightmare for a first meeting with your destined half.

With my bruised ego, I retorted to the cheap girl as an outlet.

"Having this ugly cheap girl as a mate would be a curse from the moon goddess herself. Your friend would probably remain unmated for the rest of her life. I mean, who would be willing to be with a cheap, ugly-looking she-wolf like her for the rest of his life?"

I anticipated some retort to the insults, but to everyone's surprise, she delivered a resounding slap instead. The sound reverberated throughout the cafeteria, and gasps erupted from those who witnessed it.

My mate’s response turned serious, her icy eyes fixated on me. The reality began to set in. Someone dared to stand up against the mighty Ryle Vanderberg of the Silverwolf Pack.

I was groomed to lead a famous pack, used to getting attention and respect. The incident shook me because, beyond our usual training, someone had the audacity to lay a hand on me out of sheer disrespect. Anger took over, briefly making me forget that the lady in front of me was the one I had been waiting for my whole life.

"Are you insane?! Why did you slap me?"

I raised my voice and lost my cool. The students around me were surprised to witness me losing control in front of everyone. However, the lady raised her voice even more, expressing her strong dislike towards me.

"Because you’re a total jerk!!!"

I started to doubt the authenticity of the mate bond we share. In my perception, the dynamics between fated mates shouldn't be like this. There should be more romance and less chaos.

Anger threatened to consume me, and the desire for retaliation against this furious lady grew. But at the last minute, I shifted my perspective. Rather than succumbing to the impulse of letting anger take over, I considered a more interesting approach to settle the matter.

Opting for a playful retaliation, I gathered the torn papers and handed them back to the cheap girl with a smile.

"This time, I'll try being more patient. I'll allow you to rewrite whatever is inside this paper. Yes, I'll give you another chance IF you renounce your friendship with your brave friend."

The girl was taken aback by my statement, and I smirked.

"I'm the son of an Alpha. I value and honor my words."

She glanced at the lady with fiery red hair and then back at me.

"I am patient enough not to harm people over their foolish mistakes. So, if you do this for me, it would even the score, and I'll consider it justice served for the slap I earned from your LOYAL friend."

“Huh! Dream on, jerk. As if Crisha would do that to me.”

The furious lady clearly showed enough confidence about their friendship. So, I waited to see what the girl named Crisha would do. But to my surprise, Crisha suddenly swung her arm and slapped her friend really hard. I was amused by the sudden turn of events and how shallow and stupid this Crisha was.

“You have no rights to hurt Ryle. How could you insult and disrespect him like that? From now on, you are no friend of mine. You are nothing but a rabid she-wolf without manners.”

Cheers of laughter echoed around. Crisha smiled, drowning herself in the momentary spotlight she received. I turned to my mate, and her world fell apart. Clearly, she was hurt by the betrayal of that one friend she chose to defend.

I wanted to rush to her side and comfort her, but I fought the urge with every fiber of my being. My mate needed to be taught a lesson, something that would change the way she behaved, especially in front of me.

I stepped forward, turning to face everyone.

"You all bear witness to the things I was forced to endure from this lady. But as an Alpha’s son, I was taught not to harm a woman. I'll still be a gentleman for her sake. If she chooses to apologize, I’ll consider everything water under the bridge."

The red-haired lady looked shocked but remained determined that her actions were justified.

"I will never crawl back and apologize for slapping a jerk like you. You deserve it, and I am proud of what I did."

"Very well," I responded, walking closer and leaning toward her ear.

"Soon, you'll know who I am to this school."

I walked away, and everyone made way for me. Inside my head, Koa panicked.

"Are you crazy, Ryle?! THAT’S OUR MATE!!!"

"Relax, Koa. I’m just trying to tame the beast inside her. In no time, she would crawl back and apologize. And of course, I would forgive her. Then that’s how she would start to see me as her loving mate. You’ll see."

I chuckled and headed to my classroom. In my perspective, what I was doing felt right, and I was confident it would make my mate warm up to me sooner.

And I am certain of it.