Unwanted

Docia’s P.O.V.

Petra mindlinked me that she was in heat, so she wouldn’t be out of the bedroom for a few days. Martina and Brooke also went into heat. They’re all so lucky. I want my mate, my real mate. Not someone who bought me and forced me to mate with them.

I was shocked when I saw Petra come to the palace. I had thought she was dead. I had wanted to run to her, but I was scared of Chris and his witch. She was so little when we were taken. I may be older than Petra, but the way she acts, it seems she’s older than me. She’s so mature and strong; I admire her.

After we were separated, I was with a pack who knew nothing about my magic. I kept it hidden and suffered their abuse. Some of the women were more brutal than the men. I never understood what would cause anyone to treat someone so horribly. All I dreamed about was getting away from there and finding my sister.

When Chris bought me, I hoped it would be better. In some ways, it was. He didn’t hit me or rape me. He treated me more like an object than anything else. I always knew it was the witch that was pulling his strings.

I’m intrigued by the work Petra and the others are doing. Traveling around the country and finding people who were taken as pups isn’t easy. I wonder if they’ll let me go with them. It would be nice to do something useful instead of just being someone’s punching bag or fake mate.

When I go back inside the palace for lunch, I smell something that is definitely not food. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. My wolf Lana perks her ears up.

“Our mate is here.” What? Now? Can finding your true mate really happen that fast? I start walking around, trying to find the source of the scent. When I am almost at the entry, I hear voices.

“Hello, sir. I was a warrior for the Raven Moon pack but have left them. I’ve heard about the group from the palace who are going to packs rescuing kidnapped pups, and I would like to join them.” When I walk toward the entry the man stops talking. I can’t see him because a guard is in the way, but the scent gets stronger the closer I get. He suddenly looks around the guard, and our eyes meet.

“Excuse me,” I say to the guard. He looks at us and smiles before walking away.

“Hello, I’m Docia.” I look the man over and can definitely tell he’s a warrior. He’s huge and has more muscles than I can count. He smiles and holds out his hand.

“I’m Jason. My wolf was adamant that we needed to come to the palace and join the royals on their travels. I guess something in him knew our mate would be here too. Are you a royal?” He asks. I look down, ashamed. What if I’m not good enough for him? I’m damaged, and he’s perfect.

“I’m the furthest thing from a royal. I was kidnapped as a pup and sold to a pack that made me a slave and abused me for years. I was then bought by a man who wanted to be king, and he tried to force me to be his mate. I’m probably not what you expected in a mate. I’ll understand if you want to reject me.” I can’t meet his eyes. I don’t want to see the anger, disgust, or, worst of all, pity. When he moves closer, a tear slides down my cheek as I brace myself. Here it comes.

“Docia, I’m not going to reject you. Everyone in this world is carrying around some sort of baggage. You’re perfect to me because you’re my mate.” Is this man for real? I look up into his dark green eyes and see he’s telling me the truth.

“Really? I’ve been hoping to find my mate, but deep down, I always thought I wouldn’t be good enough.” Jason puts his hand on my cheek and wipes away my tears.

“You’re more than good enough.” I smile and throw my arms around him. I feel like I’m drowning in his scent when his large, muscular arms wrap around me. The sparks from the mate bond are incredible. I never thought I’d get to feel them.

“Did I hear you say you came here to help with finding the kidnapped pups?” I ask against his chest.

“Yes. The news of what they’re doing has been traveling around the packs. I was kidnapped as a pup, but I was lucky. A pack took me in when I ran away, and I became a warrior. I know a lot of pups weren’t as fortunate as me, and I would like to help.” I pull back and look up at him.

“My sister Petra and her mate are part of that group, and I was going to ask them if I could go with them, too.” Can I kiss him? I look down at his body and I change my mind. I want to do more than kiss him.

“Do you want to come to my room?” I ask with a smile. Jason hesitates.

“Are you sure? I don’t want you to feel pressured into anything when we just met.” He’s too sweet. I may be damaged, but I’m not broken. I think a muscle-bound warrior may help heal my wounds. What do you think?

“I’m positive. Do you want lunch first?” I ask as we walk through the palace.

“Only if we’re getting it to go,” Jason answers. I look up at him and smile. We better get some lunch because if I have my way, we’ll be working up our appetite, and we’re going to need some energy. We go to the dining hall and request lunch to take to my room. We’re given a basket filled with food and I show Jason to my room. As soon as the door is shut, he puts the food on the table and takes me in his arms.

“I’ve dreamt about this day for a long time.” He says against my lips.

“Well, don’t dream anymore. Make it a reality.” I slide my fingers into his thick hair and pull him down to kiss him. Jason lifts me so my legs wrap around him, and he carries me to the bed. We tumble in together, still keeping our lips connected. His tongue strokes mine in such a way it makes me want to rip our clothes off. When he pulls back, he kneels above me.

“You’re so beautiful.” He says while sliding his hands under my skirt and stroking my thighs. I pull my shirt off while Jason removes my skirt and panties. The way he looks at me makes my pulse race.

He stands up to remove his shirt and pants, leaving him only in his boxers. When he pulls them down, and I see what springs free, my eyes widen. Maybe Martina is right because this warrior is ready for battle. Can I touch it and play with it? When he moves closer to me, I reach out to stroke him. He moans as he slides his hand between my legs and takes one of my nipples in his mouth. Fuck. I’m ready to burst, and we haven’t even gotten to the good part. I may not be in heat, but I’m definitely not coming out of this room any time soon.