-Rose POV-

They came back from their honeymoon after about two weeks in Guam. Jack reeked of them and they reeked of Luna hormones, which meant some of their power had been heightened.

"Good afternoon Alpha and Lunas, how was your trip?"

I greeted them at the front step.

Jack shot me a confused stare as he walked up the stairs with his new wives.

Their scent had mixed with his, the breeze made sure to remind me of this as they passed by me.

"Rose, come with me?"

Jack's voice rang through the corridor as we entered the house.

I noticed the effect it used to have in me was no longer there, his voice which used to comfort me and speak of love to only me no longer excited me.

"I apologize Alpha, I have some errands that need to be done."

I bowed and turned on my heel.

"Rose? Rose, come with me." Jack gently demanded again, a little bit of authority seeping into his words.

I looked to his hand, firmly grasping my elbow before I looked to his face.

Love bites were prominent on his neck, lipgloss stained his jaw and in an instant I felt disgust.

I pulled my arm from his grip and turned around once more, leaving him behind and alone in the hallway.

————

"Here's the rest of the anti-biotics for the week, make sure you take one of these every four to six hours after each meal."

Our pack doctor had taken good care of me since Jack's departure. My body was slowly becoming weaker from seeing Jack with his wives, he hadn't marked me and as a result my wolf suffered.

"Thank-you." I spoke.

She looked as though she was hesitating before she placed a hand on my shoulder.

"If I may...I'd like to discuss something with you."

"Sure, what is it?" I replied.

"I'm very sorry for what the Alpha has done, I assure you I had no part in it. I did not know until earlier this week. I know it's causing you great suffering but with these medications it should get better."

I opened my mouth to thank her when she continued.

"Our Alpha has made...a questionable choice. I'm not sure that everyone quite agrees with it, but I thought you needed to know. Jack had a choice...he was either to marry his chosen Luna or get married to neighboring packs daughters."

My grip on the bag of medications suddenly faltered and my ears began to ring. The words that were coming out of the doctor's mouth suddenly became muted.

He didn't choose me.

In an instant I felt myself become cold, my body began convulsing and eventually the pain in my temples grew to be too much as I collapsed on the floor.

——

"What's wrong with her?!"

His frantic voice suddenly invaded my eardrums as I heard the door swing open.

"Alpha, due to complications...well I-"

"Just spit it out!" He demanded.

"Well since you've mated with other females who are not your true mate...you- the bond between you and your mate has been broken."

"No!"

His roar was deafening as he continued to speak with the doctor.

"Rose," He breathed as he entered my room.

"Alpha."

"Please don't call me that, you're still my Rose."

A small smile reached his lips but I was unfazed, this is what it was like to be alone wasn't it?

I looked away and he hung his head.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't know it would break us."

"Yes you did, you made the choice. Now we all will live with the consequences."

I spoke as I pulled my hands from his.

"What do you mean?" He asked as he rested one of his hands on my legs.

"Was it really so hard to be loyal to me?" I whispered.

He took his hand from my leg and sighed.

"I-I'm sorry, Rose."

"Do you know what tomorrow is?" I questioned.

He shook his head, choosing to remain silent.

Tomorrow is March eighteenth, every year before this year you've remembered my birthday and you've given me the greatest gifts imaginable. This year Jack, all I'm asking is that you let me leave, I no longer have a reason to stay in this pack. It is only right that I leave at once." I said.

He got up and turned away from me quickly.

"I can not grant you that wish, you'll stay until April. If your heart still desires to leave, then you may go. Until then, you stay in the pack house."

I nodded, not in agreement but in understanding.

After all he was still my Alpha.

---------Alpha Mike's POV------------

"Unbelievable, un-fucking-believable."

I cursed as I let the door to the house slam shut behind me.

My parents brought home a female they thought would be suitable for me despite my many protests.

"Mike! You get back in there this instant!"

My father's voice boomed through the clearing and I shook my head, pressing on faster.

"She's close dad, why can't you understand how important this is for me?" I questioned as I turned around.

He sighed, placing a hand on my shoulder as he neared me.

"Mike, I know that you want your true mate I understand completely, but son..."

"I've been with plenty of women dad, none of them were worth keeping around. In my eyes there's only one woman out there made for me. I can't be selfish enough to not wait."

I shook my shoulder from his grip as I turned and ran for the woods.

'Mate.' The word sent shivers doen my spine.

My wolf relished in it.

I would prove my parents wrong, my mate was out there.

She was waiting for me.

-Rose POV-

It had been two weeks since the bond between Jack and I was broken. I looked myself over in the mirror and came to the conclusion that this was a good as it was going to get.

Kayla stayed by my side through it all and as she stood in the doorway of my room I felt a small smile make its way to my lips.

"Wow, you look amazing!"

"Thank you Kayla, for everything."

She grinned and took me by the arm as she led me towards the staircase.

"You're beautiful, the anti-biotics have worked and now that you're no longer his 'property' you look so much more alive."

"If only I felt alive." I mumbled.

She sighed and shook her head tugging my arm along.

"Well if it isn't the Alpha's Rose, how are you? I mean now that you aren't with my mate anymore."

Jamie sneered as we entered the room, adjusting her dress.

"I'm doing well."

I replied, she glared at me as if she were expecting a different answer.

After about ten minutes of listening to Jamie and Amy exchange insults towards me I'd had enough. I excused myself and prepared to make the descent down the stairs.

Almost immediately I bumped into someone and steadied myself.

I looked up into the same green eyes I would look to in times of desparation, laughter and love.

I felt nothing.

"Oh, sorry. I wasn't watching."

I moved past Jack, keeping my eyes down as I did so.

"You look beautiful."

He whispered as he grabbed my arm, but I refused to look at him.

I didn't reply.

I gave myself another once over, my blue ballgown clung nicely to my body, not informal, not too flashy.

I knew what this event was for, Alpha Michaelangelo was coming to visit our pack for our yearly invitational ball.

This is where Jack and I used to host my birthday, he would put up streamers in the private ballroom and we would dance together for a while until it was time for me to go home.

How badly I wished I could forget those memories.

I prepared myself to descend the stairs as the annonuncer called my name.

"Rose Burnett."

Suddenly everything grew quiet, all eyes were on me.

Whispers moved about the crowd about my dress, my composure, whether or not I was still Jack's Luna.

I took a deep breath and bowed as everyone bowed in return, as soon as the next name was called I made my way over to the open bar.

"What can I get you?"

"Just water please, lime on the rim."

He nodded stiffly.

He soon returned with my water and a glass of champagne.

"On the house." He smiled kindly and pushed the drink towards me.

"Thank you."

I whispered before taking a sip of the bubbly drink.

The party had been going on for about three hours, I conversed with a few pack members and Kayla was no where to be found, probably out somewhere with Lucas.

I had only had two glasses of champagne and a few hors d'oeuvres before I became restless.

Alpha Michaelangelo had yet to show up and I was thinking of sneaking out the back door and going for a run when a certain smell caught my attention, provoking me to stop in my tracks.

Chocolate.

There was something so alluring about this chocolate, it wasn't so much appetizing as it was purely seductive, it took on an almost musky scent.

Eventually I turned around, my eyes searching the crowd desperately for that enticing scent.

Our eyes connected at the same time.

---Alpha Mike's POV---

"Do we have to go?" I asked for the hundredth time on our way to the ball.

"Yes, what if your mate is there?" Mom replied.

I rolled my eyes in doubt, my mom had said that every year for the past six years we had been going to the Weisler Ball.

We walked through the big oak doors, onto the red carpet.

"Alpha Michaela-"

I snarled as a warning to the announcer, no one called me Michaelangelo not even my own mother.

"Alpha Mike and his family, Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Christoff." I nodded curtly and walked down the steps.

We immediately started conversing with other Alpha's and Beta's about our little rogue problem down in the East.

••

"So as I was saying, if we moved our fighters West then slowly trecked Eastward we would have them by now. What do you think Mike?" Alpha Rick asked, I replied,

"Well yes that would have been effective-"

Just then the most amazing scent filled my nostrils. I scanned the crowd for her, her scent matched that of a strawberry and it was so delicious to both me and my wolf.

My eyes connected with hers and I immediately felt drawn to her, we walked towards each other and met in the middle.

"Rose."

Her name escaped my lips as she spoke.

"Michaelangelo."

Mate.