The Mate He Denied    

[IRIS]

"Oh, it's the wolfless maid. How did I not notice you?"

Patricia's voice slithered through the air like poison, her eyes raking over me with disdain. "No scent at all. That's why you're so forgettable." She sneered, her lips curling cruelly.

I gripped my dress tighter, my knuckles turning white against the fabric. The humiliation burned through me like fire, but I bit my tongue, forcing myself to remain silent. My heart thudded painfully against my ribs, each beat a reminder of the shame pressing down on me.

"Here to deliver the laundry?" Patricia puckered her lips in mock sympathy, her tone dripping with condescension.

"Out, Patricia," Lorcan's voice cut through the air, sharp and commanding.

He stood by the bed, already pulling on his pants, his expression unreadable.

Patricia rolled her eyes, stretching leisurely as if she had all the time in the world. She made no effort to hide the smug grin plastered on her face as she sauntered toward the door. But just as she passed me, she leaned in close, her breath hot against my ear.

"I know how you look at Lorcan, you pathetic little bitch," she whispered, her voice a cruel mockery of sweetness. "Don't even think about it. Look all you want, but it won't change a thing. Lorcan would never stoop so low as to be with a wolfless, weak omega like you."

Her laughter echoed down the hallway as she walked away, the sound lingering long after she disappeared.

I didn't move. My legs trembled beneath me, my gaze fixed on the floor. Patricia's words, cruel as they were, were nothing new. I had heard them before, in different voices, on different days. But hearing them now—after what I had just seen—felt like a dagger twisting deeper into an already open wound.

It was ironic how I never cared about Lorcan before, never cared about the countless women he took to his bed. But now that I knew he was my mate, every nerve in my body burned for him, aching for a bond he refused to acknowledge.

Lorcan turned toward the door, indifferent, as if none of it mattered. As if I didn't matter. He was about to leave when I stepped in front of him, my small frame a fragile barrier against his towering presence.

"H-her scent . . ." The words barely escaped my lips, my throat dry and tight.

Lorcan's amber eyes flicked down at me, cold and impatient. "What?!" he snapped. "Speak up, woman."

I flinched at the sharpness of his tone, but I forced myself to push through the lump lodged in my throat. My hands trembled at my sides, my heart hammering so hard it hurt.

"H-her scent is all over you," I said, my voice louder but strained, each word trembling with the pain pressing against my chest.

Lorcan scoffed, a cruel smirk twisting his lips. "Of course it's on me. We're fucking."

The vulgarity of his words shattered something inside me. I staggered back as though he had struck me, my vision blurring at the edges. The world around me faded, drowned out by the ringing in my ears. But even that couldn't silence the raw, searing pain in my chest.

I closed my eyes, trying to will it all away. Trying to convince myself that this wasn't real. That this wasn't happening.

But it was.

I had spent my life never knowing what love was, clinging to the desperate belief that my mate—the one destined for me by the Moon Goddess—would be the one to love me unconditionally. That he would be the one to make everything bearable.

But Lorcan wasn't here to save me.

He was the one who would destroy me.

I forced my eyes open, swallowing the pain, shoving down the lump in my throat. I had to speak. I had to say it.

"L-Lorcan . . ." My voice wavered, barely above a whisper.

He stopped, his expression darkening as he looked down at me.

"That's Alpha Lorcan to you, maid," he said, his voice colder than ice.

The words cut deep, but I refused to back down. He wasn't Alpha yet, not officially. That would change tomorrow when he married Ember and solidified his position. But I didn't care about that.

"A-alpha Lorcan," I corrected, forcing the words out. My voice trembled, but I pushed forward anyway. "W-we need to talk."

Lorcan's brow furrowed, his lips curling into a sneer. "Talk?" He spat the word like it disgusted him. "A maid wants to talk to me? If you have complaints about your chores, take them up with your supervisor. Don't waste my time."

His dismissal stung, but I had already come this far. I couldn't turn back now.

"We're mates," I said, the words barely above a whisper but carrying the weight of my entire soul. "We're destined to be together. You can't marry her."

His eyes flashed dangerously, his wolf rising to the surface for a split second before he forced it back down.

A low growl rumbled in his chest as he stepped closer, the air around him crackling with restrained fury.

With Lycan blood coursing through his veins, Lorcan had control over his wolf that most others didn't. That dominance made him stronger, more powerful. It was why he could suppress the mate bond.

It was also why he could so easily deny me.