Alpha Christopher and his Raven

Christopher's POV:

The evening was a whirlwind of activities, dancing, and drinking as my family and friends joined me and my mate to celebrate our mate bond before the mating ceremony.

I know it is corny to celebrate my mating ceremony before the main event, but my grandfather had insisted on treating this like a human wedding, hosting a bachelor's slash bachelorette's party, and when my grandfather wants to do something, there is no stopping.

I am the next Alpha to rule the Emerald Pack: the strongest and the wealthiest Pack in this Part of the world; not only does my family rule the strongest Pack, but we are also an entrepreneur family, with my family owning a multi-billion dollar company.

I am twenty-five and the CEO of the company. I started heading the company at twenty-three, shortly after graduating from College. I have been groomed for this all my life, under the tutelage of my grandfather, a savvy and ruthless businessman.

My grandfather, Thorne Wellington is the patriarch of the family, and the most powerful man in the city. Everyone respects and fears him, and his word is the law.

After my mating ceremony is the Alpha ceremony. In our society, one does not become an Alpha without a mate.

I didn't find my mate when I turned eighteen, and just when I was about to give up, Raven walked into my life. It turns out that she has been under my nose all these years.

Raven rarely attends most of the Pack's function, and prefers to keep her company. We encountered each other one early morning when I went out for a run through the Pack's forest. It was the earliest hours of the morning. I have been so busy with the company that my wolf feels cramped up, so I decided to go for a run before my days began.

While Shadow raced through the forest, his strong paws eating up the distance, a tiny white wolf swished past us at the speed of a rocket. Shocked that there was a wolf faster than us, I went after the little wolf and caught up with it at the lake.

I watched transfixed as the little white ball of fur transformed into a gorgeous petite blonde woman with such pleasant curves that I wanted to run my hands over them.

My heart thundered against my ribcage as I stared transfixed at her very rounded ass. I was so lost in her perfect body that I unintentionally stepped on a fallen branch and caught her attention.

My world stood still when she turned in my direction, and our eyes met through Shadow's eyes. The woman I have been searching for the past seven years of my life stood before me, real, and not a figment of my dreams.

I have dreamt of finding my mate so many times that now I found her I didn't know how to act.

No woman has ever rendered me speechless, but she pulled off this great feat.

I wasn't the only one shocked. Her beautiful green eyes, under the blanket of a new dawn, bulged momentarily at the realization that we are mates.

I watched expectantly for the expression of joy to follow-it is the most joyous thing to find your mate-but instead, her stunning emeralds narrowed with irritation and anger, and before I could blink, she transformed, and raced off into the forest, her transformation the quickest I have ever seen.

I went after her, unwilling to lose her to the night, but to my greatest disbelief, she disappeared before I could catch up with her.

I was amazed by her fastness, and taken by her beauty. I spent most of the days that followed our encounter trying to find her.

It was during the second week of my intense search for my missing mate that I ran into her again at the Mall. I was there with my cousins shopping in one of the Gucci outlets when I spotted her riding the escalator down.

I ran out of the shopping like the hounds of hell were after me, and went after her. I caught up with her just outside the huge shopping mall. The street was full of pedestrians, and her slender petite frame mingling seamlessly with the crowd around the mall.

"Hey!" I called to get her attention. Last time we met, she hadn't given me the opportunity to get her name so I didn't know how to address her.

She turned and faced me, her face unsmiling. I Raven Smith, reject you-she paused as if she forgot my name, a cold smirk tugging at her lips-Blaise Wellington as my mate, she said before I could get another word out.

My jaw dropped as my heart shattered from the pain of her rejection.

"Bro! Did you just get rejected?" One of my cousins asked as they walked up behind me.

I momentarily got distracted by the arrival of my cousins, but when I turned to speak to the blonde, she has already walked away.

A cold smile pulls at the corners of my lips as I watched her petite frame disappear into the crowd. A challenge thrown, a challenge accepted.

Just like my grandfather, I always get whats, and what I wanted was my blonde mate. I made it my mission to convince her to say yes, and a month later, she fell in love with me.

A broad grin tugged at the corners of my lips as the memories of the past few months of my life flashed through my mind.

Getting Raven to say yes, wasn't the easiest, but I have never backed down from a challenge, and honestly, I had enjoyed the thrill of pursuing her, and now that she is mine I couldn't be any prouder. I love her with every fiber of my being, and not just because she is my mate.

During the days I worked to win her over, I had gotten to know the woman behind my mate, and that is who I fell in love with.

I never thought a day would come when I would see a cheesy smile on your face," my cousin Zaire teased as he walked up to me with two glasses of wine.

Zaire Harrington, is the first child of my mum's third brother. He is twenty-seven and a lawyer, he is mixed, my mum's brother married his mother who is African American. He is average height, and dark skin. He favours his mum's side more, and wears his jet black hair in a deep wave low cut.

As well as my cousin, he is one of my best friends.

I usually don't express this corny side of me to the world, because I don't want anyone thinking I am weak, but tonight, I couldn't careless how anyone perceived me, I was too happy to give a damn.

I didn't argue Zaire's words but rather smiled harder; the joy in my heart is one I couldn't express with words, so I just smiled.

"Here," Zaire passed on one of the wine glasses in his hands.

I took it.

"To happiness," he said and clicked his glass to mine.

As we sipped from the wine glass in our hands, my phone pinged with a message. I smirked when I saw it was Raven. She asked that I meet her in one of the guest rooms.

I set down my glass and turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" Zaire questioned curiously, his light brown eyes twinkling with mischief. He must have read the message over my shoulder and knew exactly where I was going.

I ignored him and walked off.

As I climbed the stairs to the top floor of the beach house, my heart began to pound in my chest. Raven and I have yet to consummate our relationship because she wanted to wait until the night after our mating ceremony. I respected her wish, despite how much I hungered to have her. A part of wishes that the reason she wanted to see me is for us to fool around a little.

The thought sent my heart rate spinning, and stirred up a burning fire between my legs.

I walked faster, eager to find out what my little feisty mate wanted.

I was so eager to see my mate that I didn't knock on the door and just badged into the room, a smile already pooling on my lips.

I stopped abruptly a few steps into the room, the smile on my lips drying up at the sight of two figures entangled on the bed naked.

The confused expression on my face transformed to one of disbelief, then pain when I realized who was on the bed, and with whom.

A strong wave of fury rocked me on my feet. I couldn't believe she betrayed me like this, neither could I stand the sight a second more. I turned and stormed out of the room without alerting the occupants of my presence.