Imagine my surprise when I entered Rebel's office; I saw a woman hugging him from behind. This jerk told me to pretend, yet he is flirting with another bitch here. And according to the scent I smelled from her, she was a human.
"I guess there's no need for me to pretend anymore," I blurted out as we entered his office.
"No, I still need you," he insisted.
"Huh!" I mumbled in annoyance. "Why do I need to pretend when you already have someone?"
Rebel looked at me while signing the documents he would give me that my pack needed.
"She's not what you think," he replied unconcerned, confusing my mind.
"She's human," I said casually.
"Yeah, I know. But what bothers me most is that she's my mate," he asked, full of confusion. "But I can't have another mate," he added.
"Hmm! I can sense a problem," I replied to him before sitting down on the chair in front of his desk.
"You don't have any idea how many times I rejected her. Yes, her scent smelled like my mate, but I can't accept her."
"Then why did you still bring her here? You know that humans are forbidden here than anyone else," she stated.
Rebel massages his temple.
"I know that! That's why I'm telling you to pretend. Show her that you and I are the true mates and that I already marked you," he replied before standing up and approaching me, leaning his head towards me.
"W-what are you doing?" I exclaimed in horror when he unbuttoned my polo shirt. I almost kicked and smacked his head because of what he did.
"What? I want you to display my mark. The elders have already been notified about us being mates. And in a few more days after the preparation, they will announce our mating bond," he said. "We need something to tie your long hair," he uttered and leaned closer to my neck, making me uncomfortable.
I slightly pushed him away.
"I can tie it myself," I said uneasily as I stood up.
I saw him grin and raise his two hands as if surrendering.
I fished out my two scrunchies in my jeans pocket and tied my hair into a messy bun. I also fixed my polo shirt. He wanted me to display his mark. Then I'll do it. He watched me intensely. I felt like his heated gaze was scalding me.
"Satisfied?" I asked, arching my brows.
He smiled.
"Yeah! That's good," he replied. "I like seeing my mark on you," he added.
After showing me the papers, and I was satisfied with them, he then proceeded to wrap his right arm around my waist.
"Shall we begin my pretending, mate?" he whispered.
I rolled my eyes at him as he led me to the door.
"Sweetheart!" The woman earlier eagerly called him. So she was outside the door waiting?
She was about to embrace Rebel but stopped when she saw him holding on to my waist.
I saw in her eyes that she was hurt, and I felt sorry for her. But I'm just playing my role here, and I don't want to know whatever role she has for Rebel. I was never a fan of mates.
"W-Who is she?" the woman asked him.
"My mate, the woman I chose to be my queen," Rebel replied.
She bowed her head, but I still saw tears in her eyes.
"Why? Why are you doing this to me?" she asked while sobbing. "Am I not your mate? Was it because I am a human?"
"That and that," he said casually. "There are some matters that humans like you can't do and that I needed someone who's like me to do it," he said. "Go to your room. Some are not happy with you being here."
I wanted to punch this bastard for what he said to his human mate. Although I'm not the one whom those words are meant for, I felt like I was insulted.
I saw the woman run away. She's hurt, I know that.
"What the heck is wrong with you?" I asked him as he led me out of the palace's main hall.
"What?" his brows creased and blurted out.
"What you said to that human. You hurt her," I added.
"What I said to her was not a lie. You know that! I'm a king, and I don't need a human mate," he replied to me as he started to sniff me.
"At least you should have told her that. Did you mark her?"
"No!!" he answered firmly.
As we walked hand in hand in his mazed garden, another woman approached us.
"Your majesty," she said to Rebel, smiling, but when she laid her eyes on me, I instantly felt hostility from her. "Who is she?"
"Ah, this is Alpha Raven, my mate," he replied to the woman.
"Her? Your mate? I thought Candis is your mate?" she questioned in confusion. It did not escape to my eyes the strange sparkle in her eyes.
"I don't need a human as a mate. I need someone strong who can help me rule my kingdom," he replied to the woman.
"Ah," the woman mumbled. "I respect your decision, your highness," she replied, smiling, but the rising anger in her didn't escape from me. She is probably related to that Candis woman. She politely said goodbye to us afterward.
"Who is that woman?" I asked him.
"That's Ceona, my adviser and Candis' aunt," he replied.
"I figured it out," I replied to him. "I felt like she wanted to eat me."
Rebel laughed.
"Ceona's harmless, Raven. She can't even kill a mosquito," he replied to me.
I wasn't convinced. Although that woman had a cheery and gentle face, my instinct told me to watch her.
As Rebel said, the elders acknowledged me as the King's mate after I showed myself inside their courtroom. But that Ceona lady had this disapproving look in her eyes but never said a word to protest.