Forced to be His: Fated To Be His Mate

Nicole's POV

"Nadine." I could feel my heart palpitate as I called out her name. I took a deep breath as I reached the top of the stairway connecting to one of the many rooms. I had no doubt in my head that she would be there. She couldn't have picked a worse time to play truant but trusted Nadine to make my life miserable just the way she'd always liked.

Finally, I reached the adjoining corridors already almost out of breath and pushed open the door slowly. A sweet smell of roses hit me as soon as I stepped into the room. It was dimly lit, but I could still make out the figure of two people huddled together comfortably under the mattress.

My wolf shook uncomfortably inside of me as I reached for the light switch and turned it on slowly. Dread filled within me in the space of a minute because there was only one reason as to the source of the smell. Mate.

With the room now fully lit, Nadine was spread unceremoniously on the bed, completely naked, and her hair a complete mess. She looked drowsy and peered at me with shuttered eyes. I couldn't bring myself to look at the person who was lying next to her. My mate was definitely in this room, but after seeing Nadine's state, I wasn't sure I wanted to find out who it was. If he was here with Nadine, it means he had slept with her, and the thought alone filled me with dread.

Suddenly Nadine sprang up from the bed, her hand over her mouth rushing to the bathroom. I could hear her vomiting, and I knew it was my duty to go and help her, but I couldn't move. I stood transfixed to the spot, just wishing I was in a very bad dream.

"Nic.."

His voice was soft and calm, but it held a hint of guilt in his voice, and my fears came true. I turned slowly to make out the disheveled appearance of my childhood crush and love, who I had desperately prayed for years to be my mate. Now I had to find out in the worst way possible. What a cruel fate the moon goddess had decided to cast on me.

"You slept with Nadine? How long have you two been seeing each other?" I whispered sadly.

"We both agreed to keep it a secret from our family so they wouldn't make a fuss. Julian and I have been dating each other for the past two months now," Nadine responded cockily. She looked stricken and bloated, but she had a triumphant expression on her face, the one she usually had when she had successfully taken something away from me.

"Why are you telling her that? She doesn't need to know." Julian growled at Nadine harshly, but she didn't back down.

"Why shouldn't I say anything? It's the truth after all. We have been sleeping with each other for months, and the fact that you just found out you're mates doesn't change anything," she counters arrogantly.

I could feel the air being knocked out of me, and it was almost like I couldn't breathe. It felt like the walls were closing in on me, suffocating me and pushing me into a tight box. Julian reached out for my hands, holding it, and pulled me into an embrace. I hungrily reached for his touch, his smell comforting me and pulling me in until I smelled the unmistakable smell of Nadine on him that has always made me uncomfortable.

I pulled away quickly, and his eyes held the guilt of what he'd done. He turned away, running his hand through his hair in frustration, and I could see the long pink lines of passion that Nadine had drawn on him from their night of passion. That undid me, and I flew to the bathroom and threw up all the food I had hastily eaten earlier this morning.

My head numbed with pain and shock from the revelations of the past few minutes. How could the moon goddess play such a cruel twist of fate on me this way? How could I have found my mate on the very day I found him in bed with her? The person that has been making my life a living hell ever since I have been adopted into her family.

I splashed my tear-rimmed eyes with water when I noticed the mini pregnancy kit resting subtly on the bathroom sink. It was opened and had already been used. To my horror, the pregnancy test lines read blue. It was a positive pregnancy test. I ran back into the bedroom, staring at Julian's face in horror.

"Is Julian the only man you have been with Nadine?" I asked slowly, barely getting the words out. I hoped and prayed that she wouldn't say yes. Nadine, despite being the alpha's daughter, was notorious for having different relationships with some of the noble's children in the pack. It had to be one of them. Julian just couldn't be the father of her child.

"Of course. I love Julian, and I have only been with him ever since we started dating," she answered smugly, moving towards Julian. She reached for his hands, but he yanked his hands away from her and walked over to my side. His presence warmed me, and I reveled in it. Despite everything, he was choosing me over her, and he was making it obvious, but deep down in my heart, I know it was already too late. Nadine's eyes blazed with anger, but it quickly disappeared as it took on a mischievous glint in them.

"Julian, I'm pregnant. I'm pregnant with your child. Are you really going to choose her over your own child?"

I could feel Julian waver slightly beside me, and my heart dropped. All through the years I have known Julian, I know he will never have the heart to leave his child.

"You're supposed to be getting married to the Lycan King in a few days. What are you going to say to him and your father? You're the princess of the silver crest pack. It's your duty," I uttered, my last attempt at trying to reason with her.

"Well, that's too bad, then, because I don't want to be stuck married to that ugly-looking man for the rest of my life."

"Can you even hear yourself? You don't exactly have a choice. This marriage was decided on years ago. What am I supposed to tell the Alpha?"

"The truth. I'm no longer willing to be used as a peace offering anymore. I'm going to get married to Julian instead."

"You can't do that. He's not even your mate," I cried out in despair. Why was she always taking everything that I loved away from me?

Nadine smiled smugly, "Julian will get married to me once he rejects you as his mate."

I gasped in shock at her words. How far was she willing to go to make my life miserable?

"I'll do no such thing. I'll never reject her," Julian yelled, cradling me in his hands, and my heart felt warm from his support.

"If you don't reject her, I'll abort your child, and you will live with the guilt of killing your child for the rest of your life," Nadine threatened, and Julian's hands slowly fell from my side.

I knew exactly what he was thinking. Julian would rather die than live with the knowledge that he was responsible for the death of his child.

He solemnly walked over to Nadine's side while she stared at me like she'd just won a big prize. Tears continued to stream down my face, relentlessly blurring my vision.

"I, Julian, reject Nicole Smith as my fated mate," he whispered out, and I could feel my wolf crying in pain trying to break free. It felt like I was carrying the whole weight of the world's pain on my shoulders, and I couldn't bear it anymore. Why was my life so cruel to me?

"Now if you will excuse us, we both need some privacy to ourselves. You can go and tell my father that I will not be marrying the Lycan king anymore and he should look for another bride," Nadine uttered as she pushed me out the door.

"Oh, and thanks for giving me your mate, my sweet sister," she said, smirking evilly.

"Who would have thought the man you had a crush on for such a long time was actually your mate? It's too bad he's mine now. At least now you'll know your place and worth in this place. You're nothing but just a servant meant to serve me," she spat before slamming the door on my face.

Of course she knew I liked Julian, and of course she went after him. She would always do that, and now I have to clean up her mess again. How was I supposed to tell the alpha that Nadine was no longer able to marry the Lycan king and he needed to look for a replacement as soon as possible?