Unmated wolf

The king finished his speech and asked his son to step forward and announce his mate. Everyone held their breath and waited for the moment of truth.

Andrew walked to the edge of the stage and looked at the crowd with a solemn expression. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as if he was preparing himself for something difficult and painful.

He opened his eyes and spoke in a firm and clear voice.

"My mate is..."

He paused and scanned the crowd again as if he was looking for someone.

"My mate is Harper William."

The hall erupted in gasps and whispers, as everyone turned their heads to look at me.

I felt a shock of disbelief and horror, as I realized what he had just said.

He was my mate and that can be turned into my real nightmare.

I felt a sudden surge of emotions, as I looked at him with wide and panicked eyes. And I hated him.

I wanted to scream and cry, to run and hide, to fight and die.

But I couldn't do anything.

I was frozen in place, unable to move or speak, unable to think or feel, unable to live or die.

I was trapped in a nightmare, unable to wake up or escape, unable to change or accept, unable to love or hate.

I don't know how long I stood there, staring at him with a blank and numb expression.

I stood there, frozen in place, as the realization dawned on me. Andrew was my mate. My king.

I felt a wave of emotions wash over me, all of them negative. Anger, hurt, fear, disgust, sadness, and nothingness. I wanted to reject him and run away, but I was too stunned to move.

"Harper," he said, his voice soft but commanding. "Look at me."

I forced myself to look up at him. His eyes were a deep, dark green, and they seemed to bore right through me.

"I know this is a lot to take in," he said. "But you're my mate. We're meant to be together."

I shook my head. "No," I said. "I can't be your mate. I don't love you."

"You don't have to love me right now," he said. "But you will. In time, you'll come to love me as much as I love you."

I scoffed. "You're delusional," I said. "I'll never love you."

"We'll see about that," he said.

He reached out and touched my cheek. I flinched away from him.

"Don't touch me," I said.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he said. "I just want to show you how much I care about you."

I turned away from him. "I don't want your care," I said. "I want you to leave me alone."

He sighed. "I can't do that," he said. "You're my mate. I'm bound to you."

"Then I'll leave," I said. "I'll go far away where you'll never find me."

He smiled sadly. "You can't run from your fate, Harper," he said. "You're mine, and I'm going to claim you."

I felt a wave of panic wash over me. I had to get away from him. I had to escape.

I turned and ran, but he was faster. He caught me in his arms and held me close.

"I'm not going to let you go," he said. "You're mine."

I struggled against him, but he was too strong. He held me there, his arms like iron bands around me.

"Please," I begged. "Let me go."

He shook his head. "Not until you accept me as your mate," he said.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I knew I couldn't fight him any longer. I had to accept my fate.

"I accept you as my mate," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

He smiled. "I knew you would," he said.

He kissed me, and I felt a spark of something between us. It wasn't love, but it wasn't hate either. It was something else, something new and unfamiliar.

I pulled away from him. "What was that?" I asked.

"That was the bond between mates," he said. "It's a powerful force that will bind us together for all eternity."

I stared at him, my mind racing. I had never thought of myself as a mate before, but now that I was one, I knew that it was something special. It was a bond that could never be broken.

"I don't know what to say," I said.

"You don't have to say anything," he said. "Just know that I will always love you, and I will never let you go."

I nodded. "I'll try to be a good mate," I said.

He smiled. "I know you will," he said.

He kissed me again, and this time I kissed him back. It was a soft, gentle kiss, and it filled me with a sense of peace.

"Are you serious?" I finally managed to say, my voice shaking.

"I'm afraid so," Andrew replied, his eyes meeting mine with a look of sympathy. "I know this must be difficult for you to hear, but you are my mate. And as my mate, you belong to me."

I felt myself shaking, and for a moment, I thought I might collapse. My world had been turned upside down in an instant, and I didn't know how to deal with the flood of emotions that were rushing through me.

"I don't understand," I whispered, my voice barely above a whisper. "What does this mean?"

"It means that you are mine," Andrew said, his voice firm and resolute. "It means that you will be my queen and that you will do as I say."

I felt a chill run down my spine. I knew that I was in a world that was new to me, a world that I didn't understand, a world where I had no control. And now, Andrew was telling me that I belonged to him, that he was my king, and that I would be his queen.