Moon God Mates

Mason’s POV: My knuckles are white with how tightly I’m clenching my hands together on the bar top; trying to keep myself composed. As a child, my parents used to tell me stories about the Werewolf mate bond. In the tales it is said that when the Moon God creates you they split your soul into two, leaving the other half on Earth; for you to find hidden within the form of your Mate. The bond between Moon God Mates is stronger than anything else in the world. It's so intoxicating that you become addicted to their entirety; their scent enticing you like a Vampire in a blood frenzy. The breaking of that bond, losing half of your soul, is so devastating that the consequences can be dire. Losing your wolf, your pack, and even your life. There is no escaping such a bond without destroying a part of yourself. This is why I have made a promise never to find my mate, and if I do, I will reject them the second I get a chance. So that leads me here, watching my mate from a distance; with no f*****g strength to get up and reject her. I don’t think it’s the bond playing tricks when I say that she is breathtaking. It’s not just me who is thinking that. Every exchange she has with someone leaves a smile on their face. She’s walking around this bar checking on people and getting lost in the small talk of every conversation. She’s moving nonstop, but I refocus on those big; hazel eyes every time they drift over to me. I can almost feel the rosiness in her cheeks, the warmth in her contagious laugh, and I catch myself avoiding a smile each time that dimple on her right cheek reveals itself. My whole life I have trained in self-control, and I can feel it slipping away every time I make the trip to this run-down bar. It's located just a few miles outside the Moon Pack territory; right at the edge of the small town occupied by humans. This dimly lit establishment is gloomy and worn out. It has a permanent smell of musty cigarettes. Yet, despite its dilapidated appearance, this bar holds a charm for those who seek solace in dark corners. It is my brother Cole who dragged me down here a few weeks ago to “loosen me up”, as he called it. I’ve been the one dragging him back here every single night since then. It loosened me up alright and dropped me right at her feet. “s**t, dude. I don’t even know why we keep coming to this stupid bar.” My brother drops onto the stool next to me, gulping down his beer. I smirk, giving him a once over, and checking for damage. He must have lost some money playing pool again. I turn back toward my new prey, watching her circle the room once more. Her long brown hair spilling down her back, stopping right above her heart-shaped ass. I admire that little curl at the bottom of her hair and the light freckles that paint her nose. I can tell that she knows I’m here, which confuses me. The first time I smelt her, it almost sent me to my knees. My eyes were frantically searching the bar, trying to find out where the scent was coming from. It reminds me of being in my wolf form, running free and wild through the forest; the earthy lavender smell surrounding me. That first night she wore a tight blue top that framed her hourglass figure perfectly. Tonight, she’s wearing a black top. I think I prefer her in darker colors, as it makes the paleness of her skin and the rosiness of her cheeks stand out even more. I shake my head, downing the rest of my drink, and turn straight in my seat facing away from her. I should have rejected her that very first night because that was the moment I smelt an aura on her that no one could conceal. She is a human. My pack depends on me. How the hell will they react to my mate being a human? A human Luna; has that ever existed before? Can she sense our connection? Does she know what I am? I can feel my brother’s knowing eyes glaring into the side of me, so I turn to meet his stupid grin. “What?” My voice comes out with annoyance in its tone. “Hmm?” he replies, with that same s**t grin still plastered on his face, as he leans back in his chair. “What?!” I repeat knowing that his grin means nothing good. He grabs his beer from the male bartender, nodding a thank you before taking a drink; he sets it back down before responding. “I see why we come here now, is all.” I scoff, I am not in the mood to play his stupid games. “She is hot. If you’re into the ‘innocent brunette with the puppy dog eyes’ kind of thing.” “Shut up, Cole!” I say; slamming my fists on the bar counter. A few people look in our direction, but no one dares to say anything. Cole just laughs it off and finishes his beer. My younger brother can be such a jackass. He never knows when to be serious. He’s the only one who can take my anger with a grain of salt because he knows that I’d never hurt him. He's been my best friend and Beta ever since we took over the pack. Also, the only blood family that I have left; since our dad went Rogue. It was together that we made the promise to never accept our Mates. I remind myself, “No room for weakness, and the pack above all.” This is how we lead our pack and also how we have stayed on top as the strongest Werewolf pack in America since the war with the Blue Bloods. The casualties from that war alone consisted of half our pack; including our mother, who was torn apart right in front of Cole. Cole never wants to talk about what he saw that day and that's probably why he is the way he is. He avoids any serious situations or conversations. Choosing to hide behind his smile and jokes. This is his normal now; his own f****d up way of coping. It wasn’t long after that when our father went Rogue. His beast had gone savage after the death of his Mate. He stood alone in nearly wiping the Blue Bloods out of existence, while the rest of the pack went into hiding. In the five years since his disappearance, I've been left as reigning Alpha of the Moon pack. Cole and I were just teenagers when we began to rebuild the Moon pack. Thankfully, the majority of our pack members have stayed loyal to us. Sometimes I wish that I could hate my father. After all, his sons lost their mother that night. But I can't bring myself to do that. Instead, I have centered all of my hate on the Mate bond for breaking the strongest man that I knew. Losing my mother has turned my father into someone I don’t even know anymore. The Mate bond took both of my parents from me, and if a stupid bond can break a man that much, I want nothing to do with it. So here I am, back at this bar. This shouldn’t be so hard. It’s not until she’s right in front of me, tucking her long brown hair behind her ear, that I notice her lips are moving. “Wh-What?” I stutter and hear my brother laugh quietly next to me. Smooth. Real smooth, Mason. She clears her throat before asking me again. “Can I get you anything else?” “No. No, thank you.” I push my empty glass further away from me; afraid that our fingers might touch. She takes it and walks away. I can’t keep my eyes from roaming her body, or the fact that my member grows in my pants the second she turns away from me. I watch her tending to the customers at the tables until she’s interrupted by the asshole she works with; calling for her to do something else. I let out a huff of a laugh, as I catch her rolling her eyes the second the guy turns away from her. So, you’re not all sweet and innocent, are you? Out of nowhere, she turns my way, and I’m stuck like a deer in headlights. I should look anywhere but directly at her, but I’m glued to her now. Her hazel eyes meet my gray and I want to stay in this moment. Mine. My wolf's voice is raging in my mind as my eyes stick to hers, neither of us backing down. SHE IS MINE. Mine?