CHAPTER 136: HE IS MY MATE

Andria’s POV

"Jackson is my mate. I don’t want to accept it. Why him of all the Alphas in this kingdom?" Liara lamented.

The words hung in the air as Becca, Michaela, and I tensed up immediately. Becca’s mouth fell open. Michaela froze mid-step, her eyes widening in disbelief.

"What?" Becca finally blurted out. "You’re joking, right?"

Liara didn’t answer. She just sat there, looking into our eyes, a hint of sadness clinging to them.

Becca sat down as she had already stood up to leave, before Liara blurted out that shocking revelation.

Michaela let out a shaky laugh. "No, no, no. You can’t be serious. Jackson, the arrogant, self-absorbed, power-hungry..."

"Michaela," I cut her off softly.

But she was right. Every description hit a nerve. My stomach twisted. Of all the males the Moon Goddess could’ve chosen, it had to be him.

Liara’s eyes lifted slowly to meet ours. "I wish it were a joke."

The tremor in her voice cracked something inside me. I’d never seen Liara like this, her usual poise gone, her confidence stripped raw.

Becca ran a hand through her hair, pacing. "This explains everything: why you’ve been avoiding us lately, why you’ve been so quiet. Goodness, Liara, why didn’t you tell us sooner?"

"Because I didn’t know how," Liara admitted, her voice tight. "What was I supposed to say? That my mate is the same Alpha who made a public mockery of his bond with his false mate"

"I think Allison got what she deserved. She is just one little rebel, getting obsessed with the same Alpha whose father had rebeled against her father," Becca blurted out, twisting her face mockingly.

"Even though she has been bad, she didn’t deserve this much letdown. I could imagine the intense pain her wolf could be going through now, and the kissing booth hasn’t even started yet, Jackson has already begun letting her down," I cut her off sternly.

I’m not one to mock another’s predicament, especially when they haven’t harmed me in any way. We just have a rivalry and that’s all.

"Do you think I’m the reason behind Allison’s humiliation?, because you seem to pick sides with her," she exhaled.

"I’m not picking sides with her; unfortunately, you are mated to that rogue prince. I was just stating my anger towards his earlier statement. Besides, I’m still shocked," I replied to her.

"Shocked is an understatement," Michaela muttered, folding her arms. "He humiliated Allison in front of everyone, and now you’re saying you’re tied to him? That’s..."

"Unfair," Becca finished softly.

Liara sighed, her shoulders slumping. "The Moon Goddess must have a cruel sense of humor."

I felt it this way, maybe because she was Aven’s sister, seeing the hurt appear on Aven’s face as he belittled his twin in front of the whole student body in the cafeteria was so heart-wrenching.

"Maybe it’s a mistake," Becca said quickly, grasping at hope. "Maybe you can reject him."

Liara’s eyes darkened. "You think I haven’t thought about that? That’s going to be hard on me."

Her voice trembled slightly as she continued. "Every time I even think of rejecting him, my wolf howls in pain. It’s like something inside me cracks."

An awkward silence fell upon us as we looked at Liara. Liara looked utterly helpless.

Rejection wasn’t a simple thing for wolves, and definitely not for someone like Liara, whose bloodline carried the royal mark. The bond was sacred. Breaking it could destroy her emotionally or, worse, weaken her wolf until she finds a replacement for the broken bond.

"But Liara," I started carefully, "if you don’t want him, if the bond feels wrong, you can’t force yourself to accept it either. It’ll only hurt more."

She nodded faintly, her gaze distant. "I know. But right now, I don’t know what hurts more, fighting it or accepting it."

Becca sank into the chair beside her, exhaling. "This is a mess. A very beautiful, tragic mess."

"Becca," Michaela hissed, "now’s not the time for your poetic commentary."

Becca threw her hands up. "I’m just saying what we’re all thinking!"

Despite everything, I found myself smiling weakly. Somehow, Becca always managed to lighten a dark moment, even if she didn’t mean to.

"Maybe we should talk about something else before we all start crying," I suggested, trying to soften the heavy mood.

"Like what?" Michaela asked. "Our wonderful, drama-free fundraiser?"

"Exactly that," I said. "Liara missed out the last time we spoke about it. I should tell her what has been going on in the academy."

Liara looked up, her brows knitting together slightly. "Fundraiser?"

"Yep," Becca said, leaning forward eagerly. "Two days of absolute chaos and potential embarrassment."

Michaela chuckled. "You make it sound like an apocalypse."

"Trust me, it might be," I said. "Day one, we will have a kissing booth. On day two, we will be hosting a talent hunt. The goal is to raise money for the academy’s outreach program." Liara’s expression flickered from curiosity to mild horror. "A kissing booth?"

Becca grinned. " Oh yes. And the best part? It was Mel’s idea."

Liara blinked, stunned. "Mel suggested a kissing booth?"

I nodded, pressing my lips together to hold back a laugh. "And the motion passed."

Liara turned to me, narrowing her eyes. "Don’t tell me you voted for it."

"She did," Michaela said before I could defend myself. "She lifted that little hand of hers in favor of the motion."

"I didn’t want to," I protested. "But everyone else did, except Allison, of course."

Becca burst into laughter. "That’s not true, you wanted it somehow, and you considered the fact that it will bring good money to the academy."

Liara shook her head, though her lips curved in the faintest smile. "Only you, Aria."

I grinned. "It’s all for a good cause, you heard Becca already."

"Right," Michaela said sarcastically. "Because nothing screams charity like exchanging coins for kisses."

"Hey, don’t knock it till you try it," Becca teased. "Who knows? Maybe one of the Alphas will volunteer."

No. I wasn’t even going to imagine that.

Michaela giggled. "I’d pay to see that. Maybe Aria would end up kissing one of her mates."

"Oh, stop it, Michaela," I blushed hard.

"Did you just blush? Aria just blushed at the mention of her mates. Tell me, have you mated with them?" Michaela teased.

"You should stop this already. Nothing like that has happened yet."

Liara stayed silent through our banter, but her eyes had softened. I could tell the conversation, however ridiculous, was helping distract her.

"What about the second day?" she asked after a pause. "The talent hunt?"

My grin widened. "That’s where things will actually get interesting. Anyone can participate in music, dance, art, or any other form of creative expression. There will be judges, prizes, and bragging rights."

Becca perked up. "You should totally perform, Liara. You’ve got that angelic voice. I have heard you sing once."

Liara’s face flushed slightly. "That was a one-time thing."

"Come on," Michaela urged. "You’ll be amazing. Maybe you will even distract everyone from whatever scandal the kissing booth will bring."

Liara gave a small, almost genuine laugh. "I doubt that."

We all laughed again, and even Liara really smiled this time. But it didn’t last long. She got lost in her thoughts again.

When the laughter faded, I spoke softly. "Lia, are you sure you’re okay?"