Caleb Reed pictured above.

Braxten's POV

I had to get out before I ripped Roman's head from his body right there in the middle of the club.

His hand on her knee sent my anger through the roof and I knew if I stayed I would have lost control. I've never felt this angry or possessive before in my life. My wolf was going mental in my head shouting at me to go back inside and make her mine. She was mine after all but I made a vow. I couldn't have her even though everything in me wanted her.

I knew for the few seconds I set eyes on her that she would never leave my mind and my every through would get consumed by her. My every action would make me think of her.

The cold air brought me out of my thoughts as I pushed the door open, leaving it slam back against the wall. I walked across the terrace that had an outside seating area and took my  cigarettes out my pocket and lit one. The smoke travelled in my lungs, momentarily calming me until it came rushing back that I've just found my mate.

I ran a hand through my hair as I leaned back into the seat, my mind drifting back to the moment that I promised I would never accept my mate.

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Flashback

"Mommy," I called sleepily as I walked down the hallway to my parents bedroom. I knocked on the door and heard my mommy's voice.

"Come in sweetie."

My mommy and daddy were cuddling in the bed when I went inside. I climbed up on the bed and sat on my mom's lap.

"You okay, son?" my dad asked.

I shook my head and said, "I had a bad dream, daddy."

My dad ruffled my hair as my mom spoke, "It wasn't real baby, you'll be okay." She lifted my head and I looked into her big brown eyes. "Do you want to sleep in here with us tonight?"

I nodded excited because I loved sleeping my my parents bed, it was so much bigger than mine. She pulled me under the covers and I snuggled into her side and closed my eyes.

**

I woke up when I heard loud shouting from downstairs. My wolf senses were coming in and I hated it sometimes because I could hear everything. The voices sounded angry and I could hear my mommy crying and my daddy shouting aswell.

I made sure I was quiet as I got down from down the bed and walked down the hallway to the stairs. I think my daddy heard me coming because I heard his voice in my head and he was using his alpha tone.

"Son, do not come down the stairs! You need to go back to your bedroom now as quiet as you can and don't leave. Promise me, Braxten!"

I was worried because the angry shouts were still going but my dad used his alpha voice on me but I knew I could go against it if I really wanted to because I was going to be the alpha one day.

"I promise, I'll go back to bed daddy," I said to my dad back through mind link and padded my feet on the step of the stairs I was on to make the noise that I was going back to bed but i moved down and sat down on the step so I could see downstairs. I was hidden by the wall but could see through the rails.

My mommy was in the arms of another man while my daddy was stood across the room. The man that was holding my mommy has a scary looking scar down the left side of his face, from his hair to his ear. My mommy was crying and trying to get away from him and it was only then that I noticed the gun pressed against her side.

There was a few moment on silence before my daddy spoke, "Leo, please don't do this. You'll regret this, we can come to an agreement and sort his out. There no need for violence."

"No need for this violence! You should have thought of that before you killed my wife!" The angry man shouted back before he lifted the gun to my mothers head. "You took what was mine and now I'm taking what is yours."

"No!" My dad shouted but The man pulled the trigger and my mothers body went limp in his arms before he dropped her to the floor. My dad let out a cry and the men fled out the door and in second they were gone.

My mommy was dead.

I couldn't breath, my dad was crying into my mothers head as he held it. My feet took me to his side and I stared down at my mommy's body and her bloody hair.

"Mommy?" I called for the last time.

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A tear fell down my cheek and I quickly swiped it away before anyone could notice. Looking around quickly I realised there was no one out here with me. I let out the breath that was stuck in my throat and took another drag from my cigarette. A crash came from the door that I not long came through and Roman's concerned face came into view, quickly finding me.

"Dude, what happened? Why are you out here?" Roman asked as he made his way over and took a seat opposite me.

How the fuck was I supposed to answer that? Why was I out here instead of running into my mates arms? How was I supposed to be around her and control myself? All the years of telling myself that mates are a weakness and that if I ever found mine, I'd reject her in an instant. I could already feel that defence slightly breaking but after thinking of my father I couldn't let her in.

My opinion still hadn't changed, mates made you vulnerable and they could hurt you like no one else could. They could rip you apart from the inside out, like it did to my father after my mothers death. He was barely a functioning human after my mothers death.

"She's my mate," I said as I put out my cigarette on the floor and leaned back in my seat to watch Romes reaction. He knew how this was going to go when I found my mate yet he through mates were the best things ever and couldn't wait to meet his.

If Roman had never met her, I wouldn't be in this situation and i could go back inside the club and take home whoever I pleased for the night but that thought slowly went as she came into my head again. He plump lips and brown eyes took over my thoughts and the thought of taking someone else home but here made me feel sick.

I looked up and Romans face dropped, he lifted the glass that was clutched in his hand and downed the contents of it. "Fuck. Look man, I know how you feel about mates but she's a really nice girl and honestly the hottest thin.."

His sentence was cut short as the warning growl left my lips, my anger bubbling at the thought of something that was mine on others males minds. But she wasn't mine, I couldn't have her. He got the hint quickly and changed the subject, "Give her a chance, I think you'll like her."

"Not happening," I said as I rose to my feet and walked over to the door to go back into the club.

"Brax, come on. You haven't had a break in months and you never come out with us anymore. Just stay out with us tonight," Roman pleaded as he followed behind me.

He was right and I was burning out slowly but how was I suppose to stop with what was looming over us, I couldn't let up now but I suppose one night was fine. Right?

"Fine, but stay away from her and keep everyone else the fuck away, understood?" I demanded as the music hit my ears and the darkness and flashing light surrounded me.

"Sir, yes sir!" Roman said as he patted me on the back, leading me in the direction of the booth.

Her scent became stronger the closer we got to the booth, a mixture of sunscreen and berries and it was intoxicating.  I could feel my wolf wanting more.

Calvin Harris' 'Open wide' was blasting through the speakers and the sight of what was back at the booth was surprising to say the least. Ivy and Sav both stood up on the seats in the booth on opposite sides rapping the lyrics while Caleb sat in the middle taking in the two of them.

I could tell Roman mind linked Caleb and told him to stop staring at Ivy as he quickly looked at me and nodded before moving his eyes back to Sav. I stood a few paces back and took it in for a few seconds as they kept going.

"Goin' hard 'til I OD
I'm the newest version of the old me
All my exes are old me
Wishin' they could X and O me
I'm on the edge and I'm hangin' all off
On the ledge and we danglin' off
And if I let go, I won't fall off
If we set a wedding date, don't call off
Bartender, I call the shots
We call for shots, y'all call the cops
Sometimes drinks speak louder than words do
Body language speaks louder than verbal", they both loudly sang with their hand in the air.

Ivy's hips were swinging to the beat of the song as she clutched her drink in one hand and swayed on her feet. Her head swung side to side and her eyes caught mine. I couldn't look away as she continued to dance in front of me as she held my gaze. I was captivated by her, the way she moved, it should be illegal. I could feel my dick straining against my jeans already.

The song came to an end and Ivy broke our contact to look over to Savannah, who was pointing at her and shouted, "You bitch, are you my new best friend. I fucking love you!"

Ivy laughed and shouted, "I love you too!" as she tumbled back down onto the seat.

Roman strutted past me and I followed behind as he took a seat in the booth and made room for me next to him. I sat down opposite Ivy and now Savannah who had trampled over the booth to be next to her.

"Whoo! That felt amazing," Sav gushed at Ivy as she leaned back trying to catch her breath.

Ivy let out a little laugh, "I haven't had that much fun in years." A faint smile lingered on her plump lips as she started into space for a few seconds.

She was beautiful.

As I sat back and observed her small little movement, her laugh, the way her eyes crinkled when she smiled and even tucking her hair behind her ear, I realised that it was going to be hard for me to push her away.

I couldn't let her know me, know who I really was. I had to make her hate me, it was the only way.