Lost Lycan's Mate: The Finale

Nahta

The market of the Old Kingdom was a riot of colors, smells, and noises. I could almost picture an alchemist deciding to, at random, cast an intoxicating palette of fragrances upon it.

Notes of nutmeg and cinnamon, warm and spicy, hung in the air, complemented by the buttery umami of savory meats cooked and baked into flaky pastries. I sniffed everything appreciatively.

It would have been a great day, save for a pesky presence that hung around me all the time. Frowning instinctively, I ignored the sun beating down on my face and narrowed my eyes as I scanned the area for any sign of Jameel.

The damned pup had been searching for me all day, still convinced we were destined to be mates. My body tensed like a tight wire at the thought.

I wanted nothing to do with him.

“Hey, Nahta!” a familiar voice said behind me. I turned to see one of my sparring buddies, Kael, jogging toward me, his face flushed from the effort. “What are you doing out here alone?”

“What do you mean?” I sulked.

“Well, last night, you told me you didn’t want to be within an inch of Jameel and punched me in the nose.” He touched the impacted area gingerly. It had turned blue-black.

I may have been a tad forceful. “Sorry,” I grumbled.

“It’s fine. You’ve done worse,” he replied reasonably. “You know Jameel frequents the marketplace, right? So…”

“So, what?” I bristled indignantly. “What do you suggest? That I lock myself in my room and hide there until Jameel somehow gets it?”

Kael’s face turned pale. “I’m in no mood to get beaten by you this early in the morning, but I’ll be the one to say it. Maybe, you need to think things over.”

I flicked my hair. “Kael,” I retorted stiffly, making a supreme effort to keep my voice and temper even. “I can handle myself.”

“You are minutes away from hitting someone,” he pointed out.

He wasn’t wrong. But I didn’t want to go back yet. I sighed and relented. “Fine. What do you suggest, mastermind?”

“Let me walk with you?”

“Fine.”

As we continued through the market, I noticed a group of men leaning against a stall, watching us closely. Their expressions ranged from sly smirks to open sneers, and I recognized them instantly as the ones who had been harassing Jameel lately.

I knew Kael saw them too, his body language shifting to defensive mode.

"Nahta, let's take another route," he suggested, trying to steer me away from the troublemakers. But before I could respond, one of the men stepped forward, a malicious grin plastered across his face.

He was the brother of one of Jameel's bullies, and I could see the family resemblance.

"Hey, Nahta," he called out mockingly. "You're looking well. How's that mate of yours? Jameel, right?"

"Get lost," I snapped, refusing to engage him further.

"Aw, come on," he taunted, stepping closer. "We just want to know the truth. You two are mates, right? That's what Jameel's been telling everyone."

"Like it's any of your business," Kael growled, positioning himself between me and the man. "Leave her alone."

"Tell you what," the bully continued, unfazed by Kael's hostility. "If she really is Jameel's mate, then she shouldn't have a problem with him finding her, should she?"

"Back off," I warned, my voice low and dangerous. But as much as I wanted to stand my ground, I knew that engaging these men would only lead to more trouble.

With a frustrated sigh, I grabbed Kael's arm and steered him away from the group, leaving the taunts and jeers behind us.

"Are you alright?" Kael asked once we were safely out of earshot.

"I’m peachy," I muttered, my anger simmering just beneath the surface. It wasn't fair that Jameel's misguided obsession had caused so much chaos in my life.

And now, those bullies were getting more aggressive, convinced that he had lied about our supposed connection.

"Let's get back to the pack house," I said finally, my resolve hardening. "I need to talk to Jameel and put an end to this nonsense once and for all."

"Agreed," Kael replied, his expression grim. We walked in silence, both of us knowing that the situation was spiraling out of control. And as much as I hated to admit it, Jameel was at the center of it all.

While I didn’t want him to find me, the situation materializing in front of me as I rounded the corner kind of made it inevitable.

I stopped in my tracks, my heart sinking as I saw Jameel cornered by his bullies.

"Leave him alone," I snapped, stepping forward with a glare.

The tallest of the three, a lanky man with a twisted smirk, looked me up and down before scoffing. "Oh, so you're the 'mate' he's been bragging about? What a joke."

"Shut up," Jameel muttered, trying to push past them. But they didn't budge, and their laughter only grew louder.

"Aw, did we hurt your feelings?" the bully mocked, reaching out to grab Jameel's arm. He struggled to break free, but the grip was like iron.

"Let go of him," I demanded, my anger flaring.

"Or what?" the bully challenged, staring me down.

"Or I'll make you regret it," I shot back, my fists clenching at my sides.

"Nahta, don't," Jameel pleaded, his eyes wide with worry.

"Stay out of this," I hissed, not taking my gaze off the bully.

"Shouldn't you be thanking us, runt?" the other bully chimed in, smirking. "After all, we're the ones who figured out that you lied about having a lycan mate to scare us. Wow, you have some balls after all."

"Enough," I growled, advancing on them. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

"Really?" the first bully asked, raising an eyebrow. "Because your own guard told us that you've never even spoken to Jameel here. So tell us, 'mate,' which one of you is lying?"

"Jameel didn't lie," I said through gritted teeth. "He misunderstood the situation."

"Ah," the bully drawled, releasing Jameel's arm and taking a step back. "So you're saying that you're not mates after all?"

"Correct," I confirmed, my voice cold. "Now, leave him alone."

"Fine," the bully spat, his face contorted with disgust. "But if we ever catch him lying about being mates with you again, he'll pay for it."

"Understood," I replied, my gaze never wavering.

"Come on, guys," the bully said to his companions, his tone dripping with disdain. "Let's leave these two lovebirds alone." They laughed as they walked away, leaving me fuming in their wake.

"Nahta, I…" Jameel began, but I cut him off with a glare.

"Save it," I snapped, turning on my heel and marching away from him. Kael had been a silent spectator to this. He followed me.

"Wait!" Jameel called, hurrying to catch up with me. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

"Really?" I asked, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Because it sure seems like you've been stirring up trouble on purpose."

"Of course not," Jameel insisted, his expression earnest. "I just…I thought we were meant to be together, Nahta. And I wanted everyone to know it."

"Jameel, I don't know how many times I have to tell you," I sighed, rubbing my temples in frustration. "We are not mates. We never were, and we never will be."

"Okay," he agreed, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

"Good," I said curtly, turning away from him and continuing on my way. I didn't bother looking back to see if he was following; it didn't matter.

As I walked away, my thoughts churned with a mix of anger and frustration. It seemed like everyone in this mess was determined to make my life miserable.

I’d be damned if I let them keep trying.