Not His Type Of Mate
Chapter 24

Nora's

POV

I got up from the bed and walked around the room, feeling my once-wounded stomach. I couldn't believe that a healer could heal and also wipe away any trace of the injury. As I was lost in thought, the door opened and he walked in with the same expressionless look. With that expression, one couldn't tell if he was mad, angry, sad, or happy. As he approached me, I lowered my head in respect, but he didn't respond, as usual.

"I heard you're joining us for dinner," he said harshly, more like he was unhappy.

"Yes, but I can leave if you want me to," I replied, holding his gaze. He furrowed his eyebrows in amusement at my words.

"You should be telling this to Alpha Leo. I have no business whether you leave or stay." His words confused me as I wondered what he meant.

"Why does he hate you?" he asked me directly, making me gulp, not knowing what to say.

"I know Leo too well. I can read him like a book, so it's okay if you don't tell me. I'll sort it out myself," he added before turning to leave. I stopped him with my words. "Why are you interested in this? I believe you have better things to do..."

"I don't!" he cut in. "I don't have better things to do." He left, leaving me worried and confused.

"We should be happy," my wolf said, but I shook my head; something was not right, and I could feel it in my bones.

A few minutes later, a maid informed me that dinner was served, and with panic, I went downstairs and saw everyone taking their seats, including Vera. We held each other's gaze, and she flashed me a fake welcoming smile, which I didn't respond to. I was tired of pretending.

"I heard you got shot, but good thing Lord Madison was here to help," she said to me. Then she turned to Lord Madison, who was seated at the other end of the table. "Thank you for helping my sister." She thanked him with her usual charming smile, but he didn't respond. Instead, he turned in Alpha Leo's direction and said, "Your mate is beautiful, exactly the image of your dream mate."

Alpha Leo looked at me briefly and nodded before saying, "The moon goddess was gracious enough to grant my request." I scoffed within me and picked up my spoon. Tonight, I wouldn't let them cause me pain.

"Yes, and I'm lucky to have Alpha Leo as my mate, who is everyone's dream," Vera said and kissed his cheek while looking at me because I was seated right across from her.

"Now is the right time to tell everyone," my wolf suggested, but I kicked against it.

"And get rejected by him?" I asked, getting a disapproving groan from her.

We all ate in silence until Lord Madison spoke. "I heard you two are twins?" he said to Vera, who quickly responded, "And best friends too." The lie came out so easily from her lips.

"Is that so?" Lord Madison looked at me, wanting confirmation, but I didn't say a word.

He moved his attention away from me and settled back on Vera. "Today is not the first time I'm meeting your sister." He paused and caught my gaze while panic ran through my entire body. I feared he was going to tell everyone at the table that I got myself drunk and ended up in his room. "Please don't," I spoke through telepathy, not knowing whether he heard it.

She helped me a few days ago and, in appreciation, I want to give her a gift. But I don't know her favorite color or the things she likes. Since you're here, I believe you know what your sister and best friend like," he said, holding my gaze with an expressionless look. I wondered what this mysterious man was up to.

Vera chuckled nervously and dropped her spoon on her plate. "So you two have met?" she asked with raised eyebrows, clearly surprised. "Yes," he responded. "Were you the one she spent the night with a few days ago?" she questioned, causing me to choke on my food. It was clear she wanted to tarnish my image before Lord Madison and everyone else. She thought it was impossible for Lord Madison and me to have spent the night together, so she brought up the topic to give him the wrong impression of me. Everyone remained silent, including Lord Madison, who was chewing his food slowly with the same expressionless look on his face. He wasn't bothered by the question or interested.

"My apologies, it definitely wouldn't be you," Vera said, trying to brush it off. But he wasn't satisfied. "You still haven't answered my question," he spoke with a demanding tone, and a hint of anger could be felt in his words.

"Oh, that?" Vera responded nervously, tucking her hair behind her ears. "Her favorite color is red, and she loves shoes and bags." I couldn't help but blurt out, "No, I hate the color red, and shoes and bags are not my things. I'd prefer to be gifted a dozen books instead." Everyone gazed at me, and I realized what I had just done. I had exposed Vera as a liar, and it was evident that we weren't as close as she had made it seem.

Lord Madison broke the silence, "You're right," he said, holding his gaze on Vera. "I was the man she spent the night with." I heard Lady Christabel gasp, and Alpha Leo's furious gaze was fixed on me. "But unfortunately, we didn't do anything. She was so drunk and wasted," he added, holding my gaze. I was shocked by his words. "Your sister was just sad that night and went out to drink. Don't make it look like she's a wayward girl," he spoke in a low tone, but it sounded like a warning.

"Apologies, everyone. I need to take my leave," he said, standing up and leaving while everyone remained silent. I wished the ground could swallow me up, but I also felt a glint of happiness. For the first time, a stranger had stood up for me, and it felt nice. "Come on, let's eat," Lady Christabel urged, and we returned to our food. I avoided Alpha Leo's gaze, feeling his anger even from where I sat, and wondered why he was mad at me.

After dinner, I thanked Lady Christabel and left the room. Walking out of the mansion, I saw Lord Madison coming through the gate, shirtless and wearing only jeans. He was sweating profusely, making him look incredibly hot, but I quickly looked away when I realized what I was doing. With a nervous gulp, I ignored him and walked past him, but he grabbed my wrist, stopping me in my tracks.

Turning to hold his gaze, I met the same expressionless look on his face. "What are you?" he asked. "Why do I feel the need to help and protect you, even when I don't want to?" He asked as a forceful gulp went down my throat, but I quickly responded, "Because you are a good man with a good heart," I praised. For the first time, I saw a little smile crinkle on his left cheek, but he quickly wiped it away. "You are good with words but certainly bad with actions," he said as he let go of my wrist. For the first time, I felt how cold the weather was.

He held my gaze for a moment before turning to leave. "What is he up to?" Lolita asked, but I shrugged my shoulders and walked out of the gate.

Arriving home, I went up to my room, took a quick bath, and sat at my reading table. I turned on my laptop and wrote a few chapters of my book before retiring to bed. With a relieved sigh, I closed my eyes, but I saw his face in my head. "Stop it," my wolf urged. I released a frustrated sigh and forced myself to sleep.

The alarm on my phone woke me up from my sleep. With a grumble, I opened my eyes and tossed around my bed before standing up. I prayed, did my morning workout, and took a cold shower. After bathing, I got dressed in a pair of jeans, a white shirt, and a blue jacket. I tied my hair in a bun and applied light makeup to my face before staring at the mirror again.

"You're doing great," my wolf encouraged, bringing a little smile to my face. "Let's face the world." I picked up my phone, laptop, and backpack and headed downstairs.

At the table, I greeted Lively and saw the big frown on Dad's face. "So it's true?" Mother asked, and I furrowed my eyebrows at her words. "Since you can't get their attention, you decided to whore around?" Mother cursed. "Excuse me?" I said and got shunned by Vera. "Are you going to deny it?" Vera asked while I scoffed and shook my head. It was definitely her doing.

"What lies has she fed you this time?" I asked, feeling reluctant about what they would say.

"Unfortunately, it's not Vera. an image from an anonymous source was published on your school's Instagram page. You were in the arms of a man being carried into a hotel. The face of the man was cropped out, but your face was visible," Father announced with disappointment in his voice. "What were you doing in a hotel with a man?" Father asked, disappointed, while I gulped and shook my head.

I couldn't remember much, but I knew that the man was Lord Maddison, but the source feared revealing his identity. "Believe me, Father, we did nothing. I was wasted, and he decided to help..."

"Nonsense!" Father yelled while hitting the dining table. "Why didn't he take you to his house or call a number on your phone? Why did it have to be a hotel?" Father yelled with rage while tears welled up in my eyes.

I could take my mother's hate or my sister's hate, but I didn't think I could live if my father hated me too. "I'm truly disappointed in you," he yelled, stood up, and left.

With a gulp, I let the tears flow down my cheeks. The disappointment on my father's face was something I couldn't bear.

"It seems like my job has been taken away from me," Vera spoke with a chuckle while I wiped the tears off my face and left the table.

As I stood outside the house, my wolf Lolita advised me not to go to school, but I couldn't. I had an important test, and I wouldn't miss it for anything in the world.

With a deep breath, I walked to school, and after a fifteen-minute walk, I arrived at the school gate. "You can do this," I encouraged myself, but as I walked through the gate, a voice spoke behind me. "Here comes the whore."