Not His Type Of Mate
Chapter 40

Nora's

POV:

Our eyes met, and I could see the stunned look on his face. It seemed he was surprised to see me dressed so gorgeously.

"He is staring at us," Lolita spoke excitedly while I tucked my hair behind my ears. But then I saw Vera walk to him and hold his arm before placing a kiss on his cheek. I gulped and looked away before leaving the door.

I met some workers and exchanged greetings as I made my way to Lady Christabel with a wrapped gift in my hand. I didn't know what to get her because I knew she had the best clothes, shoes, and bags, but after much thinking, I decided to get a novel that I knew she would love.

I got to where she stood with other guests and waited for her to finish attending to them. "Nora, you're here," she spoke excitedly. "I've been searching for you. I thought you wouldn't make it," she said with a relieved smile, showing she was happy to see me.

"I wouldn't miss this for anything in the world," I said and received a big smile. "Happy birthday to you, ma'am," I said while stretching out my hand to give her my gift. "I got you this; I do hope you'll like it," I said and saw a grateful smile on her face as she took the gift and gave me a quick hug. "Thank you, of course, I would love it," she assured me while I smiled and moved away for other guests to talk to her.

I took a glass of wine from the server and scanned around the room, staring at the caliber of people at the party. By their clothes and jewelry, one wouldn't need to be told there were people of a higher class.

While moving my gaze around, my eyes fell on Lord Maddison. He was standing with a man, and they were conversing. As if he knew I was staring, I noticed he looked my way and held my gaze for a second but instantly looked away. "What did I do wrong?" I asked Lolita but didn't get a response from her.

"Attention, everyone." Lady Christabel spoke, calling the attention of everyone in the hall. "I want to thank you all for sharing in my celebration." She said and got applauded.

"This year's birthday is a joyful one for me because my son, your Alpha, has found his mate." She spoke, and everyone clapped happily while I gulped and sipped my drink. "Come, my dear, let me show you to everyone." She spoke and gestured for Vera to join her on the stage.

Heartbroken, I watched her leave Alpha Leo's side and majestically walk to the stage. "She is beautiful," a lady beside me whispered to a man who stood by her. "Very correct, and has the aura of a potential Luna," the man added, and I gulped, ignoring their words. She reached the stage and flickered a big smile to everyone. "Bitch," Lolita cursed.

"Isn't she beautiful?" Lady Christabel asked, and everyone agreed with her.

I stared at Alpha Leo, who held my gaze for a second before looking away. Unable to stand all the things Lady Christabel was saying, I decided to go outside and get some fresh air, and perhaps before I returned, she would be done.

I exited the living room and strolled to the garden with a glass of wine in my hand. I felt hot tears stream down my cheek, and I didn't bother to wipe them away. I thought I was used to all this, but I was wrong; I could never get past this pain.

I heard footsteps behind me, turned, and saw Alpha Leo approaching me. He had an expressionless look on his face as he held my gaze. He got to where I stood and stopped a few steps away from me. "Why are you here?" I asked with anger and pain. "Really?" He scoffed, "This is my house, and I can be wherever I want to be, and you have no right to ask me such." He responded, causing my anger to boil.

"Why?" I asked, tears blurring my eyes. "For goddess's sake, I'm your mate. Why would you tell people it's my sister?" I yelled in tears and got an angry groan from him. "You are not my type!" He yelled. "You are fat, unattractive, and ugly." He spat at my face, causing my wolf to whine in pain.

Comments like this weren't new to me. I got them almost all the time, but this time, it hurt even more, as this time, it wasn't just my heart that clenched but my wolf too.

"No more!" I shouted, my voice ringing with determination and pain. "Vera has taken everything from me-my mother's love, my friends, my boyfriends, and now you. I deserve to have something that is truly mine, and I won't let her take it away too! I don't care if you think I'm nothing special, but I know I'm worthy of love and someday I'll have it." I yelled in tears and without waiting for a response, I walked away.

I went back to the party, took my jacket from where I kept it, and just when I was about to leave, I met eyes with Lord Madison, and this time he didn't look away. Instead, he held my gaze. I felt a droplet of tears fall on my cheek and quickly looked away, so he wouldn't see me crying.

I left the party and hurried towards the gate, but the voice of Lord Madison in my head stopped me. "Stop!" He spoke with so much authority that I found myself obeying. With a deep sniffle, I turned around and saw him approaching me with a blank look. As he walked to me, he didn't lose eye contact with me until he got to where I stood.

He held my gaze for a moment, and despite how hard I tried to stop the tears from falling, they kept falling.

"Why the tears?" he asked, his voice demanding. I couldn't respond to his question; instead, I continued crying, not minding that Lord Madison was standing in front of me. "What happened?" he demanded again, this time with an authoritative tone. I sniffled and took a deep breath before lifting my gaze to meet his, which was filled with curiosity. "Am I that unappealing?" I asked, eliciting an angry groan from him. Embarrassed by my question, I lowered my eyes to the ground, but Lord Madison lifted my chin with a gentle touch of his finger, his intense gaze locking onto my tear-filled eyes. I struggled to compose myself, trying to hide the pain of the hurtful words that had been spoken to me.

"Who said such cruel things to you?" he asked in a soft and comforting voice.

I couldn't replace the strength to speak; my throat constricted with emotion.

"Don't worry," Lord Madison whispered, his face calm and impassive. "Let's make them regret their words." His words were laced with a subtle hint of danger, and I couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement at the thought of him taking revenge on my behalf. "Stop crying," he said firmly, "and wipe away those tears."

I felt embarrassed as he reached out and gently brushed his thumbs across my cheeks, wiping away the salty drops.

"It's alright," he reassured me. "I'm here to help."

I tried to compose myself, taking deep breaths to control the sobs that threatened to take over. Lord Madison stood patiently before me, his hands still cupping my face.

Finally, I regained control and looked up at him with a grateful smile. "Thank you," I whispered.

He nodded understandingly. "Sometimes we all need to express our emotions, but remember, you're stronger than you think." He released my face and stepped back, giving me space and privacy to collect myself.

"The party isn't over yet, so let's go inside," he said, not waiting for my response as he took hold of my hand and led me back into the party. I could feel his firm grip and the warmth of his palm against mine. The music was loud and upbeat, and people were laughing and chatting, but all I could focus on was the feeling of his hand in mine.

"Dance with me," he said, and I nodded shyly, feeling my cheeks flush. He placed my hands on his broad shoulders and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me closer to him. I could feel the strength of his muscles through his suit jacket. "I don't really know how to dance..." I spoke shyly, feeling a bit self-conscious about my lack of dancing skills.

Lord Maddison scoffed at my words, a smile playing on his lips as he leaned towards my left ear. "Follow my steps," he whispered, sending a shiver down my spine.

With that, he took the first step, and I followed. I moved in perfect harmony with him, following his lead as he twirled me around the dance floor. I felt my worries melt away as I lost myself in the music and the moment.

As we danced, I couldn't help but notice the many eyes watching us, including that of Alpha Leo. Who just stepped in. His dark gaze burned through me, causing me to feel a sudden chill up my spine.

Lord Maddison noticed my discomfort and pulled me closer to him, shielding me from the stares of others. "Let them watch," he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "Tonight, you're mine, and I want to dance with you."