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Chapter 2; Mate

Matthew De Silva spoke up, "I'll drive," as he grab the car keys to Cheska Macbride. She quickly pulled her finger away, feeling a jolt of electricity that ran through her body. Cheska couldn't believe the intense attraction she felt towards her mate. She wondered how she would be able to handle being locked in his embrace.

"Cheska, are you still shaken up from earlier?" Eunice asked, concerned.

Cheska attempted a smile, avoiding looking at Matthew. "No, I'm okay now," she replied.

Eunice then made an observation. "By the way, Matthew never mentioned that he has a sister, let alone such a stunning one."

"I've told you before, she's not my sister!" Matthew replied grumpily. "As you heard, her name is Cheska Macbride, and I'm Matthew De Silva."

Eunice didn't let Matthew's mood sour her excitement. She wrapped her hand around Cheska's arm and the two women made their way to the car, leaving Matthew to serve as their chauffeur.

In the back seat, Cheska and Eunice settled in while Matthew focused on the road ahead.

As we settled into the back seat, leaving Matthew to serve as our chauffeur, he remarked, "It looks like Thunder City has gone through a lot of changes."

"I wouldn't know since nothing has changed for me," Cheska replied as she gazed out the window.

"Cheska, you're nineteen now, right?" Eunice asked eagerly. When Cheska nodded, Eunice continued, "Did you find your mate already?"

Cheska hesitated before answering, "Well, the thing is... I didn't see my mate when I turned sixteen." She couldn't help but look at Matthew, who was staring back at her through the rearview mirror.

"Is that true? Then maybe you've had a boyfriend? That's the trend now since some of us rejected our mates, like I did," Eunice said with a laugh.

Cheska's eyes widened in surprise. "You rejected your mate? But why?" She was curious because she had never encountered someone who had rejected their mate. She wasn't particularly social, so she rarely spoke to anyone.

"Are you serious? Mate bonds are no longer a priority in our generation. My relationship with Matthew is even more special than my connection with my mate," Eunice declared, looking at Matthew with a loving gaze.

Cheska's curiosity faded as her smile quickly disappeared. "Wait, you and Matthew were...?"

Eunice interrupted with a quick response, "Yes!"

"Stop with your lies, Eunice!" Matthew's comment brought a frown to Eunice's face.

"I'm not lying! I'm confessing my love for you, and I'm willing to do anything to win your heart!" Eunice affirmed with conviction.

Cheska stared at Matthew, his eyes focused on the road, but she could feel his attention on her. The jealousy she felt earlier towards Eunice had vanished since Matthew had explicitly rejected her in front of Cheska.

Eunice's excitement peaked when Matthew brought the car to a stop in front of their house.

Cheska hesitated to open the door when she heard Matthew say, "Don't go out wearing something like that ever again."

"Is there something wrong with my dress?" Cheska asked with a frown. Her outfit wasn't overly revealing, but it wasn't conservative either. She was used to wearing sophisticated dresses.

"If you want to avoid a repeat of the earlier incident, then listen to me. And if you don't follow my advice and I see you wearing this dress again, I will take it off myself," Matthew replied, shocking Cheska even more.

"You!" Cheska started to say, but Matthew got out of the car before she could finish.


"Brother!" Liam shouted as soon as he saw Matthew enter the living room.

"Wow, take it easy! You're too big to come up to me like that!" Matthew laughed at Liam's excitement.

"Brother, I'm only seven, but I'm growing fast. Maybe our genes are just too amazing, unlike Sister Cheska!" Liam whispered, but Cheska overheard.

"You little nerd! My height is perfect for a woman!" Cheska retorted, quickly pinching Liam.

Eunice noticed Cheska and Liam cuddling and remarked, "It looks like you have a happy family."

"This sight is new to me as well," Matthew said, gazing at Cheska.

Cheska felt stressed as she heard Eunice's comment and Matthew's gaze. "Is he oblivious to the fact that Eunice is already questioning his behavior?" Cheska whispered to herself.

"Where's Mom?" Cheska asked Liam, trying to change the subject.

"Mama's making something in the kitchen," Liam replied, glancing at Matthew. "Have you tied the knot, brother?"

Cheska was the first to walk away, relieved that Matthew and Eunice didn't see the change in her face.

"Isn't that an inappropriate question to ask because of your age?" Matthew replied to Liam.

"I wanted you to be Cheska's mate, so I sent you her picture. It doesn't seem to have worked out," Liam softly uttered.

"Hey, kiddo! What makes you think that Matthew would be an ideal match for Cheska? They're not siblings, are they?" Eunice exclaimed, clearly not liking Liam's declaration.

"Hmm, so they're not from the same bloodline," Liam revealed. Cheska hadn't changed her last name because her father wanted her to be Matthew's mate.

Cheska noticed her mother coming out of the kitchen and remarked, "It looks like my younger son didn't waste any time." Her mother's smile indicated that she had heard everything Liam had said.

"Eunice, it's a pleasure to have you at our house. Please don't mind my children. They just like to tease each other, especially Liam," her mother said, laughing.

"Maurice Silva, it's my pleasure to meet the best luna in the entire continent," Eunice affirmed.

Her mother hugged Eunice, her hearty laughter filling the room. "It's true, so I can't deny your compliments," she said before turning her gaze to Matthew. "At last, you're here. I can finally rest now that the Alpha is here."

Matthew hugged her mother and apologized, "I know it's not what you wanted to hear, but you'll have to wait another year since I'm not of age to be Alpha yet."

Cheska's mother's voice was gentle but firm as she reminded Matthew, "I won't rush you, but you need to find your mate before you can rule Thunder."

"I'll work on that," Matthew replied, staring at Cheska.

"Mom, maybe you should take them to their room to rest before dinner," Cheska suggested, interrupting their conversation about mates.

"Cheska, I'm not done in the kitchen, so could you please show Eunice to her room?" her mother asked.

"Liam, go with your brother," Maurice added.

"Mom, can I try your recipe? I can smell the spices from here!" Liam immediately pulled their mother back to the kitchen.

"So, where is our room?" Eunice asked, grinning.

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