"So, are you going to tell me what has you so upset?" Perez asked, drinking his wine.

Luke was underneath the covers, his head the only thing showing. He was still moping even though it's been six hours since the confrontation with Rolus. Perez only arrived an hour ago.

He had his key to the suite, so he found Luke curled up in bed, mood suffocating.

"I'm fine," Luke grumbled out, his voice having an edge. Perez didn't miss it.

"Of course you're fine," Perez mocked, putting his empty glass on the side table.

Luke glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means," Perez said, taking off his blazer and putting it on the chair. He took off his shoes, together with his socks. He loosened the first few buttons of his shirt and sat back down on the bed, refilling his glass. "You're lying."

Luke kept quiet, covering his head with the covers, his back to Perez. Perez finished his glass and set it on the side table, then got under the covers.

He put his hand around Luke, even though Luke tensed at the contact. Something was clearly bothering him.

It wasn't until Perez was dozing off that he felt Luke shift. He pried his eyes open, seeing Luke sitting down on the bed. His mind was a bit hazy, struggling to truly decipher the expression on Luke's face. He sat up, rubbing his eyes.

Upon closer inspection, Perez saw that Luke's eyes were red. "What's the matter?"

"I'm fine," he replied, getting off the bed. His shirt was creased since he was sleeping in it.

Perez groaned, getting off the bed to follow Luke out of the room. They stepped out into the kitchen, with Luke grabbing a beer from the fridge. He sat on the counter, drinking the beer.

"You don't look fine to me. Did something happen at the party?" Perez asked, still a distance away from Luke. In the state he was in, Luke was easily irritable. At this point, Perez was just testing him.

The glare Perez received made him flinch. Luke rolled his eyes at that. He thought it wouldn't hurt to disclose some of the things weighing heavily on his heart. It could be relieving even if he shared the burden.

He finished his beer, then put the empty can aside. Running a hand down his face, he looked at Perez, feeling slightly guilty for making his stay miserable.

"There's just something I discovered, about... about my cousin. She's an Alpha, Alpha Leticia. I found out something that I was not supposed to find," he said, feeling bitter that he was tweaking the truth.

Perez nodded his head for Luke to continue.

Luke sighed, his heart heavy with guilt and sadness. "I just found out that Rolus found his mate, my cousin. He rejected her."

Luke felt his heart beat harder than ever, afraid that Perez might piece things together if he didn't get his emotions under control. Luke couldn't even look at Perez after his revelation. "I'm just angry and upset for her. I'm reminded of when I thought he killed my sister."

Perez came closer to Luke, hugging him. "I'm sorry. Do you want me to pay him a visit?"

Luke laughed, but he was mortified. Luke knew what Perez meant. His improved Killex was still very much in the picture, even when Luke tried to convince him to let it go. He shook his head, pushing Perez away from him so that he could get off the counter. He led them back to the bedroom. He did feel a little better that Perez cared enough to suggest paying Rolus a visit.

If Perez ever found out that Luke found his mate, even if it was Rolus, Luke knew he would want to end whatever they were doing. Perez did make it clear that when Luke found his mate, to tell him immediately. Perez respected the mate bond that much.

"Your cousin is an Alpha, right?" Perez asked when they went back under the covers, facing each other. Luke nodded, his eyes not staying on Perez's for too long.

"This is confidential, so promise me you won't tell anyone," Perez said.

"What is it?"

"You won't tell anyone, right?"

"Yes. What is it?"

"My parents are both in the Council. Councils have information on Packs. Information that is not supposed to fall into the wrong hands. My parents told me last year when they heard about the encounter that I had with you and the Creek Pack.

Apparently, Rolus' family is mainly mated to Alphas. Their line was purely all Alpha blood, but that all ended about three generations ago. That means Rolus' father and grandfather rejected their true mates and had replacement mates."

Luke drank the information in, but confusion was still dominating.

"This is because Rolus' ancestors committed a crime. My parents didn't tell me what. Their punishment was that they were to reject their mates if they were Alphas. Unfortunately, it seems like luck is not on their side since it seems like their mates are still Alphas. Even if Rolus wanted to accept his mate, he couldn't because of the punishment."

Luke felt sick. He couldn't stomach the information. He got off the bed, his mind all over the place. "I need to be alone right now," he told Perez, exiting the room to go into the other room. He locked himself in, grateful that Perez listened to him.

He was restless, pacing in the room. His emotions were all over the place, mind straying everywhere. He couldn't focus on anything.

Why couldn't Rolus tell him why he was rejected? Maybe they would have found a way to work, or maybe Luke would have understood and moved on with his life. It's been eight years since he's been mateless, and Rolus couldn't have bothered to inform him of anything? At least have him move on.

Luke knew it was impossible to be with Rolus as mates. The Council was cruel. They were vicious. He needed to let Rolus go and accept that they will never be together.

His eyes stung with unshed tears.

He blamed Rolus for wasting his years pining after a mate that would never be. Luke had to accept that he didn't have a mate. As far as he knew from now on, his mate was nonexistent. His mate was dead.

The first tears that fell, it was a flood. He was sure that his emotions were overwhelming for Perez in the next room. He tried to compose himself, but it was futile. He was mourning the loss of a mate he never had. He was mourning for the loss of a mate he never knew, yet knew at the same time. He was mourning for a mate he just met. He was mourning for the loss of a mate he just killed.

________

The morning after, Perez was walking on eggshells around Luke. As for Luke, his eyes were as red as the lipstick his mother adored. It was evidence enough that he did not sleep, and was crying the whole night.

He couldn't even stomach his breakfast, or look at Perez without his eyes glistening.

He spent the rest of the morning locked in his room.

It was later in the day when he received a call from Peter. He didn't answer.

About an hour later, Tamera called him. He declined the call. He wrote a message to both Tamera and Peter that he was coming tomorrow and that he was doing alright.

______

The next day, Luke couldn't stomach the presence of Perez. Early in the morning when Perez was still sleeping, he wrote him a short message that he needed to be alone and was going back to his Pack.

He arrived at his Pack before everyone awoke. He showered and made sure he was presentable when he left his room to head to his office. He locked himself in the office so that no one could see how bad he looked. He was sure that his Pack could feel his loss and pain. He had lost his mate, and the pain was equivalent to that.

It wasn't even an hour before Peter knocked on his office. Luke ignored him, trying to drown himself in his work. He didn't need anyone to see him a mess.

"Alpha Luke? Can you please unlock the door?" Peter asked.

Luke could tell that he was affecting everyone with his emotions. He felt bad, but he couldn't help himself. He ignored Peter, but Peter never gave up to the point where Luke became angry.

He stood up, pushing the chair against the wall and marching to the door. He unlocked it, then swung it open. He glared at Peter, his glare making him cower. "What is it?" he snapped.

"I'm just checking to see if you were alright," Peter replied, stepping into the office and closing the door.

Luke turned around. He was still heavy with the rejection he just accepted.

"What's wrong?" Peter asked, albeit too softly.

Luke went back to sit down on his chair, holding his head in his hands. He was too devastated to focus, or consider what he just said. "My mate rejected me," he dropped the bombshell, numb. Admitted that was not even that hard. He cried enough last night to shed any more tears.

Luke could hear the beat of Peter's heart. It was beating so fast and so loud. "Who is it?" His voice came out dangerously low.

Luke laughed humorlessly, laughed until he chocked. There was a lump in his throat that prevented him from laughing any longer. His laugh turned into sobs.

Peter went to lock the door, then made sure to come to Luke and rub his back. "When?" he asked, his voice tinged with worry and anger.

"Fucking eight years ago. I didn't know," Luke replied, trying to calm down.

Peter didn't say anything. He was shocked and horrified. He was rendered speechless.

"I only found out last year," Luke told, making sure to omit some things.

"Who is it?" Peter gritted out.

Luke shook his head. He already said too much. "Don't tell anyone. Please leave. I need to be alone, so please leave." Luke refused to raise his head and look at Peter.

Peter left, saying nothing. His anger was palpable, but Luke's sadness was still filling the whole House.

He needed to move on. His life was already wasted. His eight years were already lost. He couldn't afford to lose more years of his life thinking of the what-ifs.