Chapter 11. I Will Fulfill

"Alpha, you should come see this, it's urgent." Jackson's voice mentally interrupts the meeting Connor had planned in his office with Inés and his mother, who are about to arrive.

"Can't it wait? I need to resolve some matters here with my mother," he responds immediately.

"Maybe you should come see this before anything else. I'm in the parking lot," Jackson cuts the link with Connor, and he sighs before getting up from his seat.

"When Inés or my mother arrive, have them wait," Connor instructs Beltrán, who acts as his secretary when he's in the office to handle pack matters. "They must not leave. We need to clear everything up before lunch."

"It will be done, Alpha."

Connor heads to the parking lot. He has no idea what could be so important and urgent that Jackson needs to show him, given all the matters he needs to handle right now. Work has piled up due to his trip to the A****n, and if he doesn't catch up, it will be worse.

He reaches the parking lot, and Jackson greets him with a frown, although Connor can sense some amusement in him. Jackson opens the door of his truck and motions for him to look inside.

Connor bends down to see, and his mouth drops open in amazement.

"What the hell happ...?!" He doesn't finish the question but knows the answer. He runs his fingers over the deep cuts in the leather upholstery of the seats and the dashboard. Something or someone with a lot of strength and sharp claws must have done this. The entire dashboard is unusable, not to mention the driver's seat.

"That kiss with Inés cost you dearly," Jackson stifles a laugh at seeing Connor's conflicted expression.

"This is absurd. How could she do this over something so insignificant?"

"To her, it isn't insignificant, Connor. Predestined mates tend to be very possessive with their partners. Maybe she sensed something in Inés she didn't like, besides the kiss, of course. It could have been worse, ending in a fight with one of their heads rolling on this floor."

"That's another issue I need to resolve today. Selene is my mate and my future Luna. My mother, Inés, and everyone here need to understand that."

Connor walks back to the entrance when he is interrupted by his cousin again.

"What will we do with your truck?"

"Send it to the workshop. Make sure no one else finds out what happened."

Jackson nods and does as his Alpha commands. Knowing Connor as he does, he thought this would end in a world war after seeing the state of his truck, especially considering Connor loves it more than anything in this world. But it seems the mate bond with Selene has him completely subdued. He didn't even show real anger about what happened and Jackson could swear he saw him smile a little, knowing Selene was jealous. Jackson laughs and shakes his head as he watches his cousin's broad back moving away towards the house.

Connor returns to his office where Carla, Inés, and Clarisse are already waiting for him. His mother's stern and unfriendly face indicates that this will be a headache to deal with.

"You lied to us!" Carla bellows as Connor passes by her to take his seat. "You accepted Katrina Grimlore's invitation when you repeatedly told us that you would never attend her mating parties. You said this was a business trip, but no, you went there. And not only that, you came back and brought that strange and horrible girl with you, claiming she's your mate. I don't accept her, I don't want her as part of our family or our pack, Connor. She is not the Luna I want for you or our people. I won't allow that weakling to lead you, to lead us, to ruin. You must fulfill your father's mandate as it is written."

Carla is completely beside herself. Clarisse looks at Connor with sadness and a great deal of embarrassment. Everyone in the pack knows the temper of the Alpha's mother, which is why no one dares to challenge her authority, not even her children. It’s clear that Selene’s life won’t be easy in these lands.

"Enough, Mother!" Connor slams his hands on the desk, raising his aura, causing both Inés and Clarisse to immediately fall to their knees. However, Carla resists and remains standing, staring at him without backing down. "It is not your place to decide what the moon goddess has planned for my life. I don't have to ask your permission to fulfill my destiny, and Selene is my mate, whether you like it or not."

"Do you forget that the future of the Redwood Wolves lies in your hands and in fulfilling that agreement? How will you lift our pack members from this curse with her here? We were so close... all these years... trying... by the goddess." Carla moves away and sits on the couch, clutching her chest with both hands.

"This has nothing to do with her, Mother," Connor's forehead wrinkles with evident displeasure at her words. "I will keep my word and my father's word to the end. I have done so all these years and will continue to do so according to tradition, but I will not give up Selene. When the time comes, I will mark her, and she will be the Luna of Redwood Wolves, and I will continue my life by her side."

"What makes you so sure she won't interfere with our processes? What if she demands you stop?"

"She won't," Connor asserts, walking towards the window and taking a deep breath to calm himself. "In a few months, everything will be done, and she doesn't need to know anything. I will fulfill what I must."

A smile appears on Inés' face upon hearing this. As long as Connor and Selene are not marked, she still has a chance, and she doesn't intend to waste it.