“Grace, you can't just leave everything you know behind," Dad says with the bang of his fist against the table.
Mom does nothing but sits quietly by him with her hands placed in her lap and head hung low. I can see that she has different ideas than my dad, but she wouldn't dare speak against her mate. She is too old fashioned."Can't you understand why I'm doing this?" My voice is a low whisper. I don't like having arguments with my father. However, sometimes it can't be prevented; like now.Since I have told him about my plans to leave the pack and mate another wolf he has been less than thrilled. He sends Samuel a few glares throughout our discussion, but Samuel isn't at all affected like I am. Here I am, supposed to be Luna of a pack and I'm sitting, scared of what my Dad thinks.It's not like he can actually stop me since I am of age to make my own decisions, but that doesn't mean he won't try. "I understand that you are hurt Grace, believe me I do. But leaving your pack and everything behind is a little drastic, don't you think?"He is desperately trying to get the message across to me that I am making a mistake with his tone and gestures. He isn't making this easy on me."Daddy, I just lost my mate. He chose someone else!" I am speaking a little louder now. It takes him by surprise."He doesn't want to do that, but the circumstances called for it."I shake my head refusing to hear anymore about it. It still hurts too much to speak of Logan. The hole in my soul is still very much there. I feel the tears forming in my ducts."This is what I want. I'm going with Samuel tonight and I'd love to have the support of my parents. However, if I have to go without it, I will. Please don't make me." Dad stares back at me wearily. He looks like he has aged at least ten years since this conversation started. It makes me feel guilty."We don't want you to leave us Grace. Who knows when we'll see you again.""I asked you to come," I remind him. "You chose not to.""My home is here. My pack is here. Your mother and I are too old to start over in another pack.""You won't have to worry about that," Samuel says. "You'll be taken care of. We don't expect you to prove your place in the pack. These are unusual circumstances after all," he points out."But I wouldn't feel right if I didn't," father explains.I can see his dilemma. I know this puts him in an impossible spot and it isn't fair to him; or anyone for that matter. Unfortunately, this can not be helped, though. He has to make a choice, for him and my mom."Please, dad. Come with us. I don't want to leave you anymore than you want me gone."He sighs heavily and rubs his face with a calloused hand before turning to look at my mom. Her eyes hold worry and debate. She is torn."Why do you think honey?" he asks her."I just want everyone to be happy," she answers vaguely."I know you do," he agrees. "But right now I need you to be outspoken about this. I'm at a loss."As if he has commanded her, my passive mother does something I have not heard her do in years. She takes charge and speaks her mind. It is liberating for me to hear. I rarely ever saw this side of her. I imagined it is her wolf complying with my father's request."I think Grace should do what she thinks is best for her. She lost her mate to another wolf and it crushed her soul. She is broken and weak from the pain of what this has done. We have no idea what she's going through. We have never experienced losing a mate before. I don't think we have a right to judge her for her choices. If she wants to try to move on from this then I say we stand behind her one hundred percent."Everyone at the table is speechless. Even my dad and that is even more surprising than my mother's speech. She has taken us all by surprise."I didn't know you felt this way," he says finally.She rubs my Dad's hand showing her guilt for thinking differently than him and gives him an apologetic look. "We have to let her go. It's the right thing to do. We'll survive, just like we always have.""Does this mean you're not coming with me?" I ask, a little saddened.Mom looks away from my dad and back at me. "I agree with your father on this one. Like he said, this is our home. We know everyone here. Our family is still part of this pack. You may have your prejudices against the pack, but for us this is our entire life."I nod in understanding, but just because I understand something doesn't make it easy."We're not deserting you. So please don't misunderstand us. We'll be here as long as you need us. We're only a phone call and a few towns away."Samuel places his hand on my back and rubs soothing circles to calm me. It feels odd to have him comforting me, but it isn't terrible. In fact, it felt nice to know he actually cares. That's a plus to have in a mate I suppose."Are you sure we can't change your mind?" Samuel pleads.He is going through a lot to give me what I want. It is something I had not expected in this deal. I like seeing him care so much. It makes me see the more human side of him, than animal. I know Alpha's are all business and no play, but he seems different somehow.My father gives me an apologetic look and shakes his head. His eyes then meet Samuel's. "No, I'm sorry."It hurts me that they are willing to be so far away from me, but on the other hand, I can understand where he is coming from. I know what he wants to stay. My aunts and uncles, cousins and grandparents are here. He doesn't want to leave them, and it would be asking too much for them to leave with us.He sighs and rubs his tired face. It is then that I notice how aged my father really is. Being in the pack all these years has worn him down and now with the added stress of the past week on top of that, he looks like a walking zombie. This is too much on him.Maybe it would be better for him if he stayed. With me gone he might finally have some peace. Maybe with some time, and when things settle down, he can come visit us in our new pack. It isn't like I will never see him or my mom again."If this is really what you want then I guess I have to accept it," I say."It is," he confirms. "Both your mother and I are comfortable and happy here, and you deserve that as well." His face is saddened, but serious. "If leaving here gives you happiness and comfort, then you should go. We will be there for you no matter what you choose to do."I suppose my Mom's words have made him see things her way. Relief washes over me. It means more than I can convey that he supports me in this decision to leave. It is the complete opposite of what he felt only half an hour ago.The peaceful silence we fall into grows. Mom and Dad smile at each other then at us. I know what this means for us and it is going to be harder than I imagined it would. I feel a strange sense of comfort when Samuel reaches under the table and places his hand on top on mine. Our hands rest in my lap."I guess I should start packing then," I say, breaking the silence."Would you like some help?" Mom offers."I would like that."It is going to be the last time she will get to spend any time together with me for a while. I need this because I am going to be parted from her for who knows how long.Samuel gives me an encouraging nod. "I'll just run into town and fill up the tank for our journey back. It's going to take us at least two hours to get there providing tr
I press myself even further into the wall when he takes a step towards me. A whimper unintentionally escapes my throat. I can only imagine how weak I appear to him. However, he doesn't look much better. Behind his eyes, he is broken. Perhaps not as much as I am, but he doesn't get out of this completely unscathed.He stops mid stride and holds his hands up in front of him, allowing me to see he won't come any further. If he does, I am sure to break all over again."I'm just here to talk," he says. "I won't come any further if you will prefer it."I don't speak. I am afraid to. My voice can't hold up speaking to him. If I do, everything I have buried deep inside of me will come spilling out with my words. Instead of answering, I just nod and he understands. He drops his hands and sits on the edge of my bed facing me.My wolf is all ears."I had to see you before you left. I need to explain myself before you decide on hating me forever."His words seem sincere. My wolf believes him."I w
Samuel places the last of the bags in the back of his truck. My parents stand by the door, with my father bracing mum as she watches us with tear filled eyes. It is a mix of both happy and sad tears. Although she is happy that I am getting a fresh start, she is also sad to see me go. It is the same for me.I have spent the last half hour, while Samuel was loading up, telling them goodbye. I have hugged and kissed them at least a dozen times. I was not sure they were going to let me go."Are you ready?" he asks, closing the tailgate and proceeding to my side of the vehicle. His hand rests on the door handle while he awaits my reply. He watches the brief exchange of emotions between me, my Mom, and Dad.I smile at them and they return it just as happily despite the tears. They are truly happy ones. I lift my hand and give them a last wave goodbye with a slight movement of my hand while trying to convince myself that this is the right thing to do. I know that it is, but now, here in the
I tense at his words. The next full moon? We haven't discussed our mating date yet. I thought I was supposed to be a part of that decision?I shoot him a disgruntled look but then I decide that I'll wait until after this is over before I question him about that."I hope you will all give her a warm welcome to our pack. I want her to feel at home here," he finishes, then he shoots me a breath taking smile that surely would have melted me like a hot knife through butter if I wasn't still hurting due to recent events.There are murmurs of kind words and delighted looks of the faces of the pack. Almost immediately people are lining up to greet me. They have obeyed Samuel's request without issue. None of them seems forced to be polite."It's nice to meet you Grace," an older woman says, shaking my hand. "I'm Agnes, Samuel's Aunt. It's nice to finally put a face to the name." "It's a pleasure to meet you too," I reply.She smiles fondly at Samuel. "She's so pretty, Sonny. You picked a good
When the morning comes I have forgotten where I am. Nothing looks familiar to me and it isn't until my consciousness fully returns that the events of yesterday start flooding back into my mind. Left home...new pack...slept in Samuel's room.Samuel.He isn't here. The room is empty and the couch that served as his bed is made up and utterly untouched. It is as if he hasn't even spent the night here at all. I have to think back to yesterday just to be sure I haven't imagined him being here.I glance at the clock on the bedside table and yawn. Nine-thirty a.m. it reads. It isn't much different than time I normally wake up in the mornings at home.I slide myself to the side of the bed and push myself off with ease. My feet meet the blue carpet I had admired yesterday.I quickly make my way to the bathroom to use it, before my bladder bursts, then attempt to clean myself up in front of the mirror before anyone catches sight of my ghastly appearance. My hair is in every direction on top of m
The pack territory is even bigger than I had imagined. What Samuel had referred to as a small housing community for the pack in the woods, is no small community at all. It is quite large; almost the size of our pack village, just slightly smaller. Samuel's pack still outnumbers them by double nonetheless.The houses are nice. The community is a close knit neighborhood. Though the houses are on the smaller side they make up for it in beauty. Side by side, the houses are lined up next to each other, not very far apart.Kids play outside while several adults and wolves roam the land. Most of them seem to just be keeping an eye on things. Some of the familiar faces I met last night stare back at me with smiles, all of them bowing their heads in respect. It surprises me that they are already treating me like Samuel's mate even when we have not yet made a step in the mating direction yet."Welcome back to the territory, Alpha," one of the men says."Yes, it's been too long," another person
I don't sleep well. I try to suppress the memories deep in my subconscious but they resurface over night and the dull wounds left from Logan's wake feel entirely too fresh for me.I scream and clutch my chest all night. My soul is being torn apart all over again as the vivid dream plays through my mind like a horror movie on repeat.Somewhere in my mind I think I know it is merely a dream, but I can not find my way back to reality. I am lost in my own mind with no one to bring me out of my suffering.He has rejected us, my wolf whispers. He has chosen another mate.My wolf whimpers at the new realization and I wish for anything that I can in some way console her, but I am just as broken as her. I feel weak and sick. I have to grab onto the counter just to keep my balance. Logan becomes concerned, but he doesn't move to help me."She's pregnant. Josephine is having our pups," he says.No.The pain inside me is more excruciating than I can convey. It feel as if something inside me has
You helped Samuel with this didn't you?" I ask him.He shoots me another sympathetic look before standing from the bed and answering me. "Yes and one other couple. Your situation is very rare; there are very few people who take on other mates. Unfortunately, it happens though. It's more common in wolves that have lost their mate to some unfortunate circumstance, like a war or illness. That is if they survive the loss.""You know someone else who has gone through it though," I state. "Yes, there is a couple in the pack who lost their mates and the dreams were the same. The only difference is, they would feel the pain of their mate's death all over again, instead of a rejection."I sit silently. I suppose that is much worse than a rejection. Though a rejection is much like death. You still grieve the same way. You grieve for the loss off your mate. However, I wasn't mated to Logan. That would have destroyed me completely. I doubt I would have survived it."They were able to overcome it