"No, I am not going." I protested vehemently.
My mother looked at me like I had grown two heads. "What do you mean, young lady?"
I stated that I would not be attending. I won’t be going to a strange place with someone I have barely known for a day. "I don’t care if he is my mate and the moon goddess has ordained it. I need to at least get to know him and fall in love with him before I go to be with him."
"Don’t worry, I understand that everything is coming at once and it can be quite overwhelming, but you will soon get used to it." My mother tried to reassure me.
"No!" I screamed out, my voice echoing through the halls. I am probably sure that the whole hall heard me, but I do not care. There is no way in hell I am going to agree to that.
"You will lower your voice this minute, young lady, or else..." My mum trails off, leaving her sentence unfinished for me to imagine what she would do if I didn’t comply. "The Alphas are still in a meeting, and I am pretty sure they can hear you from here."
“I don’t give a fuck if the Alphas or the fucking pack can hear me. I am not going with him." I protested vehemently.
My mother gave me a glance and a sigh. She must be tired already and have given up. "I will leave this to your father and mate to decide, but you already know you will have to go with your mate when the time comes." She tried to make me see reason with her.
Well, of course I was going to go with my mate, but I was expecting him to be in another city or at least state, not another FUCKING CONTINENT!!!
I barely know him; he could be a serial killer or a crazed Alpha for all I know. I am not suddenly going to leave all my life here and go to be with someone just because he is my "mate." Call me old-fashioned or whatever, but where is the romance? Where is the courting?
All these thoughts continued to plague my mind. I kept on moving with heavy steps, only stopping in front of the kitchen. I closed my eyes as I took a deep breath, turned on my charming smile, and entered inside.
I soon forgot all about my troubles as I got engrossed in the latest pack gossip. Apparently, the old widower who lives by the supermarket has been seeing someone. According to the report, a friend of a friend heard them getting it on one evening when she happened to pass by. Normally it would be frowned upon, but considering that they had both lost their mates, it is accepted.
The kitchen was filled with laughter and a shout of exclamation as the latest event was broken down. I also got to know that eleven of the Alphas who came here have found their mate and will be leaving with them soon. It almost felt as if I was the bad egg for wanting to get to know him first before leaving with him.
Seconds turned into minutes, minutes turned into hours, and before long, it was dusk and the meeting officially closed. We all heaved a collective sigh of relief. From tomorrow, they will be leaving, and things could go back to how they were. But, I have yet to see my mate after our last encounter.
I woke up the next day to the sweet sound of the bird’s chirping, sweetening my ears. The sunlight was shining in my face. I had forgotten to close the curtains before I went to sleep yesterday. I got up and let out a yawn as I stretched like a cat. Nothing is as satisfying as a full morning stretch.
A smile lit my face as I remembered that they would be leaving today. Although on one hand, I wasn’t happy. Richard hasn’t called or looked for me since yesterday, and I was afraid he would leave without sorting out things with me.
The pack was a beehive of activity as the Alphas were seen moving out. I learnt that some left yesterday immediately after the closure as they couldn’t wait to be with their families anymore.
Others left as early as 4 am and some are still leaving. A lot of omegas were on the ground trying to help them move and transport it to the airport.
I checked the time on my phone, and it read 10:15. Shit! I was late. I was hoping to go for a morning run today because Kiayra has been bugging me about it and I feel a bit guilty. I have been so busy with things.
I slowly dragged my feet with my bonnet, sleepy face, and all to the kitchen to get a bottle of water. I kept getting stares from the pack members as I passed by. Is something on my face? I know everyone doesn’t look that good when they wake up, but I am sure my face isn’t that bad enough to warrant such stares.
"Excuse me, is something wrong?" I asked the girl closest to me, who was munching on an apple. She took one look at me and froze up. I mean, come on, guys; I am not that scary. With a frightened hand, she pointed gingerly in the direction of the sitting room and immediately scampered away. With a questioning eye, I turned to the rest of the people in the kitchen, and they all pretended that the space was so amazing to see.
"What is going on here?" I thundered in a loud voice. I heard a few whimpers around me, but I was already getting pissed off and I could care less. Before I could start another round of questioning.
"Miss Isabelle," a lady called my attention. I turned to her with angry eyes, and she shook slightly in fear. "The Alpha would like to see you in his office."
Good, because someone has to tell me what the hell is going on here. I marched menacingly to the office.
As I was drawing near to the office, I began to smell a mixture of scents. Yeah, it seems like all my family members are there, but one scent stood out to me. CITRUS. My mate was here, right next to my family. My God! I didn’t know how to feel or even behave, and I was still in a bonnet! Of all the times to look like a hob, you chose today, Isabelle. I facepalm loudly.I was still going through my internal crisis when I heard my dad’s voice, "I know you are there, Belle. We can smell you already. Just enter inside." Shit! I got busted. I took out my phone and opened the camera to check if I was present.
After a few touches here and there, I was able to look less homeless. With a deep breath, I held the door knob and opened it.
And lord, I wasn’t prepared for the array of smells I would encounter. It was like walking into a room of fine fragrances and they just hit you all at once. Gosh! This man is fine with a capital F. All my senses were just focused on him. I couldn’t see or even feel anyone else but him. Only him. Is this what the bond feels like? I wondered.
My searching eyes moved around the room, observing the room. My dad was sitting in his chair, with my mom occupying the seat close to him. She was giving me a sly look and a little nod of approval. I saw her lips move to mouth the words, "he is fine, I approve."
A little smile graced my face at her remarks; one down, two to go. I turned my head to the other side of the room, and I saw my brother was perched on the desk, his long legs swinging energetically around. He took one look at my face, and his expression changed, as if he was laughing at me. "Don't you dare," I said through the mind link, before he would say something inappropriate.
"Take a seat, Bella, we have a lot to discuss here. I would have asked if you know this young man here, but from your reaction, it is obvious you know him and you know why he is here. But for the sake of formality, I will ask, "Do you know him?"
"Yes, I do. He is my mate." My butterflies erupted in my tummy, doing their happy dance as my brain registered that word, "mate."
"Alright, you know him. He is the alpha of a pack in Europe, and he came here to ask for our permission." What permission? Creases formed around my forehead as I wondered.
"He has something to say to you."
"I have talked to your parents and your brother and they have all agreed." He started.
"I have come to take you home."
And there goes the bomb "I have come to take you home." I saw red. What does he mean by ‘he has come to take me home?’ I don’t understand. Is this not my home, or have I spent the past 20+ years living elsewhere? "Don't get me wrong mate, I can see the wheels turning in your beautiful head. I don’t mean to offend you or anything like that." He was quick to correct me. "As you know, I am the Alpha of my pack and I have been away for too long. I have a responsibility back there, and I would like you to lead alongside me as my Luna. You will grow to love it there and it will be your new home." With two strides, he was close to me, so close that I could feel his breath on me. He held me close and continued, "I know that leaving behind everything and moving to a new place can be very difficult. But I promise to be with you at every step of the way. And, of course, you are always welcome to visit your family anytime." I found myself melting at his soft words, unable to fight again. I was
I woke up as early as 4 am on Sunday morning to prepare for the long flight ahead. I have already packed everything I was going to need. I will be carrying only the essentials, and they fit into two boxes. I had a big suitcase with me and a small handbag. My mum even packed some spices and ingredients for me, in case I needed a taste of home. It's strange how tomorrow I'll be a Luna of the Blue Crescents rather than a Ravenwood pack member. My family all accompanied me to the airport. My mum was quietly sniffing, trying without fail to hold back her tears in front of the car. We arrived at the airport, and I went to get checked in for my flight and my luggage. It will be a one-way flight and it will take me to Southampton International Airport, and lucky me, it will be first class. We were all sitting in the waiting area when I heard a ping go off. It was from my phone. I opened it and quickly scanned the content and hissed. It read. I am so sorry I haven’t been able to reach you.
I woke up with a dull pain in my head. I lazily massaged my temples, feeling a little bump there. Something is wrong. I can just feel it. I raised my nose in the air, taking a big whiff of the air. The air is heavy and damp, pressing against my skin like a clammy shroud. Where am I? Most importantly, whose bed am I lying on? The velvety sheet that was pressed against my skin felt like heaven. I could just lie here forever. I, with much displeasure, peel my eyes open, rubbing away the sleep fogging my vision with my fingers. The scent of freshly baked pastries filled my nostrils. I could hear faint whispers around me. I looked towards the windows, which were covered by flowery drapes. This should be the pack house, but is this Richard’s room? I raised my nose to the air again, sniffing. It isn’t Richard. The citrus scent Richard has is so faint that it is almost non-existent. The soft chime from the grandfather clock interrupted my thoughts. 9 a.m. Wait, what? 9 a.m?? A gasp made its
"This," he gestured to the three-story building we were standing besides, "is the pack house. The Alpha and the beta stay here. Other pack members are also welcome here. But he/she must contribute to the maintenance of the place." "I see." "The training center and the gym are just behind the pack house. I don’t know if you noticed, but the pack’s school is the first building you will see as you enter the pack. The pack hospital is also located at the entrance of the pack. The buildings you see scattered around are houses belonging to pack members. And that is all." He said, scanning the environment. I looked up at him in disbelief. What the hell? "What sort of half-assed tour is this? I said 'a tour,' and that means actually walking around the pack showing me places PHYSICALLY, not just saying it." A light chuckle escaped his mouth at my little rant, "There is really nothing to see here, just bunches of-" "I don’t care," I interjected rudely, "I would still like to go. And if you
"Why the fuck are you here?" He furiously mouthed the words at me. His light brown eyes were so dark now that they seemed black. Rolling my eyes, I continued digging into my food, making sure to chew each morsel thoroughly. I could still feel his eyes drilling into me. If looks could kill, I would be six feet under now. A devious plan came to my mind and I smiled as the wheels in my mind began to turn. Let us see how he will ignore me now. Taking a forkful of the pudding, I immediately began to hatch my plans. Looking at his face, I cut a piece of the sausage and stabbed it with the fork. And, without breaking eye contact... "A-ah," I let out a soft moan as I carefully transferred the sausage to my mouth. The meal was really kicking in now. The flavor burst into my mouth as I chewed the bacon-wrapped sausage. His light-brown eyes flashed gold almost immediately, in response to my moans. He licked his lips as his eyes followed my throat as I swallowed, hungrily taking me in. "What a
I didn’t register what was going on until I felt his lips on me. He was kissing me! Richard was kissing me! I was having my first kiss! My mind was on overdrive; the fact that Richard was kissing me was making all my senses go haywire. The kiss wasn’t like what I usually read; it wasn’t forceful or harsh. No, his mouth glided over mine like butter melting. The feeling of his mouth on mine made me close my eyes as I started getting into the kiss. He squeezed my ass again, although much harder than before, and I let out a gasp. He used that opportunity to thrust his tongue into my open mouth, tasting all of me. My hands moved to rest on his neck, gripping him tightly. His tongue dove into mine, clashing with mine, trying to fight for dominance, but I had nothing but submission to give. I was a piece of putty in his hands, merely a mouse to this piper. What started soft and tender began to get heated as our tongues clashed against each other, our hands exploring each other in a frantic
Already getting tired of being cooped up all day in his room, I made for the door, shutting it with a click. I came out, making sure to look both ways in case of a passerby. I wouldn’t want to start a controversy even before I was introduced to the pack. I made my way to the stairs, taking them two at a time. I was just basically going anywhere my steps led me, and if I was lucky, I was hoping to bump into Harry. I got to the first floor and decided to take a look, but immediately I looked inside the corridor, I had a change of heart. The hall was filled with people, mostly teenagers and young people roaming about. It was loud, with music blasting from one room, a complete contrast to the Alpha’s wing. I wasn’t going to risk it, so I moved on. On getting to the ground floor, I made my way to the refrigerator to get a drink, feeling energized as I gulped the cold liquid. Following the scent of chicken to the kitchen (get it, chicken, kitchen), I got to where they were preparing food.
"...so, who is she? I heard you got a new plaything." A deep, husky voice that I hadn't heard of rang from the hallway. It was a male, probably around my age. His voice was low-pitched, like he was talking in small letters, but it still had that authoritative ring. I heard a tired voice sigh. CITRUS. It was Richard. I hurried to the door to unbolt it from its lock. "What will become of Sophia now? I actually kind of like her—she was the only reasonable one among your exes." I yank the door from the hinges, my anger taking hold of me for the moment. It was just at the surface, and it was looking for any opportunity to burst out. If I hear anything about that damn Sophia again, I will scream bloody murder. I glared at the man whore in flesh, not caring about the reaction of the other person. Richard has a lot of groveling to do. At least he had the decency to turn his face to the other side when he saw that my face was anything but pleasant. But how bad is his dating history that peo