True Luna by Tessa Lilly
https://www.dreame.com/story/1646404864-true-luna/40311897604174905344002-rejection.html
I woke up early in the morning and got up right away. I was excited. Really, really excited. Tomorrow is my birthday. Tomorrow I will be eighteen and I will meet my wolf. I couldn’t wait to shift for the first time. They say it is painful, but I didn’t care about that part. It is just for a little while, and it gets easier later. I can survive a little bit of pain.
I just wished that my parents were here to see me shift for the first time. It had been eight years since they died, and it hadn’t gotten any easier.
They were killed in a rogue attack.
Rogues are wolves that don’t belong to a pack. They become rogues by being exiled from their packs for committing various crimes. Some of them choose to leave their packs and live like rogues. That is rare, though. We wolves are pack animals. We don’t like being alone. When a wolf chooses to become a rogue, it is mostly because something bad has happened to them in their pack or they have lost their mate, gone crazy and left the pack.
The rogues live alone. They don’t work with other wolves. But when they attacked our pack, they were working together. It was very odd. Since that night, our Alpha learned that there is a rogue wolf who has gathered other rogues to attack various packs. They call him the Rogue King. The attacks haven’t stopped since. They attacked our and other packs multiple times.
On the night of the attack, rogues tried to harm our Alpha’s son. We were celebrating his 18th birthday and his first shift. He was supposed to start his training to become a new Alpha and take over the pack.
However, that night, rogues harm his father, our former Alpha Luke. He was forced to become an Alpha right away. And he did an amazing job. He finished his training early and he made our pack one of the strongest ones.
My father was Alpha Luke’s Beta. He and my mom died protecting Alpha, Luna, and their son. That was their job.
After their deaths, my brother Andrew became Beta. He and our Alpha were best friends since childhood, and now they run our pack together.
My brother is an amazing Beta, and an even better brother. He was 17 when our parents died, and after that, he had to take care of our pack and me. He never complained. He took those responsibilities and did the best he could. And he did great. He always made sure I was safe and taken care of. He still does.
I finished high school a few months ago, and all I have to do now is train. After the attacks, my brother and our Alpha decided that all pack members must train to be able to defend ourselves.
The rule in our pack is that we all must go through high school. It is something similar to a human high school, but we learn werewolf and pack history, pack laws, and everything needed to help the pack function properly. For example, if a wolf is interested in working for Alpha, he or she will learn a bit more about running the pack. If a wolf is interested in agriculture, he or she will learn about plants and our crops to help sustain our food supplies. If a wolf is interested in defending the pack, he or she will learn about defense techniques, attack formations, and they will have to spend more time training than the rest of us. I chose to help the Alpha run our pack. It was natural to me. My brother is the Beta and I wanted to help him as much as I could. So, I learned all about pack laws and everything else needed to successfully run our pack.
The Alpha, Beta and pack healer are the only ones who leave the pack to go train for their positions. They go to different packs where they learn everything needed for their positions in a pack. The training lasts for about a year.
Considering our pack was attacked and our former Alpha was harm, our new Alpha and Beta finished their training in only a couple of months. The pack needed them, and it had to be done quicker than usual. I missed my brother when he left, but I knew it was something he had to do.
We have to train every day, but tomorrow I get a day off because it is my birthday and my first shift. It is a special occasion. The first shift is important because you get to meet your wolf, and your mate.
Mates are important in wolf culture. A mate is your special someone, picked by our Moon Goddess. It is the connection of two souls. Your mate becomes the most important thing to you. You love them instantly. You want and need to be with them and protect them.
My brother still hasn’t found his mate. And neither did our Alpha. So, until he does, his mother, Gloria, still has the Luna title and does the Luna duties.
She had a hard time after her mate, our former Alpha, passed away. She almost didn’t make it. She didn’t eat, sleep or do anything. That is what happens when you lose your mate. Your will to live goes away. However, she recovered, and she is an amazing Luna. I love her a lot. She helped me and my brother after our parents died, and she and I have a special relationship. She is like a mother to me.
I asked her to be present for my first shift. She accepted and gave me a big hug. It is a big deal to be present for a wolf’s first shift. At least in our pack. Each pack has its own tradition, but in ours, only the wolves you choose get to witness your first shift. And it was an honor to be chosen.
I chose my brother, Luna Gloria, and my friends Amy and Jacob. They were all honored and excited for me.
I couldn’t wait to shift. It will be amazing. And maybe I will be luckier than my brother and meet my mate soon.
I had to go to training soon, so I brushed my teeth, took a quick shower and got dressed. I put on my black tights, training bra, grey hoodie and my black sneakers. I tied my long brown hair into a ponytail and went downstairs.
I was unpleasantly surprised when I came downstairs. Sienna was standing in my kitchen looking at me like she wanted to kill me.
She is my brother’s and Alpha’s best friend. She is 25, just like my brother and Alpha, and she has been hanging out with them since childhood. Now, she is clinging on to them like they are a lifeboat. She was devastated when she found out that neither my brother nor Alpha were her mates. That didn’t stop her from trying to become Luna. She is always around Alpha, proving herself and trying to convince him to take her as his chosen mate.
Werewolves can do that. If their mate dies or they don’t find their true mate, they can take a chosen one. It is frowned upon, especially in our pack, because we take mates very seriously. Most packs do, actually. But some have a milder attitude toward chosen mates.
Sienna was tall, blonde, and perfect. Her make up was always on point. Her hair was always combed and styled to perfection. But only when we were alone. When we were around my brother or Alpha, she was a totally different person. She was nice to me, and she once told my brother that I was like a little sister to her. I tried telling my brother about her, but he didn’t believe me. He told me I was jealous of her and how much time they spent together.
“Sienna.” I said coldly and grabbed a mug from a cupboard.
“Good morning.” she said and smirked. “It must be good to sleep as long as you do.”
“Maybe you should try it to.” I said as I poured coffee into my mug. “You need as much beauty sleep as you can get.”
I turned towards her with a smirk on my face. She was pissed.
she said through her teeth. “I will become Luna soon and I will exile you so soon you will not be able to blink.”
She always did this. She threatened to exile me when she would become a Luna. I knew she would actually do it, and I could only hope she didn’t become a Luna.
I wanted to say something back, but I heard the front door open. My brother and our Alpha walked into our kitchen. Sienna quickly put on the biggest fake smile on her face.
I rolled my eyes. How didn’t anybody see how fake she was?
“Good morning, little one.” my brother said and kissed my forehead.
That was his favorite nickname for me. I was small, smaller than any wolf my age, and he liked to point that out. Especially because he was huge. 6’4, and had muscles all over his body, just like Alpha.
We looked a lot alike. We both had brown hair and bright blue eyes.I inherited my mom’s pale complexion. I wa out in the sun all the time, but I couldn’t seem to get tanned.
“Good morning, Andrew. Good morning, Logan.” I said and smiled.
I get to call Alpha by his first name only in the privacy of our homes. On other occasions, I must refer to him as Alpha. Or Alpha Logan.
Sienna didn’t like that. She gave me an ‘fierce’ look over their shoulders.
“Good morning, Emma.” Logan said as he sat at our kitchen table.
“What are your plans today, Em?” Andrew asked as he poured coffee for himself and Logan.
“Nothing much.” I responded. “I have a training session in an hour and then I will just hang out with Amy and Jacob.”
“Tomorrow is your first shift. Are you excited?” Logan asked me and took his coffee mug from my brother.
“Yes.” I said and smiled brightly. “I can’t wait to meet my wolf.”
“Maybe you will find your mate, Emma.” Sienna said coldly. “And maybe we will lose you to him tomorrow.”
She gave a fake sad look to my brother. Goddess, they were so blind if they didn’t see through her act.
“Don’t worry, Sienna.” my brother said. “She will always be our little sister. No mate will take that away from us.”
I wanted to scream and throw up. She was not my sister! She was a fake beach who couldn’t wait to get rid of me! But I couldn’t say anything, so I just gave him a fake smile.
“After your shift, you can start working at a pack house.” Logan said. “You went to high school to work at the pack office, right?”
“I did.” I said and smiled. “I can’t wait to start working.”
“Good.” Logan said and smiled.
He was handsome, even more when he smiled. And that was rare. He was usually very serious and focused only on his job as an Alpha. He always did what’s best for his pack. That was why he was so successful.
He was as tall and as muscular as my brother. Maybe even more. The alpha and beta of the pack were always the strongest wolves. And it always showed. You could always see who alpha and beta were. He had dark blonde hair and green eyes. His jaw and his nose were chiseled perfectly, and his lips looked soft. He was hot. No wonder Sienna was all over him.
She drooled after my brother as well but being Beta’s mate wasn’t good enough for her. Although, if my brother took her as his chosen mate, she would accept that as well. She was only after the title and power. Too bad they couldn’t see that.
A doorbell interrupted my thoughts. Jacob was here.
“Is that Jacob?” my brother asked.
I nodded and put the mug in the dishwasher.
“I will see you tonight. Goodbye, Logan. Sienna” I said and gave my brother a kiss on the cheek.
Logan smiled at me, and Sienna gave me a cold stare. beach.
I walked out of the kitchen and opened the front door. My friend Jacob was standing there, smiling at me.
I always had a crush on him. I still do. He is handsome, tall, muscular and has black hair. His dark brown eyes look like a pool of chocolate. And I love chocolate. Sometimes I wish he would be my mate. We would be great together, and I know he likes me. He told me himself.
We never dated or even talked about it. We saved ourselves for our mates. It isn’t forbidden to have laid with others, but it is frowned upon, mostly by our pack elders. The rest of the pack agrees that we should wait for our mates but turns away when they see someone dating outside of a mate bond. Not all of us saved ourselves for our mates, though. I know for a fact that my brother and Logan had their share of she-wolves. I think Logan even slept with Sienna, which only added to her belief that she would be his Luna. Jake and I never talked about it, but I think he slept with some she-wolves as well.
Jacob is 22, but he still hasn’t found his mate. So maybe he is mine and I am his. I will not be happy to know that he slept around if he is my mate, but I don’t want to hold his past against him.
“Good morning, beautiful.” he said and gave me a kiss on the cheek.
“Morning, Jake.” I said and closed the front door.
“Are you excited?” he asked and took my hand in his.
“Yes, I am.” I said with a big smile on my face. “I can’t wait to shift.”
“It will be amazing.” he said. “You will be amazing. I am really honored that you asked me to be there.”
“Of course, I did.” I said. “You and Amy are my best friends. I want you there.”
“Maybe I will be something else to you as well.” he said and winked.
I laughed. “Maybe you will.”
We walked over to the training grounds together.
Amy was already there, waiting for us. She is a year older than me, and we met at high school. She introduced me to Jacob. They are cousins.
She and Jacob look a lot alike. She has the same black hair as he does. Her eyes are a little bit lighter than his, though.
“Well, if it isn’t my two favorite wolves.” she said and smiled brightly.
“Hello, Amy.” Jake said and gave her a kiss on her cheek.
She gave me a big hug. “I can’t wait to meet your wolf tomorrow, Emmy. Our wolves will be best friends, I just know it. Just like we are.”
“Oh, I am sure Alora will love my wolf.” I said with a huge grin.
Our wolves have their own names. Amy’s wolf is named Alora, and Jake’s is named Jared. I can’t wait to learn my wolf’s name.
“Enough chitchatting, girls. Time to train. I will see you later.” Jake said and walked over to his training ground.
Jacob works as a patrol wolf, so he trains harder and differently than us. Patrol wolves train separately from the rest of us. Amy works at a greenhouse. She is amazing with plants.
Jacob and I sometimes trained together. He taught me a little bit about what they do at their training sessions. He said he wanted me to know as much as possible to be able to defend myself. He wanted me safe.
After an hour and a half, we were done with our daily training session. Jake still had an hour left so Amy and I went home to shower and change.
We would meet at a diner we always went to.
When I came home, Andrew was not there. He is out dealing with pack stuff. Being a Beta is not like other jobs when you work from nine to five. There is always something to do. Especially when your Alpha is Logan.
I quickly showered and changed into a pair of jeans, a white sweater and my black Converse sneakers. I dried my hair and let it fall down to my waist.
When I came to the diner, Amy was already sitting at our usual booth.
“Hey, lady.” she said. “You look amazing.”
“Thank you.” I smiled. “Not as amazing as you do.”
She is gorgeous, tall, skinny but with curves in all the right places and totally confident. All the boys want her.
“So, tomorrow is a big day.” she said, sipping her chocolate milkshake.
“Yes. I am so excited.”
“Maybe Jake will be your mate and we will be family.” she said with a big smile on her face.
“I would love that.” I said. “You know I love Jake. He would be a great mate.”
“And he is totally in love with you.” she laughed. “Most boys are, actually.”
“What are you talking about?” I said and frowned.
The waitress brought me my strawberry milkshake, and I thanked her before taking a sip. It is amazing.
“Come on, Emma.” she said and rolled her eyes. “You are beautiful and hot. I can’t believe you never noticed the looks you are getting. It makes Jake totally jealous.”
“I always thought they were looking at you.” I said and smirked.
Amy laughed. “Well, they do. But I am not the only one they are looking at.”
I blushed and looked down at my hands. “Well, I don’t care. I will wait for my mate.”
“And here he comes.” Amy said and pointed at the door.
Jake was walking in. He gave us a big smile and walked over to our booth. He sat down beside me and kissed my cheek.
“Hey, girls. What are we talking about?” he asked.
“Mates.” Amy said with a huge grin on her face.
“I can’t wait to revisit that topic tomorrow.” Jake said and winked at me.
I laughed and blushed. “Okay, stop making me blush.”
Jake laughed and pinched my cheek. “Why? There is no prettier sight.”
“Okay, love birds. Enough.” Amy said and laughed. “Emma, when are we meeting tomorrow?”
“Well, I will have lunch with my brother and spend the day with him, and we will meet at the shift site at 8 pm.” I said.
My brother and I have a tradition of spending our birthdays together. No other people. Just him and me. We always have breakfast and lunch together. After that, we watch a movie and eat as much cake as we can. I love our tradition.
“Great. I can’t wait to see if your wolf will be as small as you.” Amy said and laughed.
Jake joined her as I glared at them.
“Oh, come on, Emmy.” Jake said laughing. “We love how small you are.”
I frowned but joined their laughter.
We spent the rest of the day talking, laughing, and making plans for our first run together.
It was late when I came home, but Andrew was still out. I quickly showered, put on my pajamas, and got under my covers. I can’t wait to see what’s to come tomorrow.
‘Good morning, Emma.’
I turned towards the door to greet my brother, but nobody was standing there. I am alone. But whose voice was that?
‘It is me, girl. Your wolf.’
I flinched. Of course, it is my birthday. I got my wolf today. It is weird, though, to hear a voice inside my head.
‘You will get used to it.’ A voice said.
‘It will take some time.’ I responded.
‘We have all the time in the world.’ My wolf said.
‘What is your name?’ I asked her.
‘Eliza.’
‘I like it.’ I told her.
‘I know you do, Emma. Now, get up and go spend the day with your brother. Asher has already sensed my presence, and he can’t wait to meet me.’ She said.
I got up excited and full of energy. I can’t wait to see Eliza.
I brushed my teeth, showered, and put on sweats and a hoodie. Perfect for a lazy birthday day with my brother.
When I came downstairs, Andrew had already made pancakes. It was our traditional birthday breakfast.
“Happy birthday, Emma!” he yelled and gave me a big hug. “Asher sensed Eliza. He is so excited to finally meet his sister.”
“She can’t wait to meet him too.” I said and gave him a big smile.
I adore Asher. He is the best wolf there is.
“Come on, let’s eat.” he said and pulled me to the table.
After we were full, we went to the living room to start our first movie of the day. We always watched the Avenger series. Humans did a great job on those movies.
At around 1 pm, Andrew and I went to the kitchen to start making lunch. On my birthday we have my favorite meal, lasagna. On his birthday, we have his favorite meal, pizza.
I started making the lasagna while Andrew sat down at the kitchen table.
“Maybe you will find your mate soon.” he said.
“Maybe.” I said, not looking up at him.
I don’t like talking to him about this. He is my brother, and talking about mating is weird. And I don’t want to leave him, ever. It will be really hard for me to leave with my mate.
“Maybe it will be Jacob.” he said.
I looked up at him. “Would you be okay with that?”
“Yes.” he said and shrugged. “He is one of our best warriors, so I know you would be safe with him. And I know you like him already. It would be easier for you to go with him.”
I walked over and sat beside him. “It won’t be easy for me to leave. No matter who my mate is. You are my family. I don’t want to leave you.”
“I know, Em.” he said and smiled. “I don’t want you to leave. But if you find your mate you will. And we will be okay.”
“Maybe I won’t find him.” I said and got back up. “You never did.”
“Yes.” he nodded. “But I have a pretty good feeling you will, and it will be Jacob.”
I smiled and rolled my eyes. “We will see.”
He got up and helped me finish our lunch. After we ate, we went back to the living room to watch another movie.
At around 7 pm, Andrew told me to go and get ready. We had to walk for about 20 minutes to reach the shifting site in the forest.
It is a small clearing in the middle of the forest where all wolves go for their first shift. It is special because it is the only place in the forest where the moon can shine on you completely. Our forest is so thick that moon can barely shine through the trees. The clearing is the only place it shines freely.
I put on my white dress, chosen especially for this night. It is tradition to wear white on the night of our first shift. I put on my shoes and went back downstairs.
Andrew was waiting for me at the door. He handed me my jacket and we left the house.
My heart was pounding in my chest. Andrew probably heard it because he grabbed my hand and pulled me closer to him.
“Don’t be scared, Emma.” he said quietly. “It will be amazing. And I will be there for you.”
“Thank you.” I said. “I love you.”
“I love you too, little one.” he said and gave me a side hug.
After about 20 minutes, we arrived at the clearing. My friends and Luna Gloria were already there, waiting for us.
Luna approached me first. “Happy birthday, sweetie. I can’t wait to meet your wolf.”
“Thank you, aunt Gloria. She is excited to meet you too.” I said with a big smile.
Amy and Jacob came towards me with big smiles on their faces.
“Happy birthday, Emmy.” Amy said and gave me a tight hug.
“Happy birthday, Emma.” Jake said and kissed my cheek. “Now, let’s meet your wolf. It is cold and I don’t want you to get sick.”
He is right. It is December and the only thing I am wearing is a dress. I do have a jacket, but it is not keeping me warm. The only reason I am not shivering is excitement.
“He is right, Emma.” Andrew said. “Give me your jacket and stand in the middle of the clearing.”
I did what he said and stood in the middle of the clearing. They all gave me an encouraging smile and turned around to give me some privacy.
I carefully win my dress and shoes and folded them neatly into a pile. I stood back up and looked up at the moon.
‘Are you ready, Emma?’ My wolf said.
‘I am.’ I responded. ‘How do I do this?’
‘Just let go. It will hurt. But don’t fight it. It will be over soon. Let go and give me control.’ She said.
I did what she said. I took a deep breath and let her take control of our mind and body. I started to feel my bones break. I let out a little scream and fell down on my knees.
“That’s right, Em.” I heard my brother’s voice. “It will be okay. Just let go.”
The pain was unbearable. It was like breaking all of your bones at the same time.
I fought the urge to throw up and focused on letting go of my control.
A few moments later, I was standing on all fours, my white fur shimmering under the moonlight. I took a deep breath and lifted my head proudly.
My friends and family turned around and gasped.
“She is white.” Luna Gloria said.
I looked at her and moved my wolf head. Is that something special?
‘We are a pure white wolf, Emma. Nobody is a pure white wolf.’ Eliza said.
‘What do you mean?’ I asked her. ‘There are white wolves. I have seen them before.’
‘Yes. But none of them are pure white.’ She said proudly. ‘They all have a spot in a different color, or their paws are different. We are all white.’
“What does that mean?” Amy asked quietly.
“I don’t know.” my brother said, not taking his eyes off of my wolf. “But she is beautiful.”
“She is.” Jacob said quietly.
I looked at him and immediately felt disappointed. No sparks. No connection. He is not my mate.
‘We are not his.’ Eliza said. ‘We belong to somebody else.’
‘What do you mean, Eliza?’ I asked, surprised. ‘Do you know who our mate is?’
‘I do.’ She said. ‘You will know soon.’
‘Who is he?’ I asked. ‘How do you know?’
It isn’t common for a wolf to know who his or hers mate is. They only know when they see them. But not before. What is going on?
‘I am not talking to you about it.’ Eliza said. ‘Now, stop thinking about this and focus on your friends and family. Andrew is trying to mind-link you.’
I pulled my focus away from our conversation and focused on my brother’s voice inside my head. Now that I shifted, I can mind-link the entire pack.
Emma? He called me. Emma, can you hear me?
Yes. I responded. Sorry, I was talking to Eliza.
You are beautiful, Emma. He said proudly. Do you want to go for a run?
Yes! I said with excitement in my voice.
My brother told the rest of the group to shift, and we all went for a run. Eliza met all the wolves, and I could tell she loved them all. And they loved her. Especially Asher. He was attentive and careful with Eliza, just like Andrew is with me.
When I had enough, I mind-linked Andrew to tell him to go back. All the excitement and nervousness got to me, and I was tired.
We got back to the clearing and took our clothes into our mouths. We all went behind a tree to shift and change.
Shifting back hurt as well, but not like the first time.
‘Each time we do this, it will be easier.’ Eliza said. ‘After a while, it won’t hurt at all.’
I walked back to the clearing, and my friends and family were already there. They hugged me and gave me a lot of kisses. They are proud of me and happy that I finally have my wolf. Nobody mentioned that I am a pure white again, so I just decided to forget about it. It is nothing special. I am nothing special.
Luna Gloria left first. We stayed at the clearing for a while, just chatting and laughing. After a few minutes, we started walking back.
Jacob walked beside me, and Andrew and Amy were in front of us.
“So, we are not mates.” he said with sadness in his voice.
“I guess not.” I responded, not looking up at him.
“That doesn’t mean we can’t be.” he said. “I would choose you as my mate. I love you, Emma.”
I looked up at him, surprised. But before I could say anything, my brother interfered.
“Jacob, no.” he said strictly. “At least not yet. I know you love my sister, but she is only 18 and there is a chance she will meet her true mate. If she doesn’t in a few years, and if you don’t find your mate by then, you can make her your chosen mate. If she wants to get a chosen mate. But not before she has had a chance to find her true mate.”
I looked between Andrew and Jacob.
Jacob wanted to fight, but he knew my brother was right. I love Jake, but I deserve a chance to find my true mate.
After a few seconds of Andrew and Jake just glaring at each other, Jacob nodded and lowered his head.
“You are right.” he said quietly. “But I will wait for her.”
“I am sorry, Jake.” I said and took his hand in mine.
“You have nothing to be sorry about.” he said and gave me a small smile.
Amy was quiet the whole time, but I could tell she was sad. She really hoped Jake and I would be mates.
We continued our walk through the forest, and soon we were back at our house. Jake and Amy said their goodbyes and went home.
Andrew and I went back inside the house, and I looked at my watch. It was 10 pm.
“Hey, do you want to watch another movie? It is not too late.” Andrew asked and took my jacket to put it away.
“I would, but I am so tired.” I said.
He smiled. “Yeah. The first shift will do that to you.”
“I will just go to bed.” I said. “Thank you for today. I loved it.”
“I loved it too, little one.” he said with a big smile. “Asher and I love your wolf.”
“We love you too.” I said and smiled.
I walked upstairs, and Andrew went to the living room.
I hopped in the shower and put on my pajamas. I got under the covers and closed my eyes immediately.
I don’t think I slept long when I was awoken by a loud knock on our front door.
I looked at my watch and saw that it was 11 pm. Who was here this late?
I removed the covers and went toward my bedroom door. I opened them in time to hear my brother’s voice.
“Logan?” he said. “What are you doing here?”
“Where is she? Where is Emma?” Logan asked nervously.
His voice was the most amazing sound I have ever heard. It was like music to my ears. What was wrong with me? It never sounded like that before. It must have been because I was tired.
But he sounded cold, rushed. I didn’t know why he was asking for me, but I had a feeling that I was in trouble. But I didn’t do anything wrong.
“Emma?” my brother asked. “She is sleeping. Why?”
I could hear surprise and confusion in his voice.
I started walking toward the stairs and was instantly hit with the most amazing smell, pine needles and snow. It smelled like a winter forest.
‘Mate!’ Eliza screamed in my head.
‘What?!’ I asked and froze.
‘It is Logan, Emma. He is our mate. Go to him.’ Eliza said, excited.
Logan? The Alpha? He is my mate? I am a Luna?
I had a million questions in my head. My feet started moving against my will. It was like something was pulling me downstairs. Well, not something.
“Wake her up.” Logan growled. “Now.”
He sounded mad. Why was he mad?
“I am awake.” I said and started walking down the stairs.
I stopped in the middle to look at Logan.
Everything shifted when I looked into his eyes. He was now the center of my world. He was everything. I felt this incredible need to touch him, to be in his arms.
I wanted to run to him, but I stopped myself when I saw how cold his stare was. What was going on?
“Logan?” my brother called him.
“She is my mate.” Logan said through his teeth.
My brother gasped and looked up at me. I nodded and looked back at Logan. He was standing there looking at me with a cold expression on his face. His fists were clenched, and his posture was rigid.
He didn’t want me. That’s why he was so angry. I was not good enough to be his Luna.
“Emma.” Andrew called my name. “Go to your room. Now.”
He must have seen how angry Logan was and wanted to talk to him about this. I turned away and walked back upstairs.
But there was no way I was going back into my room. I wanted to hear what Logan would say. I had a feeling I knew, though.
I heard them walking to the kitchen, and I sat at the top of the stairs. I would be able to hear them talk and, hopefully, they would be focused on their conversation and would not be able to hear or sense me. I just had to be very quiet.
I hugged my knees and waited.
“Talk.” my brother said coldly. “How did you know before you even saw her?”
“I don’t know.” Logan sighed. “I could sense and smell her. It happened about an hour ago. At first, I thought I was going crazy, but then I decided to follow that smell. I knew for sure when I came closer to your house. Leon started going crazy.”
“That is weird.” my brother said. “Mates usually know when they see each other. They can’t sense it before.”
“I know. But I did.” Logan growled.
My brother sighed. “Why are you angry?”
“She can’t be my Luna, Andrew.” Logan said.
My heart broke. I hugged my knees even tighter. I felt warm tears running down my cheeks. Nothing hurts like your mate’s rejection.
“What? Why?” my brother asked angrily.
“She is a child.” Logan said. “She is not strong enough to be a Luna. I need someone stronger.”
“You are kidding me, right?” my brother yelled. “because you don’t think she is strong enough?!”
“It is for the pack.” Logan said calmly. “You know our pack needs strong leadership. Especially now that rogues are attacking even more frequently.”
“Alpha is always stronger when he has his Luna by his side.” my brother growled.
“He is. And I will have my Luna.” Logan said. “I am thinking about taking Sienna as my chosen mate.”
My heart stopped beating. He was choosing another she-wolf instead of me. And not just any wolf. Sienna. She wanted to get rid of me. And she will. She will become a Luna and she will exile me from my pack.
“Why didn’t you already do that if you think she will be a great Luna?” my brother asked angrily.
“I wanted to wait for my true mate.” Logan answered. “To see if I was gifted with a strong she-wolf. But now that I see that is not the case, I can freely choose somebody else.”
“I can’t believe this.” my brother said quietly.
“You know I am right, Andrew.” Logan said. “You know that you, me, and Sienna will be great leaders, and the pack will benefit greatly from our leadership. We can’t do that with your sister. She is only 18.”
My brother said nothing, and I think he agreed with Logan. He thought that I was not strong. I didn’t think my heart could break even more.
I’ve heard enough. I got up and walked to my room.
My heart was breaking into a million tiny pieces. I didn’t think that I would ever be able to put it back together. And he hasn’t officially rejected me yet. I didn’t know how I would survive when he does.
Mates can reject each other. Nothing does. It is only words. But it lets you know that your mate doesn’t want you, and it is horrible.
Being exiled by Sienna and becoming a rogue suddenly didn’t sound so bad. It was better than staying here, watching them together.
‘Eliza?’ I called my wolf. ‘Are you okay?’
‘No, Emma.’ She whined. ‘I am in pain.’
‘I know.’ I said. ‘I am sorry.’
‘His wolf wants us.’ She whined. ‘Leon wants us. It is Logan who is fighting the him.’
I didn’t respond and I felt her going further back in my mind. I didn’t think I would hear from her again tonight. She needed to heal.
I couldn’t stay here. I couldn’t see my brother. I couldn’t see him.
I quickly put on my tights, a hoodie, and sneakers. I grabbed a jacket from my wardrobe and opened my window.
My room was on the second floor, but there was a roof just underneath it. I always sneaked out this way when my brother forbade me from going out with Amy. He never caught me. I hoped that tonight would be the same.
I carefully climbed out onto the roof and made my way down. I had to be really careful not to make any noise. I was in a house with an Alpha and a Beta werewolf. Their hearing was even better than other werewolves’. I just hoped they were still talking and focused on their conversation.
I climbed down and started walking toward the forest. There was a cave nearby where Amy, Jake, and I always went to hang out when we wanted to be alone. I needed to go there and think.
