The Reluctant Luna

That's my mate!

*James*

When she walks out and I get my first glimpse of her, I'm completely blown away. She's more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. Her dark hair is pulled up, with curls just barely grazing her shoulders. Her skin looks naturally tan and is letting off a magnificent glow. Her eyes are like two bright shiny green orbs, set on top of high cheekbones, with a tiny button nose, and finished off with thick, sexy lips. Her face is heart shaped and she has a cute little chin.

My gaze is intense, while I soak in her features and then look down, leading to a slender neck, and sexy shoulders. Underneath that dress, I am sure, is an even sexier body. Thank the Moon Goddess! She's everything that I could ever want and more. Her scent is still strong in the air and getting stronger by the minute. I'm completely intoxicated now, making it hard for me to even string enough words together to complete my thoughts.

Slowly though, as she proceeds further down the aisle, I come to the realization that she is in a wedding gown. Not a bridesmaid's gown! No, she is in a wedding gown!! Her eyes straight forward, centered on another man. I see her glance around for a moment and then she moves her beautiful green eyes back towards HIM.

She didn't wait for me......the thought makes my heart clench and I feel a sharp pain in my chest. Devin's howls continue, with a sorrowful pitch now, as he comes to the same conclusion. I hear him give off a slight whimper and then he's quiet. Perhaps, he's gone off to lick his wounds, just as I would like to do.

She reaches the end of the red carpet and I watch as Alpha Jackson places her hands into the hands of her warlock groom. Her mate.

No, not her mate! I realize that as well. He can't be her mate. BECAUSE SHE IS MY MATE!

I listen as her warlock starts saying his vows and an overwhelming sense of rage erupts within me. He can't have my mate. I won't let him! SHE'S MINE!!!

AND I WONT STAND FOR THIS!! THERES NO WAY!

As I get up, I hear a loud growl that echoes through the air and literally shakes the ground. I don't even realize the sound came from me as I scoot past my parents and the other guests, desperate to get free, so I can get to my mate. I make it to the red carpet and fly up towards the front.

She turns her head towards me and I see a shocked expression flint across her face. She lifts up a hand as if to fend me off. I reach her and grab that hand quickly, giving it a slight tug, and throwing her balance forward. At the same time, I lean down, putting my shoulder across her stomach and wrapping my other arm around her thighs. I stand up and throw her over my shoulder.

"What are you doing?" I hear Alpha Jackson roar "Put her down!!!" but I'm an Alpha myself and so his command does nothing to me.

I turn and head to my left, the bridesmaids moving out of the way, seemingly not opposed. I see someone who looks amazingly similar to my mate, but i don't hesitate. I run around the pavilion and then cut towards the right, which puts the line of trees, that starts the forest, into my view. I increase my speed to werewolf speed as I hear a commotion start behind me and feel a whisper of a hand on my shoulder.

"Stop right now! That's my bride" I hear her groom yelling as he tries to catch up to me. He is not in luck though. He is no match for my werewolf speed and not even his magic tricks will stop me today. Nothing will stop me!

I hit the treeline and disappear into the forest. But suddenly, my path is obstructed.

Her warlock can do more then I thought....although come to think of it, I never even gave him a thought, or his abilities. He suddenly appeared right in front of me. Before I could even think about it, my free hand reacted for me, hitting him with a fierce uppercut and knocking him out cold.

I hear my tiny mate scream for the first time, her fists pounding on my back. "Put me down, you animal!! Right now!" She emphasized her words with another hit. "Who are you to think you can kidnap me???"

"Your mate. As I'm sure you already know." I yell back in response, not even winded by the run. I dash in between trees, and jump over logs, still keeping a steady pace. This would be easier if I could shift, but I can't do that and carry my mate. I will just have to keep running in my human form.

"No, you're not! My mate is back at the packhouse. Take me back right now!!!" She yells, her voice muffled. Her face is now tucked against my back, and she is holding on for dear life, as I am now going too fast for her to try to do anything but hold on.

"I will not!" I yell back "The moon goddess says you are MINE! If that's a problem, you can take that up with her!"

I reach the border of her territory, the edge that is joined with mine. I see warriors patrolling the line but to my great surprise, they make no effort to stop me. I dash across into my own territory, with the warriors standing there, just watching me. I even thought I caught a glimpse of a smile while shooting past.

It wouldn't have made much of a difference anyways. I would have gotten past them one way or another. But this makes me think. I heard warriors and her father coming after us in the beginning, as I hit the trees and disappeared into the forest. They might not have been able to catch me, but they could have continued to track our scent until they eventually found us. But my senses aren't picking up on any other wolves but the ones we just passed.

I keep running, nearing my own packhouse but continuing on, instead of veering in that direction. I'm heading to a spot that I'm sure has been forgotten about, by the very few that are even aware it exists.

I need time alone with my mate. I need to make her understand the mistake she almost made. The packhouse is not the place for that. It doesn't allow for the privacy we need.

I slow my speed a little. I don't want to make my mate sick after all, and I'm not in danger of being stopped now that I'm in my own territory.

However, this gives my mate another opportunity to renew her efforts. I was thinking about putting her down but I don't want to take the chance that she will run away. I slow down to a jog and she starts beating her fists against my back and yelling "Put me down ! Right Now! I'm not going to tell you again". She even goes so far as to try to throw herself sideways, off of my shoulder.

"You better stop that, Little mate!" I warn her "I don't want to lose my grip and end up dropping you on your head. We are almost there!

"Almost where?? I'm not going anywhere with you!!!" she replies, continuing to beat on my back.

"You already have" I say, chuckling. My little mate is a fiesty one! And I love it!

A wide grin slides across my face as I see my little cabin coming into view. I used to frequent the cabin often as a teen, when I needed space, and it's been my secret hideout for years.

I approach the front door. It's locked but all that is needed is a hard jerk on the door knob. It pops the lock out of place and the door opens. I walk in the cabin, which consists of a small kitchen space that is combined with the living room area, a bedroom, and a bathroom. The perfect hide out for one person....or for a man and his mate. I have it cleaned often and stocked with food, by the only housekeeper who knows my little cabin exists.

I walk over to the couch and gingerly lower my mate down so that she lands on the couch with a small plop. She immediately rolls sideways off the couch and makes a dash for the door.

*Ava*

I am amazed at what has happened, but oh so happy at the same time. My sister looked beautiful. She was simply gorgeous in her dress, literally walking on air down the aisle.

She made it to Liam, and as mean as this may sound, I began to panic. I was just starting to think my dream was wishful thinking, and I would be stuck with this dud as my brother-in-law and then a furious growl echoed through the air. It was a powerful growl. Powerful enough to have the ground under my feet shaking slightly.

I instantly got excited, thinking of the chaos that occurred in my dream. Not that I want chaos in life, but I do if it somehow stops my sister from making this mistake.

I looked towards the rows of guests and saw an extremely handsome man, a sexy man, plowing through the line of guests who had the misfortune of picking that area to sit in. He rushed up to my sister, and in the blink of an eye, he had thrown her over his shoulder and taken off for the woods.

My father and Liam tried to take off after him, with my father mindlinking his top warriors and ordering them to come as well. I ran behind my father, trying to get his attention. I made it to the edge of the woods and managed to see Liam pop up in front of the man and my sister. In one swing of a fist, Liam was on the ground, and the man was on his way again.

"Dad!!! Dad, stop!!' I yelled across mind link to my father.

My father hesitated, turning towards me long enough for me to catch up to him.

"Dad, let them go" I yell, running up to him and grabbing his arm to keep him from running again. My father's warriors were flooding the woods, running in various directions, trying not to lose my sister's scent.

"Ava, have you lost it? That's your sister! Why wouldn't we go after her when some nut job has taken off with her?" My dad yells back, staring at me like I have lost every bit of sense I have.

"Dad, listen to me for a minute" I insisted "Please! I know you know that man, right?" My father knew everyone at the wedding, so I knew he had to know him too.

"Yes, Ava. That is Future Alpha James." My dad reluctantly admitted.

"OK, Dad then you know he isn't a nut job. That's Abbi's mate! He has to be! And there's no way a man is going to stand there and watch their mate marry another man! Especially an Alpha!" I stress my point, still pulling on his arm. "You have to let them go, Dad. Let Alpha James try to convince Abbi to accept him. You aren't any happier about Abbi marrying Liam then I am. This is her way out of a sham marriage! Let the mate bond do its job!"

The expression on my Dad's face changes. He's considering it and I know I won this battle a moment later, when I hear him sending out a mindlink to the warriors, telling them to lay off the search and return to the packhouse. He also links the wolves on patrol and tells them to stand down.

I let out an ear piercing screech and begin jumping up and down. "Thanks Daddy!"

I'm so happy for my sister. And I'm just as happy for myself. When I looked at Alpha James earlier, I saw a handsome and sexy man, but what I didn't see excited me even more. My mate!.... I didn't see MY mate!

Now I know for sure, after all these years, that I dont have to share my mate! I love my sister dearly, but we have had to share everything in our lives. My mate is the one thing that I have secretly hoped the Moon Goddess would give me a pass on. I'll share anything else, but I want my own mate.

I'm extremely happy, because even though I haven't found my mate yet, my sister now has a chance at real happiness with her mate. She wanted to steer clear of the mate bond and now she's discovering that the Moon Goddess has other things planned for her. I have faith that the mate bond will win this battle.

I smile and float across the yard towards the pack house. This discovery has me happy enough to float on air myself