The Reluctant Luna

Double Check

*Abbi*

I left the house and headed to the wedding planner’s office. Meredith is an older woman, who has been planning both human and supernatural weddings for years. She is aware of the situation, and my family’s reluctance to accept the fact that I am going to marry outside of my destiny, and is willing to help as much as she can.

After pulling up to the office, I get out of the car and start walking towards the building. Meredith met me at the door and ushered me into her office.

Her office is just a large room, with a bathroom off to the side, a desk that takes up almost an entire wall, a couch, a few chairs, and a few small tables. There are flower center pieces all over her office for both my wedding and another wedding that she has been working on.

My color scheme is light gray and maroon as maroon is one of my favorite colors. Teal is my absolute favorite color but I fell in love with a series of maroon bridesmaid dresses that I saw in a magazine display a few months ago and I just had to have that color scheme.

I sat on the couch in her office and began updating Meredith on some last-minute changes that I want made. Meredith looks at me with the same look she always gives me. A look of resignation. I know that she's not happy that I want things changed so close to the wedding, but they are small changes so she is willing to appease me.

I'm still talking when I notice a hesitant expression cross Meredith's face. I see her open her mouth and then close it again as if she's not sure if she wants to say anything or not.

"What's wrong?" I ask her

At which point she surprises me by almost whispering “Abbi, are you really sure that this is what you want to do?”

My eyes widen and I shake my head. Oh Goddess, not her too. I reply back warily "Really Meredith? Are you seriously asking me that?"

"Just hear me out Abbi, please?" She responds.

I nod my head, giving her the go ahead to continue.

"Abbi, I understand that you love Liam. In your own way anyways. I just don't want you to do anything that you may regret in the future. What happens if you do meet your mate after your already married?"

"That's simple" I rely "Although there are a few ways that situation could play out. If Ava and I end up with the same mate, I'll just reject him and Ava can accept him. It may cause him some pain, but still having one of us would prevent it from being as severe. If we have our own mates...." I take deep breath and then continue "I'll have to reject him and he will either get a second chance mate that will appreciate him or he will be free to choose the person he wants to be with as well"

"Nothing is ever that simple, Abbi" Meredith said in response. "You know the mating call is very powerful and it is not something that can easily be ignored and done away with. What if your mate has been waiting for you? Not to mention it is very painful, and can be deadly, for a mate to be rejected. Are you willing to cause that man that kind of pain because your afraid of getting hurt yourself?"

I had to stop and think before I could respond. I never want to cause anyone pain and I know that there is a chance that my mate could make an appearance one day. However, I am still determined to marry Liam.

"Meredith, I love Liam and that is the man that I want to be with. He may not be my mate as a werewolf, but for all we know maybe I wasn't given an official mate like everyone else. Maybe the Moon Goddess is allowing me to choose my own husband. I can't say what the future will bring, but I can say that I don't think I will regret marrying Liam. I have no desire to be a slave to the mate bond. All due respect to the Goddess, but I'm not going to sit around and wait to see if she blesses me with a mate. Especially when I really don't think that losing part of my heart and soul to someone else is a blessing. Not one that I want anyways."

Meredith just looked at me and shook her head. "Ok, Abbi. I guess what is meant to be will be, huh?"

With that being said, I finished reviewing the remainder of my plans and then start gathering my things. I gave Meredith a hug, and a kiss on the cheek, on my way out before heading across the street to a small diner, for an early lunch date with my love.

*James*

“James, where are you son?"

“In my office, Mother” I respond as I hear my mother's lovely voice echo throughout my living area.

“I got you a new suit, James” my mother states as she walks in with her arms full “and a new tie”

“For this wedding that your forcing me to go to, I presume?” I respond dryly.

I have plenty of suits and ties that I wear for business meetings, but my mother still insists on buying a new one for each event she expects me to attend. She claims that my business suits are boring and are not "trendy" enough.....Who still uses the word 'Trendy' anyway?"

I had almost forgotten that there's a wedding this weekend. My mother was insisting that I attend, like I don't have better things to do. The daughter of another prominent pack is getting married on Saturday. My mother informed me weeks ago that I was going to be her date. Although, she is dragging my father along as well, so in reality I suspect that this is another attempt to help me find my mate.

She has not mentioned the event since she told me about it, so I was beginning to think that I was going to get lucky, and wouldn't be forced to attend. I'm not the biggest fan of weddings. Especially for people I've never met, but being the future Alpha of my pack, also forces me to socialize with other packs. So I have to put in an appearance at times, regardless. And it's not as though I don't want to find my mate. I would love to find my future Luna, but considering that I'm already 22 years old, I'm starting to feel as though I never will.

My darling mother has made it her mission though to help me with this issue. She is convinced that my mate is among another nearby pack and loves to remind me that I really won't find her if I do not venture out more. I am already aware of this, but I've been so busy over the last few years that I didn't really have time to worry about tracking down my mate.

Most Alpha children take over their packs at 18, although some do wait till 21. But my father was determined not to hand over the pack until I had time to live a little and explore. I spent many years of my childhood training to be Alpha and attending meetings with my father. Then, when I turned 18 and graduated, I went to college. I put in 2 years and graduated with an Associate's degree in business. It wasn't necessary to get a degree to run the pack, but I learned a lot and it was an overall good experience. I also figured it would be beneficial, considering our pack owns several businesses, in both the supernatural world and the human world.

I attended a werewolf school so I had previously had hopes that I would find my mate there. Then I could have returned to my pack, ready to take over, with my Luna in hand. It didn't work out that way though, and after school, I went to a year long extended Alpha training program. I returned to the pack a year ago and it has become obvious that my mate is not one of my pack members. I knew my mate wasn't in the pack before I left, but I had thought that maybe they weren't of age yet, and would be when I returned. Nothing in my life could be that simple though. So my mother has spent the last year trying to drag me to every event she can, in hopes of assisting the process.

My father is still hesitant about handing over the pack. Even though he won't admit it, I feel as though he is making excuses, and trying to wait until I find my Luna. He claims it's because he wants me to have some freedom before I am saddled down with a pack and endless responsibilities, but I truly don't believe that. I already do a ton of the paperwork and take on responsibility for the pack and several of our businesses so I just don't understand why he won't take that final leap yet.

I am the oldest son of the Queen's family. Alpha is the role I was born for and I am a powerful wolf, but I know that I will be even more powerful with my Luna at my side. To be honest, I have to admit that I am starting to get a little impatient. My wolf doesn't make things any easier either, with his constant pining for his mate.

'It's coming' I hear my wolf whisper.

'What is?' I ask him, confused.

'Our mate. She will be with us soon.' Devin replies before disappearing and going silent again.

This pipes my interest as my wolf has never made a statement like this before.

I repeatedly ask him to elaborate but he refuses to do so, trying to keep the link between us closed.

'It's a strong feeling I have. Just wait and you will see!' he insists, even after I ask him several more times.

I sigh and focus my attention on my mother once more. She hangs my new suit and tie on the back of my office door and then informs me that she expects me to be ready bright and early Saturday morning.

“Yes Mother” I reply, before turning back to my work.

I run several of our smaller businesses and spend hours each day working on paperwork and plans to expand the businesses. As mentioned previously, I am the oldest of the four Queen sons. I have three younger brothers, Michael, Matthew, and Levi. None of us have found our mates yet and my mother is beginning to fixate on it. She has always wanted a daughter but was unable to have more children after having complications with Levi. Therefore, she has decided that she will be content with a few daughter-in-laws and some grandbabies. My brothers and I are extremely close in age so we are all of the age to find our mates. We just haven't had any luck, but anyways, werewolf pregnancies only last 5 months and my parents must have been very busy, because there is barely a year between each of us, with Michael being 21, Matthew being 20, and Levi being 19 years old.

I try not to, but I start dwelling on my wolf’s words even as I try to focus on my paperwork. Hopefully, he is right, and we will be finding our mate soon. All work and no play is starting to make me into a very grumpy man.

I have had several opportunities to "play" with some of the she-wolves in the pack, but I have no desire to do so. I am not completely innocent but I refuse to play in my own back yard. I don't want my Luna to come to the pack and have to face other she-wolves that I have been intimate with. I want my mate to feel comfortable and secure in her role in my life and in the pack. For that reason, I have only dated she-wolves from other packs, and a human once for a few weeks.

I shake my head, as though I am physically trying to shake myself, out of my own mind. I'm never going to get this paperwork done if I keep drifting off and not focusing on the task at hand. Quickly, I immerse myself in my work and all thoughts of the wedding leave my mind....but now I am left with a slight feeling of anticipation and I can't say for sure where it comes from. Perhaps it's the thought, and the hope, that my wolf is right. It's past time to find my Luna and bring her home.