Luna's Rejected Vengeful Mate

Chapter 6 - Leia- First Encounter (part 1)

Natalia

Time passed quickly, and soon it was dinner time-I had something light to eat because shifting required a relaxed stomach.

I kept looking at my watch. My anxiety grew, and I felt out of breath as time passed. Luna Isa sat next to me and held my hand, comforting me.

"Don't be afraid, Natalia. I will be with you all the way. I wish Massimo were here; he would have been of great help to you."

"Massimo?"

"Yes, our son-he is the Alpha of our pack. Something came up, though; he will be gone for a couple of months, and that's why Maurizio retook the position. He is replacing our son until he comes back."

"How old is your son, Luna?" I asked out of courtesy.

"He is thirty-one and still single," Luna Isa complained, which gained a big smile from her mate.

"Let him enjoy his life, darling-at least until he finds his mate," was all he said to her in reply.

"You see him, Natalia. His looks are even better than his father's," Fabrizio teased me, and I blushed, making everyone laugh.

Midnight came, and we moved towards the woods, where I would shift into Leia, my wolf form.

"Think of me all the time, Natalia. Try to imagine what I look like and bear the pain when it strikes you; otherwise, I will not be able to shift," Leia advised. "And when you want to shift back, think of yourself in your human form to do it. Okay?"

"Okay," I replied and closed my eyes, thinking about Leia.

I never expected the pain to be unbearable. Under the moon, I felt my bones break, and my body deforming-my arms and legs dislocated, forcing me to kneel on all fours and let out a scream of agony. My nostrils were burning, and I struggled to breathe. I felt my nose changing its form, and my intestines rose to my throat - I badly needed to throw up whatever was in my stomach. Cold sweat ran down my face, and a tremor shook my whole body.

"My Goddess, this is too much; I'm not going to make it," I thought in despair, and that was when Luna Isa came over.

"Natalia, whatever you feel right now, put it in the back of your mind, my child. Focus on your wolf. She will soon come forward and surprise you," she whispered in a motherly voice, bringing tears to my eyes.

I felt my spine curving and my bones dislocating again, and I screamed in pain, unable to handle what was happening to me, praying it would soon stop. The sound of broken bones and joints filled the air, and I watched with blurry eyes, my arms and legs forming into those of a wolf.

The pain continued, and I felt my skin itching. Burning sensations and pain washed all over my body. The urgent need to scratch my body was eating me up inside, but I could not do it, which annoyed the he.ll out of me. I watched in terror as tiny needles grew on my skin-fur of pure white soon grew and covered my whole body and face. "I am a white wolf?" I was shocked by the revelation of my wolf's identity.

I tried to speak, but instead of my voice, a loud howl of a wolf filled the surroundings. I had shifted to Leia, my white-furred wolf. I looked down- I saw my wolf's pure white paws scratching at the soil impatiently, waiting for something.

Luna Isa shifted to her grey wolf and nudged Leia to run with her. Leia followed Luna Isa's wolf deeper into the woods-she ran like the wind, surpassing Luna Isa's wolf in the forest and then waiting for the Luna to take the lead. She followed the other wolf to a small lake and walked into the water.

Under the full moon, I saw Leia's reflection in the water, an oversized white-furred wolf with dark blue eyes, a perfect creature of nature, a blessed child of our Moon Goddess. Leia stood proudly in the water, her sharp eyes scanning her surroundings, listening to all the sounds around her, smelling all kinds of trees and flowers. I couldn't help but notice the other animals trying to hide as she approached.

Luna Isa's wolf came close and nudged Leia-we had to head back. We walked all the way, enjoying our surroundings. We walked behind a huge tree trunk, and thinking of myself in my human form; I managed to shift back.

"You know you are special, Natalia, don't you?" Luna Isa said, locking her green eyes with my blue ones, and I could see respect and pure admiration there. I couldn't help but blush at her comment, not used to hearing praises of that kind. One thing was sure- I never expected Leia to be a white wolf.

We walked into the packhouse dressed in sportswear and found Fabrizio and Alpha Maurizio. My Uncle's proud expression filled my heart with joy, and I walked straight into his open arms-his fatherly hug was all I needed at that moment.

"You are a fighter, my little one. You will knock everyone down when you return," my Uncle said tenderly. "I will not have to worry much about you," he added, kissing my forehead.

Alpha Maurizio smiled at me, and holding his Luna in his arms; he told me the one thing I never expected to hear.

"Natalia, how I wish Massimo were your destined mate! I would be more than proud to have you as my daughter-in-law. Not many females would sacrifice their well-being to protect their loved ones, especially when they know what they will go against, doing so. You will make a great Luna, my child, no matter the circumstances. Mark my words."

His words touched a sensitive chord in my heart, and there was no way I could stop the tears that flooded like a stream down my face and the uncontrollable sobs that followed.

"Oh, sweetie, come here," Luna Isa pulled me into a loving hug and stroked my hair. "We are here for you, Natalia. If you ever need our help, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us. We are only a call away and a few hours by plane," she teased me, trying to make me feel better.

"How funny life is. You meet some people for the first time, and you feel like you have known them your whole life, considering them as your own family," Leia murmured, and I couldn't agree more with her.

We left the Midnight Shifters pack the following day after breakfast. I had many things to arrange before my departure; the first was to book my flight-Fabrizio reassured me that they would handle anything pending at the law firm.

When I returned to my place, I booked a flight for Monday morning and sent Uncle James a message informing him of my arrival time.

Sunday evening was torture for me. When Lisa came home, I told her I was leaving, not knowing if I would return, and she cried like a baby.

"You can't walk away from me, Nat. How can you do that to me? How am I supposed to live in this house alone where we have shared so many things?" she said between sobs.

"Lisa, honey, I have no other choice. My Dad is sick, and he needs me by his side," I whispered, holding her in my arms, feeling the same pain she felt.

"What about our house?

"I will give you my share of the rent for the rest of our contract. You never know-I might come back sooner than expected," I smiled at Lisa, trying to cheer her up. "And you will be able to use my bathtub as often as you want," I continued. She half smiled and lay in my arms, still sobbing.

I left some of her favourite clothes behind when it was time to pack-I wanted her to have them and to think of me when she wore them.

Fabrizio came over in the evening and insisted on taking us out for a drink.

"Come on, girls, leaving the apartment for a while will do you good. Wear something simple; we are going to a pub nearby."

He took us to a pub a few minutes away. I never expected to see Silvio and my colleagues there. Fabrizio had informed them, and not having enough time for goodbyes, they decided to surprise me with a last-minute mini-farewell party at the pub. The love they showed me touched me deeply, especially Silvio and Fabrizio.

For the second time in my life, I had to leave behind the people I loved and cared for because of Blake Hunter. My hatred for him grew, and I vowed to make him pay for the pain he put me through.

Fabrizio had arranged to take me to the airport the next day-Lisa had left for the office-she didn't want to see me go with my suitcase.

We drove in silence, with my Uncle glancing at me from time to time and me looking out the window, not facing him, pondering what I was leaving behind. I knew I could not control myself if I looked at him. He was frustrated as well and made a great effort to hide it. At the airport, he walked me to the counter, and while we walked toward my departure gate, he pulled me into a big hug and let his tears flow down his face. I was an emotional wreck, and I held him tight, not letting go.

"You are my safe haven, Uncle; I want you to know that," I whispered, kissing him softly, and he gave me a sad smile, caressing my face with his rough hand.

"I will miss you, my little one. And I will worry about you. Please keep me informed at all times, Natalia. Whenever you need me, just pick up the phone and call me. Werewolf or not, I will kick the jerk's ass," he said through gritted teeth, and I smiled at the tone of his voice.

I walked through the gate and let my feelings overwhelm me. My heart shattered into thousands of pieces, and not caring if people watched, I fell to my knees and cried uncontrollably, my arms around my waist, trying to hold my trembling torso.

I boarded the plane, took a seat by the window and closed my eyes, still crying. I didn't even realise that I'd fallen asleep, exhausted by my lack of sleep and emotional breakdown.

I woke up when the plane landed in San Francisco-I had slept for nearly seventeen hours non-stop. I switched on my phone, checked the time and sent a message to Uncle James. I would stay in a hotel near the airport for the night, and my uncle would pick me up the following morning.

A taxi driver was waiting for me at the exit and drove me to my hotel. I scanned my surroundings and realised that ten years was a lot of time-things had changed drastically, and I felt like a stranger in my country.

I spent my first night emotionally preparing myself for my encounter with my father and Blake-I was not going to show any weakness.

"That's my girl. Don't forget that you are one of the best advocates in Italy and a blessed female werewolf-you have me, a white wolf, ready to fight and defend you. Blake Hunter asked for trouble, and that's what he will get." Leia's words gave me courage; I was not alone in this fight.

My Uncle waited for me at the reception the following day. I walked his way, wearing a pair of tight blue jeans and a slim white shirt tied in front of my belly button, exposing my flat, toned stomach. My long hair flowed down my back, and light makeup brightened my blue eyes and clear skin. A neutral gloss made my full lips more attractive. He looked at me and smiled, then looked behind me and turned the other way. I turned to the receptionist, holding back my laughter.

"I would like to check out, please. Room 204"

"Yes, Miss White. Please wait."

"Natalia?" his face snapped at me in surprise, and I smiled.

"Hello, Uncle."

"Holy shi.t, honey, is that you? How stupid of me. Of course, those blue eyes, it's you, my child." He picked me up in his arms and spun me around. "Someone is going to have his mind blown," he winked at me and, taking my suitcase, led me to his car.

We had a three-hour ride ahead of us, enough time for my Uncle to explain how things had changed in our pack while I was gone. My father had difficulty keeping the pack's finances steady, especially with Blake Hunter always causing trouble. And the last straw had been the rogue attacks; our pack was not strong enough to deal with the rogues without help. That was the main reason for my father's heart problem and what drove him to ask for Blake's help.

"What is he like, Uncle? I mean Blake." I asked indifferently, but my heart pounded irregularly as the time to meet him approached.

"The Devil himself, Natalia. Nothing more, nothing less."

I felt a cold chill down my spine but didn't react to his words.

"And my father? How does he treat my father?"

"To be honest, besides insisting on marrying you, he did not disrespect your father or his title. He is cold and distant, but that is understandable. However, now that your father is in the hospital, he did everything he could to help him recuperate."

"Guilty, perhaps?" I snorted, and my Uncle shook his head, not replying.

Outside the Moon Howlers pack, Leia started howling inside my head, excited to be back where we belong. My eyes wandered around the houses scattered inside our pack territory, trying to see any changes, and everything was like I left it ten years ago. A lump in my throat obstructed my breath, and I suffocated temporarily. I pulled myself together in no time. I had to be strong for my father's sake.

And there it was—the packhouse, right in the middle of everything, a white three-story building that reminded me of a small palace. My mother's castle, as my father used to say. It had been built the way my mother wanted, with no balconies and full of glass windows protected by iron railings.

The garden was full of colourful flowers, making the packhouse more beautiful.

"Your father is in his room," my Uncle told me. "The doctor informed me that he dismissed him a while ago. I asked the doctor to stay with him-I am not sure how he will react when he sees you, honey. Maybe it's best if I prepare him first."

I nodded and entered my house for the first time in ten years. And there was the living room where Blake destroyed everything that night. My father had replaced the broken furniture, and the room was like no one had touched it.

I walked up the stairs, my uncle leading the way. I stood outside my father's room, waiting for my uncle to call me.

The door was half closed, and I could hear my uncle talking to another man in a high-pitched tone.

"Why do you keep bugging a sick man, Blake? Can't you see he is in no condition to give you a positive reply?"

"It's Alpha Hunter to you, James, and no. I need to have his reply this week, or I will not be able to help your pack."

"Blake, why do you insist so much on marrying my Natalia?" My father's weak voice was merely a whisper to my ears.

"Hey, old man. Don't think I was ever interested in your oversized daughter; she will just be my security when we sign the contract—nothing else." A cold voice replied, and my poor father started coughing.

I couldn't control myself anymore. I straightened my body, dusted the mere thought of dirt off my jeans, and entered the room, walking in my black leather heels, fully aware of my sexy figure in my skin-tight jeans.

Looking straight ahead and ignoring the man standing in the room, I walked to my father's bed, bent over him and kissed his pale face.

"Natalia?"

"Hello, Dad!" I smiled at my shocked father and caressed his white hair.

Taking a deep breath, I stood up and locked eyes with the most breathtaking ass.hole. Tall and muscular, at six ft twenty, with the darkest blue eyes I'd ever seen and the sexiest chiselled features, there stood, like a Greek God, Blake Hunter, the man of my darkest nightmares, looking stunned.

I let my eyes travel up and down his torso, sizing him up, and despite my crazy heartbeat, I put on a mask of indifference and addressed him.

"Hello there, Alpha Hunter. You were saying?"