Moonlight Princess

Going back?

I get up to leave.

It's not like I could stomach anything right now anyway.

But before I could get out the door, David's hand stopped me.

"Where do you think you're going? You can't leave!"

"Yes, I can. And I will."

"You're not going anywhere! This is your home now!" he growls at me

Damn it... I need to control myself.

"This was never my home. My stay here was always temporary. But it is too dangerous to continue. It's best that I leave."

"It's not dangerous. If you hate being touched, then I will order everyone to stay the f**k away from you. It is that simple. You can't leave me, Ema!"

"Son, what's going on?" Caleb tries to interfere, but David only growls in response. I didn't know he was so... possessive. Then again, I only met him a few days ago.

"This isn't about whether others are touching me or not. Even now, as you brazenly hold my hand while growling at me, my instincts are telling me to fight you. I have quite a temper."

All the pack members stopped eating and looked at us, unsure how to act. Only Caleb stood up and tried to grab onto David, trying to calm him down. I suppose this is confusing for everyone.

"Calm down, son. What is--" the Luna stops Caleb, approaching me with a hand on her heart and a slightly bowed head.

"I am truly sorry for what I did. I didn't know you would react this way. I created an unnecessary conflict and made you uncomfortable and alert. This was not my intention, and I truly hope you will forgive me. I do not know what warranted such a reaction, but I swear, in my name, I will not allow this to happen again. But David is right, my dear. This is your home now."

"What the hell is going on?" asks Caleb

"Oh, dear. You still don't get it? She is our son's mate! How can you ask her to leave?"

"What?"

David's grip loosens, and he turns to his mother.

"You knew?"

"How could I dare call myself a mother if I didn't even know this much about my child? I saw you sniffing around from the first day Ema arrived, and I saw how you looked at her yesterday. I saw you looking at her door, and don't even get me started on the hormonal scent you've been giving off since she came here. You're like a love-sick puppy about to go into heat."

"Mother!"

Now everyone is looking between David and me, all with surprised expressions on their face. I don't like this attention.

"What? Why didn't any of you say anything? Why didn't you tell us you found your mate, son? You've been looking for her for years. This is a very important thing for both you and the pack! Now that the future Luna has been found, we need to formally welcome her into our pack. She can't go around smelling like a rogue. We need to prepare the ascension ceremony and--"

"Stop, father! This is exactly why I didn't say anything. I didn't want anyone to rush her. She's just starting to learn about werewolves, and she only found out about mates yesterday."

"Hmm, yes, you are right. If we rush her, we might overwhelm her. We should let her adjust to the pack first. I can't believe I almost drove my son's mate out of the pack. Still, I can't imagine how hard it must be to control your werewolf instincts around her. I'm proud of you, son."

"Thank you for understanding, father."

....

....

... did they forget about my existence?

I am right here. I can hear you all very clearly. And this is my choice, you mo--

"Ema, darling! This must've startled you. I am so sorry about my mate! He is a great Alpha and a good father, but he is very slow to pick up sometimes. Let's eat first. We can talk after!"

And once again, Amelia touched me. She took my hand and guided me to the table, making me sit on the chair next to Sophie.

Now that I know who she is, her touch doesn't alarm me anymore, but it is still very uncomfortable. Repulsive even.

"You just swore on your name to not touch me again..."

"Sorry, darling. Worst of habits... but look at that! You didn't try to attack me this time. It's only been a few minutes, but we're already making so much progress!"

"That's because now I know you're David's mother. So I am restraining myself..."

Now that I think about it, David's touch doesn't seem to bother me all that much. Is this also because of the mate thing?

"Well, we have plenty of time ahead of us! You'll be getting used to it in no time, darling!" says Amelia in a cheerful tone

On the surface, it may seem as if her personality is similar to Sophie's.

But that couldn't be further from the truth.

Unlike Sophie's impulsive actions and innocent eyes, Amelia's movements are all calculated. She might try to hide it, but the eyes never lie. They're not called the 'window to the soul' for no reason.

This woman can analyze a situation and act accordingly almost instantly. She is definitely someone whose personality changes according to the situation. But she doesn't seem a bad person. I don't detect any malice in her. She's just a woman who knows what she wants and what to do to get it.

"Come on, love. You must eat something." David says as he sits next to me

"No. This doesn't change anything. I still need to leave."

"We just talked about this. We resolved this misund--"

"No, we didn't. The fact that we are mates doesn't change anything."

"Why are you so adamant about leaving?"

"Didn't you hear a word I said? This is too dangerous for me. This is not the city, and these are not humans. Everyone here is as strong as me, maybe even stronger, and I am alone in this pack. This night could've ended with my death. I was too complacent. I should've stayed in the nearby city. It is too dangerous for me to stay here!"

He opens his mouth and closes it almost immediately. I can see him taking deep breaths as if trying to restrain himself. Taking his time to think before opening his mouth again.

"Alright. I am sorry for putting you in this situation."

"This wasn't your fault--"

"Yes. Yes, it was. I wanted to avoid a situation, but I ended up creating a worse problem. If I had told them you were my mate, no one would've made you feel like you were in danger. I am sorry, Ema. But I can promise you this, no one will make you feel like that again. No one will dare. I know this is all new to you, and you don't really understand what's going on... also, I can see you have some trust issues, but know this, my love. As my mate, you are to be the Luna of this pack. And no pack member can harm their Luna or Alpha. Even if they wanted to. It is in their blood to protect the pack leaders. I promise you are not in danger here. Quite the opposite, this pack- your pack is the safest place for you to be."

After going back and forth for a few more times, I decided to stay. I don't know why, but I trust David's words. I trust him.

Ah, this mate bond is more dangerous than I thought...