A Deal with Moon Goddess

Chapter 4

“Wilder, get up honey it is the training day.” Wilder heard his mother call. Great, f*****g great.  It was September again and life was supposed to get back to its fast-paced way. It was like this for the most, but he wasn’t planning on joining any classes or hobbies or anything that will take up time and stop him from doing nothing. It was his gap year after all. No school, no college. 

Well, at least that’s what Wilder thought but yesterday his father sat him down and talked a tone more loudly than necessary. Thanks to Wilders hangover it sounded even louder than it was so, he remembers his father yelling at him about attending the mandatory courses. 

“Wilder, just because you are my son it doesn’t mean that you are excused from mandatory training and classes. While you are at it I expect you to find decent occupation by the end of this year. You need to start acting according to your duties.” Alpha Orion said to his son who was trying to focus on his face.

Duties, of course, duties of breadwinner and pack Alpha. As part of the Alpha family, his main task is founding the pack or at least thinking of ways bettering life and s**t. Open more clubs and give out free drinks. He wanted to suggest but luckily sensed the absurdity of the idea. 

“Father, you already have 2 other people to do this, just let me chill this year and I will figure something out in the next one.” Said the 19-year-old and waved his hands around more than necessary. Sober people do not wave their hands around. He needed to seem sober. 

Orion sighed and massaged his temple. “Wilder, I understand you have your own little world up there. But it’s time to grow up. Moon Goddess didn’t grant us better genetics and higher power for you to squander it away in parties. We, all of us, for generations, looked after this pack and its people and in turn, she shone her light on us and blessed us with higher crops and better luck. Being the protectors of this pack, looking after it and nurturing it, is a job of every River Bane Alpha, even the youngest one.” Orion explained and tried to talk sense into his boy, however, Wilder couldn’t focus on anything after Moon Goddess. He has already heard this exact speech too many times and every time his father made it seem like it wasn’t his wish that Wilder worked it was Moon Goddess direct orders. 

Sensing the dismay on his son’s face Orion saw Wilder coming up with something smart to talk back. “Wilder, do not embarrass yourself and me. That’s just all I ask for.” Wilder and Orion shared eye contact for longer than normally acceptable until Orion finally left the room. Wilder hit his head on the table in front of him.

Now he was hitting his head on the same table. “I do not want to go to training, mother. I have already trained enough.” His mother, Victoria, chuckled and twisted Wilder’s hair between her fingers. “Oh, my wildling, you never seem to change. It is always I do not want to do this, I do not want to do that. What do you want to do?” She spoke, even though her words were sharp, they didn’t cut Wilder open like his father’s words. They were buttered with her sweet voice and actions but nevertheless, the words were knives and when Wilder lifted his head he felt them cut through him. 

What do you want to do?

Robin was already in the field when the coach blew his whistle for everyone to gather. Field training was back on and no one was happy about it. Even though Robin hated it, she liked the idea of being able to kick ass in any situation. This year she was hoping to progress to a higher tier of fight training she was in 3 which was neither here nor there but she wanted to move to 2. Iris who was on tier 4 didn’t care about fighting, knowing few self-defence tricks were enough for her, while Blair was tier 1 and was probably more jacked than Robin could ever hope for. Robin made a mental note of trying to train with Blair when she is free. Blair could definitely help her get to a higher tier. “Laps around the field, go, go, go,” Coach yelled loudly and groans followed it.

Robin took in a deep breath and started jog along the field. Slowly she spotted Iris and Hope jogging few feet ahead she picked up her speed and reached them. “Good morning ladies,” Robin said and Hope smiled upon seeing her. Robin couldn’t remember the last time spent a decent amount of time with Hope after she found her mate. A jackass from somewhere in the pack doing something boring that Robin couldn’t remember. That fucker, marches in here and takes her friend away from them. 

Now, a normal werewolf, or even a human might note that Robin has trust and anger issues, but she chose to call them precautions. Yes, she wasn’t trusting people easily but it was also a test to see if they were worthwhile knowing and trusting and accepting into her circle. That’s why, when someone comes and creates distance between Robin and one of the members of Robin Trust Circle, Robin wants to rip their throat apart. 

Girls talk as they run the laps, Robin thinks about jogging and reaching Blair so she could join the conversation too, but then remember how seriously Blair takes her training and realizes that Blair is too far ahead for them to reach her. 

From initial conversations it seems like Hope is doing good, her mate- Jonathan or whatever with J was his name is doing good, he is nice and s**t. Robin doesn’t feel satisfied with Hope’s answers and is going to ask more about it once they settle in to start their on-spot training.

Luckily for Robin, when Coach groups them up, Hope and her get to be a team. They are supposed to start with practising punches and then move to kicks and then defence stances. 

“So, you sure you are doing fine?” Robin asked outright as Hopes started to punch the wooden deck that Robin was holding. Hope looked at her mid punch and sighed. “Yeah, I mean over the last week we were getting to know each other and he is nice.” Robin snorted. “A thing can be nice but then it is not enough to last forever and you throw it out.” 

Hope rolled her eyes as one of her punches was a bit stronger than previous ones. “Ro, I understand your concern but I am fine, we recognized we were mates and then every time he touches me the sparks get stronger.” 

Robin sighed. “Well, just because someone up there thinks you are made for each other doesn’t mean that you are. Maybe it’s just the mate bond, maybe it’s just the weird Goddess magic. Think about it Hope, you really want to spend the rest of your life with this one person?” Robin was pressing on further. She was worried about her friend and didn’t notice how she was projecting her own fears into the situation. 

Hope shrugged. “Well I still have most of my life to figure that out and if Moon Goddess seems him fit for me, I will just trust her judgement.” Hope was getting irritated, she wanted to change the subject. 

“But how can you be so quiet and calm about it? You think its fair that you have to find the one and only at this age. Hope, we just finished school. You wanted to study and work with smaller pups, remember? Are you going to give that up?” Robin said and held the deck stronger as Hope was doing the last set of punches. 

“To be honest, I wouldn’t trust Moon Goddess judgements, I mean we have never seen her, she never comes outright and says what she wants. Also, mating with someone for life is bullshit; tastes change you can’t be stuck with the same person for the rest of your life and have to create more pups who will have to go through the same f****d up life.” A voice said and Robin nodded. “Exactly, mating shouldn’t be mandatory. I don’t need another wolf to be complete.” Robin continued her argument, Hope was still throwing the punches.

Wait, who spoke behind her. Robin turned her head around and saw Wilder looking at him with a smirk plastered on his face. “Why is your nose always up my business?” Robin said, her anger finding a new person to focus on.  Her hand wasn’t holding the deck as strongly as before so the next time Hope threw a punch it didn’t hit the deck. It hit Robin in the stomach.