My Future Luna

6| Seeking

| Victoria |

I chewed my lip nervously. This was the last allied pack on the same continent as us. Where is my mate?

My wolf had become inconsolable over the last few months. She said we were supposed to meet our mate straight away- that it shouldn't have taken this long. That she knew it in her soul. I would trudge through every pack we went to, but as soon as we crossed the border I knew he wasn't there because my wolf would know.

I sat in the backseat while my father's Beta, Mark, drove from the closest human airport to the Winding River Pack.

“They've got good warriors here,” he was telling my dad, who sat in the passenger seat. “We've got that program we’re trialling with this pack. It's been going well- our warrior here has made a really good impression. The Alpha would be pleased if our future Alpha came from his pack.”

I opened my mouth to snap at him. I was right here. Didn't he know I wanted every time we rolled up to a new pack that that'll be the one? To have this stupid search over with.

“Easy honey,” my dad cautioned with a mindlink, sensing my rage.

I just huffed and crossed my arms. At this stage, I just wanted my wolf happy and to just get on with having whatever mate the goddess gave me. Do my duty. Take over from my parents, so they could relax for the first time in twenty years.

It was another hour before we crossed the border, making me sit forward in my seat.

“Daddy…” I breathed out. “He's here!” My voice turned into an excited scream.

My mate. I could feel him. I was practically squeezing between the two front seats in my eagerness. Beta did an amazing job not to drive off the road with my exuberance.

My wolf roamed inside me, ready to tear my human form apart so she could hunt her mate down.

“We have to do this properly, Victoria.” My father practically shoved me back into my seat. He looked pleased though. “We'll meet with the Alpha and Luna, and find your mate with their assistance.”

I bounced in the backseat of the car until we arrived at the packhouse. I clenched and unclenched my fists with impatience as we met the Alpha family. He stood with his beautiful Luna and all five of his daughters.

“Gods,” I grumbled to my wolf- why all this pomp and ceremony? “I'm not going to have a female mate-” Feeling like the alpha had brought them out just in case. “Am I?”

Natalia shook her head, unable to speak. Knowing my mate was somewhere here was too much for her to bear.

“Can I go look now?” I asked the moment the pleasantries were over.

“We have all unmated wolves coming to the packhouse at eight. You can rest and freshen up until then,” the Luna announced.

I practically growled at her, displeased that I'd have to continue to wait.

I quickly apologized, side-glancing at my dad- who gave me a strong Alpha glare.

“It's okay,” the Winding River Pack Luna just laughed good-naturedly. “I remember what the mating call was like. He'll be a lucky man to have such a strong she-wolf at his side.”

I could only nod and reluctantly follow them to our quarters. They had prepared a separate room for my father and Beta, a big suite put aside for me- it was both cringe-worthy and appreciated.

After ten months of my wolf pestering me to find our mate, I had just wanted it over with, and for her to be happy.

And she was, practically purring inside, soothed by thoughts of being with our unknown mate. Natalia had assured me the goddess would give us a strong and deserving mate, dismissing any of the concerns that have plagued me the last couple of years- it was hard to shake off, but her excitement was contagious and I found myself feeling the same joy as she was.

Time dragged and felt an eternity before evening came. I fought to keep my hands steady as I changed my dress, a sparkly number. It was pale pink with clear sequins. Knowing he was here… I wondered if he'd rip it from my body.

On tenterhooks, I trailed behind my father as we made our way to where the Alpha and Luna had set everything up.

“Alpha Lewis and Victoria,” the Alpha addressed my father and I. “We will bring the men through here.”

I held my head up high as close to a hundred men, and not all young, were cycled through the room. We all awkwardly greeted each other, then the man would continue as my eyes slid to the next one. Once all remaining men were in the room, the queue outside the room cleared, and it dawned on me that my mate wasn't even in the pack house. He was on the packlands though. My wolf was sure of it.

“He's not here,” my growl ripped out of me.

I stormed out as my father started to speak with the Alpha of the pack. “Are there any others? We don't care about rank-”

“This is all our unmated wolves, Alpha Lewis, there are no other members of my pack-”

We’d broadened our search to all pack members, and not just ranked, four months ago, having to double back on a few packs. Some packs sent their lowest-ranked wolves to work in their human businesses, so they'd been called home for my return visit. But the Winding River Pack had confirmed they had no unmated members outside the pack this weekend.

I’d barely been home a weekend since I turned eighteen, travelling all over to try and find my mate.

I roared as I pushed out past the throng of men around the doorway. I could imagine some were thinking they had dodged a bullet with how I snarled and gnashed my teeth. I was too far gone to be concerned with the manic energy that drove me.

I would find him myself. He couldn't hide from me.

I'd barely made it out of the packhouse when I shifted, my beautiful dress tearing without all the passion I had imagined.

I heard my name and my father pushing a mindlink at me. “Victoria, come back. This isn't our pack- you can't just-”

I cut his voice off, I'd scented something. There was no stopping me or my wolf now.

My large form raced through the night. I could hear a few wolves on runs in the woods, some families in their homes, in their backyards. The buzz of life.

I traced the scent to the back of the training grounds. There was a small fire with about a dozen people around it drinking and laughing. I was a while away but could hear and smell clearly, but the fire obscured my sight at this distance.

My mate was there.

“You should have seen it, every f*****g male shuffling through like we were heading to the gallows-” some guy who I could scent had been present at the packhouse, spoke.

“She was hot, though.”

“No doubt, but no p***y is worth that.”

Most of the group laughed. I felt a twist of anger from both me and my wolf. This fool likened being mates with me to a death sentence?

“You know her, don't you?” A soft female voice.

“Hmmm? Yeah. Sure.”

My tail started to wag. That was my mate's voice- it sounded familiar, but I guess my mate's voice would.

I ran forward.

~*~

| Preston |

I was trying to ignore what all the men were saying about Victoria. It annoyed me and my wolf. She was my future Luna- until I pledged here instead- so disrespect was hard for me to swallow. I didn't want to come across like a psycho so I shut my mouth and my wolf.

“Make them shut up,” my wolf said dangerously.

“Chill you freak,” I told him. All the warriors here were ranked higher than me in any case, even if I wasn't just a visitor, I couldn't just tell them to stop talking.

“p***y,” he grumbled. He was like that- often displeased with my meekness- especially today.

I'd deliberately steered clear of the packhouse all day- eating at the barracks, thankful for my mum teaching me how to cook. He'd called me soft for running scared from the visiting young she-wolf.

“You know her, don't you?” Dana's shoulder barged me as she sat next to me.

“Hmmm? Yeah. Sure.” I replied, distracted. I'd felt funny since the afternoon. Maybe I was worried about her saying something about me. If her mate was here, she might tell him all the lies too, and then here wouldn't be a possible home anymore.

I swung my arm around Dana, pulling her close to my side, I went to say something when a scent hit me. I sniffed the air furiously, and my whole body tensed.

“Preston,” Dana twisted in my arms so she held both my shoulders. “What's wrong?”

One of the other warriors started speaking, not noticing my reaction or Dana’s concern, just narrowing in on what Dana and I had been saying. “She as big of a b***h-”

In the few seconds it took me to get my senses back, Dana had been ripped from my side- a large light-coloured wolf bounding across the fire we'd built, and clasping around her shoulder.

The campfire scattered, everyone yelling in surprise. Dana's voice cried out in shock and pain as she was flung through the air to crash into three warriors who had been standing on the other side of the fire.

The magnificent blonde wolf stood, front legs splayed and snarling at me.

“Mate…” I whispered in awe.

The wolf's ferocious snarls reduced to little whimpers. It sounded like I'd hurt her. It took me another second to realise my mate had reacted to Dana touching me.

I gulped. “It's okay…” I said soothingly, as I got to my knees in front of my gorgeous mate. My wolf was barely holding back, wanting to shift, demanding I mark and mate her- “That needs to be done in human form,” I reminded him, at his conflicting demands.

She was beautiful. I hadn't seen her around the pack. Maybe she'd just shifted- it wasn't midnight though. The last pack run was almost two weeks ago. Could she have shifted the last few days and we just hadn't sensed each other?

I reached my hand out, aching to touch her fur. Everyone was backing away- they knew better than to come between two mates. I couldn't see where Dana was, and later I would be ashamed I hadn't even thought to check if she was okay.

There was a shimmering convulsion as my mate turned back into her human form.

My hand dropped as I recognised her.

~*~