My Future Luna

3| Harsher still

| Preston |

I was glad the door was closed. I could hear easily, but they wouldn't be able to even scent me. I was also glad I was already sitting down. Victoria's words rang in my ears.

Maybe they were talking about someone else…

“Oh…” there was a pause from Alison. “I thought maybe the two of you…”

Victoria's pretty laugh rang through the space. She closed out her laugh softly like it was hard to do. Her tone shifted to be conspiratorial. “I'm not one to gossip, but considering you're new here, I'll say this much. Preston has some strange… tastes.”

What?

Sweat created a film on my palms. It was Victoria that was telling these lies about me?

I guess this was it- the final and indisputable confirmation that our friendship was over.

Alison remained quiet.

“He's a complete freak.” That was Mitchell, our Gamma's son. While we weren't really friends, he'd always been friendly to me.

“Trust me, as someone who's been there- cut ties with him now.” I felt confused by Victoria's connotation.

“Um…” Alison sounded uncertain.

I felt myself shut down. Victoria wasn't just no longer my friend. She was my enemy.

I waited until they continued down the hall, before I pulled myself to my feet and left.

~*~

Alison didn't want to swap song recommendations after that. In fact, no one wanted anything to do with me. It wasn't worth it with the attention they would get.

While being alone was preferable to being ridiculed, my remaining time in high school sucked. My only saving grace was that the bullying didn't become physical. I had bulked up with my extra training, so early days shoving and tripping stopped.

Occasionally, someone new would start at school and want to be my friend, even a few girls had seemed interested, and then one of the old rumors or a new one would pop up, spread like wildfire and I was back to being alone.

I threw myself into the training and study, ignoring not only Victoria, but her other friends' attitudes towards me changed. If I just kept my head down and out of their way, I avoided outright cruelty.

My first six months of training went well. I eclipsed the other unshifted pack members. When Delta Lucy offered to take me into the adult group, officially, I leapt at the chance to get away from the kids my age. It meant I completed elite training with my dad in the early morning, still, but then trained with the adults in the afternoons, instead of the other teens. Unfortunately I couldn't avoid Keith, but if my dad was around Keith wouldn't say or do anything.

My accelerated training prepared me to enter the elite program early- the tactical and strategic theory training. My physical training couldn't start until I got my wolf.

With my lack of social life I was able to easily balance school and my training- my mother getting right that I could excel at anything I put my mind to. I just hoped my wolf would be strong enough to maintain it.

My father was going a step further and was hopeful I could go for Gamma or even Delta one day- but by the time I was in my senior year of high school the last thing I wanted was to work directly with the future Luna and Alpha- Victoria and whoever the moon goddess chose for her.

Being elite would bring me closer than I wanted, but, as I reported to the Delta, it should create a buffer between me and the other ranked members of the pack. Also as elite we were often loaned out to other packs, and the idea of traveling appealed to me.

The start of the senior year very quickly showed it was going to be a rinse and repeat of the previous year. I thankfully had spent the summer getting credit to graduate early. Six months early.

I was never going to go to prom anyway, and I didn't need to get my diploma with everyone else. The Principle was disappointed as I was going to be valedictorian due to my grades. But apart from a twinge at not rubbing my successes in others faces, I had just grumbled I didn't care, and got the wheels moving for an early release.

Graduating six months early meant I could take part in a new program. I had been in discussions with my Delta and another pack on a type of exchange program. I'd go live in their pack, and a member of theirs would come here for six months to exchange tactics. I wouldn't normally have been chosen, when not yet shifted, but my technique was perfect. I was also very studious and this required a lot of report writing. My eighteenth, and therefore when my wolf came in, was during the exchange, so the Delta was happy to take a chance on me.

My dad was super excited about it, and he was especially happy I could do it sooner rather than later. As was I.

As we sat around the dinner table, I told my parents about my discussion with my principal. We tried to have a family dinner at least once a week. It was challenging with all of our busy schedules, especially my mum.

And now I wouldn't be here.

I often felt guilty about my choice not to work with my mum, missing the opportunity of spending more time with her. I couldn't imagine seeing Victoria everyday at school and at work, though.

I knew I made the right call then, and I was making the right call now.

I would miss my parents, but I had to get out. I secretly hoped the goddess gave me a mate at the other pack I was going to, so I could stay there. I didn't want to come home. If she wasn't, this program could be extended, and I could be sent to other packs- increasing my chances of finding her.

As foolhardy as it was, I clung to my hope that I would find my mate and some of this hurt would go away- this aching loneliness I have felt since Victoria turned on me.

“I'll pick up my diploma on the 15th, so I'll leave that night,” I was telling my dad.

My mum's head snapped up, “But Victoria's eighteenth birthday party is on the 16th. You have to stay for that.”

I rolled my eyes as I made a sound of disgust. “Please, as if I would go to that.”

She didn't want me to leave, bringing up every possible thing I should stay for.

“She's the future Luna,” she chastised. “And all unmated wolves are invited.”

I snorted as I shoveled food into my mouth, trying to push down the lump I felt in my throat. I could only imagine the reaction from her and others my age if I showed up. I'd look pathetic- like I was hoping she was my mate.

“I wouldn't go to that even if I wasn't going away,” I scoffed.

Both my parents shared a look, but it was my mum who spoke, “The two of you were such good friends- maybe just come for the start-”

I slammed my hands down, a slight cracking sound coming from the solid wooden table causing my parents to both jump in shock, “NO! I won't be wishing that b***h a happy birthday! She can go, and be happy with her stupid alpha mate, and then maybe she'll leave me alone!”

My voice cracked a bit.

She had left me alone. So alone.

I cleared my throat, smoothing the tablecloth as I got myself under control. Both my parents gaped at me. I'd never lost it like that before. I'd done a good job to hide what I had been going through, but they knew things hadn't been great for me.

“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to raise my voice- or call our future Luna a bitch.” I took an even breath as I fought to keep my voice level. “She hasn't always been very nice to me, so I don't want to celebrate her birthday.”

“Okay son,” my dad said hesitantly. My mum just quietly stared at me.

I felt my mother's mindlink. She always did this. Tried to get me to talk to her when I was upset- that was the last thing I wanted to do. Yeah, tell my mum how lame I was.

“I'll leave the night of the 15th,” I confirmed as I straightened my back. I felt at ease when both my parents' nodded in understanding.

~*~