Finding My Missing Luna

Chapter 3

Derek POV

I growl and take off after my lovely mate, unsurprisingly she's fast, surprisingly, she's incredibly fast. Like so fast for a moment I forget I'm pissed off and am just thrown at her speed. But when she turns around to see I'm following her and lets out a low growl, I'm back to being pissed. She seems to pick up her speed and take off into the woods around the back of her pack house. I follow and my wolf is begging me to let him out.

"Calm down Xavier, we don't want to scare her," I scold him.

"Scare her, she's running from me. From us, she's scaring me."

"You can't come out now, just wait until I talk to her."

"Fine."

I finally catch up to her after a ten minute sprint through the woods and only because I jump over a rock and tackle her to the ground.

"Get off me you a.sshole," she snarls at me and I almost smile because the way her nose scrunches up is adorable but I know that would be the wrong thing to do.

"I will if you promise not to run again."

"I don't have to promise you anything," I don't say anything to her just raise my eyebrow while refusing to move. After a minute she rolls her eyes, "fine, I won't run now get off."

"Anything for you mate," I wink before rolling off of her. She hops up and stands in a defensive stance like she's ready to fight me. I can tell her wolf is close to the surface and I don't know why she's so resistant to this, most wolves are estatic to find their mates.

"What do you want?"

"Are you serious?" I look at her dumbfounded, "we're mates," I say slowly. I know she must sense it, she has her wolf and I'm fairly certain she's at least twenty-one.

"And?"

"And what? Why are you making this so difficult? Why are you acting like you don't know what mates are?"

"Yes we're mates I get that, but that doesn't mean you get to just do whatever you want with me. It doesn't mean we have to give into the random urges we're having for strangers."

"Ah, so you are having urges for me," I say trying to lighten the mood a bit.

"Goddess, you're as arrogant as they say you are, aren't you Mr. Arrogant Alpha," she scoffs at me. I normally don't care about that stupid nickname and what people think of me when they use it but hearing it come from her rubs me the wrong way.

"That's me," I tell her with disdain, "the arrogant a.sshole who was exited to find his mate. Excuse me for being hyped up about finding you after twenty-one years. If I ever have the honor of meeting the Moon Goddess I'll be sure to tell her that creating fated mates was a waste of her time and talents. I don't really think I need you to show me around anymore, I'll just go ahead and meet with your father." I turn and walk away leaving my mate standing there by herself. How dare she treat me like this, throw that stupid f.ucking nickname in my face, and run from me her fated mate.

"Don't be so freaking dramatic," she says as she catches up to me. "Besides, as the next in line to be the Alpha of this pack, I'm going to be sitting in on this meeting as well."

"I'm the one being dramatic? You ran from me as soon as you saw me, you didn't even give me a chance to talk to you."

"Because I knew you were going to make this a whole thing and I needed a moment with Lexi."

"That your wolf?" I ask as we continue walking.

"What gave it away?"

"Don't be a smarta.ss it isn't cute."

"Look, I know how aggressive Alpha's can be when they find their mates, I didn't want you to like try to mark me right then and there. My wolf doesn't respond well to threats."

"I don't think anyone's wolf responds well to threats genius. And just because I'm an Alpha doesn't mean I don't know how to control myself. I wasn't going to jump on you or anything."

"Your reputation proceeds you."

I stop and stare at her as we reach the front door of the pack house. "You know nothing about me or my reputation," I growl at her.

"What's going on here," I was so absorbed in my mate that doesn't want me I didn't notice her father had come to greet us. "I thought you were giving Darren a tour of the pack house."

"Derek, Dad, Derek, and um we didn't quite get to that yet."

"I can see that, so what's going on out here? You could cut the tension between you two with a knife." He's eyeing me warily while confusion flits through his face as he looks at his daughter. "Monica," he says a little more sternly when she doesn't say anything.

She takes a deep breath like she's bracing herself for what she's about to say. Like it's the worst thing in the world that could have ever happened to her. "Turns out Derek here is my mate." Her father blanches, looking back and forth between the two of us like he's watching a tennis match.

"You're sure?"

"Sure about what dear?" A woman, I am assuming is his Luna says, as she steps out of the front door.

"It seems our daughter has met her ah, her mate." Her father says clearing his throat like he can't believe his daughter has a mate. What the hell is wrong with this family?!

"Oh, wow, well let's come inside and talk then instead of standing out here like a bunch of cavemen. Derek, I'm Rachel and it's such a pleasure to meet you. Although I think we may have met once when you were very little. You have obviously met my daughter Monica, and this is my mate George. He often forgets his manners, so I guess it's a good thing that greeting and taking care of guests fall under my purview." Rachel takes my hand and guides it to the crook of her arm before walking me into the pack house and heading towards what I assume are their offices. "Please forgive my husband he's very protective of our daughter. As am I, truth be told, but there's nothing quite like the bond between father and daughter. Now come on in here and have a seat, they'll be along in a minute they're probably discussing her wolf and the fact that she's found her mate. Make yourself comfortable and I'll go to the kitchen and let your Beta?" She questions.

"He's my friend, but hoping he will be my Beta when I take over."

"Ah well then we shall address him as Beta while he's here. I will go let him know that we're in here, I was curious as to why my head Omega had taken him in there away from you, but it suddenly makes sense. I'm guessing my daughter has been a bit resistant to the idea of having a mate?"

"You could say that," I huff out.

"Well then I'm guessing she was distracting him to give you all some time. I'll see if she can give him a tour while we talk. I'll be back in two minutes." She gives me a warm smile and leaves. She keeps the door open, but I still think it's strange she left me alone in her office. We aren't enemies by any means, but we also aren't the closest of allies. I'm only alone for another minute though before Monica and her father join me.

"Where has my mate gotten off to?"

"My Beta was apparently taken to the kitchens she's gone to let him know what's going on and that we'll join him after we talk."

"Alright well, as soon as Rachel gets back we can start talking."

"Perfect timing then," the Luna says as she walks into the room and closes the door behind her. Monica hasn't looked at me since she came in the room and I'm suddenly nervous that my mate is going to reject me.

"Derek, take a seat," George says, so I walk over and sit next to Monica, I'm not going to keep letting her hide from this.

"This is rather unconventional," I say, "turning meeting your mate into a family affair is unheard of."

"Well, there are some extenuating circumstances that you are not aware of," George says sharply.

"Like what? I know she's an Alpha, I know many wolves would covet having her as a mate, but I'm not a regular wolf. I'm an Alpha as well, with my own pack. I'm not looking to take advantage of her position."

"That's not the problem," Monica finally says.

"Oh so you haven't lost your ability to speak," I say dismissively making her father growl at me and her mother narrow her eyes. "I'm sorry," I tell her, "but I do not understand what is going on here. We're mates it's not supposed to be this hard, either accept me or reject me already."

"You're right, it's not supposed to be this hard. But," she looks at her father who gives her a slow nod, "it's not that easy either, and I think it would be best if I just show you why." I stare at her utterly bewildered as she stands up and starts moving furniture out of her way, once she has a large space in front of her she shifts. And I'm staring at the biggest wolf I've ever seen in my life.