That caught my full attention. I spun around quickly. "One last time? What do you mean by that?" I whispered.
He glared at the raven haired girl, "I mean it. Leave."She rolled her eyes, then with a sick smile blew him an air kiss. "Oh alright but remember to come back quickly to me. We have a recital to work on." With that and a wink, she went back the same way she'd come."One last time? What was that about?" My head felt full with complexities of questions. We were mates, soul tied by the moon goddess or so I thought. Why did he speak about meeting with me one last time.Did I do something wrong?"No you haven't, Neilla." He'd been listening in to my thoughts, another proof that we were a match made to be. "There's a lot of things going on that are out of my control. As you know, I'm not the alpha king and as heir, a lot if responsibilities are expected of me. I can't let the pack down, not after everything my father has worked so hard to build."I nodded slowly even when none of what he'd said made any sense to me. Since when did being an heir to the throne require him to see his mate for 'one last time'? I needed an explanation and I needed it fast. Rylan opened his mouth to speak then avoided my gaze."Why aren't you looking at me in the eye, Rylan? What's going on? Your wolf suddenly seems distant from mine. Did we do something you said not to? What's the problem?""The Alpha King's passing is in a few weeks and I've been cumbered with the task of taking over the pack as ruler and chief commander. I need a Luna by my side.""I am your mate who is going to be your Luna, Rylan. I've been practicing using those books you gave me to study over the weeks. I know I'm not born of royalty but I'm doing the best I can. Mana Sylveon has also been hard at work training me." I fought to come to my defense."I see those hardwork you put in and I love you for it. I really do." He paused for several heartbeats, his gaze never meeting mine as he picked his shirt to put it back on.I waited with bated breath to know his final decision. He was showing difficulty in giving expression to what he wanted most to spell out which was otherwise unusual for him to do. It didn't take long to realize something was amiss."Just say it, Rylan. What do you think I'm doing wrong?""However, the council doesn't think you're good enough to rule by my side as my Luna. They need someone more tactful, someone who can lead and provide in essence the very ingredient to keep the pack together. They feel you're just too..." He paused.My heart wrenched painfully, my fingers subconsciously rubbing the spot above my heart to knead the dull ache away. "For my sake, please do not stop. Come out with the entire truth."He looked away again. "Soft. They think you're too soft to be Luna."The tears I'd been holding back, tumbled down my cheeks drop after drop, yet my composure remained. "What do you think of me?"He met my gaze, his wolf shining close to the surface to reach out to me. The man within him got to the wolf first and he shut it out, breaching the contact between his wolf and mine. It stung like a hard kick in the gut and I ignored it."I think you're strong in every way, I think you're resilient at what you set your mind to do. If there's anyone who'd be perfectly cut out in the whole kingdom to be Luna, it's you."My hand met with his face before I could think twice about it. My wolf didn't like it one bit but I was far too gone to care. "If I was all of this then why didn't you defend me in there? Why didn't you say all of this to them and make them see me in different light. You sat there instead like the stupid bimbo that you are and let them dissect me, tag me with names I've fought hard to run away from. You're nothing but a selfish coward, Rylan and I hope you know what you're doing. A soon-to-be alpha king who cannot take a firm decision and is swayed by other people's false judgements."He grabbed my hand before I could turn away from him. "You know that's not true, Neilla. I only want what's best for us and the kingdom."My fingers itched to meet with his face once more and I dabbled with the thought to. I yanked my hand from his gentle grip instead, poking him in the chest with my forefinger and repeating my earlier statement. "You're a selfish coward. Heartless too. You're here away from the earshot of everyone else while pretending to care what others think of me."He didn't try to hold me again. "I'm sorry if that's what you think of me now. Decisions have been made and there's nothing you nor I can do about it. I have to go now. I'll send for you when it's alright to talk. We really need to talk about this."With those pathetic words thrown at me, he turned around and left, leaving me to crumple in a crying heap on the floor. No words of consolation, nothing.How did my small cocooned world get snatched out from under me? Why did everything good in my life come with a cost? Why was I even born into a pack when I should have been a rogue? Having no blood relative in a pack was as good as being an outcast since every other person had mouths to take care of.I used to think myself fortunate to be mated to the prince. The first time we met was bliss. His scents mingled with everywhere he'd been, everything he'd touched. It lingered there. That's how I found him. I was more than lucky.We couldn't get enough of each other as every chance we met was to join our wolves together to mate or have sex in our human forms. We'd dreamt together of our mate initiation where our bonds will be solidified under the illumination of the blue moon, a rare moon cycle which occured once in four years. Even more disheartening to discover that after the long wait, he'd throw all of it away because of what the council thought of me."I hate you, Rylan." I screamed to no one in particular. My tears cascaded down my cheeks, rolling into my mouth. The saltiness stung on my overactive taste buds and I spat it out angrily."Easy there." A voice crooned from behind me. I didn't need to turn to find out who it was. All of my sensory receptors were widely opened like funnels; if I perceived anything, I perceived it down to the littlest odour/scent despite how insignificant. Same with my taste buds and my hearing. It was frequently happening and I couldn't comprehend the reason for that.A pair of boots stopped beside me, pausing for a second before the person lowered themselves to the ground, mirroring my posture. I raised my head to stare blankly into the sky."Do you think I'm soft?" I whispered."I don't think you are but we should get you home now. Prince Rylan ordered me to get you home safely." The voice responded, pulling to his feet and towering over me with an outstretched arm."Thanks for your help and his thoughtful order but I'll be fine on my own. You should go and put this energy to better use in the palace." I retorted sharply as I stood up without taking his assistance, the dress pooling at my feet as I did so. He averted his eyes from my naked body but I couldn't care less if he boldly stared.I shifted in the blink of a few seconds into a 5'7ft black wolf matted with spots of cream in my underbelly. Through my yellow gaze, I picked up my dress and ignoring Rylan's "thoughtful help", I started on my way home.On my arrival home, I was met with deafening silence, just the atmosphere I wanted to come home to. I needed room to think about what happened at the pack house. Everything was spinning fast out of my grip and I was only given the option of tears.Maybe it was true what they thought of me. Maybe I was really the weak one, incapable of leading alongside the alpha. The previous Luna before her passing was a firm and rigid wolf who, although not cruel, was wise to the last letter of the word.Here I was, feeling humiliated and quite the opposite. How the hell did I think I was going to be Luna to Rylan? I looked feeble and breakable, very easy on the eyes with brown hair that mirrored the natural hues of my irises."What were you thinking, Neilla? That you could be Luna?" I muttered out loud, slapping a hand on my forehead. I sighed, folding the dress Mana borrowed me back in her drawer and retiring to my room. I threw on a much more plain gown made with cotton, it was the oldest dress I
RYLAN'S POVI slowly stirred awake, the sunlight from the window warming my face and disrupting my rest. I didn't want to leave my bed as it was the first time in a while since I had time to recuperate from the countless council and ministerial meetings we'd been having overtime. I needed a break from all of that.I turned away from the light, trying to get back sleep but it felt like an effort wasted. I blamed my body for it. The moment I opened my eyes meant I would stay awake no matter how much I tried to pretend to be asleep in order to fall asleep.The door opened as a string of four servants ushered themselves in. They came in bearing neatly folded clothes, shoes and other things I didn't want to look at. As future ruler, they never failed to drum into my ears the essence of looking the part. The refused me wearing plain shirts and pants, opting instead for intricately designed clothings. Neilla would always wonder the need of wearing such expensive fits when they'd be ripped in
NEILLA'S POVI stared at him, the intensity of my gaze boring holes into his back as he followed closely behind Venn, the strange woman with eyes capable of digging into the soul of anyone she had in her grip. It infuriated me the more that there was no protest coming from him at the position of her hands on his body. Soon they arrived the altar. I cast another furtive glance at the processions in the center of the crowd of werewolves who'd gathered to watch in silent anticipation. The Oracle continued the ritual rounds around the couple, the lone chime of the bell in his grasp resounding in slow succession.The first chime seemed to increase the pace of my troubled heart. It rose ever so slowly and by the seventh time the chime sounded, echoing throughout the deafening silence, my poor heart slammed ceaselessly against my ribcage. Even though I had renounced Rylan as my mate, he hadn't accepted not rejected it.He said nothing in response even when the rejection had sawed through h
RYLAN'S POVThe long process was rounding to a close sooner than anticipated. I couldn't wait to get out of the view of everyone else and lock myself in my study, reveling in the pain I'd caused my mate.I betrayed her. Openly humiliated her before the eyes of the kingdom, even though I didn't attempt that actively, I passively brought her name to mud with my actions. I'd branded her a shameful name.My thoughts were interrupted with shouts of "All hail the King and Queen. All Hail the King and Queen" filling the air suddenly. The procession was finally over."Zadik. Come with me to my office. Now." I mindlinked to my most trusted aide. He was my Beta and the only person I could trust with my life. Even though he wasn't so pleased when he found out about Venn, he swallowed his disapproval, placing rational thoughts forward rather than emotions.He'd fought bravely by my side during the unfortunate events that took my mother's life. Despite her bold front as she took the enemy head on
RYLAN'S POV Soon after they'd discarded the dead body, we got into the zone of business. I stepped briefly into the bathroom to wash my bloody hand. Under the water gushing from the tap, I watched the water turn red as they flowed down to my fingers and through the drain in the basin. Soon, I was done. I reentered the office again, to meet the presence of older wolves.Zadik then proceeded to notify me of the arrival of a few notable personalities sent by Commander Vladimir, who was the Alpha of the Bloodtrail pack."Bloodtrail pack?" I echoed after him, surprised at such peculiar name. Never heard of them. "Is it a new pack that just got birthed or have they been existing for ages?""Your majesty, I would have you know that while you were making plans to make Venn your... Luna," I could tell how he fought the urge to whack me upside the head with the laptop in his grip. "I'd been making my own findings and turned out they've been around for plenty centuries. Just not into public exp
NEILLA'S POVThe following morning breezed in with the skyline illuminated by the rising sun which infiltrated through the sheer curtains that hung on the window facing my bed. My eyelids were heavy, swollen from the bitter years I'd cried from the previous night.Throwing the blanket over my tired form, I turned away from the light, feeling very reluctant to rise up to start the day. Matteo had taken me home, breaking the law for my sake in order not to have me witness the rites coming to an end.There came a knock on the door. I flinched at first, then burrowed further into the bed as shame washed over me again.The knock came once more and I turned deaf ears to it. Soon, it grew insistent, the short raps turning into loud bangs against the wooden door."I know you're in there right now, Neilla. Pretend all you want, it won't change the fact that what happened yesterday was in fact a reality. Fucking get over it bitch."I sprung up from the bed in shock. That was Mirald, Matteo's gi
NEILLA'S POVThis is not good, I thought, dashing straight into the bathroom to throw up whatever I had left in my stomach. Mirald followed closely behind me, holding up my hair as I retched nothing but bile into the washing hand basin.When nothing more climbed up my throat, I sank back down on the cold tiles, leaning my back against the wall for strength. It felt like life was drained out of me at that moment. An invasion could be happening in the next room at that point, and I wouldn't even have the strength to bat an eyelid. I was that drained."What's up? Spill." I managed to look up at Mirald with a confused expression. "What do you mean spill?"She dropped down to her knees next to me. "I know you're pregnant, baby girl. Even if you choose to hide it from me. I'm a special wolf, dog. Don't miss out that important fun fact."Pregnant? How?I'm sure my face mirrored my inner turmoil as I turned to look at her slowly. I couldn't be pregnant. "I'm not pregnant. I really am not. W
NEILLA'S POVI arrived at the orphanage feeling in a worse mood than I'd been, feeling betrayed and played for a fool. Ever since my wolf relayed the truth to me, nothing felt the same anymore. I refused to speak nor listen to her, blocking our communication line and ignoring Mirald all through our run on the way here. I was being a petty wolf but I needed somewhere to channel all of my anger. She didn't deserve to receive the cold shoulder for mistakes which my wolf made. If only she opened up early enough on being pregnant. Now I needed to think sanely without the urge to kill somebody getting in the way. "You good?" A cool voice brought me back from my reverie. Why on earth was I always zoning out?"Yes, I am. Thanks, Stella." I mustered up a pathetic excuse for a smile but even a blind person could tell through my façade. "You look extremely pale and very unlike your usual self." She commented again, placing it upon herself once more to lay a hand on my forehead to feel me up