I stood at the entrance of the Alpha's tent, my feet betraying my anxiety as I paced back and forth waiting for the meeting to end.
“How dare he summon me here and leave me hanging around like a servant?” I thought to myself.
I snuck a peek inside the tent. The council members were all seated and arguing non-stop, just like they always did.
Just watching them was already exhausting enough to make me want to sleep, and I couldn't help but wonder if they'd ever agreed on anything.
Derrick's eyes met mine from across the tent. I gave him a “cut it short” signal, but he ignored it, instead pretending not to see me.
“Ignoring me, huh?” I muttered, clearing my throat as loud as I could before making my way into the tent completely unannounced.
“Alpha Derrick, you summoned… me.” I paused, my eyes widening as I pretended to see the members of the council for the first time. “Oh my, I hope I'm not interrupting anything?”
For a moment, the room fell silent, all eyes looking at me with shock and curiosity.
“I think we've covered enough ground for today. We'll meet again after the rise of the first Luna moon”. Derrick ordered, his eyes fixed on mine.
One by one, the council members made their way out of the tent until Derrick and I were left alone.
“You always know how to make an entrance, don't you?” Derrick said dryly.
I raised an eyebrow, my arms crossed. “Why did you summon me here?”
Derrick's eyes narrowed slightly. “I just wanted to make sure that you are not getting cold feet or even thinking of backing out of that little deal of ours.”
“Wait, you dragged me all the way here to talk about some stupid deal again?” I asked, my voice rising.
“Of course, I did.” Derrick scoffed. “I mean, is there anything else to talk about between us?"
I shook my head in disbelief, unsure of what to say next. The mating ceremony wasn't something any wolf, no matter the rank or status, could take lightly. Once the mates are chosen, a special bond is formed between them, which can only be broken by accepting or rejecting your chosen mate.
But either way, there has to be a mutual agreement between them, or else they'll both face consequences regardless of where they go or how they try to escape it.
The supposed 'magic' of finding a mate didn't apply to me. Instead of sparks and butterflies, the only thing I felt after finding out Derrick and I were mated was a stomachache from days of near starvation. And anger at the universe for throwing him into my life.
“Don't worry, I'll make sure that everything goes according to plan,” I said. “Just make sure you hold up your end of the bargain."
I took a step back, ready to make a quick escape from the camp.
“Stop right there”. Derrick called, making me halt in my tracks. I turned back to him without saying a word.
“Sam”. Derrick said softly, taking a step closer to me. I quickly took another step back, feeling a shiver run down my spine.
Why was he trying to play nice all of a sudden?"
“I know we don't really see eye-to-eye, but can you really blame me?” Derrick asked, his lips curled into a smile. “You should know by now that every decision I make is for your own good."
“Hold on”. I said, clearly taken aback by his words. “So you're telling me that you took away my birthright, turned everyone in the pack against me… And to top it all, you have the nerve to still say you're doing it for my own good, when soon I might not even have a place to call home?"
Derrick nodded confidently, making me wonder if he still had any shame left to lose.
"You've hated me for so many years; that is why you refuse to see the bigger picture. And even if you did, I doubt you'd be strong enough to take advantage of it.” He smirked. “I guess that's why your father never even considered you for the leadership position".
“Bigger picture?” I repeated, ignoring the fact that he had stooped so low as to use something sensitive against me.
“Don't you get it yet?” He asked, “Even if you're not a threat to me now, what's to stop you from becoming one in the future, and then you'd leave me with no choice but to kill you."
Derrick leaned forward, his forehead touching mine. I wanted to pull back immediately, to run away, but my audacity kept me moving.
He held my face tightly, forcing my eyes to meet his. “And when that time comes, how will you face your father in the afterlife, knowing that I sent you there ahead of schedule?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
“Was my existence really a threat to him? Even if it was, I shouldn't have to die just to give him peace of mind."
I was so furious that all I wanted to do at that moment was punch the smug look off his face, but instead, I held myself back, remembering our cursed mate's bond.
Derrick's face lit up with a self-satisfied smile. “You're a smart girl, Sam, so if you really want to make it out of this unharmed, then just stick to being the good puppet that you are. And I promise, once this is all over, I'll let you walk away from the pack, alive.”
NOON
People often say that when the human world falls asleep, the werewolf world awakens, and I couldn't agree more.
The forest of Dawn Runner pack was transformed into a breathtaking wonderland as the pack prepared for the mating ceremony.
Delicate lanterns wrapped in red ribbon carefully hung like a tiny moon on the tree trunk. Colorful flowers of every kind decorate the tents. Natural crystals and gemstones, lighting up the forest path, added a touch of magic to the entire atmosphere.
“I'm so going to miss this,” I muttered, giving a nostalgic sigh. The young cubs laughed and danced playfully under the moonlight. While the young ladies strolled arm-in-arm, gossiping and giggling about who amongst them would be the lucky wolf chosen to be the Alpha's mate.
A part of me wanted to scream out loud, to confess that I was the one who had been chosen to be the mate of that two-timing fraud and that there was absolutely nothing lucky about it.
But I couldn't do it. Escaping from this nightmare and saving my skin was far more important to me than getting back at those who hurt me.
“Hang in there, Sam. Just one more day and you'll be free forever”. I reassured myself, following the long and lonely road that led to my aunt Catherine's.