Golden Destiny

Chapter 11. - Second Thoughts

Monday morning found me in Harper's car, holding a thermos of the most revolting concoction my mom had ever made.

"Ugh, this tastes horrible, Harp! How do you stomach drinking this?"

She barked out a laugh. "You just have to bear it, princess. It helps us mask our wolves from others, keeps them from scenting us."

I had no trouble believing that. The drink smelled even worse than it tasted.

When we got to the school, I immediately clocked Tawny near the entrance with her followers. The ugly smirk on her flawless face grew as we came closer.

"So like I said, Adam had absolutely no hesitations in breaking that mate bond so now, all we have to do is do the Mating Ceremony and then we'll be Alpha and Luna. I seriously can't wait!" She said a little too loudly, making sure I heard, no doubt.

Harper and I shared a silent smile.

The taunts and bullying was surprisingly mild today, only Tawny and those in her circle seemed enthusiastic in reminding me that I couldn't shift, and them, I could bear since I knew better now. Jessie couldn't look at me the first time he saw me, probably because he still felt guilty over what he said on Friday. He, too, kept quiet, and seemed puzzled at the fact that his future Alpha seemed to be discouraging the cruel teases.

When lunch came around, I was surprised when Harper immediately started eating. She normally waited for Dimitri to arrive.

"Hey, Harp, where are Dimitri and the others?"

"They're off for a week. They had to meet with the local council to discuss some unrest in the south."

"Unrest? I haven't heard of anything happening."

"Of course you wouldn't. The Alpha wouldn't want his pack to know that he's not able to keep the peace here, would he? Especially since Alexei's here as well."

"About that, I don't understand. We're in America. We aren't exactly in Alexei's jurisdiction, are we?"

"It's a complicated political matter. While technically, American packs are under the British crown, all the Royal families exert control. I think it's because wolves mated with members of other packs, and the lineages became harder to trace, it was agreed that all wolves would be under the authority of all Royal families. So long as no Royal family orders wolves to attack the other Royals, then this pact would hold, I suppose. You can ask Alexei when he comes back. I'm sure there's more political mumbo jumbo in there somewhere."

———0———

It was on Wednesday when I found a note in my locker. It was from Adam, ordering me to meet him at the football field at noon. I scoffed and showed it to Harper, who looked deep in thought after reading it.

"Are you going?" She asked.

"I don't want to, but I am kind of curious as to what he wants to talk about," I shrugged.

"I'm going with you," she declared. I didn't expect anything less.

We were on the way to field during lunch when Tawny saw us. She stood in our way. "Where do you think you're going?" She demanded.

I started bowing my head before I remembered who I was. I smiled. "And what makes think you we answer to you?" I asked her, syrupy sweet.

She was taken aback. It was the first time I responded directly to her. It felt really good.

"Why you," she almost lifted her hand to hit me, I suppose, but thought twice when Harper took a step towards her. "I am your future Luna. You owe me your respect."

"Sorry, but respect is earned, no matter the station. And besides, you can't really expect anything from me unless and until that 'future' in your self-proclaimed title is gone."

We walked away, sniggering, until we saw Adam pacing the field. He looked up when he saw us and started walking my way.

"You smell different," he said then looked at Harper. "Why are you here?"

"She's here with me," I told him. "And it's not as if you know how I smell like."

"Of course I know. You're my mate! Send her away, Mia," he snarled.

Harper only shifted her weight to one leg and crossed her arms on her chest. "I think you meant 'were' her mate."

"She stays or I walk, Adam," I told him. Honestly, I didn't like the idea of being alone with him.

"Fine!" He huffed after a moment. He began pacing for a while.

After a few minutes of this, Harper started tapping her foot in impatience.

"I would like to get a few bites to eat before going back to class, Mia," she told me, urging me tell Adam to get on with it.

"Adam, you called me here. Why?"

He ran his fingers through his hair. All of a sudden, he dropped them and stopped his anxious pacing. "Mia, we should do the Mating Ceremony this week."

My first reaction was to laugh. Was he telling me to help organize his Mating to Tawny? After rejecting me? I don't think so.

"You honestly think I want any part in that? Ours may not have been a love match, Adam, but being rejected by your mate still hurts," I told him, the last part in a small voice.

He stepped closer to me, took my hand, and said gently, "You misunderstand Mia. I wasn't talking about Tawny. I was talking about our Mating Ceremony."

I snatched my hand from his and took a step back. "Are you being serious right now?" I yelled. "You can't do this, Adam! You can't make a joke like this, specially not to me!"

"Hush, Mia. I wasn't joking. I realized right after our bond was severed, that it was a mistake. I should have never rejected you. I should have taken our mate bond for what it was, a gift from the Moon Goddess herself."

"This is all too late, Adam. I wouldn't touch you with a ten foot pole now. And besides, as you said, our mate bond is severed. And I will not bond with anyone who isn't my true mate."

"Come on, Mia. Not all matings are between true mates. We could do that. We could choose each other," he cajoled, trying to take my hand once more.

"No, Adam. I will not choose you," I told him firmly.

His face transformed from gentle to cruel in a flash. "What, you think the Moon Goddess will make a mistake and give you a true mate for a second time?"

"What is this really about, Adam?"

He turned away from me and I could see him ball his fists.

"I can't shift, Mia. It seems from the moment the Severance Ceremony ended, I've lost the ability to shift. And to heal." He said. "No one knows about this."

I thought back to right after the Severance Ceremony ended, and remembered that his hand hadn't stopped bleeding like a wolf's should.

"I won't tell anyone. But Adam, I will never mate with you. Once bitten, twice shy and all that."

He looked back to me and stepped closer. "Oh, you will," he whispered.