The Human Luna

Chapter 11 - Ryder

*Edited*

'What the hell, what the hell, what the hell, what the hell, what the hell,'

A mantra of the words cascaded around my head like a horse with their tail on fire. I couldn't keep my thoughts straight. They were swirling and twirling and gliding up and down the walls of my conscious. The center of the hurricane,

Big hazel eyes staring up at me-

I shut the thought down before Mariah could form completely in my head. I would not allow myself to think like that. She might as well be forbidden. I made myself a list, one containing three reasons to keep my haywire thoughts in check,

1. She was not my mate

2. I would not be with anybody that was not my mate

3. And lastly but most importantly, she was human.

It was worldwide knowledge that humans and werewolves did not mix. The rare cases it did happen, the pack wolves were stupid enough to be swayed into thinking a human would not harm them.

I was stupid! To god's honest self, what was I thinking..!?

Two of the younger members of our pack had started shoving each other around, completely unaware of everyone surrounding them. So when the first smacked the other straight down the hall, where the little weak human was, where Mariah was standing, I had moved before I thought.

Stepping in front of her, I braced myself for the force of the other boy's Werewolf strength. Thankfully it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Knocking me slightly forwards but not enough to squish the girl trapped between me and the wall.

Mariah was quiet, eyes wide in shock. I looked down, my nose close enough to the top of her head that I could smell the sweet aroma that was coming from her black curls.

After the guy had left, I realized with a start that I was still just standing there. Jumping back slightly, I cleared my throat and tried to get control of my mind. Everything was fuzzy and weird. So much so that I couldn't help but believe that maybe human cooties were a thing and I had just gotten attacked.

I don't remember much of anything other than Christian dragging me to our next class. Whispering something about, "She's fucking right again,"

But sitting here in my desk, I felt like I couldn't breathe. Something was happening to my body. Grabbing my head as I started to go woozy, I gave myself a second to recover before exusing myself from the room.

As soon as I rounded the corner to the bathrooms, I caught sight of a tall, blonde figure leaning against the wall. Scenting the air I swore I almost fainted with relief when I placed the person.

"Having fun there, Mr. Superhero?" Bryli mocked me slightly. Eyebrows raised in question.

"Shut up," I groaned while resting my hands on my knees. Feeling like the oxygen was sucked from the air. I collapsed against the wall. Bryli slowly and easily coming to sit by me.

The minutes ticked on in silence before my cousin spoke,

"She's your mate."

And like a chain reaction, I don't think I had ever experienced a more sudden happen of my throat closing off from a simple phrase.

Choking, I grasped at my neck like the words had physically jammed themselves in my windpipe. I hacked and wheezed, desperate to breathe. I prayed that I had blacked out earlier and this was all just a bad dream. A nightmare that Bryli would scoff at if I ever told her about it.

"Ha ha," I spat when I finally managed to gather my fraying pieces together. Throat dry and sandy.

"I'm not joking, Ryder. I had my suspicions. But it's becoming very clear, you can see the bo-"

"Don't." I interrupted. The harshness of my voice surprising me but not the girl beside me. "You're wrong, humans and werewolves cannot be mated..."

As I spoke the words though, I could feel the shift as I went from confident to more and more unsure. There had been human and Werewolf pairs before. They were not popular, but that did not mean they didn't happen. But-

"Me and Mariah have touched already and the bond hasn't snapped into place, so there's no way it's true." I told her firmly.

"Tell me how the smoothie incident happened. Do you ever recall her skin touching yours? And just now, you might've been close but the bond does not seal until there has been skin to skin contact."

Bryli's slow and steady words had a deep hole filling my gut. My stomach was twisting and rising up my throat. Not because she was lying to me, but because it was the truth.

"Normal mates would've had the bond snap into place from being as close as you two were so everyone ruled the option out, but humans don't have the same experience as us. They don't feel the bond until it's clicked. And since-"

"Alright!" I snapped at her. Mind running wild once more.

Had I really been this stupid? What could I have possibly done to have a human as a mate after everything that has happened.

The moon goddess was a sadist.

"It's not that bad you know," Bryli's tone had gone soft and smooth. Comforting.

I didn't respond to her statement. Instead choosing to stare at the wall and run through all the interactions I had had with Mariah. More and more things making sense.

Like how fast my friends had taken a liking to her. They must've unknowingly felt the buried bond with the future Luna. Their future Luna.

When I would eventually rise to the position of Alpha, I would have to have my mate by my side. But that would never happen. Because there was no possible chance I would allow a human to hold a position like that after everything they had done. So either I give up my position as Alpha, or...

"Ryder," Bryli warned. The caution in her tone made me think that I must've made my thoughts clear on my face.

"It's my own choice," I told her coldly.  My mind was made up.

"She might very well not be my mate. But if she is, I will not complete the bond. I could never be with someone like her."

Before my cousin could attempt to continue the conversation, I stood up from the wall and walked away. Bryli did not call for me as I headed towards the exit.

Because even she must've known that it would end in disaster if a human were to help control the pack.

Even she must've known just as well as I did, that I could never complete the bond between Mariah and I.