Betrothed

Chapter 21: The Ash Will Rise

Arashnic

Willow had blacked out I knew it must have been from the pain she was feeling. I could not tell what was happening or why she was experiencing this sudden pain. I just knew that if anyone could help it was definitely going to have to be from my true pack psychic from the Wayland pack. I hoped that the psychic was still there at least as I haven't been back there since I was thirteen, so roughly a little over four years as I am a little over the age of seventeen now. I still carried Willow in my arms as I ran as fast as I could. The Wayland pack is roughly thirty-seven to forty miles away from the Optimus Pack. It is not a lot of distance when you are a werewolf considering on a full moon if you were to wander around you could end up hours away from your packs territory if you really wanted to go on an adventure. I would not recommend that though as the packs have been falling apart internally because of the Moon Goddess. 

Long story short the Moon Goddess is who chooses each werewolves true mates and usually she made it easy keeping the mates in the same pack territory. Lately, packs have not been able to find their true mates, so more young werewolves that came of age are leaving their packs to go looking for their true mate. I have not been searching for my true mate because I knew that it would not matter unless the Moon Goddess wanted it to happen. I am still confused as to why my instincts are telling me that Willow is my true mate though she is already marked by another called Brayden that she said is her true mate. It has never been normal to have your true mate outside of your pack territory or close to it until now. Before my parents died, I heard them talking to our Wayland pack about the issues with finding true mates for those coming of age. My parents were concerned for me thinking that I would not have a true mate or maybe never find mine, so I think they don't have to worry considering how I feel about Willow before I even truly met her all it took was one sniff of her sweet lavender and honey scent and my instincts went crazy. I could run for as long as I needed to get Willow to safety and the only person that had the knowledge to help her was our Wayland psychic. 

The pack psychics often had bad raps as in they were not very close with the rest of the pack because they often find themselves portraying other pack members futures. As the pack psychics being the truth tellers or know it all's in the Wayland pack they only were needed when those that needed their help wanted their help. Pack members were afraid to hear news they were not ready for after our pack was warned about the true mate issues being outside of pack territory. I came across a familiar stream of water knowing I was going in the right direction I kept running because I should be about halfway or more by now. Being a genetic alpha has its advantages except for not being able to take orders that is the bad trait which was part of the reason I left Wayland when I was thirteen along with why I just left Optimus. I cannot follow orders especially when my wolf knows that I should be the one giving the orders. It is hard to change a part of yourself especially when you want too so bad. 

For a while I was happy being alone after running away from the Wayland pack, my home. That is until Romellow came along and took me with him, and we eventually made the Optimus pack which was supposed to be for all werewolves that needed a place to fit in. Romellow ruined what Optimus was supposed to be when he intentionally kidnapped his twin sister Willow who I was now feeling strong feelings towards and running her back to my home pack just to save her from her twin brother and the rest of the Optimus pack. I never thought I would return to the Wayland until I was fully in my prime, so everyone would take me seriously as a young alpha. Willow gave me the momentum and instincts to get myself back to where I truly belong rather than where I was pretending to belong. 

When Romellow went out on that mission to kidnap Willow, I stayed back at the Optimus territory because I did not believe in what he was doing. The others in Optimus only went because they are all dumb idiots trying to find their mates or steal mates from others by marking a female werewolf that is not their true mate. When a werewolf is marked by someone that is not their true mate it can reflect the couple's emotions for their true mate once they do come into contact with them causing a bad reaction and a long lifetime of misery for the true mate that isn't marked. The Moon Goddess creates werewolves in doubles meaning each werewolf has a true mate or other half that they must find when they are coming of age which is usually anywhere between age seventeen and twenty-five for some werewolves. There are a lot of old traditions when it comes to pack laws and how things are done within a pack.