1... breathe
2... breathe
3... breathe
4... breathe
5... breathe... NOW REEL IT BACK IN! I scream in my head.
His words echo in my mind: "I, Alpha Clark of Blood Moon Pack, reject you as my mate and luna." "I accept your rejection." I close my eyes, absorbing the pain in my chest as our mate bond snaps, pulling that agony deep into my soul where it will fester.
With my head held high, I walk away from the banquet, down the streets, and straight to my house. Pity—that's the look on everyone's faces as I leave. Yes, everyone who is anyone in the pack was present. They had to be; it was a banquet celebrating four of us turning 18 tonight and receiving our wolves—especially since the princess and my best friend, Camilla, is also turning 18. Technically, the party is for her. We all know that. But Camilla, with her beautiful heart, convinced her parents and her brother (my now ex-mate) to host the banquet for everyone turning 18 tonight, including me. Tonight, we were supposed to shift into our wolves for the first time. But when the clock chimed midnight, everyone shifted... except me. I did hear my wolf purr in my head at the scent of our mate, but five minutes later he shattered our hearts—and now she's silent, mourning the slowly vanishing mate bond.
"It's okay, girl," I whisper to her. "He doesn't deserve us." For as long as I've known Clark, he's been a disappointment. His sister and mother (our acting luna while we await Clark's true mate—oh, the irony) and I have always hated how he treats women. Those poor souls come crying to Camilla and me about all the lies he's told them and his 'undying love'... only to ghost them later. In my eyes, Clark is a complete letdown. Yet I still loved him—like a brother, obviously. But now, I can't see him that way. He was my mate. The moon goddess has a twisted sense of humor.
As I walk through the crowd, people part to let me pass, pity etched on their faces. I link my parents, letting them know I'm going home. My mom keeps repeating how sorry she is and that Clark doesn't deserve me, yada yada yada. "Yes, Mother, I love you too," I think, continuing my walk. Besides, I suspect Clark has herpes from all those women, and I want no part of that—so, hmmph... bullet dodged. I toss my hair and head straight through the door, up the steps, and into my sanctuary. I lock the door and lean back against it. Five seconds... that's all I need to return to myself.
Five seconds over. I open my eyes, and my wolf stirs. "You there, girl?" I call out. I hear her whimpering in my head, her heartbeat steadying. That's a good sign; my girl is just fine. "How about a run, sweet cheeks?" I ask, and a wave of excitement rushes through me. Good girl... let's go. I quickly change into my running gear and head for the back door. Because I can't shift, I run as fast as my human legs can carry me along the trail behind my house. My pace picks up as I feel her strength flowing through me. I smile—ahhhh, I love being a werewolf. My hair streams behind me as I exhilarate through the forest, my steps light on the ground, my body feeling like it's floating.
With my head clear, I run deeper into the woods, high on adrenaline and the thrill of movement. I'm so caught up in the moment that I don't realize I've shifted until we reach the ocean, 80 miles away from our pack. We stop as the sand sinks beneath our paws. I look down to see beautiful little black paws in the sand. "Hey, girl," I finally say, and she yips in excitement, jumping around on the beach and rolling in the sand, reveling in the feel of it against our fur.
We walk to the edge of the waves and catch our reflection in the water. With the moon high in the sky, two dark blue eyes stare back at us, reflecting the moonlight above. "Hi," my sweet girl purrs in my head. "Hi, sweet girl... what shall I call you?" I ask, but she doesn't respond. "Aww... it's okay, girl. When you're ready."
We sit on the beach, watching the waves. A few minutes later, she finally speaks. "Adi...I don't think I have a name." Shocked, I reply, "Well, do you want one?" I can feel her excitement as she jumps up. I chuckle at her reaction. "Okay, I'll say all the names I can think of, and you just stop me when you hear one you like." She nods.
I start listing all the female names I remember from movies, from people in my pack and at school, and then I move to names I've read in books. After twenty-something minutes, I start naming things like "tree" and "boulder." Yes, I'm very creative. She shakes her head, burying her face between her front paws as if trying to drown out my voice. Exhausted from my naming spree, I kick my legs up (still in wolf form), lay back in the sand, and stare at the dark sky.
After a moment, I suggest, "Hey girl, how about 'Star,' 'Sky,' or 'Midnight'?" Head shake. "Okay, how about 'Starlight' or 'Darkness'?" Head shake. "Alright, what about 'Moon,' 'Luna,' or 'Selene'?" Head tilt, then shake. "Okay, okay, tough crowd..." Then something whispers within me: "Void?" She tilts her head left, then right, and finally purrs at me.
"Void? Really? Well, I guess... alright, sweet girl, as you wish."
We are Void... haha. "Alright, Ms. Void, let's go home before Mama Wolf comes looking for us."
