Fate Heals

Chapter Two

For as long as I can remember, Micah and I had always been pushed together. Whether it was by our parents, who happened to be best friends, or other pack mates, there was always pressure for the two of us to end up together.

But he was always too young for me to even imagine being with. Micah had taken their words in stride, though, always staying by my side or asking to come along with me on my treks through the forest. The attraction had always been mutual, but I couldn't let him know. Couldn't lead him on when he was still so young and I was already in my twenties.

Then the mating ceremony happened, and it was Micah's first time. The anticipation had been high, and I remember our mother's holding hands as the omegas and betas, then the alphas were sent out.

Catching his scent in the wind had not been surprising to me at all. Deep down, I always knew Micah would be my mate, but I had tried to push the feelings away.

The wolf spirit in me wouldn't allow the drive of a mate to be ignored any longer, though, so I had set out in the direction of Micah.

I had found him, huddled under a low covering of trees, his heat overpowering him. His whimpers had tugged on something inside me, and all I had wanted to do was help him through the uncomfortableness of his heat.

Knotting him was out of the question, though. He was still too young and pregnancy was a real risk. So throughout the night, I had held him while he went through his heat. Rubbing his back and allowing him to bury his head in my neck for my scent was how we both spent the night, waiting for the sun to rise and his heat to be over.

Morning had come and with it the final step of the mating process. We had walked back together, Micah with slumped shoulders and watching his feet, emanating his sadness, and me trying not to sneak glances at him

"Did I do something to make you hate me," I remember him asking, his voice wavering slightly.

"No, Micah," I had told him, holding back the urge to wrap him in my arms and protect him from whatever was hurting him. But I couldn't do that. I was the one hurting him. "You're just too young and we are both so different. You deserve someone who isn't me."

His mouth had fallen open, and I could tell that he wanted to say something. Shaking my head, he had closed his mouth, but it was impossible to miss how hard he was thinking about something.

Our families had been so excited when they saw us walking out of the forest together, running towards us and enveloping us in their arms. The excitement and happiness hadn't lasted long. Their smiles had slipped from their faces when they saw how far apart we were standing, something that is nearly impossible to do so soon after the mating ceremony.

I had told them that we weren't going to go through with the last step of the ceremony, and when I looked over at Micah, he had given a small nod.

Everyone had started talking all at once, Micah being coddled by his brother and sisters, his parents watching him with pursed lips, and me getting a slap on the back of my head from nearly everyone. They all knew that it must have been me who didn't want to finish the ritual since Micah's infatuation was obvious for everyone to see.

And that's what it was: infatuation. The way he had trailed after me whenever I would hang out with his older brother, Levi, and the heart eyes he always directed towards me, all came about because of our family constantly pushing us together. Their need for our families to be connected by a mating had rubbed off on Micah.

He wanted me because the others wanted him to want me. What he was feeling was not the same as me.

Love. Real and never ending love.