Unrelenting Destiny

Prologue

Luciana Faith Moore

The Claiming loomed above the packs - the annual night of ironic peace between them. As werewolf numbers dwindled, tensions between their kind were unnecessarily strained. Luciana's great-grandmother told her stories of a time when werewolves roamed the lands freely, packs gathering and intermingling so frequently that mating and reproducing was a constant. No wolf worried about The Claiming. No such event needed to take place.

The Claiming was a night for all unmated pack wolves the age of 21 or older came together. Rarely destined mates found each other on this night but the many unlucky she-wolves who didn't were subjected to a bloody, archaic hunt of male dominance. And this year, Luciana Moore was to attend. Her birthday, unfortunately, landed a mere month before The Claiming. No amount of forgery nor her father's influence could keep her from it. Luciana's father, Gamma Quentin, was the Gamma for the Sunset Waters Pack. It was the night before The Claiming that he spoke in hushed tones to his mate, Aisla, as his daughter stared quietly into the crackling fireplace of their rented cabin.

"This is our tradition, Aisla." He murmured, "We should remain optimistic that destiny will lead her to her mate and not-"

"-and not some perverted, power-hungry wolf?!" Aisla spat, her dark umber gaze shifting to her daughter worriedly, "What if some lower-class male tries to use her for Gamma blood? What if he's from some unsightly pack that won't last the winter and she'll be displaced?"

Luciana bit at her bottom lip, the fire dancing in her eyes. She said nothing, anxiety clambering in her chest as her wolf paced in her mind. Her wolf knew her mate was out there, insisting through low snarls and barred teeth. They do not know. This "Claiming" interferes with destiny. They do not know. Luciana tried to swallow her thoughts along with the lump in her throat, wanting so desperately to believe in Eve's unwavering faith. But her parents' conversation did nothing to ease her worries.

Luciana turned away from the fire then, facing her parents who looked back to her solemnly. She could see the worry in their eyes as they attempted to muster words of encouragement. But to see them together - born in the same pack and mated since they became of age, Luciana felt a worm of contempt for their fortune. Aisla extended an arm to her, beckoning her to come and sit by her. She went, curling up at her mother's slippered feet and laying her cheek on her lap.

"My dear girl," she murmured as she began to stroke her hair, "I do not mean to frighten you. Please be optimistic for tomorrow."

"But be prepared for anything." Quentin added disdainfully, "If you can reach the borders of our land, you will be safe...for at least another year." Such was The Claiming's rules: if a she-wolf made it to her pack's land, their warriors would be able to fight for and defend her from any pursuers. But The Claiming took place in the forests of central California and the Sunset Waters pack resided at the base of the Cuyamaca Mountains far south of the state. It would be a miracle if Luciana could run so far and so fast, all while avoiding a male wolf.

"Perhaps if she does not catch the eye of a male..." Aisla pondered, "Maybe she will be able to slip away without a pursuer."

It was a fanciful thought. Luciana was a vision and everyone in the pack knew it. A child of destiny - as they were often called in those days - took after their parents so perfectly that they could be cherry-picked from the crowd off looks alone. Her mother was of Asian descent, giving Luci pale gold skin and pointed features. But unusual light blonde hair and grayish-blue eyes from her father were often accused of being fabricated by dye and lenses. A smatter of barely-there freckles across her cheeks and full lips only furthered their skepticism. But the curse of a child of destiny came with The Claiming. There was no doubt in her parents' minds that she would be mated by the end of The Claiming - destiny permitted or not.