Unrelenting Destiny

9. Home

Luciana Faith Moore

They had spent the whole day trying to think of a plan for when they returned to Astral Twilight. There was no option to stay longer, to continue hiding from his pack, from his mate. But they hadn't come up with anything. There was no way around telling the truth. Luci had approached her pack elders, swearing they would not put pack loyalty over their position of advising and being a guiding light for the young wolves.

"Elder Marion," Luci spoke quietly in the home of one of her closest elders, "I know this is...a delicate situation. But I beg that you keep this between us. I don't want to further cause trouble where there needn't be."

The Elder sighed, placing her teacup down and folding her wrinkled hands on her lap. She looked at the pair, full of doubt and hope and uncertainty. She was older than most in the pack and had known Luci from when she was a pup. Truly, she had never heard of such a situation; she was even of a time before The Claiming and had never encountered finding a mate after already claiming another.

"I do not see a reason to involve your parents or Alpha Clark in this matter, Luciana, you do not have to worry about me telling them." the woman started, "But I'm afraid I also do not have any real advice for you. This is an unprecedented situation and all I can offer is my own personal beliefs."

"That would be more than anyone else can offer us right now, Elder Marion." Jasper admitted, his expression grave and strained.

"I was born in a time before The Claiming, but I was not borne in the same pack as my mate." Elder Marion started, "My Hugo was of Sunset Waters and I was of a smaller pack just east of his lands. I had come here on a trip with my mother - an Omega for my pack's royalty. That is when I met Hugo and I came to live here. I remember the feeling of first seeing him, just outside the pack house playing basketball with his friends. That pull was so strong, I dropped one of my Luna's belongings to follow it."

There was a wistful smile on her face as she remembered her younger years, "I remember the first time he laid eyes on me - like I was the only person there, like he didn't care that I was of Omega status. He used to call me his very own Luna." She chuckled, eyes wandering to the picture of them on the coffee table. She exhaled before continuing, "Even after he passed, I still remember that feeling like it was just yesterday."

Luci instinctively moved to hold Jasper's hand. She knew exactly what Elder Marion was speaking of. She felt that pull towards her mate like she was magnetized for his touch. It felt like nothing else mattered besides their bond. Especially after the night prior, when their wolves found each other for the first time, their bond was only strengthened.

Elder Marion saw the connection and continued, "From that alone, Luciana and Jasper, I would say that following your hearts, giving in to destiny, is the only answer. No amount of fabricated mating, of these new traditions that our packs so desperately need, can deny the Goddess's will for us." The Elders saw the necessary evil of The Claiming, their numbers so low and tensions between the packs so palpable. It is why they did not object when it was first introduced. After all, more successful pairings came out of it than any would really like to admit. But above all, werewolf mates were as natural as the woods that surrounded them. In that sense, it would be unnatural to keep them apart.

Jasper opened his mouth, relieved to hear that this elder was not opposed to their relationship but still hesitant, "But what will happen to Orianna? Will she still be able to find her own mate even after bearing my mark?"

It almost hurt to hear Jasper speak his mate's name. Luci's hand squeezed his, hoping this tangible show of their mating would keep her from acting out. Jasper shot a glance at her, feeling her unease. He squeezed back, reassuring her. She knew that Jasper was a good man and though he only had eyes for Luciana since the moment they met, she knew he still cared greatly for his claimed mate.

"This is unprecedented, Beta Jasper, so I could not tell you for sure." Elder Marion took another sip of her tea, "But I would imagine it would be similar to when a mate is rejected. It will hurt but once a mate is rejected, the Goddess is generous with her second chances. I have seen it happen more than once. After all, Orianna has a true mate out there in the same way that you do."

That seemed to ease Jasper a little. This was true. It was not like Orianna and Jasper were fated to be together and there had to be some male out there who was meant for her in the same way. But it was so utterly complicated. What if Orianna's true mate had come one year to The Claiming and hadn't found her because she was already claimed by Jasper? What if he had claimed another after this disappointment and it would just be another instance like the one they were in today? But that would be a challenge for when it presented itself. Luci sighed as she rose to her feet, "Thank you for your wisdom, Elder Marion. You have been a great help."

Luci was genuine in her words. Though Elder Marion could only voice their doubts and the consequences of telling the truth, it was the exact amount of reassurance they needed that at the very least, there were still those in the packs that believed in destiny. As they left, Luci and Jasper walked hand in hand back to the pack house. They would have to return to Astral Twilight in the morning, with only their love for each other to drive them forward.

Jasper Orion Deveraux

As Luciana said goodbye to her family and her pack, Jasper loaded the pickup truck with her belongings. He wondered what it would be like to come back to his pack, to face Orianna and tell her the truth. Just as he had tried to come up with the words to tell Alpha Clark, Jasper tried to form the words to tell her. Orianna, this is my true mate, Luciana. He cringed. No, that would be an awful way to start. He stood with a grimace on his face as Bianca suddenly appeared by him.

"You don't seem excited to go home, Beta Jasper." the perky Alpha daughter teased as she slipped a note into one of Luci's bags.

Jasper looked down at her, trying to mold his face back into something normal, "I'm just not looking forward to all this confrontation."

"Don't worry so much!" Bianca smiled brightly, patting him on the back, "Destiny finds a way, remember?" Before he could respond, Luci, returned, her eyes just a tinge pink as she fought tears. The girls hugged and cried promises of keeping in touch and how they would visit each other when they could. Jasper took the opportunity to flee to the car door, opening the passenger side to let Luci in.

As the pair said goodbye, Luciana stood at the door, looking up at her mate. She got up on her tiptoes, pecking his lips lightly, "Ready?"

Jasper pulled her into a hug, burying his nose in her blonde hair and murmuring, "As ready as I'll ever be."

Luci nodded, squeezing him back before releasing him. She slipped into the truck's bench seat, flushing at the sight of the slight stain on the bench from their earlier tryst there. He smirked before closing the door. She always managed to calm his nerves, even without trying. Jasper knew whenever he looked at her that anything he did, anything he faced, would be alright as long as he got to see her at the end of the day.

As they pulled away from Sunset Waters' land, Jasper opened his mindlink to Alpha Ivan. But that empty static feeling was all that met him as the link was not completed. It was a little early, maybe Ivan was still asleep. He sighed, trying to reach his Gamma Embry. The link completed and Jasper thought, Embry, I'm heading back to Astral Twilight. I'll be back in about 7 hours.

The call that came back was frantic, Gamma Embry's mind racing, You need to hurry, Beta! Alpha Ivan is- He's not in his right mind! Something's happened and the pack is scrambling. You need to get here as fast as possible!

Jasper tensed, his hands straining against the wheel, drawing Luci's attention. What do you mean? What's happening, Embry? Embry! But the link was broken as Embry's mind snapped away. Jasper stepped harder on the acceleration. Something was wrong. Suddenly confronting his pack about Luciana took a backseat as he raced home.