BOUND TO FATE

16 FEBRUARY, TUESDAY, DINNER

I know it's probably just the mating bond, but the moment my wolf was aware of my Luna's presence, the line that came to mind was "My Luna is a moon and rose."

I looked out of the window at the full moon shining brightly. Yeah... My Luna. {Mine.}

Only this particular poem didn't mention that no matter how beautiful the moon shone, she was heartless. And the most beautiful roses carried many thorns. Which was a fact more than one Lycan poem liked to warn about. I guess it all depended on when the poem was written, before, during, or after love had struck.

Because I was beginning to think that love struck like lighting - fast, hot, and it fries your brain to a level of mush that was embaressing to admit.

See, I could write Lycan poetry too.

Bell came down to the dining room very quickly. Did he run? I found that hard to imagine, but he appeared at the doorway before I could even step out to meet him.

"Luna Bell is here." Ki announced.

He didn't have to, I had quite by instinct jumped at Bell, who also quite by instinct caught me around my waist. I'm not sure why he looked just a little surprised. Smart guy like him should have known it was coming.

But unlike the other times, he didn't let me go. "You're alright." He murmured into my hair.

Of course I was alright. Why wouldn't I be alright?

Oh right, this morning, I had made him leave so I could send the rogue family home. This morning, when he caught me, he didn't put me down immediately either.

I tried to wriggle free, but unlike this morning, Bell only tightened his grip around me. He only released me when Ki took a photograph with an obvious shutter sound.

Bell placed me down and turned to growl, but Ki's smile was unfazed, "It's for the engagement video."

Wait, he took a video too?

"I want to see." I said.

"Certainly, goddess. I will forward it to your phone immediately."

"Son, we need to talk. Sam has been telling me some amazing stories about your army." Dad said.

"My army!" I corrected.

"Yes, yes." Dad brushed it off amiably, "My daughter has her own army now."

Then he led Bell away.

{Mine!}

Grrr... Yeah! I nearly wanted to follow them, but Mum grabbed my arm and said, "Please Ki, perhaps you might let the girls and I clean up tonight."

"Are you sure, Luna?" Ki paused, his gentle smile in place.

Yeah Mum, what are you taking about?

"Yes, and I'm also sure that Bell might need your assistance." Mum smiled.

"Thank you, Luna. Please excuse me." And Ki left.

"Come now girls," Mum smiled at us, "It'll be like the good old days."

Meaning the days before Ki, when we had chores, and had to clean up after dinner almost every night? Yeah, it's been a while since we did something like that. Maybe tonight's leisurely dinner was nostalgic for Mum too. I guess homework could wait.

"What good old days?" Savy pouted.

My mum didn't miss a beat, "The good old days we had before these better days came along."

Hahaha. Yeah. Everything has changed. Even me. Savy was right, I've changed too. But I'd like to think it's for the better.

We helped Mum clean up in the kitchen. To add to his already long list of credit, Ki had kept the kitchen rather clean even after serving dinner. We only had to wash whatever we used at the table - which turned out to be much easier than before because now we had a dishwasher. Two dishwashers - the first one was already running the clean up for the cooking pots and pans.

It took us a while to figure out how to fit everything into the dishwasher. It was my first time dealing with it. Savy and Mum had helped put away stuff before, but Mum had to admit, just a plate or two... Never the entire tableware.

We laughed and giggled, just like we used to - okay no, we had NEVER enjoyed doing the after dinner clean up like this before. It was often done with a lot of attitude, a few warnings, sometimes Mum would get mad at us... Nothing like those hallmark family movies or bubbly detergent commercials. But tonight it was novelty, so it was fun.

I even almost forgot Mate was around. Almost.

I told Mum and Savy about Terrence drinking the limewater at school today, "There was a glass and a straw, so he thought it was juice!" Hahaha.

"What was it?" Mum asked.

So I told her what I learned in school today, "Limewater. It is this thing we were supposed to blow into, and it would turn chalky."

Mum blinked, nonplussed.

"She means calcium hydroxide." Savy explained on my behalf, "It's the chemical used in our lab practicals to test for carbon dioxide."

Eh, yeah. What she said.

Sometimes it's hard to tell that Savy was the younger sister. Haha.

"Oh." Said Mum, "Was that poor boy alright?"

I honestly couldn't say for sure.

When we got the kitchen to a level of cleanliness that satisfied Mum, I excused myself to do my homework. By now, I could sense that Mate was no longer in the house... He wasn't far though. Packhouse? All my betas were there too. Grrr... I guess they were having another meeting without me. I'd wager Dad and his betas were in on it too.

I thought about going over, but I was too miffed about them doing whatever they were doing behind my back. Maybe it was the spillover from not being able to control my warriors at school earlier.

Whatever, I had homework.

{Mine.}

Yeah, he was MY MATE, but he spends all his time with everyone else. Stoooopid. Well, I didn't need him!

Upstairs my clamshell bed was rumpled. I guess Bell woke up here. I took a moment just to survey the empty bed and guess exactly where he was sleeping. I took another moment to realize I was being stoopid.

Love was sooo stoooopid.

I picked up my phone from the side of my bed and saw the notification about the message from Ki.

Video! Mate! Me jumping in his arms spontaneously, and him catching me. Like wow, we looked so happy.

He smiled. Just as he caught me. I didn't see it then, but Ki caught his smile on camera. I watched the video a few more times before realising that I was being stoopid. AGAIN. Gah!

Homework! I was going to do homework! Because I was the Alpha, who already couldn't control my wolves or... Wth. I was in a bad mood all over again.

{Want mate}

Boo informed me in no uncertain terms.

I blame Boo. Yeah that's right! Stoopid Boo.

I can't control my warriors. Dad was right, the army was really Bell's. They listen to HIM. It was HIS prophetic dream.

Everyone praises me and made it sound like I was amazing, but I'm not. I'm not even very smart to begin with.

I flopped on my bed. The more I thought about it, the more I realize it was true. The brains behind the FAO were my betas. My dad was the real Alpha here - you wouldn't see any of our warriors sassing him.

And everything I've ever achieved in my life - like take this green light for the merger - it was just a fluke. Let's see, what else did I have? My army was actually my mate's army. My cars were all paid by other people. Tbh, I've never earned a single cent in my life. Yes, I know the FAO is rich, but that's the Ciara Coven's tribute.

And it's only sent to us because of the ring that Mate was wearing (not me), and we only got it in the first place because of the plan that Henry shared with me.

What else? I'm sure whatever it was, my gorgeous pedigreed mate, my super smart betas, my perfect family - I did NOTHING for them.

Even my wolf powers came together completely accidentally, because I was actually a girl, so the Alpha wolf should've been dormant. I just happened to be one out of the two existing known female alpha bloodlines. What a fluke.

That's what I was! A big fat fluke.

Keanu wasn't wrong to say River and I were cut from the same cloth, sorry River, but it's the truth.

I mentally kicked myself for being so stupid and believing I was somebody. Yuunie might have hit closer to the truth that she realized. I was a FAKE.

Well, not my hair. It's well stuck on my head, but I wasn't Alpha material at all. I was just an idiot who believed that the things that were happening around me were because of me.

Well, I've got news for me! It's not.

At best, I was just the stupid mascot for the team.

No wonder nobody took me seriously. No wonder the warriors sass me. No wonder my betas and Luna have meetings without me.

I know I was slow and dumb, but even I could see it clearly now. I stormed into the bathroom and sulked in the bath.

The truth was I was really more of a princess than an alpha. I had no real say in anything. The warriors swear to me, but they run with Mate. Everyone praises me and how did Ben put it? They "coddle" me, yeah that's the word. My betas push me around - literally, everywhere we go. My schedule was drawn out for me. Like my education, planned out for me without my input. Maybe Dad knew I wasn't smart enough to go to a homework-less school like our pack's New Leaf Academy, where they learned more in Middle School than I did in High School.

Even what I wore or ate was always set out for me. Basic decisions that normal teenagers made each day. I wouldn't have a clue how to deal with.

Maybe that's all I was supposed to be. Just a cute mascot. Yeah, I could continue to wear the cute clothes, smile and wave, and be their "Alpha Princess". I could.

I mean, for all I knew, that might be the only reason why Mate liked me. His wolf only ever thought me as "{cute}".

Wow... Who knew that under the perfect facade of my life, the truth would be so depressing?

The water got cooled and my fingers got pruney. I was tired. I was tired so many times today. I got out of the bath and wandered out to wear whatever that was picked out for me and sleep in the bed that was freshly made and turned out for me... Eh? I blinked at the bed and looked around the room. The curtains were drawn and the room was set for the night. My uniform was hung up for tomorrow, my bag was packed, my small items were returned to the trays on my dresser.

Yeah. My life was all set up for me. From the moment I was born - I knew this. I was a wolf, and all wolves were fated. Tied to a bloodline, a soulmate, a pack... And it would be considered our good fortune to have them.

What was I expecting?

But if this was what would make everyone happy, would I do it? Did I have a choice? What happened to my options?

OPTION A: Run with the fate I was born with. I mean, it's not a bad fate. I was pretty lucky like this.

OPTION B: Rebel against it! And do what? Run away and join Jude's motorbike gang? Seriously, that's not even a comparable option...

OPTION C: Go with the flow and see where it leads - actually, wasn't that what I was doing all my life, and evidently, it just led me straight down my fated path. AKA OPTION A.

This was suddenly like the options I got in the dream of running in the forest. All the options led to the same fate. Very frustrating.

Not that my fate was terrible. I mean, have you seen my mate? Omo.

My moon and rose.

Okay, maybe it's the mating bond, but I really believe got lucky on that one.

And I've got a loving family, a happy pack... What's wrong with following this path?

Yeah, I can do this! So I've been training all my life to be a strong Alpha. Who knew, what my pack needed was really a cute mascot. I was the Alpha, I mean, mascot. I can do this!