A Sense Of Impending Doom

5 days earlier

"I can hardly contain my excitement!" Ravenna squealed, flapping her arms like a baby goose.

"We have till Thursday, Una! Just three days! He is going to choose you as his Luna, and maybe, just maybe, those troublemakers would finally start showing you some respect. You would be indisputable, and everyone would have to acknowledge Theo Nakoda's chosen Luna!"

My best friend's grin, barely held in check after her passionate "speech," triggered a chorus of laughter from me, causing me to throw my head back.

"Come on, Venna. Your expression is straight out of a cartoon," I managed to say between chuckles, observing her as she got her Cornflakes ready.

"But you know I'm dead serious," she playfully winked, filling her lavender ceramic bowl with a stream of milk.

Once her bowl was satisfyingly filled, she joined me on the sofa, crossing her legs and eagerly scooping up spoonfuls into her mouth.

"I won't deny it, I am feeling pretty anxious. I understand we are mates, but..." I paused, looking at Ravenna who gave me an encouraging nod.

"Everyone would be present. My father, mother, brother... they'd all be there."

"I haven't fully healed from the terrible ordeal I went through," I admitted, clenching my eyes shut as the memories resurfaced—images of my father heartlessly breaking and ripping out my nails on my 15th birthday.

"Una," Ravenna's gentle voice broke through, and she placed a bowl of Cornflakes on the round table before tenderly stroking my cheek.

She gazed into my eyes with warmth, pressing a kiss to my forehead and pulling me into a comforting embrace.

"It is going to be alright, Una. Theo loves you, and he isn't afraid to show it," Ravenna reassured me with a gentle squeeze of my hand.

"Yeah, right. Stop clinging to me like a big baby," I playfully teased, giving her a gentle push as she swatted at my shoulder.

"Speaking of Theo, I need to go check on him. He has been fending off the Crescent Moon Pack for some days now, they are hungry for a war," I explained, rising from my seat and sliding into some comfortable footwear.

Ravenna spooned more Cornflakes into her mouth before responding. "Crescent Moon? What about the treaty?"

"I think they broke it. Not entirely sure. Theo doesn't share much with me," I shrugged.

"You should consult Fenrir though." A mischievous grin curved my lips as Ravenna almost choked upon hearing Theo's prospective Beta and cousin's name.

"Oh no, spare me. Don't mention that wimp's name in this house!" She exclaimed in utter disgust, her saple eyes widening to the size of saucers.

Fenrir had been making advances on Ravenna for two years, claiming to be her destined mate. And honestly, with his ginger hair and freckles, he wasn't unattractive.

But he was quite the fool.

"Hehe, catch you later, Ravenna," I bid, offering our signature hand gesture.

"Get lost," she retorted, and I broke into another fit of laughter before finally making my exit from the house.

As I passed a cluster of smaller houses, their designs mirroring Ravenna's, the distinctive two-story abode of Alpha Kaden began to come into view from a distance.

Since that day was a Saturday, the evening saw fewer werewolves venturing out, providing a smoother path to Theo's dwelling, free from the usual taunts of fellow pack members.

In a world where the bond between human and wolf was a mark of honor, my path was decidedly unique, as I stood without a wolf by my side.

People of the moon usually experienced their first transformation, or "wolfed out," around the age of ten.

Some underwent this shift early, others underwent it later. My family and I assumed I fell within the latter category. I fervently wished that was the case because the idea of a werewolf without a wolf seemed unfathomable. I couldn't possibly be the first.

Time passed, two years turned into four, and my father's patience wore thin. On my fifteenth birthday, he resorted to driving me out of the very place I had once called home, using a stake to inflict pain. He heartlessly tore away my fingernails, and kicked me out, while my mother's expression displayed an overpowering disgust.

Word spread, confirming that I was indeed wolfless—a reality more human than anticipated. I became a pariah, an outcast. People shunned me as though I carried a contagious ailment.

Ravenna, however was an exception. Her family offered me shelter not long after my own parents disowned me and they took treated me like their own. Ravenna's parents had died in a hunt many years ago, so it was just Ravenna and her two older brothers—Daniel, and Andrew.

Theo was another who never discriminated against me, despite his status as the next Alpha of our pack.

We were friends and from friends, he revealed to me that we were mates. I couldn't tell if that were true since I didn't have a wolf but I believed him.

Theo loved me, and was going to make me his Luna on his birthday.

As I approached Theo's family house, a wave of anxiety washed over me, unsure of what to expect from his father this time.

Standing tall at around 6'4", Alpha Kaden was a monster. Wolf claw scars marked his cheeks, and one of his eyes was entirely white, devoid of an iris. His once-creamy skin was marred by dark splotches, his hands rough and clammy, lacking the warmth of normalcy, and his wolf...

Well….

I entered the house without bothering to knock, as was my usual custom. There was Theo, seated at the dining table, his brows furrowed in deep concentration, lips pressed into a firm line. Stacks of papers were spread before him, which he flipped through intently.

"Jadis," he called without looking up, and a smile tugged at my lips. He was the only one who referred to me by that name; he preferred it to Unatha. And I didn't mind at all—it made our connection feel even more intimate.

I approached him slowly, but he didn't raise his head, causing a twinge of unease within me.

"Is everything alright, Theo?" I inquired, a trace of disappointment coloring my tone. His lack of enthusiasm at my arrival left me feeling deflated. I reached out to stroke his jet-black hair, and he paused in flipping the papers, sighing heavily.

"I'm fine, really. I apologize for my countenance," he said, his hand covering mine on his shoulder, followed by a gentle kiss. Warmth coursed through me, and I continued to caress his hair.

"What's troubling you?" I asked, my gaze flickering to the documents spread out in front of him. I saw headings like "Crescent Moon," "Nightfang," and "Moon shadow clan." They seemed to be letters rather than spreadsheets, but I couldn't discern their content.

"Nothing for you to worry about, my love," he responded, rising from his seat, which startled me. He turned to face me, and my cheeks flushed as he wrapped his arms around my waist. He was so much taller, towering over me by a foot or two.

"Just give me a little more time, okay?" he pledged, determination and dedication blazing in his hazel eyes. I felt myself melting under his gaze.

"I understand," I whispered, my fingers gently grazing his face. He drew closer, closing the gap between us, and I prepared for a kiss.

"Theo?" Alpha Kaden's voice thundered, freezing me in place and I tensed up instantly.

Theo let out an irritated noise, releasing his grip on my waist with reluctance. He pivoted to meet his father's scowl, the older Alpha clutching a dead rabbit in his hand, which he tossed aside in escalating anger.

"Theo," Alpha Kaden began, and I instinctively sought refuge behind Theo's sturdy frame.

"I've warned you repeatedly—she's an abomination! You're the Alpha's son, the next leader of this pack, and you're entangled with a wolfless runt!" His voice carried an edge of fury, and Theo winced.

"Fifteen years I've tolerated this disgraceful alliance, this object of amusement of yours. For fifteen years, son! No more. You'll renounce her now or on your upcoming birthday."

My head spun. Renounce me? As his mate?

Theo bowed his head, and as his father slammed the wooden door and stalked away, the hinges quaking, I released a heavy sigh.

"Go home, Jadis. We'll talk soon," Theo murmured, his demeanor downcast, like someone teetering on the brink of surrender. I could only hope it wasn't as dire as it seemed.

With a heavy heart, I detached my hand from his and exited the house, fighting back tears. Descending the porch steps, I stumbled slightly, and as Theo's friends, Ramsey and Giovanni, approached the house, they laughed.

"Runt!" Giovanni jeered, accompanied by a spit on the ground.

"Shut up!" I spat, wrapping my arms around myself and I began to run back towards Ravenna's house.