Alyssa continues to play in the sandbox, enjoying herself an hour later, after we have finished. We engage in constructing sandcastles with her while conversing about the following day. At 25, Skylar has essentially relinquished all hope of discovering her soulmate.
“I aspire to locate a solitary warrior,” Skylar confesses, and I acknowledge with a nod.
I believe I was bonded to a warrior, who likely perished. I doubt he is present. Three years ago, I attended an Alpha ceremony at Frostfur Moon’s Pack, anticipating the possibility of finding my mate among the numerous warriors present, but to no avail. I have come to terms with the likelihood that my companion is deceased. I am prepared to progress. “I desire to have children, and I am weary of solitude,” Skylar expresses.
“I comprehend.” It is challenging to endure prolonged uncertainty without assurances. I contemplate whether I should seek a suitable man who will be an exemplary father to Alyssa and a commendable partner to me as well. Should I remain passive in anticipation of my destined partner, if he exists at all? What if I delay and he does not desire me at all? Skylar embraces me with a side hug, which I reciprocate. I experience loneliness, yet I have Alyssa. I cannot fathom the extent of her loneliness.
I desire a scenario devoid of fated mates, where individuals can freely choose partners without any claims over one another. We determine to whom we offer ourselves. “It is exceedingly painful for those of us who do not find our partner,” Skylar states.
I concur. A second chance mate may occur when an individual’s mate dies or if they are rejected. It is infrequent, however.
“Absolutely,” Skylar concurs.
Cohen’s Perspective
We have been travelling for the past two hours, and we will arrive at Lunar Howl Moon’s packhouse in an additional two hours. I am seated in the passenger seat of an SUV while my Beta, Paxton, operates the vehicle. My parents are seated in the rear, and my mother is exasperating me. Our convoy also includes three additional SUVs filled with elite warriors from my pack. I had Paxton drive to facilitate my work, but I failed to consider my mother… she incessantly converses.
“Are you truly paying attention to me, Cohen?”“I hear my mother enquire loudly.” No, I was not.
“Certainly!”My response reveals my deception when she requests that I reiterate her statement.
“I apologise; I was preoccupied with my thoughts,” I confess.
“I was stating that you are 23 years old and have yet to discover your partner.” You should consider seeking a suitable match. Someone capable of providing robust puppies?I have encountered this conversation approximately one hundred times in the past six months.
“I am aware, Mother.” You desire for me to copulate with the daughter of Alpha Eric. I have encountered this previously. Numerous occasions. I will not consent to an agreement without meeting her first. I will not enter into a union with someone I find intolerable solely due to her lineage. If I am to abandon my companion, she must be a formidable fighter, and I must have an affinity for her. “That is non-negotiable,” I inform my mother for the hundredth time, and it is increasingly irritating me. “Do you know what?” You and Father are destined partners. I resent your attempts to impose a destiny upon me that you would not endorse for yourselves. If bloodlines were of such significance, why did Father not seek the most formidable she-wolf available to sire offspring with her?”I enquire as I pivot to face them.”
My mother is frail and incapable of defending herself. Their faces exhibit shock and guilt prominently. Excellent. I am fatigued by the pressure they have been exerting on me.
“We do not wish for you to neglect your companion in pursuit of power.” We are merely apprehensive that you have not located her as of yet. We simply wish to prevent you from shouldering the responsibility of a pack without a companion. I do not wish for you to select a she-wolf you cannot tolerate solely for the sake of power. I have recently learnt that Alpha’s daughter, Aniyah, possesses great beauty. My mother explains that she possesses a distinguished lineage and is receptive to seeking a suitable match.
I have been managing the Alpha responsibilities independently. I do not require a Luna to assume the role of Alpha for our pack. I wish to cease discussing this matter. I will encounter her shortly and subsequently formulate an opinion. “I will not be coerced into anything,” I assert resolutely. My parents are the sole individuals capable of irritating me to this extent without consequence.
Celine’s Perspective
Today is the significant day. All individuals have been exceedingly occupied, and as Gamma, Brandon has been particularly engaged in recent days. If my father had not passed away, today would mark Brandon’s ascension to Gamma. It is difficult to envision how our lives would appear today had my parents survived. Potentially entirely dissimilar.
