Dreams & Destiny

I could feel the stranger's lips on mine. His hands held my wrists above my head, once again driving me into a submissive position, which was exactly how he wanted me. I couldn't fight him, wouldn't even if I could. This was right. I knew it deep down that I belonged to him, I was fated to be with this man. I shivered, allowing myself to get lost in his kiss. I gasped as his tongue swept over mine, whimpering as he continued to overpower me.

That was when I realized there was another set of hands on me. I whimpered, breaking free to see who was touching me. A new man appeared. He was cloaked in shadow, but I once more realized that I was destined for him too.

My mind was reeling.

I was destined for...

Another shadowed figure stood behind the two and I let out a whimper, a driving need for him to also join us. I needed them--needed all three men to claim me. I was theirs for the taking, all they had to do was take.

The third stood back though...seeming unsure.

I lifted my hand, working to reach out to him, working to call him to me.

To join us...

"Dani! Are you alright?"

I gasped, sitting up suddenly in my bed and nearly throwing my mom off the bed with my sudden movements. I looked around, blinking as I took in my surroundings. That dream had felt so real. Part of me was still there, in the darkness with the three males. I only recognized the one from earlier, yet I somehow knew the other two as well. I had no idea what that meant. I chalked it up to just an overactive imagination and a sudden sex drive that had been otherwise absent.

Great. Guess I shouldn't have wished so hard to feel something!

My body seemed to making up for lost time. I realized then that my mother was staring at me, obviously waiting for me to answer something she said. I blinked, trying to remember exactly what she'd asked me. Why was I having so much trouble waking up?

You were napping for nearly five hours!

I frowned, once again hearing that voice--the me-yet-not voice. I shook it away, once again turning to my mom. That was when I remembered what she'd asked me.

"I'm alright," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "Guess I just slept for a bit longer than I meant to."

"I'd say so," she said, frowning. "Honey, I don't want to press much, you've always been a good girl, but you've never missed a day of school. Why today? Is it because of your father?"

"Why are you acting like it's not a big deal, Mom?" I glared, all the confusion and nerves from earlier flooding me once again. "You should've told me he wasn't dead! You shouldn't have kept him a secret from me for so long! How can you just drop that kind of news on me and then not say more? Why today? Why now? Please, Mom! I want answers."

"Danika, enough, don't blame your mother."

I froze at the sound of the newcomer's voice. A rough male's voice that was filled with wisdom and power. I looked up, seeing the large man standing in the doorway. He looked only slightly older than my mother yet his hair was silver-white. I blinked, confused why his hair would be that color when he was still so young. His eyes...they were like mine. I'd always been curious why my eyes looked so different than others. My mother had told me that heterochromia wasn't that rare, but I'd never met anyone before with different colored eyes until now. And the same shade--one light blue and the other dark green. I'd always thought my eyes were weird, but on him they seemed right.

"I know you have a lot of questions," he finally continued and nodded for me to follow him. "Let's go to the dining room. We can talk and I'll answer your questions."

I slipped out of my bed, beginning to follow him before pausing at the doorway, seeing that my mother wasn't following. I looked over at her curiously, wondering why she was just sitting there.

"Go now, Dani," she said, offering me a smile filled with sadness.

Why was she sad?

What was going on?

"Mom? What's going on?" I asked.

"Your father will tell you. Go on now, don't keep him waiting," she pushed, continuing to sit on my bed.

Go. We need to follow him! He told us to.

I bit my lip as part of me was pushing me to follow after my father, to "follow" his orders, but the other part of me had a bad feeling about this. That part wanted me to go back to bed, to join my mother and forget all about my father, forget all about everything that happened today. Unfortunately, as nice of a dream as that was, there was no way I'd be forgetting any of this and I wouldn't get answers if I didn't go now.

With a deep breath, I turned from my room and my mother, moving down the hall and finally reaching the dining room. I blinked, seeing my father already seated at the chair at the end of the table. He was large, his body seeming to take up the entire end of the table. I wondered exactly who he was and what he did for a living. As I made my way to the table, I looked at the empty seats, trying to decide where to sit. Did I want to sit at the other end to face him or sit closer to him?

"Sit over here," he said, nodding to the chair to his left. "I'd like to get a good look at you, Danika."

"Dani," I said as I moved to the chair he nodded to and sat down. "I-I prefer Dani."

"Your grandmother's name was Danika," he said, placing his forearms on the table. "The name is powerful, I will not use a weak nickname like Dani in exchange."

What...?

"O-okay..." I replied meakly, hating how weak I felt. "I-I didn't know I was named after my grandmother."

"Your mother and I agreed to allow you to live a regular life until your eighteenth birthday," he scowled, rubbing a palm over his mouth. "I should say: your mother got me to agree to that. She can be quite persuasive."

"What do you mean by that? A regular life?" I frowned, tilting my head.

"You can't tell me you don't realize how different you are from others," he said, looking me in the eyes, holding my gaze.

I flushed in shame as I instantly looked down, not wanting to hold his gaze.

"My daughter...an omega?" he sneered and shook his head. "I never should've agreed to let out live outside the pack. Your wolf could've been better nurtured. You might not have been an omega."

"Omega? My wolf?" I blinked, looking up and forcing myself to meet his gaze. "What are you talking about?"

"Danika," he said, moving his hand over mine. "You are a werewolf."

"W-what?" I blinked, looking around for a moment, sure that at any moment my mother would step out to say this was all a bad joke.

But no one stepped out.

And...part of me felt what he said was true.

It is. You've been ignoring me, Danika. But I am your wolf.

My wolf? Who are you? I answered the voice, deciding not to ignore her this time.

My name is Eluna, I am your wolf. I've been trying to talk to you, help you...but you've always fought me until now. We can talk more later, answer your alpha.

My father was the alpha...?

I could understand why he'd be ashamed if I was apparently an omega. I may not know much about werewolves, but if the terms were the same as they were for actual wolves, omegas were not exactly the most liked in a pack.

"I can see you've finally spoken to your wolf," he said, offering a nod of approval.

I shivered, feeling my chest tighten with pleasure at his praise.

"I-I had no idea," I said, looking down. "I thought I was crazy..."

"I can understand. Well, no longer do you have to believe you are crazy. I'll be taking you with me today to introduce you to the pack," he said, standing up and holding his hand out.

"W-what? You are taking me...?"

I frowned, realizing suddenly why my mother looked so sad. My father wasn't just here to meet me, he was here to take me. He was planning to take me to his pack...to what? To have me live the rest of my life there? What kind of life could I have as an omega? Part of me craved to go, to join others like me. But I knew that part was my wolf, Eluna.

"Danika, it is time to meet your pack, to join your people," he said, his voice growing deeper and I felt the sudden need to obey his command.

I frowned, recognizing this feeling...

The male from earlier! His voice had changed too and I'd felt the driving need to follow his commands as well.

"You don't seem shocked at hearing Alpha speak," he said, raising an eyebrow. "I'm guessing Greyson has already introduced himself to you."

"Greyson?" I asked and I watched as the stranger I'd met earlier stepped out from the shadows leading to my kitchen. "Y-you!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Danika," he stepped forward, bowing slightly and offering me a wicked grin.

"M-Meet me? W-we already met! You...earlier!" I stammered, flushing.

"I had Greyson watching you earlier," my father explained, raising an eyebrow. "Is there a problem, Danika?"

"N-no," I said, looking down at my feet. "There's not..."

"Good. Now, follow me. It's time to get and the pack is anxious to meet you," he said, turning and moving to the front door.

"Can't I say good bye to Mom?" I asked, watching.

"Your mother knew the rules when we made the agreement, she is to have no further contact with you," he said, not bothering to turn to look at me. "She's done enough damage."

I flushed, narrowing my eyes and moving to step forward. I couldn't believe him! He didn't get to decide my life like this. Like hell I'd go with him now.

Don't, Danika. He is our alpha!

He is YOUR alpha, I am not doing this. I don't care what I am...what we are!

I paused, feeling a hand on my shoulder and turned, seeing Greyson's piercing eyes watching me. He narrowed his eyes and shook his head before nodding to the stairway. My mother was standing there, holding out her hand through the stairs. I moved quickly, taking her hand in mine. She squeezed it gently and nodded reassuringly, mouthing that it would be okay, to go and trust my father. I held back a sob as she squeezed my hand once more before releasing it. Before I could say or do anything, Greyson's arm was around my shoulder and he was leading me out the door. I shivered, hating how comforting his arm was--I didn't want any part of this.

As he led me down the front steps and towards a dark SUV waiting outside the house, I had to fight to pull from his grip. I looked up at the waiting car door and took a deep breath, wondering what I was in store for.

What kind of destiny was this...?