CHAPTERS TWO

That caught my full attention. I spun around quickly. "One last time? What do you mean by that?" I whispered.

He glared at the raven haired girl, "I mean it. Leave."

She rolled her eyes, then with a sick smile blew him an air kiss. "Oh alright but remember to come back quickly to me. We have a recital to work on." With that and a wink, she went back the same way she'd come.

"One last time? What was that about?" My head felt full with complexities of questions. We were mates, soul tied by the moon goddess or so I thought. Why did he speak about meeting with me one last time.

Did I do something wrong?

"No you haven't, Neilla." He'd been listening in to my thoughts, another proof that we were a match made to be. "There's a lot of things going on that are out of my control. As you know, I'm not the alpha king and as heir, a lot if responsibilities are expected of me. I can't let the pack down, not after everything my father has worked so hard to build."

I nodded slowly even when none of what he'd said made any sense to me. Since when did being an heir to the throne require him to see his mate for 'one last time'? I needed an explanation and I needed it fast. Rylan opened his mouth to speak then avoided my gaze.

"Why aren't you looking at me in the eye, Rylan? What's going on? Your wolf suddenly seems distant from mine. Did we do something you said not to? What's the problem?"

"The Alpha King's passing is in a few weeks and I've been cumbered with the task of taking over the pack as ruler and chief commander. I need a Luna by my side."

"I am your mate who is going to be your Luna, Rylan. I've been practicing using those books you gave me to study over the weeks. I know I'm not born of royalty but I'm doing the best I can. Mana Sylveon has also been hard at work training me." I fought to come to my defense.

"I see those hardwork you put in and I love you for it. I really do." He paused for several heartbeats, his gaze never meeting mine as he picked his shirt to put it back on.

I waited with bated breath to know his final decision. He was showing difficulty in giving expression to what he wanted most to spell out which was otherwise unusual for him to do. It didn't take long to realize something was amiss.

"Just say it, Rylan. What do you think I'm doing wrong?"

"However, the council doesn't think you're good enough to rule by my side as my Luna. They need someone more tactful, someone who can lead and provide in essence the very ingredient to keep the pack together. They feel you're just too..." He paused.

My heart wrenched painfully, my fingers subconsciously rubbing the spot above my heart to knead the dull ache away. "For my sake, please do not stop. Come out with the entire truth."

He looked away again. "Soft. They think you're too soft to be Luna."

The tears I'd been holding back, tumbled down my cheeks drop after drop, yet my composure remained. "What do you think of me?"

He met my gaze, his wolf shining close to the surface to reach out to me. The man within him got to the wolf first and he shut it out, breaching the contact between his wolf and mine. It stung like a hard kick in the gut and I ignored it.

"I think you're strong in every way, I think you're resilient at what you set your mind to do. If there's anyone who'd be perfectly cut out in the whole kingdom to be Luna, it's you."

My hand met with his face before I could think twice about it. My wolf didn't like it one bit but I was far too gone to care. "If I was all of this then why didn't you defend me in there? Why didn't you say all of this to them and make them see me in different light. You sat there instead like the stupid bimbo that you are and let them dissect me, tag me with names I've fought hard to run away from. You're nothing but a selfish coward, Rylan and I hope you know what you're doing. A soon-to-be alpha king who cannot take a firm decision and is swayed by other people's false judgements."

He grabbed my hand before I could turn away from him. "You know that's not true, Neilla. I only want what's best for us and the kingdom."

My fingers itched to meet with his face once more and I dabbled with the thought to. I yanked my hand from his gentle grip instead, poking him in the chest with my forefinger and repeating my earlier statement. "You're a selfish coward. Heartless too. You're here away from the earshot of everyone else while pretending to care what others think of me."

He didn't try to hold me again. "I'm sorry if that's what you think of me now. Decisions have been made and there's nothing you nor I can do about it. I have to go now. I'll send for you when it's alright to talk. We really need to talk about this."

With those pathetic words thrown at me, he turned around and left, leaving me to crumple in a crying heap on the floor. No words of consolation, nothing.

How did my small cocooned world get snatched out from under me? Why did everything good in my life come with a cost? Why was I even born into a pack when I should have been a rogue? Having no blood relative in a pack was as good as being an outcast since every other person had mouths to take care of.

I used to think myself fortunate to be mated to the prince. The first time we met was bliss. His scents mingled with everywhere he'd been, everything he'd touched. It lingered there. That's how I found him. I was more than lucky.

We couldn't get enough of each other as every chance we met was to join our wolves together to mate or have sex in our human forms. We'd dreamt together of our mate initiation where our bonds will be solidified under the illumination of the blue moon, a rare moon cycle which occured once in four years. Even more disheartening to discover that after the long wait, he'd throw all of it away because of what the council thought of me.

"I hate you, Rylan." I screamed to no one in particular. My tears cascaded down my cheeks, rolling into my mouth. The saltiness stung on my overactive taste buds and I spat it out angrily.

"Easy there." A voice crooned from behind me. I didn't need to turn to find out who it was. All of my sensory receptors were widely opened like funnels; if I perceived anything, I perceived it down to the littlest odour/scent despite how insignificant. Same with my taste buds and my hearing. It was frequently happening and I couldn't comprehend the reason for that.

A pair of boots stopped beside me, pausing for a second before the person lowered themselves to the ground, mirroring my posture. I raised my head to stare blankly into the sky.

"Do you think I'm soft?" I whispered.

"I don't think you are but we should get you home now. Prince Rylan ordered me to get you home safely." The voice responded, pulling to his feet and towering over me with an outstretched arm.

"Thanks for your help and his thoughtful order but I'll be fine on my own. You should go and put this energy to better use in the palace." I retorted sharply as I stood up without taking his assistance, the dress pooling at my feet as I did so. He averted his eyes from my naked body but I couldn't care less if he boldly stared.

I shifted in the blink of a few seconds into a 5'7ft black wolf matted with spots of cream in my underbelly. Through my yellow gaze, I picked up my dress and ignoring Rylan's "thoughtful help", I started on my way home.