CHAPTER 2

Cassie’s POV

I never imagined that everything would turn out beautifully. After we learned that we were mates, we hugged and kissed in the woods before coming back to the party. I knew that everyone was thrilled to know about my mate but I was hesitant to announce the news about finding my mate, but I had no other choice when Kaiden dropped the news and shocked everyone present at the party.

"Congratulations!"

They all greeted us. Everyone was happy. I was happy because I was blessed with a mate like Kaiden Clark. The Moon Goddess was so kind to me, and I would be forever grateful because she gave me Kaiden.

"We never see this coming, but it is great that you are the next Luna of this pack," our alpha said in the middle of his laughter.

After the gathering, we went into the living room and our parents talked about our future. Kaiden and I were still young but age wouldn’t matter when it comes to mating. We could be married as early as we could, and our parents decided that the wedding would be set two years later.

I nervously sat across from Dad, waiting for the right moment to bring up the topic of marriage. I knew that this was a big step, and I wanted to make sure that I approached it in the right way. Kaiden was also next to me and we listened to the adults discussing our marriage. As fated mates, we knew from the start that we were meant to be together and our families had nothing else to do but to support us.

"I'm so happy for you both," Kaiden's mother said, smiling warmly at us. "I remember when Kaiden was just a little boy, and he used to talk about finding his mate one day. And now, he found you."

I felt a surge of happiness fill me as I looked at Kaiden, feeling grateful for our fated bond and the love that we shared. My own father nodded in agreement, his eyes filled with pride.

"I've never seen you happier, dear," he said, looking at me. "And I can tell that Kaiden is a wonderful mate for you."

We talked for hours, discussing everything from the wedding details to our future plans as a couple. Both of our families were supportive and excited for us, and I felt like we were all on the same page. As the conversation wound down, Kaiden's father stood up and addressed us directly.

"Your father and I are so proud for both of you," he said, looking at us. "And we know that you will have a long and happy life together. We will do everything in our power to support you and make sure that your union is blessed."

I felt tears well up in my eyes as Kaiden took my hand, squeezing it tightly. We had always known that we were meant to be together, but hearing our parents' words of love and support made it all the more real.

As we hugged our families goodbye, I knew that our wedding day would be a special one, filled with love and happiness. And I felt grateful to have such wonderful parents, who had raised us to love and cherish each other as fated mates. As we wrapped up the conversation, my dad gave me a hug.

"Then we will end this meeting, for now, it is so nice to know this good news. Have a great morning," Luna Andrea adjourned.

It was past one in the morning when everyone had left and I smiled when I remembered about the kiss Kaiden gave me before leaving with his parents. I was so happy that I didn’t notice when my brothers approached me.

"Wow, so our little sis will soon be Mrs. Luna of the pack," Marcus started to annoy me.

"Yeah, and if that day comes, I will make you my butt wiper," I teased back. His face churned into a disgusted expression.

My dad came into the middle of the conversation.

"Okay, let us stop this noise and go back to your rooms. We need to rest," he yawned.

We all agreed because we were all freaking tired.

The next morning, I woke up early to clean the mess from last night’s party, but before everything else, I brewed coffee and enjoyed it before starting to work. I wanted to wake my brothers up but I knew they were still snoring so I didn’t bother. Anyway, I would be able to do everything on my own.

"Hey!"

I almost knocked him off with my broom when Kaiden came unannounced. He had a wide grin on his face but it didn’t stop me from frowning. "You know what, it is so early for you to ruin my day, Kaiden," I complained but when he grinned, I was done for.

"Good morning, Cassie. Did you have a good night's sleep?" he asked and his voice was full of concern.

"Yes. Coffee?" I offered.

"Coffee is good but you need to drink it moderately, Cassie. It’s not good for you," he stated. "Much better if you will stop drinking coffee," he suggested.

"You know it is impossible," I told him because I was addicted to coffee, as much as I am so into mint and lemon.

"What happened last night," he started his words shyly, very unusual for Kaiden. He was confident with everything, so this was new and unusual. "You look beautiful. I saw you last night, but you ran away," he reminded me about what happened last night.

"I saw you with Sheena, Kaiden," I responded and he seemed uncomfortable when I mentioned the girl’s name. "I ran away because I honestly didn’t like what I saw. I was angry when I saw you talking to her but I couldn’t do anything about it. But now, since you are mates, you should be aware how I truly felt toward you, Kaiden. I think it was love at first sight," I told him.

"Cassie…," he could only mumble as his response.

"I was scared to tell you the truth because I assumed you would be disgusted with the idea of your childhood friend falling in love with you. So, I kept this feeling a secret, Kaiden. Who would have thought that you are my mate?"

"To be fair, I was also attracted to you, Cassie. You are so beautiful and I get jealous every time there’s someone who tries to get close to you or to know you better."

"What do you mean there’s someone who tried to get close to me? I didn’t know anyone who likes me, Kaiden," I said.

"Because I didn’t let them get close to you! I was scared that you would find someone better than me. Well, it’s all in the past now. I am happy that our feeling for each other is mutual, and not just because we are mates," he responded.

Then, suddenly, he conquered my lips, but we were interrupted by my dad who was watching us with his hissing smile. So overprotective! We started cleaning the backyard, and it was so fun doing it with my mate.

The following day, Kaiden and I were supposed to go somewhere but an emergency happened. I heard from one of the warriors that there were about ten rogues being seen at the boundaries of Mystic Forest. We had a few casualties but my fellow warriors managed to get rid of those stinking blood-lusting monsters!

One of my brothers, Tom, was wounded in his arms and he was being treated by the doctor. He might be annoying at times but when it comes to keeping the territory safe, Tom wouldn’t hesitate to fight.

I was at his side when the doctor treated his injuries, and I was only able to breathe a sigh of relief when the doctor was done, and Tom was sleeping to recover his strength. For several hours, I stayed at Tom’s side and never left until someone could watch over him.

Then, I sneaked outside to get some fresh air. I was taking a walk to clear my head when I saw Kaiden’s brother going somewhere deeper into the woods. Xander Clark looked suspicious to me but I had to remind myself that he was Kaiden’s brother, and our Alpha’s son. So, I just assumed that he probably wanted to go to the woods to clear his head like me. However, that part of the woods was dangerous because of the rogues. So, I tried to follow him but someone suddenly stopped me from following Xander Clark.

"Hey, where are you going?" Kaiden asked me but my eyes were focused on the weapon he was holding. I looked like he would join the other warriors in patrolling around the territory for safety purposes.

"I think I saw Xander going into the woods," I told him but he seemed to be uninterested in his brother. When he clenched his jaw, I knew that he wanted something else from me. Argh, I found his clingy side to be cute. "Where have you been all this time? I miss you so much," I said before throwing myself into him for a hug.

"I miss you too, Cassie, however, it’s not safe outside this time. Rogues are being active again," he cautioned me not to venture into the woods.

"What about your brother?"

"I will take care of it," he said.

Then, Kaiden escorted me back home, and he scolded me for being so stubborn. I told him I was capable of defending myself against any intruder because I trained hard enough to knock down a few enemies. However, he insisted that I should stay home because it was safer.

After he left, I went to bed to take some rest, but as soon as I was asleep, I had a dream about Kaiden. It was realistically weird and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I saw Kaiden being bitten by a rogue, and it gave me a heart attack.

As soon as I opened my eyes, I rolled over from my bed to get some water. What was wrong with me? It was just a dream but it felt so real. With a glass of cold water in my hand, I convinced myself that it was just a dream and nothing more.

*****

After drinking water, I calmed down a little bit. I returned to my bed to sleep again, but I woke up in the middle of the night. My heart was racing and sweat was dripping down my forehead.

I had just had a nightmare about Kaiden, my mate, and it had left me feeling terrified and anxious. I tried to calm myself down, taking deep breaths and reminding myself that it was just a dream. But the more I tried to relax, the more my mind raced with fear and worry. I got out of bed and started pacing back and forth inside my room, trying to shake off the feeling of unease. I couldn't shake the image of Kaiden from my mind, and it felt like he was still haunting me, even in my dreams.

I tried to distract myself, picking up a book and trying to read, but my mind kept drifting back to the nightmare. I felt trapped and alone like there was no escape from the fear that was gripping me.

As the night wore on, I started to feel more and more exhausted. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't seem to shake off the feeling of fear and anxiety that had taken hold of me. Eventually, I decided to reach out to a friend, hoping that they could help me calm down and feel safe. I told them about my nightmare and how it had left me feeling scared and alone.

To my relief, my friends were understanding and supportive. They listened to me talk about my fears and worries, and they reminded me that I was strong and capable of overcoming my nightmares.

Slowly but surely, I started to feel more at ease. The fear and anxiety started to dissipate, replaced by a sense of calm and reassurance. By the time the sun started to rise, I was feeling more like myself again. The nightmare had been a scary experience, but with the help of my friend, I had been able to overcome it. And I knew that I had the strength and support to face any challenge that came my way.

The thought of my best friend, my life, and my mate getting killed by a rogue sent shivers down my spine. Even when I was out of bed already, it still felt so vivid as if that certain nightmare was real.

I slapped my face twice as hard as I could to stop having negative thoughts because it was not helpful. I just found my mate, so it couldn’t and shouldn’t happen at all. When my mom was alive, she said that dreams were usually the opposite of the truth. So, it probably meant that Kaiden would live a long life.

However, I couldn’t help myself from feeling worried about him. I wanted to go to him but I promised him last night that I would stay inside our home until the rogues were gone. Even though I knew how to take care of myself, I shouldn’t break my promise to him.

Besides, I knew that the Moon Goddess would protect us from any tragedy. She wouldn’t let her child die easily. On my way to the kitchen, I relaxed a little bit and imagined our happy moments together.

After having a cup of my favorite coffee, I conditioned myself to go to the market to buy fresh produce to replenish our pantry. Dad and my brothers have a huge appetite, and in fact, I had to remind them each day to add more money for the groceries.

I did my usual routine such as going to the bathroom to take a quick shower. Afterward, I carefully chose my outfit for market day; something comfortable and light where I could move freely.

Every time I would go to the market, I would hear from the people there that I inherited my mother’s features. It was flattering to hear because my mother was very beautiful.

Before my nineteenth birthday, I didn’t care about how I dressed. It’s usually pants and t-shirt because nobody cared how I dressed. But after being mated with Kaiden Clark, I had to dress appropriately because my mate was the future Alpha of our pack. Besides, I wanted to look beautiful in front of Kaiden at all times.

Before leaving my bedroom, I turned to look at the huge mirror. I wore a yellow sundress, and paired it with my favorite sneaker. Some would say that I was trying my best because of my status as the future Luna of the pack.

Still, I was scared to get out of the room because I knew that my brother would make fun of me for wearing girly clothes again. Well, they could laugh all they want but I had to keep wearing dresses to get accustomed to it.

As expected, they were gathered at the living room and as soon as they saw me, they immediately giggled as if I looked too funny in my outfit. Regardless of their bullying, I tried my best to act normal.

Then, one of my brothers slapped the table as he laughed breathlessly. Ben, almost choked. Marcus rolled out the floor laughing and my Dad’s jaw dropped. I wanted to ask him if he got a déjà vu about my mother.

"Seriously? What are you all laughing at?" I asked them all with my hands on my hips. "This house is ridiculous!"

"Mating surely puts you a little bit feminine, never imagine that you will wear a dress this early," Tom said like he was running out of breath, well, I hope he would.

I ran my way to him and slapped the back of his hand. He would surely have a hard time easing the pain. How could he provoke me so badly?

"Aw!" he dramatically shouted. "You slap like a human with a ball. Do you want to see my head rolling on the floor?" he complained, wincing in pain.

"Stop acting like a victim here. I will cook our breakfast so get out of my way, or else I will serve a burned set of food," I threatened them. "How about you guys go to the market to buy produce for the pantry?" I added and they all turned their back away from me.

I rolled my eyes, feeling frustrated by their teasing. I just wanted a quiet morning to myself, without their constant jabs and comments. I put on an apron and headed to the kitchen, determined to make myself breakfast and prove to my brothers that I could take care of myself. I rummaged through the fridge, finding some eggs, bacon, and bread. I started cooking, sizzling the bacon in the pan and cracking the eggs into a bowl.

As I cooked, the aroma of the food filled the kitchen. My brothers stopped teasing me for a moment, their attention caught by the delicious smells coming from the stove. Soon enough, I had a delicious breakfast sandwich on my plate, and I sat down to enjoy it. My brothers looked at me with surprise, impressed by my cooking skills.

"Hey, can you make one for me too?" Tom asked, grinning.

I smiled, feeling satisfied with my little act of rebellion. By cooking my own breakfast, I had shown my brothers that I was capable of taking care of myself and that their teasing didn't bother me.

As we ate our sandwiches, we talked and laughed, enjoying the food and each other's company. And even though my brothers continued to tease me throughout the day, I felt a sense of pride and confidence, knowing that I could handle anything they threw my way. While eating, I decided to postpone going to the market. When I glanced at Dad, he was smiling.

"What is wrong, Dad?" I said I was a little bit annoyed.

"Nothing, child. I just miss your mother. I can still remember her, like this. I remember her wearing the same kind of dress, making us breakfast, smiling like that... That kind of smile. I just miss them, and now I can see her in you. You are no longer the same baby that we took care of a few years ago. You finally found your mate. But can you promise that you will never forget me?"

Oh God, I immediately rolled my eyes when Dad started to become dramatic. He wasn’t like that before but after finding my mate, he always had time to be dramatic over simple things.

"Dad, why would I forget you? We will just live our life four blocks away. You can visit us, and we can visit you," I said to him.

"I hope he takes care of you, or I can manage to break some bone on his body," he threatened with a little danger in his tone.

"Before he could attempt to hurt me, I will see to it that I can break all the bones on his body," I assured him and he just nodded.

After washing the dishes, I didn’t expect to receive a message from Kaiden. He said that he was waiting for me outside, so I immediately informed my Dad before going out to meet him. I saw him leaning in his car and he looked so damn gorgeous in a plain polo and jeans.

His attire was simple but it rocks. His lean shoulder shouted manliness all over the place. Even if he was just standing there, he looked like an effin model and I swore to the Moon Goddess that I would forever love this man.

"You look beautiful," he said without taking his eyes away from me and I could feel my cheeks getting hotter and hotter.

"Do I look weird?" I asked because I was slightly uncomfortable. The last thing I wanted for this date was to look weird in his eyes.

"I am not used to it, but you look gorgeous whatever you wear, I promise you that," he said sincerely.

Being his usual gentlemanly role, he opened the door of his car for me, and I said thank you for his chivalry. As soon as I was comfortable in my seat, he started driving. It has been almost a month since the last time I visited the community for humans. Initially, I didn’t want to, but they were the only ones who could see me fresh produce for the pantry.

Fortunately, they had no idea that I was different from them.

"What are you thinking?" he asked me a little bit curious.

"Nothing much... There are just a few things that keep bothering me." I finally let out a sigh. "Are we still safe?" I asked him.

I was talking about the safety of the pack because of the sudden rogue attacks. Aside from rogue wolves, there were other species who wanted to harm us such as humans or even vampires. I just wanted to live in peace on the land that was given to us by the Moon Goddess.

As the future Luna of the pack, the future would fall on our hands, and it would be our decision how we could keep going in a steady phase. However, all of my worries vanished when Kaiden held my hand and gave me a reassuring smile. He told me that we go through this.

"I know it is hard at first. You never imagine having a mate or an alpha. But we have to face it, we have to do something in the future. I will be the future alpha, but without my Luna, I am just a warrior without a heart. I need you..." he mumbled sweetly.

I felt needed at this moment. He showed me how sincere he was. The way he held my hand has a certain effect on me. It made me calm. He gave me reassurance, he was my mate and nothing would change it.

A few minutes later, we arrived at the supermarket. When I told him earlier that I was supposed to go to the market to buy food, he said he would take me. While it was true that we would hunt for our food, we also needed some fresh produce. We were not farmers and only humans could do it.

Kaiden’s father sent a group of werewolves to live amongst humans and to learn how humans live. We had to do what was necessary to keep on living. Initially, we were all shocked that humans raised animals to butcher later on.

We adopted it but we were not skilled or patient enough to raise animals. More or less, the animals were eaten alive or died suddenly. I grabbed Kaiden’s hand and dragged him to the meat section where we could buy chicken and beef.

When I recalled how my brothers teased me, I realized I should make them pay for that. They all hated broccoli so I planned to cook beef with broccoli tonight. Then I smirked while imagining their reactions. It’s payback time!

"What is with your evil expression?" Kaiden asked a little bit weird, and half-ass cackling when he saw me having these revenge plans.

"I am planning to dispose of my family," I told him like I was so serious and his eyes widened in disbelief.

Then, a human old lady passed by us, and stared at us. The woman was bewildered, and I wondered if she took my joke seriously. Did I look like a murderer? I was just kidding but Kaiden and the old lady took it seriously.

"What?!" Kaiden exclaimed.

"Kaiden, I was just kidding," I told him, and then I showed him the pack of broccoli. Just like my brother, Kaiden didn’t like broccoli. Sometimes, I wondered what was wrong with them? Why would they hate broccoli when it was an innocent vegetable?

"What have they done for you to do this?" he asked with a horrified expression.

I gesture my hand on my body to let him know that they bullied me for my get-up. I told him that my brothers weren’t used to seeing me with a dress, so they would make fun of me every time they would see me wearing a dress.

"I know that this is very unusual. Dressing like this is not my style, but I want to be perfect for you," I admitted the truth, and he nodded his head in approval. Then, he embraced me. I felt heaven when he did it all of a sudden.

"You are perfect in every inch. I cannot imagine you getting ugly. Whatever you wear, whatever you choose to dress like, I will always be your number one fan!"

When I heard those words of reassurance coming from him, I couldn’t stop giggling. How could I even stop giggling when I felt so giddy and excited?

"Kaiden, stop!" I asked him trying to fake my anger toward him, but then, I giggled once again when he stole a kiss from me.

"You’re a thief!"

He smirked and said, "Alright, I will give it back."

Before he kissed me again, I pushed him away. What has gotten into him? We were in a public place and yet, he didn’t mind showing his affections publicly. While it wasn’t a problem in Mystic Forest, we were in a community full of humans!

"Hey, not here, Kaiden. Remember when you were caught making out with Keira? Your cheerleader girlfriend? You were almost expelled that time," I reminded him even if I was so jealous of that girl.

He frowned.

"Are you mad because of what happened that time? It is all in the past, and I swear that I will never look at someone again. You are the only woman in my life from now on," he said sincerely.

Following his declaration, I couldn’t stop biting my lips just to suppress my happiness. I didn’t want to let him know that he made me so happy with just his words. However, my heart betrayed me and I couldn’t stop smiling.

"Okay! Let us put those things in the past, and promise me that we will never keep any secrets, okay?" I said, but then I realized that whatever he did in the past with any girl shouldn’t concern me because I wasn’t his mate back then. What has gotten into me?

He nodded and said, "I promise. I will never break your trust. Ever since I found you, my mate, I have never thought of anyone else other than you."

When he tried to kiss me again, I almost closed my eyes but someone faked a cough behind us. When we turned around, it was an old lady who looked at us viciously. The way she was glaring meant she didn’t like what she heard from us.

"Young people nowadays are so wild and crazy," she commented while staring at us.

"Let’s go, Cassie," Kaiden said as he dragged me away from the judgmental old lady.