1. Fish

Izzy’s pov

The fish caught my eye immediately. I had never seen so many fish; the fish tank was filled with beautifully colored fish. They were small and moved in groups, reminding me of home. They move as one, a beautiful school of fish. It was similar to one of the traditions we had at the pack. On every full moon, the ones who are blessed with wolves go out and run as one, sending praise to the Moon Goddess.

Do fish have a goddess? Nah, that would be silly.

I was so busy staring at the fish that I didn’t even feel the eyes of someone staring at me through the back of the tank. It was his smell that drew my attention to him. I had never smelled anything like him; I didn’t even think humans could smell this good.

I looked up, and his eyes found mine. Was I secretly trapped in that movie with Leonardo DiCaprio, "Romeo and Juliet"? This man staring at me was far more handsome than Leonardo was in his younger days, which was saying something because Leo was a bit of a hottie back then.

I stared at the beautiful man in front of me until my insecurities got the best of me. My eyes lowered, and when I looked up again, the handsome stranger was gone.

Probably for the best. I ran away to escape a man; falling straight into the arms of another wasn’t the best idea right now.

"So you’re eighteen?" the kind woman behind the desk asked.

I nodded my head, "yes, I am."

She looked at my throat; the imprint of Jordan’s hand was still there, although it had faded a lot.

"You look like you really need a place to stay, but you should work on sounding more credible when you lie. Your face is a dead giveaway." The woman handed me a key.

She looked around fifty; her blond hair was turning grey in some areas, but she was kind of rocking the look. Her round face and big smile made me feel at ease immediately. There was just something about her that made me trust her, but that didn’t mean I was planning on staying for long. It would be too dangerous to stay here.

- - - - -

Two days earlier.

"Isadora!" Mom yelled from down stairs.

I didn’t want to get up, knowing what was waiting for me today. I had been dreading this day for the whole week. Before I turned seventeen, Jordan had no desire to be seen with me or to hang out with me, but something had changed.

I wouldn’t have minded if he kept ignoring me; I didn’t even care that he was sleeping with half the unmated she-wolves of the pack as long as he left me alone.

Mom had enough and walked up the stairs; it sounded like each step she took she used more force in her step, and I knew I couldn’t delay the inevitable any longer.

I got up from my bed and started picking out an outfit. Jordan preferred me in dresses; mom too; but I wanted as many layers of clothing as possible to protect me. I had put one leg in my jeans before Mom entered my room.

"You know you can’t keep him waiting! His time is valuable!"

It wasn’t like he was the Alpha yet, but mom liked to pretend he was.

I sighed, and Mom’s eyes were enough to make me look down. She was fuming.

"Isadora Jane Greenleaf! This is what we have been working towards for years. This is your destiny. I can’t understand for the life of me why you are behaving this way! The Moon Goddess has chosen you, and you act like it’s a burden instead of a blessing."

Every family of importance invited the oracle over to visit their newborn baby, hoping the oracle would get a vision about their future. Usually it was a vision about their future job or love interest, or she would describe the baby’s character, but sometimes she would give out a warning. I didn’t get a warning. My parents got the prophecy that every parent of a little girl would hope for. The oracle stated that I would become the Luna of this pack. It was my destiny.

Which meant that I would be mated to Jordan. The oracle didn’t say it, but there was no other way for me to become the Luna of this pack. What most consider a blessing felt more like a curse to me. From the moment I could walk and talk, I was trained to become a Luna. I was required to do well in school, stay pure, which meant don’t hang out with boys, get classes in decorum, dancing, party planning, budget management, and everything else that was really boring to a teenage girl.

My parents would fill my schedule, making it impossible for me to maintain friendships, and the only free time I had I would spend reading books. My favorites were romance novels from the 19th century. It was the exact opposite of life inside the Mystic Shadow Pack. Women in Jane Austen’s novels were fully dressed, and even showing an ankle could be scandalous, but here men and women were naked half the time, and other times they were dressed in skimpy clothes. People would shift often, and wearing a lot of clothing would only get in the way.

Some things were similar, though, like how the family you were born into decided what your fate would be. If you were born into an omega family, you would become an omega. If you were born the daughter of a beta, like me, there was a good chance you would be mated to an alpha or beta. And if you were the son of the beta, like my brother, you would become the future Beta. We had more choices than the women in those novels, but at the same time, some decisions still weren’t ours.

"Are you going to say anything, Dora?! And you’re not wearing that!" Mom scolded me, grabbing a dress from my closet.

I hated when she called me Dora. It reminded me of that cartoon I used to watch when I was younger.

"I’m sorry, mom." I replied, grabbing the dress from her, knowing that arguing would be no help anyway.

I quickly got dressed while mom combed my long hair. I always wanted to cut it shorter, but mom thought I’d look more feminine with my hair long and down.

When I came downstairs, Jordan was already waiting for me, and he sighed, looking at his wrist watch. "It took you long enough."

"I’m sorry."

"Whatever." he scoffed and walked ahead, making me run behind him.

Ever since I turned seventeen, Jordan’s father, Alpha Ethan, has decided that it would be good for us to spend time together. To get to know each other before I turned eighteen and we’d find out we were mates. It was inevitable, but somehow it felt wrong. Every time Jordan touched me, I felt repulsed, and he didn’t seem to enjoy my company either.

Jordan got into the car, and I sat down beside him. He couldn’t even open the door for me like a gentleman, but it was no surprise. Jordan was anything but a gentle man.

He usually took us to a lunchroom nearby, where we would have our weekly date. He normally would insult me, stare at other women, or tell me about himself while asking nothing about me. But this day was different somehow. I got a nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach as soon as we drove off.

"I think it’s time I got to know you a bit better, Isadora." Jordan stated, moving his hands over my bare leg.

"I thought that is what we were doing." I replied with a forced smile.

He drove straight past the lunchroom to the packhouse. Jordan got out of the car and started walking inside.

"Are you coming, Isadora?" He asked. But I knew it wasn’t a question. I didn’t have a choice.

- - - - -

I didn’t want to think about that right now. With the key in my hand, I was ready to go to my room when the lady behind the desk called out for me.

"Wait, Orion will show you to your room and help with your bags."

I had only brought my backpack and stuffed some clothes and books inside. In hindsight, I really shouldn’t have taken the books; they were heavy, and I could have fit more clothes or toiletries inside.

Before I could protest, he stood in front of me. The beautiful man I had seen behind the glass of the fish tank was even more handsome in real life. I stood there staring at him, practically drooling, not even noticing his lips move. He had good lips, kissable lips.

"Miss?"

O shit.

I blushed a bright red color, which matched my hair, turning into a tomato, and looked down. "Sorry, you were saying?"

"I can take your bag if you like."

I shook my head, "it’s fine. it’s just one bag."

He nodded, "I’ll show you to your room then."

I followed behind Orion, hating the way I just acted like a lovesick puppydog. I didn’t even think men like him were my type. He was so different from Jordan. Jordan had blond hair and was tall and muscular, the typical alpha male. He always wore a suit, was clean-shaven, and not a hair was out of place. I had never understood why I didn’t like him, since every other girl seemed to find him so desirable.

But Orion was rough, and people would probably be scared of him if they didn’t know him. Hell, I didn’t know him, but for some reason he had the opposite effect on me. I felt safe. Orion was even taller than Jordan and had broader shoulders. His arms were covered in tattoos, and he had a few earrings. Orion had stubble on his face, like he hadn’t shaved in a few days, and his hair was all over the place. I always pictured myself ending up with the strong and silent type, like Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. I wondered if Orion was like that.

I couldn’t picture Orion in a Victorian suit though. The thought made me giggle, and Orion turned around with an eyebrow raised.

"What’s funny?"

I shook my head, "sorry, I'm just nervous."

He turned back around, "well, whatever it was, you have a beautiful smile."