Marietta's breath hitched in her throat, her nostrils were assaulted by the fresh scent of the river stream, a musky mud odour and the ambers of a burnt oak tree. In her mind, she could hear Monica whistling and howling to the top of her lungs, Marietta got an image of a cub dancing around, tail wiggling in the air and tongue out of her mouth.
A shadow covered her vision, she looked up and a tint of red covered her face, from the left to the right. The scent she had smelled earlier was twice as strong. She raised her eyes slowly; taking in the person in front of her, from his semi-buttoned up blue shirt exposing his chest to the small but visible Adam's apple, to his hair which was dark as the darkness around them. His sharp jawline and thin lips curved into a smirk and those two onyx orbs bore into hers.
Marietta saw the world through those eyes, she was stuck in place, her mind and body resigning to the domineering presence of Silas. His words sounded like melodies to her.
He's here!!! Monica howled in excitement, the moon goddess had given them the touch of an alpha-to-be.
Marietta raised an eyebrow as her conscience withdrew, her body moving on autopilot, instincts taking over.
"What do you mean he is here?"
I know you feel it, the connection you and him have. The compulsion he has on your soul, your mind and your body.
"You are speaking in riddles Monica,"
Monica facepalmed. Her pup was dense.
That husky there, he is our mate, your body knows it. That's why it wants to surrender to him.
Marietta's eyes widened, and her jaw dropped. She shook her head in disbelief, there was absolutely no way that their soon-to-be Alpha was her mate. There was no way, it sounded like a fantasy the more she recited the words of Monica.
"You are joking right?"
Monica shook her head, she wished she was but he was their destined mate. The one chosen for them by their goddess. She howled again and bumped her paw with Marietta's chest returning her to the world and the current situation.
Silas felt a different type of compulsion, his nose was tingling from the aroma of lavender, the fresh spring blossom. He stared at Marietta, his dislike and disappointment visible on his face, alongside the emotions was the influence of Silver, his connection to Monica made Silasʼ's emotions conflict with one another.
On one hand, he disliked everything about Marietta and wanted to distance himself from her as fast as he could but the adoration Silver had made it impossible for Silas to move. Silver's desire to protect both Marietta and Monica was strong enough to hold the rather proud Silas in place.
Silas got to see Marietta for how she looked. Her blood, curly hair was in a neat bun with a touch of silver in it. Her red eyes like rubies shining in a pool of blood, her small nose, and her full pink lips made him want to kiss them. They looked tempting.
Silasʼ eyes travelled south, he glanced at her unblemished skin, the veins on her neck and the eyeful he got from the V-cut shirt.
Silver howled as he looked at his and Silasʼ mate. She was a fine specimen, beautiful and kind.
You can see it as well, her beauty before your eyes. She is destined for you.
Silas shook his head, he had to admit Silver's words had some truth to them but she was not the one for him. His heart belonged to another.
"You are wrong Silver, she's not the one for me,"
Silver shook his head. His pup was going against fate, something that was not going to end well for both of them. The mate bond given to them by the moon goddess was absolute, going against it, was the same as going against the moon goddess.
Don't do anything you'll regret in the future.
"I won't regret anything." Silas severed the connection between them. He returned to the real world.
Other shifters were puzzled by the action Silas took. Those who surprised me the most were three people.
Reed watched as his son stared down at Marietta, from his gesture, the way he was breathing and the low growls, he could tell that Silas had found his mate. A smile married his wrinkled face and he turned to his Luna. "it seems like our pack will be in
fine hands, Silas and Marietta, reminds me of you and me when we first found each other doesn't it Thalia"
Thalia placed her hand on her lips chuckling, her turquoise eyes looked at her son and the girl. Deep down, she was angry, the serene look she had warped into one that was unrecognisable, made her natural beauty diminish.
Every time she gazed upon Marietta she always saw her, the wretched woman who took away her only chance at the pack. Because of her, she was forced to settle for lesser, and Marietta was a reminder, a constant reminder of the woman.
"Truly dear, they are just adorable together," Thalia seethed through her teeth, a smile plastered on her face.
A few distance away from the altar a certain someone was not happy, her eyebrows knitted together, her teal eyes glared daggers at Marietta, and she had a scowl on her face. She knew what was going on, Silas had found a mate.
"Lolla don't be angry," The brunette next to her said after noting the look on Lolla's face.
Lolla clicked her tongue, she glared at her friend. "Don't you dare tell me to calm down, that witch has ensnared my beloved,"
Her friend just kept quiet, she was going to say something but the glare made her keep quiet.
Lolla returned her attention to the two at the altar — She ground her teeth together, her heart turning a shade of black as the image before she was forever burned in her mind, a stigma in her photographic memory. "I will make you pay," She vowed to herself looking at Marietta.
Marietta took a step back. "Alpha... I mean... what are you doing here?" She stuttered, her eyes unable to move from the staring contest they shared.
Silas raised his hand and touched Marietta's cheek, he gently caressed her cheek and leaned down. Inside, he was screaming furiously as Silver took the helm and controlled his body. His eyes opened wide, fear flashing in them as the distance between him and Marietta closed patronisingly slowly.
"Silver stop!!!" He yelled to Silver. His hands balled into fists.
No! Silver responded and locked up Silasʼ consciousness in his mind taking control of the situation. The sooner he places his mark on her, the better everything becomes for both of them.
A surprised gleam flickered in her eyes; hers, however, was in surprise. She could feel his breath brushing on her nose, she tried to move back but like earlier she was stuck in place, her body moved forward contradicting her desired action, acting on impulse and the compulsion Silas had on her.
Thin lips touched her full pink ones and to Marietta, her world exploded in ways unimaginable, the touch of his lips sent electric sparks down her back to her centre. She whimpered as she succumbed to the kiss, her knees wobbling as she held onto Silas for balance, she felt an intense heat making the clothing she was in feel constricting, she wanted to undress then and there and tell the alpha before her to claim her for his own, she wanted to confess her desire to belong to him, both in spirit, heart, mind and body.
Everyone was stunned; they had just witnessed their next alpha proudly kiss the scorn of the clan without hesitations. Thalia and Lolla had death glares directed at Marietta. Thalia was angry because her history was repeating itself. Lolla was jealous of Marietta, she was kissing her boyfriend and he looked like he was enjoying the kiss.
Silas regained control and shoved Marietta away from him. His action made Lolla smirk as she looked at Marietta with her hands folded.
Marietta who was enjoying the kiss fell to the ground on her behind, the stinging sensation from the impact snapped her out of her epiphany and she looked up at Silas. She flinched upon witnessing the death glare he had. Her mouth opened briefly but no word got out, she dropped her head and looked at her thighs.
Silas glared at the downed girl. "Disgusting." He whispered and turned around, he left the altar and made his way back to his parents.
You know pup that was not the right way to treat her. Silver's voice rang through his mind.
Silasʼ clicked his tongue and disabled the mental communication he had with Silver, it was because of him that he did that. He touched his lips, the sensation of her lips still lingering on his, her strawberry taste overloading his taste buds. Silas wanted to gag himself, to remove the taste from his tongue and lips.
Reed looked at his son and shook his head disapproving of the actions Silas took.
He turned to the pack and saw every eye except Marietta's on him and he cleared his throat. "The Moonlit ceremony was successful. Even with the events that unfolded after, I'm pleased to announce the newest additions to our ranks. They are no longer pups, they proved that they are ready, they are adults like Us - -"
Reed took a short pause and clapped his hands twice. The male shifters of the pack lit the bonfire stands and the flames roared to the heavens, burning brightly under the dark sky and clearing the darkness from the mountaintop.
"My young ones, today you've emerged successful, today you found the part that completed you, tomorrow may you find the one you are to spend your entire life with - -" Reed looked at Marietta who had taken her place with the others when he addressed them.
With his speech completed, Reed looked at the moon, his eyes flashed crimson and he howled, the rest of the pack followed his lead.
Marietta glanced at everyone howling, her stomach flipped and turned from nervousness. This was her first howl with the pack, a howl like this one represented one's completeness in front of the moon goddess.
Her eyes morphed from their natural colour to that of blood. She threw her head back and her throat tingled as a foreign yet instinctual urge bubbled up her throat originating from the deepest part of her being. She howled, her howl loud and proud, overpowering some of the others with her from its intensity.
The woodlands of California were flooded with the sound of wolves in the night.
* **
Marietta returned home after the ceremony was complete, she dropped to her bed, her body sinking into the mattress and a sigh escaped her lips. She reached out to the light and looked at her hand, a laugh escaped her lips.
Someone is happy. Monica said as she stared at the subconscious of Marietta. A smile split Marietta's face into two.
"I still can't believe that you've awakened, it seems like a dream."
So what are you going to do now?
Marietta closed her eyes briefly. What was she going to do?
She wanted to run away from the pack once she awakened her wolf but now that she had a mate, she knew she couldn't run away from him.
"I don't know, I want to run away but..."
But? Monica laid down on the water and placed her head on her paws, her eyes looked at Marietta.
"But I can't leave him, I know he doesn't like me, I know that I'm not anything special. I still don't know why the moon goddess thought I was the perfect one for him. He's proud, confident and I'm withdrawn, a nervous wreck and a pariah - -" Marietta paused as she sat down beside Monica. She placed her hand on Monica's neck and leaned her head against Monica's side.
"I mean, he is dating Lolla, she'll probably hate me for something out of my control."
Monica hummed. She understood what her cub was talking about but their fate was already intertwined with Silasʼ fate. Thinking too hard about this won't give you the answer that you are looking for, your instincts know what's best for you, just try to listen to them do not try to give logic to them because, like your heart, your instincts defy all forms of logic.