Layla

“You want me to go back? I can’t! I won’t be isolated anymore.”
Dean stood and appeared beside me.
“That’s not what he means. You accept your rite as Alpha and receive an upgrade from the Moon goddess. You’ll be an Alpha female.”
“What if I don’t want that?” I asked.
“If we want to get rid of the Dare pack this could help.”
I stared at Dean for an explanation because Owen was being cryptic.
“We’ll have a special mating ceremony and our powers will pass to the pack.”
We’ll be strong enough to fight the Dare pack, I thought. Though something in Dean’s expression told me he was sceptical.
“For the sake of all packs, we must do this. We’ll talk later,” Owen said.
He walked out leaving us alone. Dean struggled to hide his annoyance.
“We’re not doing it,” he blasted.
“What if this is our only chance? You think another power surge’s going to defeat dangerous hybrids?”
“We can try mate but we’re not doing that ceremony.” He slumped on the chair veins popping out of his muscles.
“Do you have another plan?” I’d like to hear it.
“We’ll come up with any plan. You’ll learn to use your power and then we’ll attack but there are consequences of doing that ceremony and I’m not that desperate.”
“Like what?”
He looked me square in the eyes as he spoke.
“Like contaminating an entire pack.”
I nodded understandingly. “Because I have a defective wolf and I could spread disease among the pack.”
“What? I didn’t say that. We established that you don’t have a defective wolf. We’re not a hundred per cent sure that vision was real.”
“But if it is I could still pass my illness to the pack. What if the moon stone’s power leaves I go back to being sick?”
He moved from the desk and cuddled me from behind. He kissed the side of my head and my wolf relaxed.
“Don’t think that way. I think the moon stone healed you completely. We’ll figure this out but that ceremony won’t happen.”
Dean’s words were final the conversation had been shut down.
***
“Are you looking forward to finding a mate?” I asked Eight as we waded through the field beyond the training ground.
The gammas were doing their drills behind us. I saw Sam among them. He always stood out because he was the only one with glasses.
Eight puffed. “Nah. I like being alone. That mate bond stuff is messy.”
“I know from experience how wonderful it is.”
“Of course, you’ll say that but think about it. You’re constantly worrying about the other person and when they betray you it cuts you open like a knife. I don’t want that.”
I hadn’t thought of it that way but I never pondered on Dean cheating on me. Lexi was infuriating at times but I didn’t think Dean would cheat with her.
“You’re also connected to the person you love, sharing their joys as well as their sorrows.”
“I know that. Damn it Layla I just don’t want the pressure.”
“Are you going to reject your mate if you meet her at the ball?”
He gave me a sly grin. “I’m not going.”
“You have to that’s why you came.”
“I’m going to be far away from everyone then I’m going home.”
Fated mates weren’t guaranteed. Chosen mates were more common which is what would mostly happen in two days. Eight’s phone rang interrupting our walk. Eight held the phone to his ear while I took in the scenery.
It reminded me of the meadow back home. My chest swelled. I breathed in the cool air. It even reminded me of my home.
“The old man needs me for advice,” Eight said.
“Don’t tell me he needs help choosing colours for the ball.”
Eight chuckled. “You’d be surprised he likes shit like that. Nah, it’s something else.”
“I’ll see you around. I want to walk around for a little bit.”
Eight nodded and turned around. I traced my hands along the dandelions and smiled as they came apart. I felt a peace that I hadn’t felt in a long time. The field was large it went on for miles stretching to other packs. I walked until I came to a forest of old wrinkled trees.
“This feels eerily familiar.”
I should have turned and never looked back but curiosity was a dangerous friend. Curiosity dragged me further into the forest with leaves so thick they blocked natural light from the forest.
“Hmm,” I said stopping in front of a willow tree with a curved opening going down into hell I assumed.
It wasn’t like the one in my vision. I moved closer and gripped the edge of the tree bark and looked down. Nothing but eternal blackness though something glimmered below which told me it couldn’t be that deep.
“What…”
I slipped on mud propelling me forward into the depths of hell. I screamed grappling for something to stop me from falling but all I caught were dirt and dead roots. Stuff got into my mouth as I screamed and jammed down my throat. I coughed and battled to breathe because of how deep under I was.
Finally, the never-ending slide spit me out into the concrete floor.
“Crap,” I said. “Now how the hell am I going to get out?”
I fished out my phone from my dress pocket and turned on the torch. I had no signal down here. How was I going to call Dean? I calmed myself this wasn’t the place for a panic attack. This wasn’t a good place to be either. A black metal thorn with carved images of wolf heads sticking out of the massive seat. I shone the light on the ground. Two red eyes glared back at me. My heart slammed forward. An image growling wolf stared back at me. I was afraid to look at the ceiling but again curiosity was dangerous friend. I raised my head and a huge crown engraved on the roof glimmered.
“Alpha King.”