Shadows of fate

Chapter 11

Clara, wearing a knit sweater, sat on her wooden porch. She leaned back in her rocking chair, and it creaked.

She had no specific object in her gaze. All she could do was stare off into space. A wolf could manage the morning's coldness, despite its extreme cold. She was not bothered by the cold, but her mind was preoccupied with something.

There was blood spilled the last time I witnessed anything similar.

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Dorothy strolled through the pack house at Luna Ruby. Dorothy could see that the claims about its size being larger than any English castle were accurate. Being a newcomer to the pack home, Dorothy felt it was silly to spend her time alone in her family's spacious villa. But she was already second-guessing her choice. When all the males in the pack focused on Dorothy, the females did not take it well.

What now? Everywhere she went, she drew attention. For the most part, the virgin preferred to remain inside her house. It had the greatest number of books she could read.

"Excuse me, my lady."

When Dorothy turned around, a young man was there to greet her. Out of respect, he placed her hand on his lips.

"The Alpha requests your presence in the courtyard."

Dorothy looked shocked. Had she made a mistake? She was hardly out of her room; how could he know anything about her?

Perhaps all he does is welcome guests to the pack house.

"I assume you are here to escort me."

"You would assume correctly."

She looped her arm through his when he offered it to her. By the time they arrived at the courtyard, it felt like they had been walking for almost a mile.

"He will be here shortly."

With a closed-mouth grin, she bid him farewell. Next, she stood beside a stone bench, waiting for Alpha Ronaldo. There were stone and marble statues all around the courtyard. It resembled an open-air museum. The calm and quietness were what she cherished most. Before she realized she wasn't alone, it seemed as though she was. She heard her wolf roar within seconds as she scented the most magnificent scent.

When she spun around, she saw her mate.

LUCIA LORENZO'S POV

My favorite day of the year was that one. Giornata del Sangue, the Day of Blood. On that day, we honored everyone killed by one of our former alphas, still regarded as the world's strongest alpha. Despite the day's dismal background, we did not handle it appropriately.

We had a day of celebration rather than lamenting the past. We honored the lives of individuals who had passed away. Not the lives they led, but their deaths. When the Alpha swore to never make the same mistake as our last leader, the day was over.

We spent the whole day at the lake. We've closed it off for the day, so no one annoys us.

"Hey, are you ready to go?" Rose queried.

"Yeah, just fixing up my hair."

"It's going to get ruined in the lake anyway."

She was accurate. These days, I am more conscious of how I look. I've felt more insecure since Blaine essentially rejected me. My confidence had never wavered before, but for some reason, he did.

"You know what? You're right."

I undid the ornate braid I had on my hair and let it fall naturally like I always did.

"Let's go, Blondie."

We bolted to the lake in wolf shape. Today was a gorgeous day, with the sun shining brilliantly and laughter from all around me.

"Lucia! Come here!" I heard my father yelling from his grill.

I promised Rose, "I'll be back," and hurried to my dad.

He was frying a steak while sporting an apron. Behind him, my mother was sprawled out on a towel. She cast a disgusted glance at the meat. I almost laughed out loud. Despite his many talents, my dad was not a terrific chef. But he didn't think that was possible.

"Oh, my Lucia, you are so big now."

I rolled my eyes. I think my sister and I had my dad completely enthralled at that point. He believed that we were still infants in need of care. If I had ever told my dad that Blaine wasn't an alpha wolf, I'm sure he would have taken care of him by now.

"You saw me three hours ago, Dad. We share a home "

"I know, but now you can swim without floaties, and you don't need to hold onto me anymore."

"Since she was six years old, Steve, she has been swimming," my mother casually remarked.

"Claire, let's have another one."

"Don't be ridiculous; we are almost 60!"

"And what? As betas, we wolves have a lengthy lifespan—between 400 and 500 years."

He was accurate. Even though my parents were elderly in human years, they appeared to be in their late 30s. After a wolf reached the age of 18, their aging process slowed considerably, but it stopped when they found their partner. Steve, it's not possible to have sex in the house with two teenagers."

Well, this is not what I needed to hear.

"Observe! My father yelled, "Mirabel and Blaine are coming."

Oh no.

He gestured for me to turn, so I did. They were there. Mirabel had Blaine's arm wrapped around her, but his eyes kept coming to mine. It took me a while to turn around.

I refused to allow them to spoil my day.

"Lucia! Hold up!" I caught Mirabel yelling.

I smiled at her as I turned around. I should have been angry with her, but I wasn't. Mirabel was not at fault in any of this. She was just a young woman searching for happiness after losing her own.

Five years ago Mirabel felt her heart cracking, and tears ran through her body. This was heartbreaking. The kind where your heart breaks into two irreparable pieces. Blaine encircled Mirabel in his arms. Tears filled her face, hot and salty.

My brother, my parents, and I were standing on the side of our living room. My mother was sobbing, seeing her daughter sob in front of her.

"Make it stop!!!" Mirabel growled.

"Mirabel, please calm down," Blaine stated in a composed tone.

But she would not give up. It was palpable to me. My wolf sensed it. She was about to blow up.

"Just stop it, please! Would you please?"

As she hit the ground, she grasped her chest. She continued to cry and sob. She wept uncontrollably. The tears did not stop coming.

She was the one person in the world who didn't deserve this. Mirabel was interested in meeting her partner, but I was never that interested. Even before she met him, she was in love. She would never have the opportunity now. She sensed that he was dead.

My family members exchanged glances. We are all thinking the same thing.

This is not how wolves survive.

Mirabel kneeled beside Blaine. Holding her, he reassured her that everything would work out and that he would be there for her. Ultimately, he also suffered a defeat.

All of this marked the start of their romantic journey. It was the end of my life, even if I was unaware of it at the time.

It was harsh. Losing a mate is the worst fate there is. But the death of a partner you were never able to meet is far worse.

It is what exacerbates the situation as a whole. Could I possibly remove Blaine from Mirabel's presence, even if he desired my presence? She would not make it. She wouldn't, I'm sure.

"There's my sister from the same mother!" said Mirabel.

We hugged after I smiled at her.

"So have you sniffed out your mate yet?"

The falsehood, "No, I don't think they are in our pack," came out of my mouth with ease.

"Oh, it's okay! But Lucia, you are unable to switch packs. She tells me that when you discover him, he moves here with you.

"Are you serious? Why is that the case?"

"I would miss you too much, silly; you're my twin."

"I guess I could stay for you then."

She chuckled. She said farewell to me and headed up to them when someone called to her. Mirabel Lorenzo, who was destined to become the Luna of Blood Moon, was the one who called to her. She was adored by all. She was the kind of girl who supported her pack members no matter what and attended all the activities. Mirabel had the makings of Luna.

I was unable to match her. I never intended to stay here anyway because I preferred being by myself.

I could never be a Luna.

It isn't a lie; it's our fate.

I clear my mind off the ideas and head over to the temporary bar to grab a drink.

"Hey Lucia," Anthony uttered.

"Hey, Anthony!"

We discussed our lives for a while. As I prepare for the upcoming race between all the packs, he trains as a warrior. For a moment, my anxieties fade away when Anthony pours his beer all over me.

"Oh, was I the one who did that? I apologize," Blaine said without regret. It was him, of course.

"Alpha, it's all fine. Let me help you here, Lucia," Anthony offered. After someone took them from him, he grabbed some napkins from the table and wiped them on me.

"Anthony, why don't you go somewhere else? I got this," Blaine replied.

"Well, no worries, I can assist Lucia with—" Blaine answered, "I told you to go." God bless us all when he truly assumed the role of alpha, but he didn't need to utilize it because his authority radiated through his voice, making disagreements unnecessary.

Anthony looked around, bewildered, and turned to walk away.

"I don't need your help, Blaine."

"I wasn't going to help you anyway."

"Then why did you chase away the guy that was going to?"

With those final words, "I don't have to explain myself to you," he turned around and walked away.

Incredible.

I could see him standing with his friends, shirtless, even from this distance. The light glinted on his tan skin. He was attempting to murder Anthony with his gaze, which I also noticed. His expression was that of a terrible death gaze.

"There you are!" Rose yells at me.

"Here I am."

She grabs my wrist and says, "Come on, I entered our names for that pushing game," as we move toward the lake.

"Lucia, wait up!" A voice call comes in. When I turned around, Johnson was there.

"Hi?" "Blaine requests your presence at sundown in his office," he informs me. Before I can even reply, he turns to leave.

"Why does he want to see you?" Rose queries.

"I honestly don't know," I reply.

How could he possibly desire to see me?