A New Day

It's a new day in the Ragnuff Crescent Moon community, and the air is a mixture of love and happiness, heartache and turmoil, hurt, jealousy, envy, confusion, and conflict.

The newly engaged couple woke up to a day filled with plans, starting with a tour of the city. However, this was all after Alpha Zayne got his updates and briefings.

They had breakfast with Jada that morning as she had spent the night at Alpha Zayne's home away from Mekhi and the community house.

Jada was still fighting against the mate bond she refused to succumb to, especially when it was clear that her mate did not want her.

She had laughed and cried all night. 'Of course, it must be her that ends up with a mate that does not want her.' Jada bitterly thought.

Given the circumstances, her mate could not even look at her.

Even though she knew his ordeal and was willing to give him time and space if that's what he needed, and even if it was the other way around and in this scenario, he was instantly into her, she would not have been ready for anything right away, either.

But little did Jada know that is not how the mate bond works—the bond designed to draw mates to each other.

A mated pair would be instantly attracted to one another and feel an overwhelming sense of oneness and completion as if that other person was the other half that made them whole.

Then, they start going through the slew of emotions that would soon rack their being, taking over their mind, body, and soul.

Overwhelming feelings of love, desire, devotion, adoration, respect, a need to protect and provide for. Possessiveness, and much more.

It was not so easy to turn off, except under particular circumstances, as there have been a few mates who reject one another, both not wanting to be mated.

In other instances, only one party rejected, and one had no choice but to accept it as it was clear their mate refused them and did not desire to mate.

So, unless Jada was ready to reject him, there were no halfzies, no in-betweens.

And she would soon realize she could not fight it, just as Mekhi would recognize.

However, in Mekhi's case, there was no in-between if he could not live with it or even get past it.

He may reject her if he does not want to feel tormented anymore, or who really knows what a man would do?

And that was precisely Jada's genuine fear: being rejected by her mate after she had abandoned so many men without giving it a second thought.

She thinks it's karma.

But today, Jada would distract herself, so she invited herself on the trip Zayne planned for Aubrianne. She honestly did not mean to, but she was desperate for a distraction, and Aubrianne did not mind. She beamed at the idea.

However, Zayne had other plans and told them she could come on the tour nonetheless after he had something special planned for his fiancé.

The day passed by awfully quickly.

Mekhi kept busy managing the fort and keeping updated with the teams on the field as he nursed his physical and emotional wounds. However, he could not hide his inner heartache, turmoil, and weighty longing.

His mate was there; she was so close, and all he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her and ravish her lips passionately till they bruised while he seared himself into her mind and soul.

"Jada," he said her name and every time it left his lips, he trembled with the need to claim her as his.

However, all it took was that one memory to pop back into his mind, and he would be back at square one.

Why did he feel this badly about it? He tried to argue that 'so what, she was seeing someone before him?' He'd been with his fair share of women.

And recently, too, so why was it so hard?

Mekhi was struggling to wrap his mind around the fact that she'd been with HIM, another wolf, all this time doing Goddess knows what.

While he has been laid up every night since, tormented over it, conjuring up the unimaginable between his mate and someone else.

Meanwhile, Aubrianne, Zayne, and Jada had the tour, and Jada and Aubrianne thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

However, just before they parted ways, Aubrianne received a cryptic voicemail from Martha. They had left their phones in their bags in the vehicle at the club.

A few of the many places Zayne had taken them were his clubs. He wanted Aubrianne to see them, and he could not wait to hear her ideas, discuss them with her, and have her put her spin on them.

He was proud of her accomplishments and wanted her by his side through it all.

"Aubrianne, I need you to come see me urgently. Tomorrow, if possible. It is of the utmost importance…It is a miracle, Aubrianne! Come as soon as you can."

Jada checked her phone and saw two missed calls from her mother. She also had a voicemail that said, "Jada, please ensure Aubrianne comes to see me as soon as possible."

"It is imperative that she does. The sooner, the better…if I am right…just tell her to come as soon as possible. I don't want to do this without her."

After listening to their voicemails and noting the long gaps between Martha's words, Aubrianne and Jada glanced at each other, and Zayne watched Aubrianne intently.

Just the thought of her leaving shook him to his core.

Meanwhile, Jada explained how important it must be for her mother to sound like that. She could not shake the sense of urgency in her mother's voice. Her mother must have found out something crucial.

And Aubrianne instantly hit the dial, returning Martha's call.

"Hello Aubrianne, thank Goddess, I need you to come see me as soon as possible. It is very critical! I cannot get into the details, but please come alone. If I am right… Goddess, please come."

Martha rattled out the words in a rush, with a gap at the end. Her tone was ominous and shaking with a mixture of joy, worry, and excitement.

All Aubrianne's hair on her skin stood on end, and she consulted Leia.

Leia sensed no ill will from Martha. If anything, she was giving off curiosity about the news. She was wagging her tail as if she had suspicions, which made Aubrianne curious and interested, and then a slew of 'what it could be's' flew through her mind.

Her heart rate picked up slightly in anticipation. "Aubrianne?" Martha called urgently, as Aubrianne had not said anything.

"Are you there?" She quickly added.

Escaping her racing mind, Aubrianne did not hesitate. She wanted to know what Martha found out, what was so important that she needed to be there in person and privately.

But, given that she was a white wolf and they would like to keep the news of it quiet, Aubrianne could understand why Martha may need her to be there physically and alone, depending on the information.

And to top it off, Aubrianne knew Jada's mom wanted the best for her and vowed to look after her. Aubrianne agreed to come tomorrow. She wanted another night with Zayne all to herself before leaving him again for a day.

She had already made up her mind that whatever this was, she would do it in a day. Plus, she needed to plan the trip strategically and employ bodyguards. They will have to drop her off and pick her back up.

Martha did say to come alone.

Even though Martha said to come alone, Aubrianne was not about to take a trip all by herself, especially with the likes of you-know-who out there.

Nevertheless, Jada had left them, and Zayne had continued his plans for Aubrianne.

He took her to Pure Waterfalls, the waterfall reputed to be home to a white wolf. He simply wanted to show her its beauty with its majestic, glittering stones.

There was a beautiful candle-lit pathway, even though it was only mid-afternoon, with roses thrown about.

Aubrianne noticed the light from the candles did not even sway with the subtle blowing wind.

Magic must be at play here, of course, and Aubrianne knew about Carlita, his witch.

Nevertheless, it was scenic, and the water flowed magnificently. The stones glowed radiantly, and the waterfall was glorious.

Aubrianne beamed. Elated, she spun around with a bright smile gracing her gorgeous features, taking in the beauty and ambiance of the place. She even loved the glowing water and could not wait to get in.

The pair shared a romantic evening in each other's company. They had explored their new abilities together.

Their abilities were heightened, and everything was even brighter and clearer. More so than before. Their senses were through the roof, and they had spent their afternoon exploring those senses as they played and enjoyed themselves in the water.

Then they made sweet and slow love, yet it was very erotic and passionate on the bank. But it did not end there.