Chapter 6

Selena POV

"Yes. Your birthday is this Saturday." Alpha says, and I just nod to saying anything. I know my birthday is this Saturday, and I know we have talked about me going back into the pack as a fully fledged member. I still have my apprehension about that, but Alpha says they won't be able to touch me as soon as I am of age, and perhaps my mate is in the pack. "We are having a fair in the pack and I want you to join me and Anna. I hope we can celebrate with you properly, and maybe you will meet your mate as well." He gives me a kind smile, a glint of something unreadable in his eyes. I already knew I couldn't refuse him.

"Will Amber perhaps join us?" I ask, and he laughs wholeheartedly.

"You can ask her, but I don't know if she will? Nonetheless we'll pick you up at 10am, and go to the fair first." I nodded, accepting his kind offer.

But now I regret it. What will they say when they see me? Will they recognize me? Skysong keeps telling me to calm down and breathe. Everything is going to be fine.

The air is crisp outside, but not too cold yet. The sun shines from the clear sky, and I see Alpha and Luna come down the trail. Amber had indeed refused to go, but she had given me a beautiful outfit for my birthday; a dark royal blue velvet dress, going to my knees with a sweetheart neckline, dark blue thick stockings and new comfortable boots. I braided my hair in two braids along my head and went down my back.

"Selena, you look absolutely stunning! Happy birthday sweet girl!" Luna Anna says, her smile so warm and her eyes kind. She brings me into a hug, kissing my cheek. "Amber mindlinked us about what happened this morning. I must say seeing you in person is something else entirely. You look radiant. Doesn't she, dear?" Alpha Matthew hugs me afterwards and hands me two small packages and a nod to his mate.

"Happy birthday sweetheart. And yes, you look positively shining with an inner light this morning." He says, urging me to open the gifts, after Luna Anna gives me a big smile. I do and gasp. One of them has a necklace with a wolf and a star pendant in white gold. The star is made from a dark blue emerald. Luna Anna puts it around my neck, cooing at the sight. The other gift contains star earrings with the same kind of jewel in them. I put them in immediately, and hugged them both tightly while thanking them.

"These are gorgeous. Thank you so much!" They just smile at me with happiness flowing from them both. Luna Anna also tells me her and Amber's cloaking spell on my packbond has disappeared since midnight, so that further fuels my thought that today may actually be my real birthday.

As we arrive at the fair, Luna Anna grabs my arm and brings me with her to different shops. Alpha Matthew chuckles at his mates excitement, trailing after us and getting her everything she seems remotely interested in. I smile at them. They are so in love, and so in sync. Something I wish I could have with my mate one day, but I also know he will have to accept I might never be able to shift into my wolf. Skysong and I don't know if the acceptance of my mate will break the magic barrier or not?

As we move along the fair, people look at us in curiosity and wonder. I can feel their eyes on us, and hear them whisper about us. I try to ignore them, but it gets harder. Especially when I feel Skysong perk up in my mind. I have been able to feel her more, although we still have that annoying barrier between us.

'What's going on?' I ask her, but she doesn't quite know yet. I mentally shrug my shoulders and move along with Luna Anna.

Then as we round a corner of the fair, I stop dead in my tracks. Luna walks two steps ahead of me before realizing I am not with her anymore. She looks back in confusion, but I am frozen to the ground. There in front of me is Jenna and her posse. They are laughing at something she said - probably something mean about someone else. And besides her, with her arm in his, is my mate. The wind shifts and he freezes as well. His eyes snap to mine, they are stormy grey and wide. He is the most handsome wolf I have ever seen, but the fact he is walking arm in arm with my former sister breaks my heart. Why would the Moon Goddess pair me with someone who can find her attractive in any way? I feel someone glare at me, and I move my gaze to his side. Jenna is scowling at me, her eyes narrow. Realization dawns on them slowly, and the scowl becomes an obvious growl.

"Lena, what?" Luna Anna asks, using the nickname she gave me as a child. I shake my head, tears blurs my vision. Before anyone can do anything I turn on my heel and bolt out of there. Alpha calls after me, but I need to get away. Need to get some distance between myself and the vision of my Goddess given mate with his arms locked with the wicked bitch of the pack. I have to clear my mind so I don't do something hastily that we will both regret.

I run to the forest, down the familiar trail and towards the cottage that has become my home. Skysong whimpered in my mind. She wants our mate, but she understands why I bolted out of there before Jenna could be alluded to who I was. More than she already guessed in those horrible minutes I just stood there.

Then I ran past that and further into the forest. The lake comes into view, and I run around it to my quiet, secret, happy place.

Caleb POV

She ran. My mate ran away. It takes me a few seconds to react, but I quickly retract my arm from Jenna. She had just grabbed on to me as we were walking, when the wind shifted and I smelled her. Storm is grumbling and grunting in my mind, angry at the situation and wanting to tear Jenna to pieces for bringing tears to our mates eyes.

'If we lose her because you are an idiot, I am never going to forgive you.' Storm says as I run to my parents. Mom and dad are looking to where my mate ran with worry written all over their faces.

"Mom, dad." I say when I reach them, and I'm immediately met with a smack to the back of my head from my mom. "Ow, mom! What the hell."

"Language, Caleb!" She scolds with an angry expression. "What happened?" She demands, staring me straight in my eyes.

"She... I... Fuck!" I say, looking in the direction she left. "I have to go." Mom grabs my hand before I can move.

"Is she your mate, darling?" She asks, her voice changing to the tender tone I know so well, her eyes softening. I nod, looking to the forest again. "Go! Be careful with her, Caleb. She has been through enough." I kiss my mom's cheek just as the others catch up with me. Jenna tries to grab my arm again, laughing off the incident as a fluke.

"Seems like your little charity case couldn't take the attention, Luna. What a pity." Jenna says with a slight drawl. Mom snaps her eyes to her, her entire face darkening. "Don't worry, I won't make the same mistake when I am Luna of this pack." Jenna continues without a care, seemingly not sensing the danger. She laughs again, but her friends have all backed off and are not laughing. They have seen the look my mother is sending the she-wolf.