My Destined - EDITING

Leia

Rolling around in the sheets, I finally opened my eyes slowly to the morning light. I turned my head, and my whole body froze as Adriel sat beside me on the bed, watching me. What the?! I pulled up the blanket to cover myself and moved to sit as far away from him as possible. I didn't forget last night's fight or his words.

"What?" I asked harshly, glaring at him through my hazel eyes.

"Leia." He was scratching the back of his neck awkwardly and looking around the room. "I know you're mad...."

"Yes! I'm mad!" I nearly shouted, and he instantly looked at me with darkened blue eyes. My wolf cowered a bit, but I tried to remain unaffected.

"Let me finish, please." I just nodded with a sigh after hearing his voice sounding apologetic. Adriel ran his hands through his soft, black hair. "I wanted to apologize for upsetting you and calling you an outsider. As my mate and Luna, you are not an outsider. However, I would like you to give the members of this pack and my close friends a chance."

"I don't belong here...." I muttered softly, feeling the tears start to come back again. No! Don't cry! I felt the bed shift as Adriel scooted closer, and I refused to look at him. His warm hand rested on my shoulder, and I jolted away quickly. "Don't."

"I'm sorry. Noemi is a very close childhood friend, and she has never acted the way you described. I just want you to understand she is a good person and friend." I sighed deeply. Their friendship obviously blinds Adriel, and I can't step in.

"Fine. I will believe you. But I just want to make sure she is not your Chosen, and I am not just here for show." My voice was barely a whisper as I responded, but I knew he heard me when he sighed deeply.

"Leia. I don't have a Chosen. That would be going against the Elders. You are my mate, and you are here because the Moon Goddess has chosen you to be with me from now on. I want you to be here." Adriel lifted my chin with his tanned hand to look at his face. His blue eyes have returned to their bright and mesmerizing color. I didn't realize earlier that he had bed hair still and stifled a giggle at its messiness.

"Okay." I nodded with a small smile. I hope he's telling the truth...

"Forgive me?" My eyes widened with surprise at Adriel's softened voice as I nodded. "Good. Now I have to continue with preparations for tonight; feel free to roam around a bit but make sure you stay with Nico."

"Nico?"

"Yes, my Delta, that will be your bodyguard. He should be here within an hour to introduce himself and show you around." I nodded as he finally let go of my chin. I moved from under the covers to stand and stretch my body. "Also, don't leave this room in that."

"What?" I gave Adriel a confused look as I turned to look at him, now standing as well.

"Your pajamas. Don't go out there wearing that." I looked down at my pajamas and felt a little embarrassed but confused. What's wrong with it??

"But there shouldn't be anyone else here, right?" I rolled my eyes.

"The packhouse is open for members unless I state otherwise, so there is a possibility that someone may be working or visiting. Nico is coming, so that's enough reason." I sighed. Maybe he's the jealous type?

"Okay. I was going to get changed anyway." Adriel nodded as he started walking towards the door.

"Don't leave the pack grounds. I'll return before dinner to tell you about the introductions." With that, Adriel left and closed the bedroom door behind him.

"He sure is weird... I guess I won't get to know him today either." I let out another sigh as I started to fix up the bed. Once it was neatly made, I went to the closet to get clothes and the bathroom to get ready.

I walked out of the bathroom, ready and dressed. I walked into the kitchen and looked around to see what was there.

I found plenty of fancy dishes, silverware, pots and pans, and food. It was amazing how stocked they were for only two people! But I guess other people eat here too. I wondered if they stocked up before the ceremony if they returned with mates. Deciding on cocoa pebbles cereal, and milk, I fixed myself some breakfast and ate silently.

I looked through my phone at the dining table, texting my family and checking social media. From behind me, I started to hear voices outside on the patio. A group of people stood huddled by the front entrance talking amongst themselves; I didn't recognize anyone. Walking closer to the front, I started hearing what they were discussing. Me.

"Have you seen the girl Alpha Adriel brought as his Luna? She's so pretty." One woman gushed.

"I just hope she knows what she's doing." Another woman spoke skeptically. I scoffed to myself. I don't...But give me time, people! I was slightly annoyed at her tone when she hadn't even met me yet.

"She's hot! Alpha Adriel sure is lucky...." One man said with a wink as another man nodded in agreement.

"Finally, I was beginning to wonder if Alpha would ever find a mate. It's unusual for an Alpha to take this long."

"I'm disappointed. I thought Alpha Adriel and Noemi were going to be together. Noemi would make a great mate and Luna for Alpha Adriel. They know everything about each other!" The skeptical woman from before spoke. Her words made my blood boil, and I became more upset about this Noemi girl. Even the pack members want her with Adriel? How am I supposed to feel like I fit in here?

"I don't know if Noemi would be a perfect Luna. But from the looks of this new girl, I don't think she can handle being Luna. She didn't even acknowledge anyone when she showed up and just hid. Let's hope she does not embarrass our Alpha." The third man's words stung and hit right where it hurt. My body started to feel hot with frustration when another person walked into the house loudly.

"Hi, Luna!! The name's Nico. It's nice to meet ya, love." A tall guy with dark skin, black coily hair, and bright brown eyes spoke loudly and cheerfully.

The gossipers all turned around and gasped in horror when they realized I was standing there. Most of them blushed and scurried in embarrassment, but the skeptical man and woman just scoffed before strutting away.

"Hey, are you okay, Luna? Don't worry about them. Just a bunch of old gossipers with nothing better to do." The guy named Nico was right in front of me as I looked up into his warm smile.

"Right." I quickly shook off the tension and offered a smile. "You must be Adriel's Delta and my bodyguard. Please call me Leia." I stepped back from Nico to outstretch my hand for a shake. He was pretty handsome and gave off a goofy and cheerful vibe.

"Okay, Leia. How about we walk around the pack grounds a bit? What do ya say, love?" I laughed a bit with a nod.

"Sure! Thanks, Nico." He gave me a cheesy smile before grasping my hand and leading me out of the house.

I haven't explored since I arrived two days ago, so I was slightly excited. Leaving Adriel's long driveway, I noticed all the other homes and plenty of open fields down the road. A thick forest surrounded everything. I enjoyed the fresh air and how different everything looked from my pack grounds in every detail. I felt homesick, but Nico's jokes and personality made me feel better. I can tell we will be great friends.

We've been walking around for almost a half-hour now, just talking to each other as he points out the different homes and some people. Most people greeted me very formally, while others kept their distance. It felt awkward, and I hope things will get easier after being here a bit longer.

"Here's the park! It's mostly for the kids but probably my favorite part." Nico grinned as he ran towards the playground. I giggled as I watched, taking in the park. It had a vast field, swings, slides, a sandbox, and monkey bars. I ran towards the swings to play with Nico.

"Hey, Nico. Do you have a mate?" I asked suddenly, wondering if he had found someone.

"Unfortunately, Mr. Right has yet to appear before me, love." My eyes widened in surprise as I stopped my swing to look at him. His dark skin glowed in the sunlight as he laughed at my face.

"Mister, huh?"

"Yes, love. I'm very much gay. Hopefully, Moon Goddess pays attention to that!" I gave him a knowing look before laughing. That's why Adriel is okay with a guy being my bodyguard...

"I'm sure she knows." We both smiled at each other and laughed once again.

"Adriel is a hottie; it's too bad he's not swinging my way. You're quite lucky, Leia." Nico teased. I hit his arm lightly.

"He is very handsome. But he hasn't really been around...And we fought yesterday."

"A fight already?! What did he do?" I almost laughed that Nico assumed it was Adriel first rather than me.

"Well...This girl, Noemi. She came looking for Adriel and blew up on me. Saying she's his chosen and I'm just for show. I told Adriel, but he didn't believe me and got mad. Called me an outsider...." I started to feel a little upset again as I thought about it. Nico gasped.

"I never liked that bitch! She's always around Adriel way too much. Don't worry about her, Leia. She's not his Chosen. Adriel has been anxiously waiting for his mate. You." I sighed in relief that someone else believed me. I knew Althea probably wouldn't since it's her sister, but I thought Adriel would. "And the way she calls him 'Addy'? Ugh!" I laughed loudly at his comment and a look of disgust.

"I'm glad I'm not the only one...And I only met her once!" Nico shook his head with a 'tsk.'

"Never mind her. She'll just ruin your day. Have you met anyone else in the pack?"

"I met Cleo and Althea!" I smiled, thinking about Althea and Selene. "I also made friends with Cleo's mate from a different pack, Selene."

"Ooo, Cleo is a hottie too! Sooo, how is her mate? Give me the details!" By now, we had both stopped swinging as we sat still. Nico moved closer, clearly interested in gossip.

"Selene is so sweet. She's reserved and shy, but I can tell they'll be great together. Plus, she's beautiful!" Nico nodded in satisfaction.

"So, the two hot siblings leading the pack found gorgeous mates. Lucky bastards." I blushed at his comment and smiled.

"Hey, wanna race?"

Mine and my wolf's ears perked up at the offer. I've been dying to run and change into my wolf form. I nodded excitedly while Nico laughed and stood up. He started undressing to switch forms without ripping his clothes. I quickly turned away, moving to hide behind the slide as I did the same. Nico's wolf was slightly bigger than mine, with dark brown fur and golden eyes. Pretty.

"Ready?" Nico's wolf spoke, looking at me. Tala nodded in response as we both positioned ourselves to get ready. "Let's run straight ahead, a little way into the forest to the pond, then back to the packhouse." I nodded again as we both grabbed our clothes in our mouths. "Go!"

We both ran fast, Nico taking the lead at first. Luckily, Tala was pretty fast, so we caught up quickly and surpassed his wolf as we entered the forest. The wind on our fur and the dirt beneath our paws felt great. I needed this freedom after all those stuffy clothes and events all weekend. We ran faster as I got more excited and approached the pond Nico had discussed.

I didn't have much time to relish the view as we continued. "Just a little further, then we can head back. Nico is way behind." Tala agreed, enjoying the freedom as we ran deeper into the forest. We finally stopped at a random spot and sat down for a rest. Being in the forest felt nice as we took in the surroundings and enjoyed the quiet. I hadn't noticed the time that went by until I heard my name being called from the pack grounds. Uh-oh.

We quickly got up and turned, trotting back towards the packhouse to meet with Nico. It wasn't long before we reached the packhouse to find Nico and Adriel. Adriel looked mad with his arms crossed over his broad chest and eyebrows furrowed over his darkened blue eyes. Nico looked awkward as he stood in human form, dressed behind Adriel with his head down.

"Leia. I told you not to leave the pack grounds. Then you go on a race into the forest that you don't know?!" Adriel's voice was thick with anger as he glared hard at me. Still in wolf form, we sat still and tried to hold our ground. "You could've been lost." Adriel's voice was a bit softer now as I looked up. He had uncrossed his arms with a worried look on his handsome face. Nico had looked up at me to mouth. 'Sorry.'

I shook my head to tell Nico it was okay as I trotted back into the house to change back to my human form and put on some clothes. Adriel followed closely behind but still let me get dressed in the room with the door closed.

"Come in." I let Adriel know he could enter the room as the door opened.

"Leia, you can't just leave the pack grounds."

"Sorry, Adriel, but we were just having some fun. Nico was with me until I went a little further out. We didn't do anything wrong." Adriel sighed as he moved closer.

"I know. I would prefer you stayed with Nico and learned your way around before running off. I don't want you disappearing." Disappearing? I felt confused by his words until things clicked. Did he think I was trying to run away?

"I wasn't and will not run away. I'm not like that."

"I didn't mean it like that, Leia. I know everything has been a rapid change for you, and I haven't been around much these last few days." Adriel scratched the back of his head before running his hand through his black hair. I almost wanted to move forward and run my hands through his hair. I didn't.

"I just needed a run. You're right, everything has been a big change, and I wanted a little breather."

"I get it. Maybe I should have raced with you both as well." Adriel had a ghost of a smile, and I was surprised at his change in demeanor. Maybe it was just worry.

"Now, about tonight. I'm sure Nico showed you where we have a stage and an open field. That's usually where we hold ceremonies, large parties, and special announcements. We will go there together to meet the pack and officially introduce you. Dress formally." Trying to take in everything, I nodded slowly. "It'll be fine. They'll love you." I blushed slightly at his kind words and smiled.

"Thank you. Hopefully, it'll go smoothly. After that, can I help with the pack and explore a bit more?"

"Yes, with Nico or I with you at all times, of course." I huffed a bit but knew he just wanted to protect me. "I'm going to finish preparing, and I'll meet you here around 6 pm so we can go to the center together."

"Okay. See you later." With a nod and a tiny smile, Adriel left the room to do whatever he needed to do. Now, what do I wear?