My Destined - EDITING

Adriel

How will today go? I have been thinking about our introduction event all day; I will finally introduce my mate and Luna to the whole pack. For some reason, I felt nervous even though I have talked to the pack with no problem before. Should I have tried to get to know Leia more before today?

I finally finished getting dressed for the pack meeting and looked at myself in the mirror. I wore a burgundy button-up shirt, leaving the top two buttons undone, black slacks, and a pair of black shoes. Good enough. I nodded in approval before heading to the living room to meet with Leia.

Leia's back was turned as I entered the kitchen, and whatever perfume she had used made her smell delicious. I cleared my throat to get her attention and pushed down the urge to hold onto her and not let go.

"You look beautiful." I gave her a half smile as I walked closer to her while she turned toward me. Leia is dressed in a black halter dress with red and purple paint-like flowers that end just above her knees and a pair of black velvet strappy heels. She wore a necklace I've noticed as an accessory she keeps daily. I wonder if there's any meaning behind it.

"Thank you. You look good, too, Adriel." She smiled brightly at me, which gave me a strange feeling as my chest tingled under my tattoo. "Go to our mate!" Nero was restless, desperately wanting to connect with our mate.

"Nervous?" Leia nodded her head in response. "Don't worry, Cleo, Selene, and I will be up there with you." I grabbed her hand firmly as I guided her outside the front door.

We walked together silently, holding hands as we made our way to the central area. Most of the pack members stood around waiting for us to arrive and for things to start. Once we were close enough, people stopped their conversations from looking at us - the Alpha and new Luna. Strings of yellow, round lights lined up the stage and the area for guests directly in front. Off to the side stood a line of tables already set with food and refreshments.

I could feel the nerves coming back slightly and sensed tension in Leia. She's probably more nervous than I am. I gently squeezed her hand, hoping to provide some reassurance and wishing we could easily mind-link. Mind links typically work within established packs, marked mates, and amongst Alphas. Cleo, Selene, and Nico stood on the stage off to the side and smiled or waved at us as I led Leia up the small steps onto the stage.

"Attention, everyone. I would like to thank you for meeting here today; I have some important news for you all. And as always, I will introduce all new members to our pack." I stood before the microphone with Leia on my side, our hands still together. Any other side conversations that were going on had ceased as all focus shifted to me as my voice boomed.

"First, I'd like to introduce my mate and your new Luna. Leia Aldrich from the Crescent Sky pack." The crowd was mostly filled with cheers and hollers as they clapped.

I turned to Leia with a slight smile before gesturing for her to take a small step toward the mic. I could feel her shaking arms and watched as she nervously pushed some dark brown hair behind her ear. The crowd quieted down once I gave them a gesture to stop, but hushed whispers could still be heard.

"Hello, everyone. It's nice to meet all of you." She cleared my throat and looked around the crowd with expectant eyes. I let go of her hand and placed it on the small of her back, hoping to help calm her down. "My name is Leia. Thank you all for welcoming me, and I hope to work with everyone soon. Please come to me if you need anything, and I will try my best to help."

The crowd cheered, and Leia took a deep breath as we both turned toward each other. I gave her a small smile and nodded as if to say, 'good job,' making her smile brightly again. I then called Cleo to introduce Selene as her mate. Cleo was overly excited and making jokes with the crowd before pulling Selene into her and kissing her cheek. Selene's face reddened as the crowd cheered and laughed. They all seem excited to see Cleo and me finding our mates.

I continued introducing a few other members and told them of a member who left for their newfound mate's packs. Mostly, everyone listened intently, only cheering and clapping after I finished making my announcements. That was until I was about to let everyone start eating and mingling; various shouts were heard from the crowd.

"When are you going to mark our Luna?"

"Does she know how to be a Luna?"

"Isn't she too young?"

"Will you train her, Alpha?"

"Mark her! Mark her! Mark her!" Some people started chanting, making my body rigid, and I could see Leia's dark brown eyes widen. Her hands went to cover her neck as she stepped backward.

"Silence! Do not embarrass your Luna. You know marking is a special moment and only works well when both parties are ready." Luckily, my words instantly hushed the crowd. "Now. Everyone, please eat and enjoy yourselves."

The announcements quickly turned into a party of food, music, dancing, and mingling.

I could tell Leia was starting to feel overwhelmed and exhausted from meeting so many pack members. For the most part, everyone had been kind and offered a warm welcome, but I took note of the ones that seemed to be doubting her.

I wish my parents could finally meet my mate and Cleo’s mate. Mom is going to be over the moon for both of us. However, I knew Mom was not feeling well at all, and there was no way my dad would leave her. So, unfortunately, my parents and Leia's meeting will have to wait. I have been debating telling her about my mom being sick, but I am unsure how much she knows about The Darkness. Perhaps I should wait until we are a bit closer.

After a while, I branched off to speak with some pack members and formally introduced myself to the other new members after leaving Leia with Nico. Of course, I kept an eye on her at all times, trying to check if she was doing okay. As I noticed she seemed overwhelmed, I excused myself and walked to where she stood. Her gorgeous hazel eyes stayed on me the whole time.

"How are you doing?" I asked, my voice filled with genuine concern.

"Okay. It's weird being with a different pack." I nodded in understanding and decided to stand next to her. Leia's shoulder touched my arm, sending that burning sensation through my moon tattoo, and we stayed like that until someone started to walk over. I took note of Leia's instant reaction as her body stiffened.

"Addy! I haven't seen you since you left for the Ceremony! Please spend some time with me. I missed you." Noemi came strutting over with a grin and batting her eyelashes. Has she always done that?

She gave Leia a smile before latching onto my arm and pulling me away from Leia. I just gave Noemi a tired smile with a slight nod. I should see what she needs and make sure Noemi is okay, but I also don't want to leave Leia… I have not had time to check in with Noemi, and I know the Choosing Ceremony time is difficult for her. Moving away from Noemi, I turned towards Leia and held onto her shoulders so she would look at me.

"I won't be long, okay? Come to me if you need anything or if anyone bothers you. Just try to mingle with the pack." Noemi practically dragged me away before I could get any response from Leia. "Why are you leaving our mate?!" Nero sounded angry as he paced around and growled. He never reacted to Noemi this way; she's always been our sister figure.

I mostly tuned out of Noemi's comments as I watched Leia. Her entire demeanor changed with her arms crossed over her chest, and she avoided looking at me. I felt my body relax when Selene and Cleo approached her with their arms linked. Good, she's not alone.

"Adriel, are you even listening to me?" Noemi looked at me with an annoyed look in her dark eyes, a frown formed on her slightly tanned face. Before I could answer, I noticed Cleo marching toward us with a scowl.

"Adriel. What the hell are you doing?! You just left Leia alone in the corner like that? What an idiot!" I could sense Cleo's anger both in her voice and radiating off her body. I moved away from Noemi and let Cleo grab my arm to walk me back to Leia and Selene. I fucked up, didn't I?

"Brother, sometimes I wonder how you can be so dumb!" Cleo scolded me as we reached our mates before letting me go. I rubbed my arm silently, glaring at Cleo, even though I could feel she was right.

It made me think about how I will probably need to change my friendship with Noemi. Even though we’ve always been close, she and Althea are practically my other sisters, and I am beginning to realize Leia’s and Cleo’s frustrations. Since we’ve been close for so long, and I don’t see anything past brother/sister, I hadn’t thought about what it would look like to someone else. I would have been heated and probably incredibly jealous if Leia had done the same.

"Come on, Selene! Let's go dance!" Cleo ignored my glare as she grabbed Selene's hand with a charming smile. Selene waved and bowed before letting Cleo drag her away toward the center, where others were dancing.

Leia and I stood awkwardly as we watched my sister and her mate approach the dance floor, which made me jealous of their ability to appear so comfortable and happy together.

"Sorry, Leia. I shouldn't have left you." I gave her an apologetic and awkward look, but Leia remained silent. I messed up, even though I barely listened to Noemi, let alone spoke with her. I still left Leia, my mate, alone. "I know you're annoyed. I want you to believe me when I say she is a childhood friend. I only see her as a sister."

She finally looked at me, and I realized I was holding my breath. Her demeanor shifted, almost as if our proximity was already calming. Even without the marking, it is evident that the mate bond is strong and will continue to grow. I felt anxiety creep up at her lack of response other than staring at me, and my mind raced on what else to say.

“You’re right; you shouldn’t have. I told you I was feeling so worried about today! And I told you how I felt about Noemi after our poor first impression….” She trailed off and looked away from me. I reached to grab her chin softly and turned her back to face me.

“I know. I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking right and didn’t consider how you were feeling. I probably would’ve reacted terribly if things were flipped….” I laughed at my own expense, scratching the back of my neck awkwardly. “Forgive me?” With a sigh, she nodded at me and gave me a small smile which helped me relax in return.

"Leia. May I have this dance?" I held out my hand and smiled genuinely at her.

"S-sure." Leia nodded and grabbed my hand; I could feel her warmth as we moved toward the dance floor. I am not that great of a dancer, but I will try my best.

I wrapped my arms around her waist, and she wrapped her arms around my neck. It felt good to feel her in my arms. We started to dance slowly to the music, swaying from side to side. It was almost like we were the only ones there, as our eyes did not leave each other. That is until we started hearing claps, hoots, and hollers from the crowd, which turned Leia's face red.

"I am happy to have found you, Leia. Believe me." I spoke my thoughts as I stared directly into Leia's dark hazel eyes. We were still dancing to the music as the songs continued to change. Most of the crowd had left us alone, either joining in on the dancing of their own or mingling among the group.

"I'm happy too." I smiled as I felt my heart rate pick up slightly. Calm down! Leia smiled back with her lush lips, and the smile reached up to her big, beautiful hazel eyes.

"Things are almost settled on my end, thankfully. Once everything is completed, I can get you more involved with pack-related tasks and decisions. Have you considered what you are interested in regarding work in the pack?"

"I guess I have ideas all over the place…." I laughed lightly, and Leia smiled in return as we kept swaying to the music that had almost been wholly tuned out at this point. "I enjoy gardening and helping the pups, but I would also like to be involved in training somehow."

"Hm. I will talk to Cleo and Lucas about the training grounds since they work closest with our lead warrior." I was surprised to hear about her interest in the training grounds. Cleo will be ecstatic to have another she-wolf to spar with; we only have a few in our pack that put up with her. "We do not have a garden near the packhouse, so perhaps I can have you lead that project if you wish."

"Yes! Thank you, Adriel!" Leia smiled widely as she held me tightly in excitement. With an awkward cough, I decided to squeeze her back. "I hope we can meet her wolf soon. Adriel, let's meet them!" Nero was jumping around happily at the touch of our mate.

We continued a bit longer before getting tired of dancing. It felt so nice to have a long conversation with Leia and learn more about each other - like we are supposed to be as mates.