My Destined - EDITING

Leia

The walk to find my parents felt like ages. The three of us walked in utter silence as we weaved through the crowd of families and mates as my heart raced, and tears threatened to leave my eyes. Adriel refused to let go of my hand and occasionally squeezed it, probably noticing my wave of emotions. As we got closer to my family, I could see my mom's hazel eyes brimming with tears. Aw, mom... I let go of Adriel's hand and ran to her with wide open arms.

"Oh, mom!" I cried as I hugged her tightly.

"My Leia, I'm so happy for you. He's your mate, right?" I nodded and stepped away from my mom to hug my dad. Adriel had stepped forward and held his hand to shake my mom's.

"Hello. My name is Adriel Hutton; I'm the Alpha of the Shadowed Raven pack. I am Leia's mate. Pleased to meet you." Adriel's husky voice sounded strained, but he stood with confidence. My dad started petting my hair soothingly with a smile as I hugged him tightly.

"Alpha! Wow, Leia, look at you having an Alpha for your mate!!" My mom's eyes gleamed with excitement as she gushed her words. I felt incredibly embarrassed and turned bright red with a nod. "Adriel, dear! Come here!" My mom pulled Adriel into a hug, which made me laugh. She's tiny but pretty strong to pull an Alpha along. Although I'm pretty sure it's mainly because Adriel had been caught off guard.

"Don't be shy! You're my son-in-law now. We are family." My mom looked happy as she released Adriel from her hug. He looked so awkward, which only made me laugh more. I moved from my dad so he could talk to Adriel too.

"Dad, this is Adriel. H-he's my mate...." My cheeks flushed red from my words as I looked between Adriel and dad. Dad smiled at him and patted him on the back, showing his acceptance.

"Nice to meet you, sir," Adriel spoke formally as he shook my dad's hand.

"Good grip there, Alpha Adriel. And please, call me Ben." My dad gave Adriel a warm smile, and I could feel butterflies fill my stomach.

It feels incredible to see my family accepting my mate, even though we had only met yesterday. Adriel nodded in response with a small smile that made my heart flutter. I don't know anything about him, but the pull between us is already strong. Moon Goddess, you indeed are amazing.

"Hey, Li!" I turned to see Lance grinning and moved towards him. He picked me up in his big bear hug and squeezed tightly. "I'm gonna miss you, sis." I nodded furiously, trying hard not to cry again.

"Me too, Lan...." Lance put be back on the ground and gave Adriel the best glare he could.

"You better not make my sister cry!" He stepped closer to Adriel, and I hit him playfully on the arm to tell him not to be mean or embarrassing. He rested his hand on Adriel's shoulder and gave him a severe look. "Take care of Leia, alright? We're counting on you." Lance gave my newfound mate a reassuring pat and a cheesy grin.

"Of course, with my life," Adriel answered with confidence. He looked at me with this intense gaze in his bright blue eyes that sent shivers all the way down to my core. My cheeks tinted red in response. "We found our mate!" My wolf was so excited and anxious to meet Adriel's wolf.

"Alright, alright! A best friend is coming through!" I laughed as Maia pushed her way through everyone to hug me. I didn't want to cry again, but leaving my best friend was hard. The tears fell anyway as we just hugged it out quietly. "Oh, Leia. We have to see each other often! And talk all the time! I can't believe we both found our mates and will be Lunas!" Maia's words were fast and mixed with emotion.

"Lunas..." I had never expected to become a Luna; I wasn't even sure if I would be a good one. I know it's an honor, but I feel insecure about it. I shook my head to get rid of the thoughts. I'm not Luna just yet... "I'm going to miss you, Maia. Let's stay best friends, though!" We both nodded and laughed, finally letting go.

I hadn't realized that others had joined us. Cleo, Selene, Althea, and Lucas have introduced themselves to my family. Marco, Alpha Grant, and Luna have also come to say their goodbyes. I looked at Marco, and it was a little awkward at first because of what had happened earlier. But we knew it didn't matter anymore; we found our mates. I gave him a shy smile which he returned.

"Hey, Leia. I'm so glad we both found our mates. Sorry if it's awkward...." Marco's brown eyes looked everywhere but at me, probably because he felt terrible about the situation. I shook my head and smiled, telling him it was okay. "I'm gonna miss ya; you were our fastest runner!"

"I'll miss everyone here too. Crescent Sky will always be my home pack, but I am now a part of Shadowed Raven. You're gonna make a great Alpha, Marco." We hugged each other quickly, which seemed to make Adriel uncomfortable in the background. "Take care of Maia, okay? I'll kick your ass if she cries, even though you're an Alpha." I tried to give him my most serious look, but we laughed.

"Of course."

"Leia, dear! Congratulations! We are proud that one of our very own will be Luna of the Shadowed Raven pack." Marco's mom, Luna, came to me with a huge smile and Alpha Grant in tow.

"Thank you, Alpha, Luna." I smiled at the two of them before turning back to my family. It's time.

I felt someone come up next to me and grab ahold of my hand, Adriel. We looked at each other and silently agreed it was time to start our drive. Adriel's pack was a 2-hour drive away, and we were all exhausted. Luckily, my dad and brother had already loaded Adriel's SUV with my suitcases. Selene and Cleo have joined us and will ride with us, while Althea will go with Lucas and a few others from Adriel's pack.

"Bye, honey! Make sure you call every week, okay!" My mom waved at me with tears in her eyes as she hugged my dad.

"Of course, mom! I'm gonna miss you guys so much." Once again, tears threatened to fall from my eyes. This has been an emotional day...

"Take care of our Leia now!" My dad shouted to Adriel, who nodded in response. Waving goodbye to everyone, Adriel helped me into the passenger seat of his black SUV.

"Thanks." I turned to thank him, but he had already closed the door and began walking to the driver's seat.

Cleo and Selene sat in the back, already cuddled up and smiling. Selene's face was as red as her hair. Adriel got in the car and started to pull out of the long driveway. I continued to wave at my family until I couldn't see them anymore. Wiping the last remaining tears from my eyes, I took a deep breath and tried to relax. This was a lot harder than I thought, but I knew this was supposed to happen in the back of my mind.

The car ride was mostly silent; Adriel barely talked at all. I tried to ask him questions, but he gave minimal answers back. Why won't he speak to me? My wolf and I were becoming anxious and just the tiniest bit jealous at Cleo and Selene flirting in the back. They had been talking the whole ride and giggling, occasionally talking to me, which was nice. But Adriel barely said anything.

I learned that Cleo is the same age as us. She likes fighting, running, hunting, playing sports, and binging Netflix shows. I know more about my mate's sister than my mate... Selene is also from a different pack, Moonstone Snow, Alpha Cael's pack. She's an Omega and was taken into Cael's home as his adopted sister because of something that happened to her family. She gave no details, but I hope she can share them with me when ready.

Luckily Adriel had the radio going so I could attempt to drown out their giggling in the back and keep myself focused on something. The entire drive felt agonizingly slow, and exhaustion was starting to hit me. I desperately want to shower, eat, and lie down!

Adriel told us we were very close, and my nerves began hitting me. What if his pack doesn't like me? I tried to shake the nagging thoughts out of my head and calm my heartbeat.

I continued to watch our surroundings as we pulled up to a forested area with one trail. I saw a few wolves watching us and realized it was probably members of Adriel's pack awaiting their Alpha's return. After a few minutes in the forest, we ended up at a clearing with homes spread around and people lined up in front of the biggest house. They must all be anxiously waiting for their Alpha. Behind us were a few other cars I could only assume were the rest of the pack at the Choosing Ceremony with us.

Adriel pulled to a stop in front of the crowd, whispering a 'wait there' before getting out of the car. Selene and Cleo exited the car and headed to the trunk to get Selene's things. That's when Adriel came to open my door and help me out of my seat. "He's quite the gentleman." My wolf whispered with delight. We stepped in front of the crowd with my hand in his large one. Gasps and whispers could be heard, making me feel very nervous.

"Yes, I have finally found my mate." Cheers and whistles could be heard from the crowd as they gathered closer around us. "I know everyone is excited, but she is exhausted. I will properly introduce her soon; for now, let her rest and get settled." The crowd automatically stepped back and responded with 'Yes, Alpha.' That's an Alpha for you.

The crowd opened a path for us to walk after Adriel had gone to grab my things. He wouldn't let me carry anything, so I followed him along, glancing around the crowd at all the unfamiliar faces. With the crowd now moved away, I could take in the beauty of the large house in front of me. It was beautiful. Standing two stories high, the exterior was all a beige stucco with rectangular stone accents in various shades of brown. The front door was tucked away next to the two large garage doors.

As we walked towards the front doors, I realized they were entirely glass with a dark metal design in the front. Instead of leading to the inside house, they led to the patio and pool area. Wow. I peeked at the terrace and saw lounge chairs, a massive pool, and various archways. Adriel pulled me to the side where a small dark brown door stood and opened it.

"Here, Leia. Let's go inside." I nodded in response and let him walk me into his home. "Our home, Leia." My wolf happily reminded me.

"We're home!" Cleo shouted into the room, making Selene and I laugh. "How do you like it, Selene? Want a tour?" She sounded so happy as Selene giggled shyly in response. "This is the living room. We can have movie nights and game nights here!" Cleo gestured to the room proudly as both of us took everything in.

One wall was full of sliding glass doors that led to the patio, allowing the natural light of the almost setting sun to fill the room. The living room was posh and modern, with different shades of grey, cream furniture, and decor. The bookshelves and coffee table were littered with magazines, books, video games, and DVDs which made me smile.

"Come on! Let's go see the kitchen!" Cleo woke me out of my stupor with her booming voice. Adriel just hung back, watching everything take place while Selene and I admired their home.

"Wow, this place is amazing already!" Selene whispered to me, and I nodded in response. The kitchen was right in front of us and completely open.

A vast opening made a window between the living room and kitchen. Walking to the side, we got a better look at the kitchen behind the couches. I loved the open layout of this home. The kitchen matched the living room with shades of grey and cream, but I could still feel the warmth and life throughout the house.

"Your home is beautiful," I spoke softly. Cleo grinned in response and nodded.

"It's OUR home now." I looked at Adriel in surprise since he hadn't spoken a word until now. My cheeks flushed red at his intense gaze.

"R-right." Adriel nodded in approval of my response before moving towards me. He grabbed my hand, my things in his other one, and pulled me towards the hallway.

"Come. Our room is down here." Our room?! I instantly felt shy and awkward at the realization that I'd be sharing a room with a guy I had just met. I looked back to say bye to Selene and Cleo, but they were already walking away. I can only guess Cleo is showing her their room too. Adriel walked me towards a closed door in the corner of the hallway before letting go of my hand to open it. I instantly fell in love with his room. "Our room!" Tala reminded me.

The walls were painted a rich deep blue, and the ceiling was vaulted high with off-white molding. The floors were pale grey-beige wood with a white and blue rug. The huge king-size bed was white with gray and blue decorative pillows and a blue throw blanket that looked extra soft.

Adriel let me quietly admire the room as he went through one of the doors in the room with my things. Finally shaking out of my wonder, I followed him through the door. The door led me to a walk-in closet that was only half full of Adriel's clothes and shoes. In the middle sat a white cushioned chair where Adriel had set my things. I wondered why it was only half full when I realized he was probably leaving it for his mate.

"You don't have to unpack today; I'm sure you're tired. Why don't you go ahead and take a shower?" Adriel's husky voice was soft as he stared at me with his bright blue eyes.

"Sure, thanks." Adriel nodded as I walked to one of my bags to grab toiletries and a change of clothes.

"This is the bathroom; feel free to put your things wherever you like." I followed Adriel out of the massive closet to the next door to the bathroom. Every room in this house is gorgeous!

The bathroom was no different. The tanned tiles went nicely against the beige-painted walls and white granite double sink countertops with off-white cabinets. The white tub was huge, and I knew I would love to take relaxing baths in it. The tiled walk-in shower was surrounded by glass and had a tiled bench.

"So this is our home. There are some things I need to get to, so I'll be in my office." Adriel said awkwardly as he scratched the back of his head and looked away from me.

After putting some of my things away, I decided to look for Adriel and noticed the door across the hall was slightly open. I let my curiosity get the best of me as I walked over quietly and peeked my head in. My tattoo tingled on my arm, and his intoxicating scent took over the room. I saw Adriel working at his desk, looking over stacks of paper and rubbing the bridge of his nose. He looked so handsome, being so focused, and I couldn't help my long stare.

"Did you need something?" Adriel's husky voice jolted me out of my stare, and my cheeks turned red in embarrassment. I can't believe I was just staring like that!

"U-um, I just wanted to see where you went," I spoke shyly, but his gorgeous blue eyes kept mine from moving away.

"Sorry, the Choosing Ceremony always leaves behind work for me. I'll be busy tonight. Are you hungry? I can call one of the packhouse workers to make dinner?"

"Oh no, it's alright! I'm not ready to meet anyone yet... And I can make something if that's okay?" Adriel shook his head in response before standing up and walking towards me.

"No, I'll just order pizza. What toppings?" Pulling out his phone from his back pocket as he stood next to me in the doorway that was now fully open, he called a pizzeria.

"Oh, um, just pepperoni. Thank you, Adriel." I gave him a small smile, to which he nodded in response before placing an order for a large pepperoni pizza delivery.

We waited in awkward silence as Adriel went back to work. I remained in his office, taking in the room and stealing glances at him. He's so good-looking... His intensely bright blue eyes, messy black hair, light stubble on his strong jaw, olive skin, lean and robust build... I sighed as I tore my eyes away from him.

I'm still kind of freaked out about finding my mate, but I can't help but feel like I want to get to know Adriel well. He said he had much to do with new members joining the pack and current ones leaving as members found their mates over the two-day ceremony.

I didn't want to bother him too much, but I learned a few things about my newfound mate. His favorite color is blue, just like mine; he likes to train alone, and with his Beta and Delta, he's been Alpha since he turned 18, and his parents moved out of the packhouse when he was 19. Honestly, I wanted to know more, maybe even everything about him. But I guess we have a lot of time for me to do that since we live together now. My cheeks felt hot at the thought, and my mind wondered what the sleeping arrangement would be like.

After about a half-hour, one of the pack members brought the pizza that Adriel had delivered to one of the homes in the front of the territory. My stomach grumbled loudly at the delicious smell, and I instantly felt embarrassed as we walked out towards the kitchen.

"Hungry?" Adriel mused with a small laugh that surprised me. So he can laugh! I just nodded back and laughed too. "I'm going back to work; eat as much as you want. You can watch TV in the room or whatever you like. It's your house now."

"Wait. You're not going to eat?!" I had already grabbed a slice and started eating it. He shook his head with a tiny hint of a smirk on his perfect lips.

"No. I want to get this work done." He started to walk away, making me slump in disappointment. "Oh, and don't worry. I won't sleep in the bed with you; I'll take the couch." He turned for a glance before returning to his office and closing the door.

"Oh..." I answered myself. I was glad he was considerate of me and not forcing me to do anything I wasn't comfortable with. But I couldn't help the slight feeling of disappointment that he had left and won't be next to me. What am I thinking?! Have I gone mad?? My inner battle with the strange yet strong pull Adriel has on me is interrupted by Cleo and Selene walking into the kitchen at the smell of food.

"Leia! You got pizza?! Yes!" Cleo cheered happily, and I laughed, gesturing to the pizza box.

"Help yourselves." I smiled at the two of them and felt the tiniest pang of jealousy at how close they seemed to be already.

We spent the next hour or so just talking and hanging out. I had so much fun with these two. We talked about ourselves and the things we liked. Cleo kindly gave me a little more insight into Adriel, which I am grateful for. Adriel likes pancakes, horror, action movies, running, "brooding by himself," and looking after his mom. Cleo told me to give Adriel time because he's shy and not good around girls. I couldn't help but laugh at that thought. He seems more grumpy than shy.

We finally decided it was time to get settled in bed. I returned to my new room and said goodnight to Selene and Cleo. I stopped before entering the room and looked at Adriel's office door. Should I say goodnight? Nodding to myself, I knocked on the office door before entering. Adriel looked up at me with tired eyes and a half-smile. That smile!

"Um. I just wanted to say goodnight. I'm going to get ready for bed. Don't stay up too late, okay?" I felt a little concerned that he wouldn't go to sleep as he should.

"Don't worry. Just get yourself comfortable and get some sleep." Adriel returned to his work and whispered something I couldn't fully hear, even with my wolf hearing.

Once I was dressed in my comfy pajamas, I hopped into bed. Everything smelled like him, and I snuggled into the pillows and blanket, taking in his scent. It smells good... I wondered when I would meet the pack and if they would like me. If Adriel likes me. Many thoughts swirled around my head before I yawned deeply.

Finally, I began to fall asleep and still with no Adriel in sight. Part of me was glad I was alone and comfortable, but another part wanted him to be here. This bond is making me a weird person... With that thought, I drifted off into a deep slumber.

I did not notice when Adriel finally entered the room while I slept. I also did not notice when he brushed my hair out of my face and watched me momentarily as he whispered, 'I finally found you.'