My Destined - EDITING

Leia

The rest of the ceremony was a blur. My wolf was focused on our new mate, that retreated so quickly. I knew he was no longer in the ceremony area but I could still feel him. I wonder where he went...

"Leia. Earth to Leia!" I was shaken out of my stupor with Maia, Althea, and Selene crowding around me.

"W-what? Sorry guys..." I felt my cheeks redden in embarrassment, and Maia sighed in relief.

"Listen, Leia. I'm sor-" I quickly interrupted Maia's apology, not wanting to hear about Marco.

"It's fine. I'm fine." Even after finding my mate given by the Moon Goddess, I was still a little upset about Marco and Maia. I mean, I've liked him for so long and hoped I would be his mate. Althea looked curiously between us, utterly clueless about what we were discussing.

"What happened?" Althea asked, curiosity getting the best of her. I just sighed, not wanting to talk about it at the moment.

"Well, it looks like my mate is our upcoming Alpha, Marco. And Leia has liked him for a long time... I'm sorry, Leia." Maia gave me an apologetic look, and I gave her a weak smile in return. Althea gasped and gave me a tight hug.

"Oh, darling! That must've been so hard." I gave her a quick nod. I feel uncomfortable talking about it. It was just a stupid crush!

"Well, it looks like the Moon Goddess has paired me with a mate anyway." I could feel butterflies in my stomach at the thought.

"Yes! Your mate is my Alpha, Adriel! He's a hottie, right?!" Adriel... Tala growled in response to Althea's compliment, already beginning to feel possessive.

"What about you guys? Did you find your mates too?" I looked at Althea and Selene, wanting to change the subject quickly. Selene blushed hard.

"It looks like the three of us may be in the same pack if they catch us tomorrow in The Running! Selene seemed to have quite the connection with my Alpha's Beta and younger sister, Cleo." Selene nodded shyly and giggled. I was slightly surprised to hear this, making me want to get to know these girls more. We have not talked about our interests or likes just yet.

"I'm just glad I wasn't paired with a male...." Selene spoke quietly and nervously. But once we all started laughing and agreeing, she joined us.

"I'm kind of jealous of you and Maia. I've always dreamed of finding an Alpha mate and becoming Luna. But it seems the Moon Goddess may have other plans. My wolf was going crazy for this Delta in my pack, Lucas. I didn't even know he was in my pack!" Althea maintains her upbeat tone despite her words.

We continued to ramble on as we waited for the Ceremony Ball. To my relief, we got to keep our dresses on instead of changing again. I was feeling very nervous about the ball. Would I have to talk to Marco and see him with Maia? Would Adriel be with me? What about that strange Alpha, Cael? All these thoughts were flooding my mind. Meanwhile, my wolf was anxious to be reunited with Adriel.

"Everyone. Please come into the ballroom for the Ceremony Ball. There is music and plenty of food for all of you. Enjoy!" Luna announced two hours after The Choosing ended. All the she-wolves cheered in excitement, walking in with their newfound friends.

"Alright! Let's look at some cuties!" Althea cheered, pushing the three of us into the ballroom with a laugh.

"I think we got it, Althea!" I laughed, and she finally let us walk on our own.

"Fine, fine. I don't want to see any shyness, alright ladies? We are the hottest ones here!" I shook my head with a smile. She's so hyper.

"Food time!" I instantly started walking towards the food as soon as I smelled it. There was a whole buffet line full of delicious food. I can't wait! I licked my lips, realizing how hungry I was.

"Leia! Wait!" I heard Maia call behind me as she rushed to my side. "Wait for us, crazy." Althea and Selene nodded with a laugh as they caught up to us.

"Sorry, guys. I just suddenly felt so hungry!" We all laughed hysterically and continued toward the buffet line. Once we were done filling up our plates, we found an empty table with six chairs and decided to sit around.

Suddenly I felt my body tense, and my tattoo burned as I noticed an intense stare on my back. Turning around, I see Adriel, who seems to be the mate the Moon Goddess has chosen for me.

My heart almost dropped at the sight of him in a suit. I guess the guys changed for the ball... He was the most gorgeous man I'd ever seen. His black hair was styled messily, and his mesmerizing blue-grey eyes sparkled. He wore a light green striped button-up, a black tie, and a tan suit jacket with tan slacks. Adriel's suit fit his form perfectly, just enough to appear comfortable and still get a glimpse of his strength.

My wolf was itching to approach him, but I stayed seated. I wouldn't say I liked how I reacted to him earlier. I did not feel like myself as my wolf slowly took over in response to his proximity. I shook my head, trying to forget how I almost kissed him on sight.

"Don't worry, Leia. He seems distant and uncaring, but he's a good Alpha." Althea must have noticed Adriel as well and tried to reassure me.

"Right." I nodded without looking at him again, but I could still feel his intense gaze.

We hear about finding mates and what it means or feels like throughout our lives. But nothing could describe the actual feeling. It is as if a rope around me pulls me towards Adriel - hard. It is also important to note that werewolves have heightened senses that are ten times stronger when bonded with your mate.

"Ladies! Looking lovely this evening!" A girl walked over with a massive grin on her pretty face as she stared at Selene. She had piercing blue eyes, like Adriel's, long wavy black hair to her lower back, and tanned skin. She wore an open grey-blue pantsuit, a black spaghetti strap crop top, and short black heels.

Another male behind her looked awkward with his bright red face; he had dark brown curly hair that fell just over his eyes and down to his chin, a strong jaw, and brown eyes. He wore a dark blue suit, a white button-up, and a brown tie.

"Miss Selene. Would you join me in a dance?" Blue eyes kept the grin as she held her hand to Selene. Is this the Beta that's supposed to be Adriel's sister and Selene's mate? I could see the resemblance; she was just as gorgeous as Adriel, although I would always gravitate toward Adriel. Selene nodded shyly with a bright red blush and took her hand.

"Wooooooo! Go, Selene!" Althea cheered her on, which only made her face redder. Maia and I laughed in unison, giving her thumbs up as she walked away. Her mysterious mate walked off with her hand and gave us a wink. "That's Cleo, Adriel's Beta!" I nodded, taking in this new information from Althea. Siblings.

"U-um. Hi Althea." I almost forgot about the second guy until he finally spoke up. Althea turned around with a flirtatious smile and twirled her hair. I shook my head with a laugh. She's a flirty one, huh?

"Lucas!" She jumped up and hugged him. I could see his body stiffen at the sudden touch of his newly found mate. I wonder if his wolf is reacting strongly to the proximity and contact with Althea. He quickly smiled and hugged her back.

"Let's dance." She smiled and nodded happily. Althea turned to us and gave us a wink. 'Have fun!' she mouthed before pulling him onto the dancefloor. Maia and I looked at each other and laughed.

"We certainly found an interesting pair of girls to become friends with, huh?" Maia teased, and I smiled.

"I'm glad we did. I like them!" And it was true. We only met today, but the four of us clicked so well. It was nice.

"You're lucky, Leia. If everything goes well, the three of you will go to the same pack together! I'll be stuck here all alone." I gave Maia a sad smile. I didn't want to leave her or my family because her mate was the guy I wanted. She immediately regretted her words. "Oh, Leia. I'm so sorry; I know you liked Marco. I wasn't expecting this at all. You know I wouldn't take him from you if I had a choice."

"No. He was never mine, Maia. It was just a stupid crush. The Moon Goddess chose him for you." I smiled sadly, still a little bit hurt by the situation. My wolf, however, didn't care - we found our mate, and that's all she wanted.

"Leia-" She tried to argue, but I wouldn't let her.

"It's fine. I'm gonna get a drink. I'll be back, okay?" I looked at her with pleading eyes, not wanting to be followed, and she nodded.

"Okay."

With that, I walked to the other side of the ballroom, wanting to forget today's events. It didn't last long because I noticed Marco walking my way. My heart rate picked up as I just stared. No! Why is he coming here? Marco was also dressed up; his dark brown coily hair was styled neatly. He wore a full dark blue suit and tie with a white button-up. He looks good... But not as good as Adriel. I sighed and turned away, hoping he would take the hint not to come over. He didn't.

"Hey, Leia. You look nice." Don't say that! I sighed deeply before looking at Marco's warm, umber face.

"Hi, Alpha."

"Marco. Come on, Leia. We've known each other too long for you to call me Alpha. I'm not even Alpha yet until the naming ceremony anyway." He tried to joke, but I didn't laugh.

"Sorry, Marco. This whole thing is just making me nervous." Marco nodded with a short laugh.

"Tell me about it. I just turned 20 and have found a mate. Feels pretty great, though!" He smiled, and I could tell he was happy. I couldn't help the pang in my heart, and I stepped back. I saw Maia out of the corner of my eye, oblivious to Marco and me talking, and instantly felt terrible. I'm here talking to her mate, and she's all alone.

"You should go to Maia." I snapped, instantly regretting my tone. He's my Alpha! But I was annoyed that he was talking to me, almost teasing me, when he should be talking to his mate. He looked at me with confused eyes and was about to speak when a hand touched my shoulder.

"Run along, Alpha. Go to your mate." I heard a deep voice behind me and wished it was Adriel's. Marco rolled his eyes and nodded to me before stalking over to Maia. Her eyes lit up when she saw him walking towards her, and I turned away. "You like that guy?" I turned to see green eyes and a smirk. Alpha Cael.

"I don't think that's any of your business, Alpha Cael." Cael howled in laughter and let go of my shoulder.

"Hey now, I think we can be friends, and you could just call me Cael." He gave me a flirtatious wink, and I stepped backward, instantly feeling uncomfortable.

"Fine, Cael. Now would you please leave me alone? What about your mate?" I saw the anger on his face for a second, but he quickly hid it with a small smile.

"I haven't found a mate in the four years I've been attending this stupid thing." My eyes widened. Four years?! "I like you, Leia Renee Aldrich. I think I'll make you my Chosen." He stepped closer to me with a severe face and mischief in his eyes.

"You can't! You have to wait for approval from the Elders before you can pick a Chosen or get assigned a mate. Besides, I have a mate!" I surprised myself by announcing my having a mate since I had barely come to terms with it. But I didn't want this Alpha, and neither did my wolf.

"Well, it isn't all said and done yet, sweetheart. We still have The Running tomorrow, and I just have to catch you before he does." He gave a confident smirk and winked, taking another step forward. This is a lie because if my mate is here, the Elders will never approve of my being his Chosen over my having a mate. "Besides, I don't want to return home without a mate again." He gave me a genuinely sad look, and I almost felt bad.

"I'm sorry." I couldn't imagine attending this ceremony six times and watching everyone find their mates. As an Alpha, it's probably even worse. He gave me a small smile and raised his hand to cup my cheek.

"Don't worry, sweetheart." He started to clean closer, and I squeezed my eyes shut, unable to move under his powerful presence. "No! No! No!" My wolf was shouting, wanting to get away from his touch. That's when I felt strong arms around my waist and a low, deep growl behind my ear. "Mate!" Tala shouted gleefully.