The Luna's Destiny

by Drea Shane

  Judging how Dad had his hands twisted together in a nervous gesture, he’d come for another talk. Time to dig up those secrets he kept buried.

  He strolled into the room looking every bit the intimidating Alpha he was. I sat on my rumpled bed, and he took the desk chair.

  It was silent for a few long moments. He was the one keeping secrets. I planned to make him start this conversation. I wouldn’t make this easy on him. Regardless the reason, he still hid truths from me. Truths that affected my entire life.

  He finally broke and sighed. “I know we still have much to discuss, but there isn’t time right now. There are a few things I can and will mention before the showing.”

  I nodded, giving him the go-ahead to continue.

  “There’s one thing you need to be prepared for, and it’s not an easy pill to swallow. I wanted to protect you from this revelation until the last minute. I know you and that brilliant but stubborn mind of yours would pick the information apart until it twisted into something unrecognizable.”

  Goosebumps spread across my skin. Here was the largest blow. Otherwise, why wait only hours before the showing? It’s going to freak me the fuck out, and big time.

  “You’re special, and by now you’ve hopefully come to terms with that. More than a Luna, Sydney. Remember that.”

  Yep. Queue freak out. The bomb was about to drop, and there’d be no way to avoid the shrapnel.

  “There’ll be more potentials than you might expect. Due to your special nature, mating won’t be as traditional.”

  I had to stop him there. “Hold up. What do you mean about a non-traditional mating? I barely know the basics of a normal one. Why is that?”

  “The reason it’s been kept quiet is the same as I explained before, about you overanalyzing everything. Once I knew that would be the case, I intentionally waited to share until it was too late to do anything stupid.”

  “Stupid? Me? Nah, must have me confused with someone else,” I retorted sarcastically.

  “Focus. We need to discuss this. The reason your mating will be non-traditional is due to your special nature and circumstance. More on that later, after we get the showing over with.”

  I could tell he was stalling, and intuition said Dad was very uncomfortable with the subject. Hmm. Interesting. What would make an Alpha so touchy?

  “Here’s what you need to know now. You don’t have just one, but multiple mates. I know that’s not what you want to hear, but it’s the reality of your situation. Any of your potentials could be one of those mates.”

  I cackled hysterically. Yeah, okay. That’s ridiculous in so many ways. If my Alpha was trying to prepare me for the showing, this was not a funny joke.

  He went on, “Be serious. I’m trying to explain this. There’s nothing humorous about it. However, it was a condition your mom and I agreed to a very long time ago. The benefit outweighed the risk.”

  My laughter cut off abruptly. “Wait, you’re not teasing me?”

  “I assure you, Sydney, this is very real. The Goddess has taken notice. She blessed you with multiple mates to help fulfill your destiny.”

  “My destiny is to have more than one guy bonded with me—mind, body, and soul? You do realize that means sex? I would have numerous sexual partners. Is that what you’re trying to tell me? Oh, and it’s for life?”

  He nodded, a solemn look on his face. That’s when I knew he was telling the truth. Sex, sex, sex. I’d never even had sex with one man, let alone multiple men. And dominant Alphas at that. I was fucked, in more ways than one. Shit.

  My breathing hitched just before I freaked out. It wasn’t just a small one either. I had a full-on, level five, lose my mind breakdown.

  My wolf took over in my hysteria. Her pristine and soft white fur wrapped me in a coat of comfort. Our wolf was calm. Sneaky bitch.

  The suspicion she did indeed know about this bomb all along had cemented as fact. I felt it inside us, in the part where our halves started to meld ever so slightly.

  At some point, Dad managed to slip away, and Lila took his place. By the time she managed to rouse me from the shock, I finally got a grip.

  My body shifted back to human form, although my wolf didn’t want to turn over control. She didn’t like living in our human skin.

  Lila threw a blanket over my naked body. It helped chase away the chill, having nothing to do with the weather.

  “Oh Goddess, please tell me I imagined that conversation with my dad. It’s just a nightmare, and now everything will go back to normal.”

  Lila wrapped her hands around mine. However, her expression said it all. Nope. That was my new reality, my new destiny. Or my destiny in general—always was, I just wasn’t privy to it.

  “I’m here for you, always. You don’t know me well, but that’ll change in time. Promise, sweetie. Your daddy wouldn’t let me be here for this if not.”

  Dad. Alpha. Slayer of dreams. Keeper of truths. I really wanted to hate him, but there wasn’t time. An influx of thoughts swamped my brain as a frenzy came to life.

  I snatched both hands back and jumped to my feet, not even caring about the blanket forgotten in a pool of material on the floor.

  The showing. Shit. I raced to my desk and peered at the time displayed in the corner of the open laptop.

  Somehow amid coming to terms, the sands of time continued. An entire ninety minutes vanished. No way. I was out of time. The showing would happen in just under two hours.

  Instinctually while drowning in another round of panic, my legs shuffled back until they hit the bed, and I plopped down very ungracefully.

  Then, Lila was there—Lila. Female. Mysterious. Supernatural. Sweet and southern. Dad approved. Who was she really?

  Again, didn’t care. No time for that. My focus had to be on the showing. The rest of my life hinged upon selecting potentials. I could freak out later—after.

  “As beautiful as your naked body is, let’s save it for later when you can show it off to sexy Alpha males. Save the birthday suit for your actual birthday.”

  She was teasing me if that glimmer in her eyes and quirked lips were any indication. That lightened the mood a bit. So, I grabbed the blanket and tucked it around me, the end folded tightly inside the top.

  The way it dragged in a train behind reminded me of a wedding dress. I shivered once again at the implications of how important today was. Potential mate—no . . . mates.

  “Sugar, you need to get ready. I brought your dress and shoes. Don’t worry, it’ll be fun. Let’s get you dolled up. You’re going to look like a goddess.”

  A sarcastic retort was at the ready but a snort escaped instead—so unladylike. I would be such a catch. Right.

  She was entirely too excited for this. Good, Lila could be that way for the both of us. I had a suspicion my issues were just starting.

  “Are you sure I can’t wear more sturdy shoes? Maybe ones I could run in?”

  “Nice try, but no. Running away from the showing will only increase the distance from the solution. Besides, in your culture, sons trained as soldiers and daughters as leaders. How can you lead if you lack a backbone?”

  She had a point, dammit. I never backed down and always bucked rules. This was no different. The Goddess herself forged my destiny. She’d been certain of my capabilities and I needed to as well.

  “Fine, I concede, oh wise woman.” My reply came with a mocking curtsey. Yep, the sharp tongue I’d tried so hard to control was loose today.

  The heat of the water chased away the chills from before. I turned it up as hot as I could stand it, even against my sensitive skin. The shower needed to be quick, but it felt so good.

  My mind wandered to Joe. We already knew he was a potential, but now he was quite possibly one of my mates.

  Unintentionally, my thoughts landed in the gutter. I replayed some of the encounters we had. Our connection sizzled and made my senses come alive.

  Heat pooled in my core just thinking about his hard body and masculine presence.
I wanted Joe. Our kisses caused tiny explosions to detonate in places I’d never been touched.

  What would it feel like to have those magic fingers and soft lips explore me? The wolf inside was howling her approval, pushing me.

  My center slicked with need, nipples hard enough to cut glass. Wow, this was new. These feelings made me want and need to have Joe. Not just that, but I craved the chance to run my fingers down those taut muscles, nails leaving a trail of red from the slight pressure I’d use. My wolf insisted I didn’t want to stop there. Both of us agreed we had to continue and explore that trail of hair underneath the top of his jeans. I felt naughty and needy, knowing what laid beneath the fabric between us. What would he taste like? How would he feel inside me?

  Kindling heat in my lower body turned to licks of flames. I wanted, no needed, something. Just out of my reach.

  Loud banging on the door scared and jolted me. I barely had enough time to catch myself from slipping. I emitted a low growl at the interruption.

  “Don’t get all growly with me, wolf girl. Get out of that shower, time’s up. We need to prepare you.”

  Lila went quiet for a minute, and I thought about basking in even hotter water. That didn’t last. She was relentless.

  “Unless you plan on showing up naked or in your pajamas to meet the overwhelming influx of Alphas invading your home, I suggest you get a move on.”

  “Fine! You win! Just a moment! No need to be such a tart about it.”

  And my forked tongue struck again. Zinger after zinger slipped as my nervousness grew. If Lila didn’t notice by now, I’d worry about her intelligence.

  “Let’s go. Get your cranky butt out of that shower. I’m not leaving, so hurry up!”

  Question answered, intelligence intact. Noted. Might as well give in.

  The entire time I dried off, I couldn’t help but wonder if these feelings for Joe were exclusive or not. Would I have this same crazy reaction to all my potentials?

  Surviving this seemed less likely the more I thought about it. My wolf and my body betrayed me when it came to Joe. If all of them affected me—there were no words.

  Lila was indeed waiting for me. She had her back against the opposite wall, right leg lifted and resting on the wall. I rolled my eyes at her and let out an exaggerated huff. Trying to storm past her was no use. She caught my arm and kept me close as we crossed to my sanctuary. I locked the door behind us and she whirled on me.

  “Sugar, you need to get a grip on your emotions. I’m not even a wolf and understood those feelings you broadcasted to every wolf in this vicinity.”

  My eyes grew impossibly wide from shock. Say what now? That didn’t sound like a good thing. Dread chased away any remnants of excitement from my shower.

  “What are you saying, Lila? Give me a little clarity so I don’t lose my shit. Because it sounds like you said . . .”

  She nodded in confirmation of my humiliation. Goddess, this was cruel. If even just a few of those men felt what I had been feeling in the shower, things wouldn’t turn out in my favor.

  Once I reached the masses, they’d be circling like sharks. The actions made me the prey to all the predators in our territory. Just how far did this reaction reach?

  “How many? How far? Please tell me Dad couldn’t feel it.” That last statement wasn’t so much a request, more like a desperate plea.

  Lila wouldn’t be derailed from moving things along. She tossed a bra and a thong at me. Racy, sheer, black material.

  “You get dressed, and I’ll talk. Go; drop the towel and slip those on. Time’s a ‘wasting.”

  Even with these on, I felt exposed. They didn’t really cover anything. My puckered nipples stood out in detail as did the swath of golden hair between my legs.

  “Thank you. Those are sexy. I have good taste. The gist of the situation is basically this: your powers are growing, and with your potentials so close, everything is heightened. Your feelings are broadcasting. It’s only noticeable when they are strong. Basically, you almost had an orgasm and triggered an awful lot of horny shifters.”

  Orgasm. That’s what I couldn’t figure out, yet it was so simple. She was right, I’d been close, very close to letting go and unraveling. The impact she mentioned scared me.

  “So, all those Alpha males almost had an orgasm?”

  The dress was next. I obediently slipped it on in favor of keeping up the flow of actual information.

  “Not exactly, but close. It’s like giving them all a hard-on and no way to release without a very fucking cold shower.”

  Goddess, Lila was cussing. She’s serious about this. Finally, someone was giving me straight answers.

  However, thinking about tons of rock hard shifters had the opposite effect on me. Lust flooded my veins, and I was right back in the shower, thinking about Joe.

  A sharp pain in my arm caused me to squeal. She pinched me. Hard. I gave her the stink eye.

  “Don’t you give me that look. Are you trying to cause a riot? You need to control those hormones. Sheesh, sweetie. Maybe we should’ve made your shower cold.”

  Lila zipped up the dress before handing me the shoes. I teetered gracefully while putting each one on.

  “We can’t have this crisis, Lila. My schedule’s already full. Goddess, this is so embarrassing! How do I control it?”

  Without missing a beat, she pulled me into my desk chair and grabbed the hairbrush and dryer. I gave her a minute to start my hair.

  “Well, that’s the thing. This is uncharted territory. Because the Goddess blessed you with multiple mates, your powers are stronger. Most likely it’s intentional. It’ll help guide your instincts during the showing to help with the selection process.”

  Nope. She’s right about one thing, though. I was about to cause a riot. On the flipside, how would we get any of them to leave if my powers were messing with them like that?

  After the conversation with Lila about the shifter’s response to my heightened hormones, I grew quiet—uncharacteristically quiet. She took it in stride, just like everything else thrown her way.

  I was grateful for the time to get my shit together. Between everything I learned from Dad and Lila, thoughts spun in my mind until they were thick webs, distorting them into a clusterfuck.

  With my compliance, Lila methodically did my hair and makeup. I couldn’t help but be shocked by the final product. She’d made me look like the goddess she’d promised.

  The mirror didn’t lie, and I thought about the Goddess. Maybe there was truth to that. My necklace heated and illuminated my skin; shimmery and ethereal. Looking up again, the gray eyes normally staring back had indeed turned into mesmerizing, swirling silver orbs. Breathtaking.

  Turning to Lila, I was curious if she saw what I did. So far, nobody else had. The look she gave me made it clear she saw every detail. With a wink and a tight hug, she shooed me out the door and one step closer to my destiny.

  My Alpha stood on the other side, ready for this moment. I couldn’t help but preen with pride at his approval. It was stamped over his features, in his body language, and across our connection.

  Dad squeezed my hand gently before we headed downstairs. He was showing his support, and I was grateful. With each step, my pulse roared to life. By the time I reached the bottom, the pounding in my ears was loud enough to drown out everything around me.

  I was escorted into the dining room. Everything had been removed, and Lila turned the space beautiful and calming. The curtains shimmered in the sunlight but were thick enough to prevent anyone watching from outside.

  A solitary chair sat in the center of the room. Thank the goddess I wouldn’t have to stand the whole time. The material of my dress swished around as I made my way to the center of the room. I gingerly sat down on the cushioned seat and settled in.

  I expected somebody to give me directions or some advice, but all I got was a wink from Dad as he left the room. The door shut with a click, and everything went silent. My nerves were still live wires singin
g inside my body.

  Waiting seemed to be the worst part. The upside? With everything crowding my thoughts, there was no chance of slipping up in the sexual department at the moment.

  There was a quick rap on the door before it swung open and shut again. Craig quickly moved to the side of the door and clasped his arms in front of him. I didn’t even bother to talk to him as it was obvious he was my bodyguard.

  Another person entered the room, but this time didn’t knock. It looked like I was going to have two bodyguards. James took his place on the opposite side of the door Craig leaned against. I rolled my eyes out of habit and settled more comfortably.

  All this waiting was hell. If they didn’t get on with the showing, I was going to lose my nerve and bolt back to my room where I could hide away. When somebody knocked on the door again, I expected it to be Dad, but it was just another member of our pack communicating with James. The exchange was all nonverbal, but after a nod from them, the door shut again.

  Craig finally looked at me and asked, “Are you ready, princess?”

  I squeaked out a yes, a little embarrassed that my voice sounded so unsure. But I didn’t have time to ponder because the door opened wider, and somebody I didn’t know entered the room.

  My first suitor, oh joy. He was short and stocky but all muscle. His brown hair was styled into a faux hawk. However, his hazel eyes were drinking me up with a lustful gaze that made my skin crawl.

  Hastily, I turned to James and mouthed no. This man definitely wasn’t one of my mates. James escorted the shifter out before I had to say anything. I sighed in relief until another one entered.

  Admittedly, this one had much more promise. Everything about him screamed sex appeal. From his lush blonde locks, to smoky brown eyes, even his lips looked soft and oh so kissable. The washboard abs that were visible through his tight green shirt got a girl’s heart racing.

  He wasn’t sending out any creepy vibes, but my necklace stayed its normal color, and my body gave no reaction aside from sexual interest. I sighed and shook my head at James.