Her Fate - Book cover

Her Fate

Karrie

Dinner

LUCY

My brother, ever the gentleman, pulls out my chair and takes a seat next to me. I’m sandwiched between him and our mom, with our dad sitting across from Alpha Grim. His Luna and their son, James, are also at the table.

James Grim. He’s tall, with a face that looks like it’s been carved from stone. He’s dressed in a black shirt, dark jeans, and polished shoes. His light brown hair is slicked back, revealing a pair of gray eyes that match his mother’s.

“So, how was your journey here, Grim?” My dad breaks the silence as our dinner is served by several omegas.

Alpha Grim grins. “It was quite the trek, considering our territory is on the far edge of yours, Harte.”

Derrick, my brother, slides an extra roll onto my plate and flashes me a smile. We’re having steak, baked potatoes, and rolls. The rolls are my favorite.

“You look lovely tonight, Lucy.” James gives me a soft smile. I return it, then quickly bury my face in my meal. Lyla, my wolf, is restless, and food seems to be the only thing that calms her down.

“She’s a bit shy,” my mom explains. I know both she and my dad are hoping this match will work out. The Grim’s territory has a huge hunting ground, and merging our territories would benefit both packs.

“Weren’t we all at that age?” Luna Grim sips her wine and smiles at me. “Don’t worry, dear. James is a gentleman.”

Derrick shoots a suspicious look at James, who’s been checking me out. I can sense his arousal, his attention focused solely on me.

***

“Lucy, why don’t you show James the garden?” My dad suggests after dinner. He and the others head to the sitting room.

I exchange a knowing glance with Derrick before he follows the adults.

“Follow me.” I lead the way through the house and out the back door, not waiting for James.

He’s right on my heels, so close that I can’t even stop to admire my favorite roses without feeling his presence. I let out a sigh of annoyance. James clearly doesn’t understand the concept of personal space.

“Could you back off a little?” I snap. Lyla is at the forefront of my mind, and neither of us are warming up to James.

“Lucy, we both know our union is inevitable.” James steps back slightly. “Mates or not, wouldn’t it be easier to just mark each other tonight?”

I blink, trying to process what James just said. The second thing he’s said to me tonight is that we should mark each other. Lyla is practically clawing at me.

“We don’t even have to be mated, Lucy.” James takes my hands in his. There’s a desperate tone in his voice. “Just be my Luna.”

I narrow my eyes and study him. There’s something off about his demeanor. I think I know why.

“You’ve found your mate. Haven’t you?”

James lets go of my hand and takes a deep breath. He runs a hand through his hair and sits on the back porch steps.

“She’s an Omega,” he admits. “My parents would kill her if they found out.”

“So you want to mark me to protect her?” I answer my own question when James stays silent. I sit next to him, looking out at the dimly lit garden. The moon is waning, high in the sky, surrounded by stars.

“James, I’m not going to let you mark me. My parents know I take this seriously.” I meet James’s gaze and smile. “I understand, but let’s see how things go, okay?”

James hugs me tightly. Our embrace is cut short by the sound of someone clearing their throat. I turn to see my dad standing in the doorway. My heart sinks.

“Dad…” James and I quickly stand up. “How long have you been there?”

“Long enough to see you two hugging, Princess.” My dad smirks. “Come on, everyone is waiting.”

I let out a sigh of relief and follow James and my dad back into the house.

“Thank you again for having us tonight.” Luna Grim adjusts her jacket and kisses my mom’s cheeks. They chat while my dad and Derrick talk to Alpha Grim.

“Thank you,” James whispers, as we watch everyone. “I don’t know how I can ever repay you for this.”

“James!” Alpha Grim calls before I can respond. James gives my forehead a quick kiss for show and leaves with his parents, who wave at me proudly.

“Well?” My mom approaches me, her smile as eager as a teenager waiting for the latest gossip. My dad and Derrick stand behind her.

“I think I like him enough.” I shrug. “But only time will—”

“Oh, how wonderful!” My mom hugs me tightly.

“Good thing, too.” My dad crosses his arms. “James and one of his servants are starting at your school next week.”

Great.

I flop onto my bed, frustrated. My body is tired, but my mind won’t let me sleep.

My phone reads 4:57 a.m. Two days until my birthday. Thank Goddess it’s a Saturday. This is the only day I’m free to roam outside the territory.

I stretch and hop out of bed. Lyla is groggy, but she perks up at the thought of a run later today.

The water is colder than usual when I step into the shower. I need to wake up fully for today. If something goes wrong, there won’t be anyone around to help me control my wolf.

Lyla hates the cold water. I imagine she’s more of a summer wolf, while I love the cold. At school, people often call me Elsa.

After my shower, I pull on a pair of black and gray leggings and a matching tank top. The gray starts solid at my ankles and gradually feathers out into petals as it reaches my thighs. I tie my hair into a ponytail and brush my teeth.

Today, the forecast predicts thunderstorms, but that won’t deter me from heading into town. I need new clothes and a day out with Moranna.

I quickly straighten my hair, throw a Nike jacket over my shoulders, and slip into a simple pair of Converse.

***

“Hey!” Moranna crashes into my passenger’s seat and slams the car door shut behind her.

“Moranna, be careful with my car!” I protest. My car, a black Honda—I can’t remember the year—is my baby and deserves respect.

Moranna just laughs and buckles her seatbelt. Today, she’s wearing short leggings that stop just below her knees and a crop top that reads, “love before hate”, across the chest. She’s also sporting a pair of Converse.

She notices me eyeing her outfit. “Dad says I have Beta practice this evening.”

“Moranna, you’re not sixteen yet.” I pull out of her driveway. “It’s against traditions.”

“What Alpha Dean doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” She grins. “My dad says you’ve been matched to the Grim pack’s heir. Is that true?”

“Something like that.” I sigh. “He’s not my mate, but it’s for the betterment of the pack. Only time will tell. He already found his mate.”

Moranna’s eyes widen. She knows that since I’m not sixteen yet, I can’t sense the mate bond. Even though Lyla emerged early.

“Lucy, mating a male who already—”

“I know.”

Mating a male who’s already found their mate is basically wolf suicide. Arranged pairs rarely find their mates after marking each other.

Once marked, even if it’s artificial, the mate bond would grow strong enough to sever any strings attached to the unknown mate.

If one of the pair finds their mate before the arrangement, though, the artificial bond would never take hold and the wolf would become sick and wither.

“I hope you know what you’re doing, Lu,” Moranna sighs. “This is a dangerous game you’re playing.”

I raise an eyebrow at her. “Moranna, you’re training against my dad’s orders. You’re the one playing the dangerous game.”

***

“I don’t know about this one, either.” Moranna sighs heavily at herself in the dressing room. I’ve been standing here for about ten minutes just waiting for my friend to emerge.

“Moranna, come on.” My stomach growls. “It’s almost noon.”

Lyla is ready to tear an entire cow apart. She’s been restless since the first shop we visited around nine this morning.

“Oh! Right, new wolf, sorry!” Moranna emerges with arms full of tangled shirts and hangers. I look her up and down.

“What? I didn’t like any of them.”

This is typical for Moranna. The entire town has at least five pack members working at all times. Being the heirs to the Alpha and Beta gives us an edge—we’re catered to.

Moranna dumps her tangled mass of clothes in the return bin and joins me to walk outside. The air is mildly chilly as the wind picks up. Black clouds dot the sky and thunder claps.

“Where do you want to eat?” Moranna asks. I pull out my phone and Google restaurants nearby.

“There’s a new hole in the wall just five minutes down the road.” I suggest, showing Moranna the reviews. “It has a 4.9 star rating.”

“Layfield Steak and Grill?” Moranna muses. “Sure. I’m down for a good steak.”

***

“Welcome!”

Moranna and I step through the doors of our chosen restaurant. We’re greeted by a middle-aged man in an apron.

“Just the two of us, please.” I smile. “Could we get a booth near the windows?”

The man grins and nods. Judging by his scent, he’s not a wolf, but he’s marked by one. Maybe his mate is part of the pack?

We slide into the red seats and the man places a pair of menus in front of us. I catch a glimpse of his name tag that reads, “Paul”, in bold letters.

“Can I get you ladies anything to drink while you look over our menus?” Paul claps his hands together slightly. Moranna orders a strawberry iced tea.

“I’ll take a Diet Coke, please.” I smile.

“Of course,” Paul replies. “Your server will bring those right over.”

Moranna marvels at the rustic theme of the restaurant. “They have a fireplace?”

I look behind me and see a huge stone mantle in the back of the room. A deer head sits over the top of it. The wood walls and black metal accents complement each other well.

“We have strawberry ice tea?” Our waiter comes over with our drinks. I hear Moranna direct which of our drinks are which while I take in the decor more.

“Lucy?” Moranna calls.

“Oh! How rude of me.” I shake my head and apologize. “I’m sorry.”

I look at the waiter who is already looking at me. His eyes are blue, almost gray. It complements his dirty blonde hair quite well. Like most wolf males, he has chiseled facial features and a striking muscular build.

“U-Uhm…” The waiter blinks and smiles awkwardly. “You’re quite alright. What can I get you two? Any appetizers?”

Moranna looks between me and our waiter. I’m too busy trying to figure out if I did something wrong to order first.

“We’ll take an order of your mozzarella sticks and… the street tacos, please.” Moranna smiles. Our waiter nods to her and fills out his notepad quickly before excusing himself. Before he turns, I catch his name tag.

Coal.

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