Luna of Mine (12 page)

“
Eighteen is the age that is considered adulthood for our
females. There have been some claimed at seventeen, but the
circumstances were different. I do not think Alina is ready to be
mated to a male as dominant as myself. I do not want to hinder the
woman she is to become. I do not want to stifle her spirit or keep
her from discovering who she is without her mate. I think she needs
to be confident in herself, rather than seeking my approval for
validation. She should seek my approval because she truly wants me
to be happy; likewise, I want her approval because I want her to be
happy. I am willing to leave her in your care, unmarked, and
unbound until the minute she turns eighteen, and then I will come
for her. It is my right as her true mate, as it is hers to claim me
as well.”

Alina looked over to her
father and watched as his jaw tensed and his hands clenched until
his knuckles were white. Then suddenly he was relaxed. “I am very
happy that Alina has found her true mate so early in her life. I
would never want her to have to wait years or decades or centuries
for her to find him. I am just as happy to know that her mate is a
dominant because she is very dominant. She would not respect a man
that would let her walk on him. I do agree, however, that she is
not ready to be your mate. What I do not agree on is the age in
which you want to claim her.” Petre held up his hands in a peace
gesture when Vasile began to growl. “Hear me out, Alpha,” he
implored. “I think it would be foolish of us as a society to say
that every female is ready at the age of eighteen to be mated
because we have decided that is the coming of age for her. Each of
us is a unique individual created by the Great Luna for unique
purposes. Because of that, life changing decisions should be based
on each individual, not on the group as a whole. I know my
daughter, Vasile. She is very mature in many ways, and then there
are many ways in which she needs to grow. If you were less
dominant, if you were not Alpha, I would consider eighteen as an
acceptable age, but you are the most dominant wolf I have come
across in a very, very long time. You are an Alpha, and I would
bargain to say you are one as which the likes of the Canis lupis
has never seen before. Your life has just been uprooted. You and
our pack are in need of healing. Healing takes time. I want her to
be ready to be your mate, but more than that I need to know
that
you
are
ready to be hers.

“
My gut
tells me that eighteen is not the age for you to take her. I am
asking you to consider her needs above your own―not her wants but
her needs― and what is best for her. I have no doubt that if you
asked her to come with you now she would go. But we both know that
is not what is best for her.”

Alina held her breath as
she waited for Vasile to respond. She could feel his anger, but she
could also feel respect. He admired her father for wanting to
protect her, and he respected him for being willing to even stand
up to his Alpha to do so.

“
Breathe, Mina, I am not going to hurt your father,”
his mind whispered in hers.

“
I am
not worried you will hurt him; I have more faith in you than
that.”

His thumb ran across the
top of her hand in slow sweeping motions, and she was not entirely
sure if it was to reassure her or to sooth him.

“
Both,”
he answered her unspoken
thought.

“Could you please focus on
what you are going to say to my father and stay out of my
head?”

“
Quit
distracting me, female. I am discussing important matters about
your future.”
His voice was serious, but
she felt his amusement with her and that helped ease her nerves
better than any words could.

“
I
propose a compromise, Petre,” Vasile finally said. “When Alina
turns eighteen I will come to see her and to talk with you and your
mate. At that point we can evaluate how she has grown and decide if
she is ready to be mated. If she is not then I will agree to wait
another year. Then at nineteen we will do the same, and if she is
not ready then either, then I will wait until she is
twenty.”

Alina’s irritation level
was slowly rising as the two men sat there and discussed her life
as if she had no say in the matter.

“
I will
admit,” her father nodded at Vasile, “that is a fair compromise. I,
however, would ask you to consider the fact that your markings have
not changed. I do not doubt that you are true mates, but perhaps
the fact that your markings haven’t changed is a sign that taking
things slow is the correct path.”

She felt Vasile tense next
to her and his hand tightened around hers. He obviously did not
appreciate her father pointing out that his markings were the same
as they had been before she met him. Alina had not even thought
about whether the markings that were supposed to appear on her
body, which would match his like a puzzle piece, had shown up. And
for a second she was curious, until her mate opened his
mouth.

“
Alina,
please stand in front of me with your back to me.” His voice was
gravelly with frustration and his eyes were glowing.

“Excuse me?” She spoke
slowly having decided with that last remark that her mate truly was
a moron and needed her to treat him as such.

“
I am
sure you have not had time to check for any markings and typically
they are on the female’s back. I will check for you.” He was so
matter-of-fact, so sure she would just stand up and let him disrobe
her back in front of her father and the stars and moon and the
Great Luna who knew else. Had she not been so infuriated she might
have laughed, but as it was she was pretty sure if she poured her
blood in a bowl it would boil for sure.

She looked from her mate
to her father who at least had the good sense to look embarrassed
that he had even brought up the mating marks and then back to her
mate who, with his dominant air, obviously did not have the good
sense God gave a gnat because he was still waiting expectantly. Her
mind went over the conversation they had just had in front of her,
discussing her life as if she were not sitting right there. Who
were they to decide for her what her maturity level was? Who was
either of them to tell her when she was ready to be bonded to her
true mate? And who in seven hells did Vasile think he was that he
could tell her to take off her clothes.

“
I
simply want to see your back, Mina. I am not asking you to fully
disrobe. I assure you when that day comes we will be nowhere in the
vicinity of your parents.”

“
Not
when, Vasile, if―if that day ever comes,”
she growled at him as she stood up snatching her hand back
from his. She felt her blood rising, heating her face. Her wolf
perked up as she felt the woman in her begin to grow more and more
agitated. She was done and she would tell them where they could
stick their opinions and determinations. Both men stood up as well,
their eyes wide with surprise at her obvious
anger.

“
First
and foremost, you,” she stabbed a finger in Vasile’s direction,
“will be lucky if I ever let you see more than the skin on my face,
let alone my mating marks. Secondly, there is obviously no need for
me to be here since you two Neanderthals have my life all planned
out for me. If you could please just let me know when to accept
Vasile as my mate, when to show up for the blood rights, when you
want me in your bed―where I will be fully clothed mind you―and
while you are at it, you can just tell me when to become with a
child as well. Until it is time for any of those, I am done with
the both of you.” She turned one last time to her mate and met his
eyes with a low growl. “I would like to say it was nice to meet
you, but right now I would rather lay my hand on hot coals
repeatedly than let you believe that I have enjoyed this time with
you. Have a nice trip back to your castle, and since you so
helpfully informed my father that I was not mature enough to be
your mate and might not be until I was twenty, which was to be
determined by you two, I will be just as helpful to you. The next
time I see you, which if you are wise and I know that is obviously
a stretch for you, will be in a long, long time. If the next time I
see you, I hear the words determine, mature, grow, evaluate, or
decide come out of your mouth I will tie your muzzle shut with
barbed wire.” With one last furious look at both men she turned and
strode across the yard.

“
What
was that you were saying about maturity, mate?”
Vasile growled low through their bond, and she could feel his
disbelief at her words. He seemed especially hung up on when she
had told him to inform her when she should be in his bed―fully
clothed.

“
Go jump
in a lake, Vasile. I am tired of your demands.”

“We only want what is best
for you.”

“
I do not care what you want because you
obviously do not care about what I want. I am done. I do not want
you in my mind. You are not welcome here any longer.”
She had not meant to create a binding
command between them, but in her hurt and anger the words were just
suddenly there. There was a formality in them that let her know
that Vasile would not be able to deny her decree. Pack magic was at
work and she figured being the mate to an Alpha had something to do
with that. She felt the walls go up between them and was slamming
the door to her parents’ bedroom when she heard Vasile’s roar. It
was the first time she had ever heard him lose control. It was the
first time she had ever
truly
been afraid of him.

V
asile could not hold back the sound that ripped from his
chest when he felt their bond be severed.
She
had severed their bond,
literally shoved him out of her mind. He started to go after her
but several arms were suddenly holding him in place. They were
fools to attempt such a thing, but he caught Nicu and Ion’s scent
and knew they were not the enemy.

“
Let her
be, son,” Petre was telling him calmly. “Let her cool
down.”

“
She
used a binding command,” Vasile told him as he looked at his mate’s
father. “She has forbid me to be in her mind to share the bond with
her.”

Petre nodded and the look
in his eyes said that he had been there before. “It will not be the
last time she does it either. Welcome to the world of having a true
mate.”

“She is my mate,” he
barked. “What right does she have to keep me from her?”

“
I guess
the same right that we have at trying to plan her life for her
instead of discussing it with her.” Petre’s voice was thick with
shame. Vasile knew he should feel shame as well, but he was too
angry in that moment to feel anything else.

“I need
to speak with her.” He started towards the cottage again only to be
brought up short by Georgeta.

“
Let it
lie tonight, Alpha,” the woman told him gently. “She needs space
and you need time to cool off.”

He stared past her to the
place where Alina had retreated. Already, only minutes apart from
her, the pain was beginning. His wolf was so close to the surface
that he worried he would do something that would put Alina out of
his reach for good.

“We will sleep out here,”
he relented. “But I will speak with her tomorrow.”

Alina’s mom smiled
sweetly. “Whatever you say, Alpha.”

Vasile had the distinct
impression that what she was really saying was
believe what you want, silly wolf.
As afternoon turned into evening, he and his two warriors sat
around the fire pit eating the meal Georgeta had made. Vasile had
told her it was not necessary but she had insisted and he was not
prepared to anger another female that day.

Vasile tried to focus on
the needs of his pack, instead of letting his mind dwell on a
certain she-wolf. He thought about the lies that he had had to
construct in order to protect his father and mother’s legacy and
the betrayal the pack would feel if they ever found out. He thought
about the young male he had sent back to the castle to inform Alin,
his second, of his commands. He thought about all the pack members
who had been suffering needlessly for so long because of his
father’s neglect. All of that time and he never noticed it because
he was so focused on his father’s failing mind. Even with all of
these worries he could not stop her face from popping up in his
mind or the memory of her scent from filling his lungs. He could
not even fight the want―no, the need―to know if she bore his
markings. With every breath in and every breath out she held him
captive. He could not reach her through their bond and feel her
light and goodness, and yet she was just as present in his mind as
before.

As the group bed down for
the night, Vasile decided to stay in his human form in hopes that
he might be able to catch her when she awoke the next morning and
started about her day. He could not leave with their bond
disconnected. Being away from her was going to be a form of torture
in and of itself, he could not handle the separation of their minds
as well.