Luna of Mine (8 page)

“
Alina,”
her mother called to her yet she still could not move. She heard
her footsteps coming closer and knew that her mother would want to
know what was wrong, and for once she was afraid to tell her―afraid
she would insist she pack and leave with him at once and afraid she
would not.

“
He is
the one, no?” she asked.

Somehow Alina managed to
get her head to perform a wobbly nod. Her eyes finally shifted as
she looked at her mother. “How could you tell?”

Georgeta’s lips puckered.
“Tsk, girl, I know a male on the hunt when I see one. He was
staring at you as though you were the ripest fruit plucked from the
harvest and dropped in his lap. I might have even seen a tad bit of
salivating.”

That finally made Alina
move as she laughed at her mother. The thought of any male
salivating over her, especially one such as Vasile, was indeed
ludicrous. She was no great beauty, she knew that, and usually that
did not bother her. “You must not have seen him clearly, Mother.
Had you seen his expression from a more direct position, you would
have seen the scowl plastered on his handsome face as he glared
down at me.”

“
He is
quite lovely, is he not?” Her mother beamed at
her.

Alina crossed her arms in
front of her and narrowed her eyes. “I hardly think your mate would
appreciate you saying so.”

“
Did you
notice how tall he was? And that hair was so dark and thick,” her
mother continued completely ignoring her. “His lips were definitely
worth a second glance.”

Alina stomped her foot,
childish, but unavoidable. “Enough! How can you carry on
so?”

“
Feeling
a bit possessive, dear?” Her mother’s knowing eyes sparkled at
her.

Alina turned and walked
towards the house needing to sit down in the shade for a few
minutes while she gathered her thoughts.

Her mother took the chair
while she sat on the edge of her bed. She looked around their tiny
home, so simple, but it met their needs. So why was she
embarrassed? “He lives in a castle. His wardrobe is probably the
size of our entire house. I just . . . I do not,” she stumbled over
her words as she ran her hands over her thighs
repeatedly.

“Well,” her mother breathed
out. “I never thought I would see the day that a pretty face and
full purse made my daughter tuck her tail and run.”

Alina’s eyes snapped up.
She could not believe her mother had just said that to her, but
even in her wounded state she knew she was right. “I do not feel
like myself,” she admitted. “Ever since I saw him standing
there―confident, beautiful, and not appearing as if he needed
anything from anyone―I have just felt inadequate. What could I
possibly have to offer him?”

“
Perhaps
you need to get to know him before you pass judgment on either of
you. I know you are sixteen in less than a month, but you are still
young in many ways. Give him time to show you the man he is before
you decide who he is not.”

A knock at the door had
both of them turning, and before Alina could see who it was, her
stomach dropped in anticipation but quickly righted itself when
Sisily, her best friend, walked in.

“When you did not show up I
was worried about you,” she said biting her lip in her usual manner
when she was unsure of herself.

“
I am so
sorry, Sis.” Alina stood quickly and went to her friend. “I did not
forget; I just got held up.”

“
But
what she really wanted was to be held down,” her mother muttered as
she walked past the two girls into the kitchen.

“Mother!” Alina’s face
flushed as she glowered at Georgeta.

Sisily was grinning from
ear to ear as she looked back and forth between mother and
daughter.

Georgeta shrugged. “I,
unlike you, see no reason not to celebrate and enjoy the beginning
of true mates joining, bringing hope to those still waiting.” She
looked at Sisily pointedly.

Sisily was bouncing on the
balls of her feet, too focused on Alina to notice the look. “You
have met your true mate? Who is he? Is he from another pack? Is he
handsome? Did he….”

“
Sisily,
stop,” Alina interrupted her exuberant friend. She glanced at her
mother who now wore a smug smile. “How about we go to our usual
meeting spot and talk,” she suggested.

Sisily happily waved to
Georgeta as she rushed after Alina. “Are you in a
hurry?”

Alina slowed immediately,
realizing that she was letting her emotions get the best of her and
taking it out on the closest thing she had ever had to a
sister.

They sat by the edge of
the river, picking at the grass and tossing sticks into the water.
Alina knew that Sisily would not begin speaking until she started
first. She had gotten her initial shock out of the way and was now
willing to be patient. She was a good listener.

“
Vasile,
the new Alpha is here,” she finally said. Sisily nodded but did not
comment. “He came by our house earlier this morning and had two
warriors with him.” She paused drawing in a shaky breath. “I felt
him in my mind. The pull to go to him was…was…strong, as though I
had not felt or drunk a drop of liquid in ages and he was the rain.
I wanted to run to him, to be covered by him, and to be drenched in
his scent as he washed away everything that came before
him.”

“
Which
one?” Sisily exhaled as she fanned herself.

Alina nearly laughed at
the sight of her friend flustered and breathless. The smile faded
as she looked away back to the slow running water.
“Vasile.”

There was silence for
several minutes; only the chirping of birds and the rippling noise
of the river pierced the quiet.

“He is very, very
handsome,” Sisily crooned finally.

Alina chucked the stick
she had been playing with. “Why does everyone keep saying
that?”

Sisily heard the
irritation in Alina’s voice and frowned. “Wait, are you not happy
that you have finally met him? I mean, Alina, you have a true mate,
and you have only waited sixteen years before he found you. Any
other female in this village would be dancing like a fool and
singing at the top of her lungs.”

“
Deep,
deep down, I am. I truly am happy. My wolf is preening like the
fool you just described, and if I phased she would probably shake
her tail shamelessly at him.” This brought a giggle from her
friend. “But I am not of age yet. My father has already told me
that he will not release me into my true mate’s care until I am
twenty. That is a long time for him to wait. And, I realize how
very shallow this is of me, but I do not feel adequate for him. I
do not feel I am his equal. I know nothing of leading a pack. I
have not been raised with fine things, and my skin is not soft and
delicate as the females that surely live in the castle. I am no
beauty on a good day, but standing next to him I am as dull as an
unpolished gem left in the ground where it
formed.”

Sisily gasped. “How can
you say such things?”

“Uh, because they are
true?”

“
Alina
you have never seen yourself clearly. First of all, you will learn
how to be an Alpha female; that will come with time and experience.
You are smart and mature beyond your years. How many times have
others mistaken you for eighteen, or older, simply because of the
way you hold yourself? There are males in this village who walk by
your home every day in hopes that the mating signs will appear even
though they have had no such luck in all the years they have known
you. None of them have cared that you are not of age.”

Alina lifted the braid
from her neck trying find some relief from the late morning air.
“Now you are just being silly.”

“
And
your humility and utter obliviousness to all these things about
you, only makes you more attractive to others,” Sisily continued.
“You are a virtuous woman, pure, good, honest and lovely beyond
words. Our Alpha could not have been blessed by the Great Luna by a
more worthy mate. The best part about true mates is even though you
may have to wait two years, or four years before you can be bonded,
he is not going anywhere. You do not have to worry that he will
find someone else, Alina. And even if he could, he would never find
one that measured up to you.”

Alina felt tears gathering
in her eyes at her friend’s assessment of her. Sisily was right;
that was not how she saw herself at all. She was well aware of her
virtue because being intimate with anyone that was not your true
mate was disgraceful. She had no doubt that many males would wind
up slaughtering whoever it was that their female had consorted
with. But the other qualities she had doubts about.

“
Give
him a chance, Ali,” Sisily implored. “You might even discover you
like him.” She grinned.

“
Maybe,
but he is quite possessive and overbearing. Those are things that
might quickly get on my nerves.”

“
Then
maybe you should wait and see if a more submissive male peaks your
fancy,” Sisily teased. “You know how dominants are and Vasile is as
dominant as they come.”

Alina thought about the
idea of having a submissive male as a mate, and though she knew
there were females who preferred such men, it did not appeal to
her. She wanted a male who could protect her and their children if
one day they were so blessed. She wanted a male that could provide
for her and shelter her, not that a more submissive wolf could not.
But dominant males were driven to do such things not just for their
mates but for any in need of their protection.

“
I guess
if I am to have the type of male that I am attracted to, I will
have to accept that he will have some tendencies that will ruffle
my feathers. After all, I cannot expect him to be
perfect.”

Sisily nodded and leaned
back on her elbows turning her face up to the sun. “Mated,” she
hummed. “I am so happy for you, Ali. He will be good for you, and
no doubt you will be very good for him.”

Alina joined her friend
laying back on the thick grass and closed her eyes. She hoped
Sisily was right. She hoped that she could be the mate he had
always desired. And she hoped that he could love her completely as
she imagined she would one day love him. Most of all she just hoped
he would be willing to wait for her.

“You know this is going to
break my brother’s heart,” Sisily said interrupting her thoughts.
“He was convinced that you had to be his true mate or he would not
feel so strongly towards you. He even did some research in the pack
public archives on delayed mating signs.”

Alina’s breath froze in
her lungs. She had completely forgotten about Serghei. He had had a
crush on her for as long as she could remember but she had never
reciprocated and he never pushed the issue. He did bring her all
his mending, claiming the females in his house were shoddy
stitchers. She did not mind sewing up his clothes and her father
had never told her not to. There had only been one time when he had
pushed the boundaries. It had been a couple months back; he was
walking her home after a village gathering. They were laughing and
joking just as they always did. They got on very well, and she
considered him a dear friend. When she had reached the door the
atmosphere abruptly changed.

“
Thank
you for walking me home,” she told him. Usually he would smile,
nod, say something charming, and then be on his way. This night
however he did not step away, he stepped closer.

“
Alina,”
he whispered her name like a prayer. “I have to
know.”

“
Know
what?” she asked though she was pretty sure she had an idea of what
he was speaking about.

He did not give her an
answer or time to reject him. Like most werewolves, his movements
were swift and smooth. She was in his arms pressed tightly to him
and his lips were on hers. She had never been kissed before, but
even in her ignorance she was pretty sure that she should feel more
than just how uncomfortable the pressure of his lips were. She did
not kiss him back but simply held still. She did not know if his
wolf was in control or the man, and she did not want to provoke
him. So she waited, standing stiff and awkward, until he finally
pulled back and released her.

“
Did you
feel anything?” he asked her.

“
Serghei, you are my friend and I love you as a friend. But
beyond that there is nothing.” Her voice was gentle but by the
flinch in his eyes she felt as if she had slapped
him.

“I do not understand how I
could possibly feel the way I do about you if you were not my true
mate. I will not attempt to kiss you again until the signs show but
neither will I stay away.”

She had to give him one
thing, if he was nothing else, he was persistent. “I am not asking
you to stay away. As I said, you are my friend and that will always
be true.”

He nodded but the intense
look in his eyes did not lessen. She bid him goodnight and turned
to go in. Just as she entered she saw the blouse that Sisily had
asked to borrow. Alina had asked her mother to lay it out for her.
She grabbed it quickly and hurried back out the door. “Serghei,”
she called. He had already made it to the turn in the road that
would take him to his home. She held up the blouse and waved it.
“Could you please give this to your sister?”