Nature's Destiny

by Winter, Justine

  “Is this how you treat all your guests?”

  “I don’t recall inviting you in,” I said, pursing my lips. “Why are you here?” I asked again.

  “I wanted to make sure you were alright.” His words took me by surprise, which made me feel even worse.

  “Oh, well, thanks. Why didn’t you sleep in the spare bedroom?”

  “I didn’t want to intrude.” Oh, now he cared about intruding, but it was all fine and dandy for him to yell at me in my head the other day!

  Riley sat upright on the couch and I noticed he’d taken his shirt off to sleep. He had big, bulging arms and a solid muscular chest that gave way to tight abdominals. He was breathtakingly handsome.

  My cheeks burned as I’d realised I’d been staring at him while he was looking at me. He must have noticed, as he deliberately returned the favour. I felt my skin prickle at the intensity of his gaze and warmth pooled between my legs.

  I started to fidget, feeling uncomfortable under his scrutinizing eyes. I placed my hands on my hips about to question if he was done when I realised I’d touched my skin. I looked down and noticed I was just in my underwear. My pink, girly, frilly underwear! I tried to cover myself up but it was no use, I was half naked in front of perfect-body Riley.

  “Excuse me.” I cleared my throat, attempted to act cool and ran back to my bedroom mortified at myself! Stupid, stupid, stupid! I hurried to get some clothes on and went back to Riley. “Do you need some aspirin with that?” I pointed at his glass of water.

  “No, it won’t work. Human drugs don’t affect us.”

  “They don’t?”

  “No, our body temperature runs higher than an average human so it burns it off before they can have any effect. The same goes for alcohol. You won’t be getting drunk on human stuff again once your transformation is complete, though after last night I’d say that suited you fine.” He raised his eyebrows at me, and I couldn’t help but blush.

  I was really embarrassed.

  “What happened last night?” I asked.

  “You know I wouldn’t be surprised if the club had to close for tonight, you drank every last drop of alcohol they had.” Geez, it was just getting worse.

  “OK, let’s just skip to the part where you came to being in my house,” I said.

  “You don’t want to hear all the juicy details?” He was smirking at me, obviously pleased that I was embarrassed. I gave him my best what-do-you-think face and ushered him to continue the story.

  “Alright then, spoil sport. You mostly mumbled a lot of nonsense, and a bunch of guys kept leering at you.”

  “They did? I don’t remember that.”

  “I’m not surprised.” He leaned back against the sofa and folded his arms behind his head which completely distracted me. His body was flawless. “They were so sure they were taking you home with them. I was close to losing my temper, but Nick and Shane pulled me back.”

  “Why?”

  “Why did they pull me back or why did I almost lose my temper?” I nodded at him, I didn’t really understand what was going on. Riley sure was sexy but I didn’t think he felt the same way about me.

  “I can’t allow my identity to be known to the humans, and if I’d lost it they’d have seen the extra strength I have. As for my temper, what type of man takes advantage of a drunken girl? They were scumbags.”

  I admired Riley’s chivalry, and I was realising it was a part of his personality to be a gentleman. He didn’t have feelings for me and I felt a little disappointed at that.

  “When you were adamant about leaving, I called for a taxi and brought us here.”

  “And you stayed to look after me?” I clarified.

  “Yes. The guys at the club were desperate to follow you and they wreaked of mischief. I knew what they wanted, trust me, what I did was much better.” I stared at Riley bewildered, I was sure he was over exaggerating.

  “I carried you upstairs and came down here to sleep. Next thing I know some crazy woman is beating me up.” He was smiling at me again like he enjoyed tormenting me.

  My poor face was hotter than the sun, and I couldn’t look at him anymore. I felt ashamed of my behaviour. I knew I was angry at him last night, but I should’ve dealt with it some other way. Any chance I had at being with him was now out the door, and that was before I hit him.

  “Did you undress me?”

  “No, you must’ve done that yourself after I left.” Good. I didn’t know how I’d feel if he’d said yes. That was just a whole other situation.

  “You hungry?” I asked.

  “Starved. Did you enjoy last night?” he asked as he followed me into the kitchen.

  “From what I can remember yes, but I do have a confession to make.” I continued to talk before I lost my nerve.

  “I only got drunk because of what you said at The Hybrid. I’m supposed to be free now and travel the world. Instead, I have to agree to move to your place to become a part of a pack. Can you see how crazy this sounds? I was told at a bar that I’m a Werewolf! My dreams had just been crushed. I clearly didn’t take it very well and I acted a bit brattish.” I hung my head in shame as I realised how pathetic I’d been.

  “I’m sorry, I know it isn’t your fault that I got bit.”

  Riley didn’t say anything for a while, and I wasn’t sure if I shocked him with my honesty. I was still trying to process my feelings on the whole situation.

  It really was just my luck, you could forget the whole ‘one door closes another one opens’ crap. I was looking forward to getting out of Wales and travelling the world, but instead I had a life stuck with a bunch of strangers ahead of me. How was I supposed to deal with that?

  “I know this isn’t ideal. I don’t know why it happened, but there’s nothing we can do to change it. You are a Werewolf now whether you like it or not and it’s my responsibility to look after you. It won’t be easy, but I’ll do my best.” He really was a sweetheart, but I realised his looking out for me was because I was his responsibility; nothing more, nothing less.

  “I get it now. I think I realised it last night, but I was too angry to agree with you. Sometime in my drunken haze it was like a light bulb went off.” I cracked eggs into the pan and readied the bread.

  “Last night was a way of saying goodbye to my human days. I’m a rational person and I know I’m going to need your help, but last night I didn’t want to believe you.”

  I kept my back turned to Riley as I served up, I needed a few moments to catch my breath. I didn’t know what would happen, and that scared me. I gathered my strength and vowed I wouldn’t have a panic attack.

  Satisfied that the feeling had ebbed away I handed Riley his plate and gestured towards the table. My hands began to shake as tremors stirred within me.

  “Are you alright, Luna?” Riley asked as he touched my arm. The warmth from his hand flew through my body and soothed my warring mind instantly.

  “Hmm? Oh, yeah, I’m fine.”

  Riley creased his brows like he wasn’t happy about something, but I wasn’t going to tell him about my anxiety issues, not yet anyway. I would get through it, I’d definitely been through worse.

  “I was just wondering what was going to happen now? Is there enough room for me to move into the pack?” I paused. “Do I really have to move, can’t I just stay here?”

  “You think you can handle this on your own?”

  “I’ve coped so far haven’t I?”

  “You’re only in the early stages of transforming Luna. You have no idea what’s going to happen next, but I can help you. Don’t you see that?”

  “Of course I do!” I yelled, my temper flaring like an irrational mood swing. I gripped my hands under the table. “But this sucks Riley!”

  “I know…”

  “How can you know? Did this happen to you?” I said sarcastically.

  “No Luna, but I know what it’s like to have your life turn upside down within moments.”

  The despair that resonated in his fa
ce was like a punch to the gut. I was being selfish again and I knew it. I wasn’t the only person that had suffered in life, and his reaction was the healthy dose of perspective I’d needed.

  I reached out to hold Riley’s hand, desperate to ease the hurt that highlighted in his beautiful eyes. “I’m sorry,” I whispered.

  “It’s fine, Luna. You have your worries, I understand that, but I need you to realise how difficult the situation is. There’s plenty of room for you at the pack.”

  The tension in the air subsided along with my fear. I knew from instincts what I had to do.

  “The sooner you’re moved in the better you’ll feel, and I think you’re going to like Nature’s Destiny.” He got up and took our plates to the sink and washed up. I was having a hard time listening to what he was saying when he was half naked.

  His muscles moved and bunched as he cleaned the dishes, and I felt like a gooey mess. I desperately wanted to run my hands over his body, and feel his strong arms wrapped around my waist. I wanted to trail kisses down his spine and nuzzle his neck.

  As Riley finished clearing up, I remembered the conversation. “Nature’s Destiny?”

  “The name of our home. I can have the house ready for you to move in by tomorrow, sound good?”

  I took a deep breath, and faced my fears. “Sure, that’s fine. I have to go to my parents’ for dinner tonight. What do I say to them? Anything?” I didn’t know if I could lie to them, but if I had to, to protect them, then I would.

  “They’re not allowed to know by Lycan law, but you said you were supposed to go travelling, was that soon? Could you lie to them and say you were about to leave?”

  “Yes that would work. What they don’t know can’t hurt them. Right?” I faked a smile.

  “Have you thought about what you’ll do with your house?”

  I looked up into his dashing eyes. There was just too much to think about. I shook my head.

  “I think you should keep it for now, maybe rent it out after a while? It’s a good investment, it would be a shame to have to sell it.”

  I loved my home. It represented so much more than a house, and the thought of selling it didn’t sit well. Renting was better, especially when I didn’t know what I’d be doing for income.

  “I completely forgot, but I have to go to work tomorrow lunchtime, it’s my last shift,” I said apologetically.

  “That’s fine, we can move you in afterwards.” He walked into the living room and put his shirt and shoes on. I was sorry to see his clothes back on.

  “What time do you finish?”

  “Three.”

  “I’ll be here by four.” I nodded, finally accepting that it was actually happening. I wasn’t happy, but I couldn’t deny the truth anymore even if I’d wanted to. That wasn’t smart, and if I’d learnt anything from my past it was better to adapt and move on, no matter the pain. Like evolution, I’d change to accommodate.

  “Do you need me to drive you home?” I remembered a little too late that he hadn’t driven here. How else was he going to get home? He smiled at me and walked towards the back door.

  “You have a lovely view here. The woods are right on your doorstep,” he said as if he knew something I didn’t. He opened the door and winked. “See you tomorrow!”

  He ran through the garden looking every bit the sportsman. He neared the entrance to the woods, and I watched the air as it vibrated around him, morphing with electricity. His body bent and twisted in ways unimaginable, and I realised he was shifting into a wolf.

  I stood, gasping, as the magnificent black wolf stared at me, the green of his eyes the only indication that he was still Riley. He was enormous and powerful, and I faltered through the door as I tried to get a closer look at him.

  He bowed his head and disappeared, again.

  I choked at the obvious realisation that Werewolves existed. There was no denying it now.

  Chapter Six

  “Who is it?” mum’s voice crackled over the intercom.

  “Your hungry daughter, please let me in,” I replied while dangling my arm out of the car window to hold onto the speech button.

  “I think you have the wrong house.”

  “Ha, ha, very funny, mother!” The gates buzzed as they opened. I’d been sat idle in the car while I waited, amused once again that my parents didn’t trust the public.

  When mum’s fan base grew, dad insisted on gating the house, which in some respects made sense. It was just weird for a house in Wales to be heavily gated, though growing up in it made me feel safe. The only thing I had missing were bodyguards, thankfully.

  I parked the car in the garage and breathed in deeply, readying myself for the questions to come. As awkward as I found lying, I was grateful for this goodbye. I knew it wasn’t for forever, but necessary all the same. It had been a while since I’d been home.

  “Sorry about that dear, I had asked your father to leave the gate open for you, and as usual he didn’t listen.” Mum was busy at the oven, and I kissed her cheek before dipping my fingers in the sauce she was making.

  “Yummy.”

  “Manners, Luna!” she said as she smacked my hand away.

  “Is it almost ready?” I asked, hopeful as my mouth began to salivate.

  “Just give it five minutes. Why don’t you go set the table? Your father is in his study, give him a nudge too will you?”

  “Sure.” I grabbed the cutlery and went into the dining room.

  It was a large space with beige walls and patio doors that lead out to the garden area. Growing up we hadn’t spent much time in there, most of our dinners had been eaten in the living room. The exception was when we’d had family gatherings and holidays. We were quite traditional and every Christmas we’d laid the table in a fancy way, even if it was just for the three of us.

  The solid oak dining table and chocolate brown leather chairs filled most of the room. It was quite big, but mum often hosted dinner parties for her writing colleagues.

  I placed the cutlery down and peered through the patio doors. The house was like a castle, and I hadn’t realised how much I’d missed it.

  “Hey, munchkin! It’s good to see you!” I turned around and gave dad a big hug as mum walked in with the food steaming on our plates.

  “Just in time, Dylan. Your stomach must have known I was serving up!” I chuckled at mum’s attempt at subtlety, she never could get dad in the kitchen to help.

  “You know me, Carly. I’m a growing man!” Dad winked at me as he patted his non-existent belly. He was a tall man at six foot and liked his sports to keep him active. As a surgeon, he was determined to be healthy because he saw too many patients lose their battle with life. It spurred him on enough to take care of his.

  “Wow! This is good,” I enthused, taking another hearty mouthful.

  “Thank you, dear. How did your exam go?”

  “Quite well actually. I just hope it’s good enough for a first.” I was desperate to achieve the highest grade, regardless of my unknown future.

  “Oh, honey, I’m sure it is. And if per chance it isn’t, that doesn’t mean you aren’t good enough to pursue your writing career. The marking system isn’t the same as readers feedback, don’t forget that.”

  “You know, I never thought of that.”

  “Trust me darling, we can’t please everyone and if we could writing wouldn’t be much of a challenge then. After all, look at all the hate mail I get for killing a character!”

  “I suppose so,” I shrugged. “Doesn’t that scare you though?”

  “It did at first, and that’s why your father installed all this security,” mum fanned her arms and pointed to the gates outside. “You were quite young when it first started, we didn’t want any danger.”

  “She’s right, Luna. We couldn’t afford to know how true some of the threats were, and we weren’t going to gamble with your life, and ours. But it’s the same as a lot of jobs, there will always be those you can’t please, and then you just have to take thos
e comments with a pinch of salt.”

  “So, basically, no matter what my degree classification is, I’ll still write, eat salt as a way to stay sane, and try to stay alive,” I murmured sarcastically. “Sounds like a healthy future.”

  “We didn’t mean to literally eat salt, Luna. I don’t spend my days chugging back a spoonful here and there!” mum laughed. “No matter what, we’ll be very proud of you.”

  “When’s graduation?” dad asked.

  “It isn’t for another month or so yet, and I plan on leaving on my trip tomorrow night. I guess I’ll stay in Europe so that my flight back is quick.”

  I didn’t know what would happen if I didn’t turn up to my own graduation. Did I still get my degree? I always knew it was going to be a problem when I went travelling, but the only difference I had now was that I wasn’t going to be abroad when I’d need to return. If anything, it had made things easier for me.

  “You’re leaving so soon?” mum asked. I braced myself ready for my lies, and nausea claimed my stomach. I calmed my nerves as best I could before my mouth ran away from me.

  “Yeah, my last shift at The Hybrid is tomorrow, and I’ve spent today packing. No reason for me to delay my travels.” I plastered a smile on my face. I hadn’t lied outright, but I’d definitely bent the truth and that made me feel awful.

  “Oh, of course. That does make sense dear, and I assumed you’d go sometime this week. As you say, why wait?” she smiled. “Well, I’m glad I arranged this dinner then. And it does seem wise if you stay in Europe for the time being. Do you have everything sorted for graduation?”

  “Not yet mum, I’ve literally just finished Uni! Tickets aren’t on sale yet.” Typical, she was always planning ahead.

  “Well, don’t forget darling, your father and I want to see you wave about your papers.” I giggled at the thought of waving my hand about like royalty to the audience. The tension in my body receded as my muscles unclenched. The dreaded talk was over, and I was on safe ground.