“Yes, my gorgeous daughter, so stop fighting me. This is ordained.” She reaches out gently and cradles my cheek with a tired look in her turquoise eyes.
“Okay, Mom, you’re right. No groveling.” I immediately acquiesce because it’s clear my mom is not going to let this go, and she is super stressed out.
I consider her words before I speak, and then give her the answer she expects. “As the future of our pack, I will abide by my duties as fated alpha, and set up a Claiming in three months.”
Shaking off the memory, I focus on my mother, “Mom, I know, believe me, I know. It’s all you’ve been telling me for weeks. And I’ll do it because I love you, and I love our pack, but for today, can we please not talk about the Claiming? It’s been our one goal—planning the ceremony and making sure everything goes smoothly. I am stressing out.” I can hear my tone, and cringe at how whiny I sound. “I just mean, I need something to talk about that doesn’t involve the Wyvern clan.”
“Sweetheart, I know you’re stressed, but this is important, our numbers are dropping. Our pack hasn’t had a new birth in five years!” my mother argues as if I don’t know this already. “The packs are dying, and you can’t keep pretending the future of the pack doesn’t depend on you. Not anymore, I won’t allow it! You’re twenty-five now, and the Wyverns will be here in two days. I have tried so hard to let you live your life without the weight of the world on your shoulders, but it is, and it’s time to step up to the plate.” She’s gripping me on the shoulders, just a tad too hard. “For the good of the pack you have to do this, and you need to be the first, so everyone else follows your lead. I raised you to be a leader, not cower from your responsibilities.”
Ouch, that was harsh.
I gulp down my entire flute of champagne before dragging the rest of the bottle closer to me. This conversation needs liquid reinforcements.
My mom is usually so chill, guiding me with a loving, but firm, hand. She’s clearly more worried than she has been letting on about the state of the packs. Ever since she returned from the Temple of Elders in the Overrealm, she’s been like this, randomly snapping at me or other packmates. I know she’s worried, we’re all worried, but I hate seeing how the weight of her responsibilities is breaking her.
I sigh, “Mom, I know what I have to do. I’ve known since the day I realized this birthmark on my shoulder meant I was the next alpha of this pack. That fact that you don’t think I understand my responsibilities is not just an insult to me, but to you, too, because you raised me.” I sigh feeling my temper flare.
It’s like she forgets it’s her shoes I’m supposed to be filling one day. My mom is such a badass. She doesn’t realize how intimidating she is. She leads the pack like she was born for it; it’s as easy as breathing for her. If I can be half the alpha that she is someday, I’ll be lucky. The problem is I don’t know if I can. It’s not like I chose this, but I know my duty. It’s been drilled into my head since I was young; the pack comes first. I get it. It’s why my mom is more alpha than mother. I cherish these moments we have when we can be mother and daughter because they’re so rare. It’s like I forget I’m twenty-five, and suddenly I’m a teenager again. I don’t even know why.
“Let’s not fight. I just want one last day of normal mother-daughter time. Can we do that instead?”
My heart rate rises as I try to change subjects. An overwhelming pressure in my chest is nearly suffocating me, but I press on. “In two days my life is going to be completely changed; I will walk into that ceremony single and unmated, and leave with one man, or maybe even more than one. I’m going to be expected to Claim and Bond with him or them for the rest of our lives. See? I know what’s at stake. So, let’s just have this last day together, we can do that right?”
My mother finally pulls me into her for one of her rare but spectacularly warm hugs. What makes it better is we’re almost the same the same height so everything lines up perfectly, and it feels amazing.
I sink into her arms as she says, “Yes, we can have this one last day of normal together. I won’t mention the Wyverns again, so long as you know this cannot be avoided. I know it’s a lot, Sweetie, but it’s crucial to our livelihood.” I nod so she can feel my acknowledgment, and she gently grips me by my chin to look me in the eye, her own eyes glistening with tears that I know she’s refusing to shed before she sniffs and steps away.
“Mani-Pedis?” she asks, her voice still tight with emotion.
“Absolutely. Will you finally get bright purple nails this time?” I tease.
“I will do it this time just for you,” she grins, “and then I’ll take you to The Cadillac for brunch.”
“Huevos rancheros and mimosa margaritas! I shout with excitement. “Let’s go.”
After a perfect hour at the spa, my mom takes me to our favorite restaurant, The Cadillac. It’s like a wild west bar met a rodeo and had a kitschy baby. It might be a bit lame, but it has the best tex-mex in our county, and where else are you going to find mimosa margaritas?
I’m admiring my freshly lacquered claws, a sparkling French manicure when my inner wolf snaps her head up and starts sniffing and wagging her tail.
Mine!
What the …? What are you doing girl?
Mine!
What? I look around but don’t see anyone.
I glance out the window, and my gaze zeroes in on the back of someone’s head walking across the parking lot. I can’t see his face, but my wolf is wagging her tail with excitement.
Okay, that’s weird.
My wolf doesn’t usually use actual words, more often than not, I only feel her emotions. I jump up from my chair and start walking to the door, drawn by the need to see this man’s face.
“Abby, what are you doing?” My mom looks at me in confusion immediately noticing my change in attitude.
“My wolf just perked up and started saying ‘mine.’ ”
“Oh?” My mother smirks at me, and I don’t like the look on her face, “I guess your wolf is ready for the Claiming, and your mate must be close enough to sense.”
I must go find him; he’s right here!
My mother must see the internal battle of wills my wolf and I are having because she stops me before I can take even a step, “No Abby, you will do this the right way, at the Claiming. I know that it’s exciting to sense your mate, but it’s better to wait. Finding him outside of an official Ceremony is not recommended. Just take comfort in knowing the pressure is off, you’ll meet your mate in a couple of days.” She speaks the words with her alpha power, and I tuck my head and sit down.
Since she stopped me from going after my mate, I seize the opportunity to ask the question that she’s been avoiding answering for years.
“What was it like when your wolf Claimed Dad?”
“I …” she pauses, “well, it was very sudden.”
She’s hedging, and it makes me want to scream.
“Obviously Mom, everything about the Claiming is sudden,” I resist rolling my eyes at her. “But what about the other stuff? You know the heightened emotions and the desire to bang your potential mate immediately.” I can’t help but grin at my mom’s horrified face.
“Well … it was …”
“Mom, seriously. Why do you always do this? My Claiming is right around the corner. I deserve to know the truth.” I do roll my eyes at her this time. I hate when she clams up about Dad and their Bond.
“Why can’t you talk to me about Dad? I’m going to meet a thunder of dragon shifters in two days, and one of them is going to be my mate. Mom, at this point don’t you think I deserve to know?” I swallow finding the next words difficult to say. “Please, will you tell me the full story now?” Pleasantries are difficult for me sometimes, especially when I think I’m owed an explanation.
“Abby, it was so long ago,” my mom says, while she starts picking at her fresh manicure. “And I miss your father so much, so sometimes I just block it out because thinking about him is so painful. You’re right though; you deserve to
know.” She takes a deep breath and seems to steel herself for what she’s about to say next.
I can’t believe I’m finally going to get answers.
“When your wolf Claims a mate, it’s like a relationship in hyperdrive. In mere moments, it feels like a decade-long relationship has occurred. Along with a feeling of kinship toward a perfect stranger, comes insatiable sexual cravings. It’s as if your body knows you’re going to be fertile soon and wants to get started as soon as possible.” My mom pauses, watching my face to gauge my reactions.
“You know nothing is more important than procreation; that’s why the Claiming is so intense. Don’t be embarrassed or worried if you find yourself unable to keep your hands off your mate. It’s normal. Our race is dependent on our Claimed pairings or groupings. That’s why I did this—why I arranged for this ceremony. And remember, eventually, as you spend more time with your mate, you’ll start the Bond. Once the Bond starts, you’ll find it difficult to be apart from your mate for extended periods of time. Your soul will literally reach out for them. And then you’ll have the Bonding ceremony, and hopefully bless me with beautiful pups,” she trails off, and I stare at her.
I realize she totally just gave me a rundown of the Claiming and Bonding that I learned when I was old enough to understand the difference between the sexes. Heck, I have read more in our family journals about the whole process, and she shared absolutely nothing about my father. As usual, she’s glossed over the subject. I guess they had such an epic love that her heart can’t handle talking about him. That’s what I tell myself as I try not to yell and demand the truth.
I am frustrated with her, though; I love her so much, but constantly dodging conversations about my father is tiring. I want to know about the man who gave me half of my genes. I want to know the man who made my mother afraid to love anyone else again. The man who made me hesitant to ever fall in love. She thinks I’m unaware, but I see how she’s half a person, living solely for me and the pack. I know it’s why she’s pushing me so hard. She knows she won’t live as long as other alphas would. Her heart is shattered. The fact that she’s lived so long without her mate is a miracle and a testament of her will. Nonetheless, I will be alpha far sooner than I would want. I push back the tears threatening to break through my mask and nod at her as if I hadn’t gone off on my own tangent in my mind.
“We need this ceremony to go really well, so I need you to lead the charge,” she continues. “Mingle with the Wyvern clan, keep an open mind. We know from the journals and clan lore that the species can intermarry and procreate, so unless you want to marry one of the Death Claws, you need to choose a Wyvern mate.”
“Oh, yeah,” I say with an eye roll and a sip of margarita, “because I’d totally love to marry a member of the pack that kidnapped you,” I scoff. “It’s not like they tried to force you into a Bonding once they found out Dad was dead or anything. The Death Claws are seriously the worst.”
My mom’s gaze softens on me. “It’s so sad how Nathaniel passed his bitterness on to Kevin, isn’t it? For a pack with roots deeper than our own, the tree has definitely rotted. I’m so glad he never tried to kidnap you, as Nathaniel did to me in his day. It’s such an awful tradition, and it never works; kidnapping women to force a Bonding. My guess is that Nathaniel felt that as the future leader of the Death Claws, Kevin should try the same thing with you. Why Kevin never did is a mystery to me,” she muses and then takes a bite of her chile verde burrito, which has remained mostly untouched.
I clear my throat, trying not to choke on my margarita. “Mom, Kevin tried to kidnap me the day of my eighteenth birthday,” I whisper. “He thought if he was the first man I saw when I reached adulthood, my wolf would roll over and Claim him,” I laugh, “it’s like he forgot we’re not even fertile until we’re twenty-five. But then I broke his nose, and Sacha handled those two assholes he calls bodyguards that he keeps with him at all times.”
“I was wondering when you’d finally tell me what happened that day. I remember that evening. You came in looking like you’d been dragged through the mud, but you said it was nothing and ran off to your room. I cornered Sacha until she told me what happened. I never thought you’d keep such a huge secret from me.” She has a twinkle in her eye despite her mildly disapproving look.
“Your takeaway from my admitting I was almost kidnapped is reprimanding me for keeping a secret from you? You are the queen of zipped lips, and you still won’t talk to me about Dad, so I guess I’ve learned from the master.” I stare at her, and my alpha power slips to the surface. She returns my look with one of her own, her alpha power swallowing me, and my wolf rolls over and submits as I roll my eyes.
“I apologize.” We make no further mention of the fact that I just tried to dominate my mother and move back to the subject at hand.
“Sweetheart, the key phrase is almost kidnapped. You know he didn’t stand a chance.” She reaches across the table and pats my hand.
“Kevin is so much weaker than his father; I was never really worried. Nathaniel tried to do the same to me. He even managed to corner me for a bit because I was drunk with grief over your father and couldn’t defend myself from …” my mother trails off as if suddenly realizing she is speaking about my dad. I watch as she takes a large gulp of her mimosa margarita, and a look I can only describe as agony momentarily crosses her face. My heart immediately aches for her.
“Okay, let’s go over the final schedule for the Claiming. You can take the day off tomorrow, but only if I’m satisfied we’ll be ready to go the next day.” I sigh but go along with her change of conversation.
One day she’s going to tell me what secrets she’s been hiding.
As she drones on, I’m only partially listening as I tap my foot in annoyance under the table. Yet again, I am being left in the dark without answers.
Chapter Two
Abby
The next evening, I take full advantage of my mother’s offer to take the day off. I’m waiting for Cheyenne, she is my best friend and the sister I have always wanted but couldn’t have. I’m at our favorite spot, a fantastic little cheese shop called Wine and Whey. Whenever we are here, we tend to order the largest charcuterie platter and a couple of bottles of wine while we gossip and bitch and laugh ourselves silly. Since I arrive first, I order while waiting for Chey. Over the past couple of decades, shifter births have dropped drastically. They’ve been in steady decline for ages, but about thirty years ago, it became obvious there were issues. When my mom had me twenty-five years ago, it was a big deal. Chey, like most of our pack, is older than me. At thirty-one, she’s closest to my age, which is why we’re so close. I have always seen her as a big sister, but more importantly, I can literally trust her with my life.
By the time Chey walks in, I am stewing hard. She barely manages to pull her chair out to sit down before I blurt out what has been bothering me.
“I think the alphas know more than they’re letting on. I know I can’t make accusations without proof, but I’m telling you, Chey, something else is going on,” I say, and I watch as her brown eyes widen. She plops down in her chair and grabs the bottle of Viognier from the stainless steel wine chiller on the table.
“Well, honey, they’re alphas; of course they have secrets,” she says, pouring herself a glass, “and soon you’ll have secrets, too!” Her wide, knowing smile is infectious and makes me laugh despite myself. I also know I need to get off this subject, or I will keep spiraling and give myself a panic attack.
“Can you believe that the Claiming ceremony is tomorrow?” I say deftly, moving to a topic I know she’ll enjoy more. “Ever since my mom heard that rumor circulating a while back that the chances of a successful pregnancy were higher when the races intermingle, she has been excited about this day.”
“I know, I can’t believe we’re about to meet a clan of dragons.” She looks at me and makes a face, “and I have you to thank for roping me along with the rest of us sacrificial lambs and being the first to give the
se fellas a chance.”
“I know, and I apologize, Chey, but I couldn’t do it without you! Besides, you know this must mean circumstances are dire.”
“Yeah, I know. And apparently, dragons are incredibly sexy,” she chimes in with a wink.
“Well, that’s the rumor, but not the only reason I agreed to this.” I actually hope the dragons are attractive; it would make this all much better.
It’s not that our races hate each other or anything. In fact, we have a relatively steady alliance, and occasionally shifters do intermingle. However, for an entire pack to do what we’re doing, it’s unheard of for our generation. We’re starting with just a few of our wolves and their dragons, but eventually all our unmated females and their unmated males will get a chance to meet.
“I won’t lie, I’m kind of excited. I’ve heard that these men are divine, and you know how I feel about a sexy man.”
I roll my eyes as her drawl increases to epic southern proportions.
“Chey, I’m slightly afraid of how you’re going to act tomorrow. You’re already a horn dog; I can’t imagine you with an extra helping of hormones on account of the Claiming.”
“Girl, I resent being called a dog, but I am horny as hell! These human men just can’t scratch the itch I have as well as a supernatural can, you know?” she quirks her perfectly groomed eyebrow at me. Chey has perfected the use of her eyebrows and facial expressions as a silent way to communicate.
“I don’t know because I avoid supernatural men when I need to fuck. Humans are quick, easy, and well, I can’t handle more than that.”
“Well that’s your own fault, sugar, but as of tomorrow, you’ll be getting all the scratching that you need,” Chey says with a chuckle.
“Cheyenne, I love you, but you’re a mess. You know that, right?”
“And proud of it,” she says, and then tosses back half of her wine glass. “Now gimme a refill, and let’s discuss outfits. You will never believe what some of these girls are planning to wear tomorrow. Especially Ronnie!”
Blood Moon Magic Page 2
