Darkened Moon

Nick's POV

It was the day of the full moon. My plans were simple. My routine workout and training would come first. Followed by a meeting with my father's corporate staff to review and. approve some projects. After that, I'd head to campus to meet with my professor about my desertation.

As I drove into campus later in the morning, it took all of my will to break the silly habit of making a detour to spy on Sara. I failed. Jake was with me in the car. He regarded me with pursed lips and a deep sigh.

The girl and I are still mated. I haven't gone near her in two weeks. Of course, my wolf was antsy. Not my fault.

"I doubt she's in school, Nick," Jimmy ranted. "You and I know she's busy having a hard time with her father right now."

"I have no idea what you mean! I'm just passing through to see if Meg is around or something," I lied even though it was pointless. "Also, she brought the hard times on her family."

Jake didn't respond. As I passed her dorm slowly, I resolved to avoid her as much as possible until twilight, which was hours from now.

My activities for the day were over too soon. The moon would not appear in the sky for another six hours. I was restless. This thing with Sara needed to be over and done with. There would be no more sleepless nights once she was truly out of my life.

I was going to spend the rest of the wait-time clearing out our secret apartment by myself, but deciding against it was inevitable. Her scent was all over the place. I considered burning it to the ground.

Dusk came. It was time for us to see. I knew she was already waiting the moment I entered the woods. It made me realize that I'm not the only one who needed to end this ASAP. I walked past her without a word. Jake was behind me. A witness was necessary to sever our fated bond.

My wolf may try to put up a fight. I braced myself for the struggle. Sara and I can't have a future. For both our sakes. She was a low-class. The daughter of the help. Three months of fun was enough. I shouldn't have renewed the contract. We wouldn't be ending it like this if I'd released her seven weeks ago.

As she turned to face me under the bright moon overhead, I began speaking, my voice unrecognizable to me,

"I, Nikolas Reign, son and heir of Alpha Zion of the Forest Moon, reject you, Sara James, as my mate."

She didn't hesitate to reply as a tear raced down her cheek. "I, Sara, daughter of Sebastian James, accept your rejection."

Her reply was followed by a sharp, wrenching pain cutting through my heart. She bent over, clutching her chest as I did the same. A thick cloud covered the full moon, bathing all three of us in the darkness of the woods.

It might've lasted a moment, but it felt like an eternity. The physical pain was gone in a fleeting moment as the cloud melted. The dim light of the moon filled the woods again.

I straightened and strode past her without a glance or another word. My wolf retreated deep inside my consciousness to mourn the loss.

*****

2 MONTH LATER

"Just have lunch with her so you two can start getting to know each other," Elise Reign pleaded with me.

I was a very busy person now. I'd just returned from a vacation with my friends after our final exams. It was time to get to work. Sitting down for lunch and chit chat with someone I don't know was a waste of time. But if I said these things to my mom, she'd nag some more.

All she cared about getting me to mate with a strong bloodline and bearing a heir. I ignored her.

"Nick..." she called out gently. "She's flying back tomorrow. Believe me, this is better than signing a silly contract with one of those..." she pursed her lips in irritation.

"Goddess forbid it. We can't have you fall for another pitiful werewolf, Nick. The thing with that girl was quite a scare. If you wanna scratch your itch, just stick to the usual human women, okay? "

She noticed the frown on my face and said,

"What?"

"You're Luna. You shouldn't talk like that. And how did you know I get them to sign something first? Are you having me followed?" I asked her.

"I'm your mother," she merely replied.

"Doesn't make it's right to have someone watch my every move, luna," I fumed.

At that moment, I recalled the look on Sara's face when I indirectly accused her of leaking our secret somehow. She was not the one who went to the luna. Of course, what would she gain by ratting herself out.

"I did no such thing. Also, it's not wrong that I know stuff about you," she argued.

"Who told you about me and ..." Even saying her name aloud had grown too difficult. I clenched my lips before finishing, "Miss James."

"Does it matter?" she asked.

She's right. I decided it doesn't matter and didn't press further. A reporter might've sold the information to her for quick cash.

Two months have passed since Sara and I parted ways. She'd dropped out of school immediately. She and her dad had moved around a bit before finally leaving L.A. two weeks ago. I wish I didn't know thes details. I've promised myself to stop keeping tabs on her, and I'm keeping that promise.

I've moved on, no doubt. It was time to focus entirely on my responsibilities to my family and the pack.

"So you'll meet tomorrow, right?" My mother asked.

"The day after. She's in the country for another two weeks, isn't she?" I grabbed my keys and started to head out when she spoke again.

"You've had all the time to fool around and have fun, Nick. Don't forget your duties to your family and the pack. I know you've been discreet with your sex life, but you need to do better!"

I see no point in talking back, so I left the room without any further comment.

As I started the car to drive out, my phone buzzed. It was the boys. We were hanging out this evening.

Thirty minutes later, we were at our favourite bar, chilling and having a drink.

"Hot chic," Rich bumped my shoulders as he motions with his chin towards a human girl.

When my eyes met the beautiful blackhead female, she smiled shyly and waved.

"That should do," Jake said.

"I didn't know we're here to pick up chics," I drawled.

"You haven't been laid in forever, dude," Jake leaned towards me and murmured.

He and I were close enough, so he knew my personal business. I knew exactly what he meant to say, and I didn't appreciate it.

One look at him, and he mumbled, "Sorry."

"What are you two boring wolves whispering about? I'm leaving you to go find me some hot human chic like that one." Rich's voice booms over the loud music below us.

The girl still has her eyes on me, and I started to think that Jake was right. It was time I proved to myself that I truly have moved on from Sara. Time to break the dry spell.

One good lay would fix the tossing and turning every night. I winked at her, and she smiled again.

"That's what I'm talking about," Jake encouraged.

"You're awfully concerned about my sex life, Jake. What about you? Are you getting some?" I mocked.

"You're going to be my alpha. Of course, I'm concerned." He gulped his drink before adding, "Also, I was ordered to get you back to normal ASAP."

I whipped my head around to glance at him, and he winced.

"What exactly did my mother say to you?"

He sighed before replying gently. "The luna didn't say anything to me. Alpha Zion did. He's worried about you, Nick."

"Why? I've been careful. Keeping my eyes and mind on his empire and Forest Moon."

"Well, you haven't exactly been yourself in the last two months. You ate less, talked less, always racing in the woods, and always angry," he replied.

"I've had a lot to deal with, and I'm NOT talking about..." I sighed. "Not everyone's a nerd like you, Jake. I've had to run the family corporation while writing important an exam AND getting my alpha training. That's a lot for one person, don't you think?"

He didn't have to know about my restless nights.

"This thing with... Miss James," he said hesitantly. "I know you hate to talk about it, but you've been weird since it crashed -"

"Drop it!" I snapped.

"You're right to feel the way you do, Nick."

"I said drop it, Jake. I don't ever wanna -"

"It ended before you wanted it to. That's all," he ignored me and kept talking. "You've just renewed the agreement, which I warned you was a bad idea in the first place. The point is you weren't ready to let go. Add the fact that she was your destined mate. It's okay that you feel the way you do."

I take a long swig from my drink.

"I've been meaning to say that for weeks now," he says before leaning back on the chair as if satisfied to finally get it out.

Without a word to him, I stood up to approach the human girl. Her eyes followed me.

My phone vibrated just as soon I reached her. I ignored it at first, determined to take Jake's advice and break the silly hold my previous lover has on me.

"Can I buy you a drink?" I asked her as my phone continued the insistent vibrating. "Just a sec."

I pulled it out of my pocket to see who it was. It's my mom. My heart lurched. Elise never calls. Text was how she contacted me when I'm not around the mansion. I quickly slid the answer button as she started to babble frantically.

"Nick, come quick. It's your father!"