CHAPTER 6

Elara's POV

"No, no no. Not him Mia. Not him!"

"Are you, what, scared? You should be happy. You're mated to the Alpha. Don't you know what this means? You're the Luna of Ironclaw Pack." My wolf whimpered in excitement.

"No Mia. You don't understand. He.. he's brutal. He killed his father and the Beta. What makes you think he will love me? He never even smiles. Gosh! He looks scary. Mia, let's get outta here now!" I began to find my way through the crowd to go back home. There was no way I.. Oh no! What was the moon goddess thinking?

"Hold up, Elara. His wolf is trying to talk to me. Turn around. Look at him" Mia pressured.

I turned back to look at Damien. He was… Mia would tell me to admit it. He was freaking handsome. He was muscular, strong. The more I looked at him, the more I felt attracted to him. The more I wanted to hold him. The more I wanted to grab his hands and his whole body. The more my lips wanted to kiss his.

"Run away Elara. Go somewhere far. Damien would not accept you as a mate. He told me. His heart is already locked up. Clara took his heart with him. There's no place for you." His wolf told me.

I.. my heart was cut. I knew it. I knew Damien lived his life in the shadows. I felt tears drop from my eyes as I replayed those words in my head.

"Don't listen to him Elara. You're already bound. He won't reject you. Trust me. He just needs healing. I see darkness in his soul, but you can fix that, right? You fixed dad's heart when mom died!" Mia offered some hope.

"No! This is different Mia. This is way different. I'm never getting a chance. Even if he does accept me, will he ever love me? I've waited my whole life for my mate. Turns out I'm just not fortunate. Let's go home Mia. I looked at Alpha Damien one more time as he offered his speech, probably ignoring me.

I shifted and ran into the woods, tears being driven by the force of air that collided with my eyes.

I was devastated that my mate would end up rejecting me. I had kept my virginity for years for my mate and only my mate. But what was more devastating was the fact that I was an emotional queen and my heart was very tender. I got too emotionally attached to anything or anyone and was obsessed about love and getting marked by my mate.

Mia was silent all through, she knew she couldn't help. The only person who could heal me was my mom. And now, she was no more. She died when I was 14. She went to work like every other normal day. But she never returned.

After a long search, we found her clothes here. At this very spot where I always come to find comfort. Here in this river. Her clothes were covered in blood. At that point, I thought my life was going to end, but I survived the ordeal. Thanks to my dad and Maya. They helped me survive.

My phone suddenly rang, disrupting my peaceful sad thoughts. It was Maya. I inhaled and exhaled quickly, using the Lion's breath she taught me. I promised her that I would never cry again.

"Hey Maya." I called out after picking up the call. I tried hard to swallow in my drama.

"Hey gurl, where you at? You're not in class, you're not in the Alpha's speech gathering." She asked curiously.

Sh|t! I totally forgot that I sneaked out of school to the Alpha's audition.

"Um.. yeah. I.. I.. had to get some stuff from home. My maths book. Yeah. My maths book!" I lied effectively.

"She won't buy that." Mia whispered in my head.

"Um… We don't have Math today. It's a Friday. And besides, I called your dad. He said you're not home. Are you there again? What happened Elara." She became suspicious.

I remained silent, trying to swallow my tears. It was hard. Especially since it was Maya I was talking to. As hard as I tried to swallow in my tears, she heard me sniff twice and heard my voice get shaky.

"I… I. The Alpha.. I.. I was mated with the new Alpha. I was mated to Damien." I stammered, letting out all the cry.

"Look, Maya. I'm coming now. Please tell Anna I went to hear the Alpha's speech, but I'm on my way now. I can't afford to miss her class. Her test is in two weeks." I said and ended the call abruptly. Then I finished my crying session.

I quickly shifted and began to run back to school. Whatever happens, no one will know anything. Not even my dad. I would survive without a mate like I've been surviving.

Maybe.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

"You're late! You know my test comes up in two weeks. Your grades are falling, Elara. You've got to get yourself together. You don't want to remain in this grade, do you?" Mrs. Anna questioned me as soon as I jacked the door to my class open.

"No ma'am. I'll work harder." I said and quickly walked to my seat, lowering my head so I don't get eye contact with anyone.

Except Maya who was staring at me strangely. I could tell, after I had passed on the news to her, she didn't know what to think any longer. Well, neither did I. But she was smiling. Smiling so broadly.

"Hey, answer me. Did I hear you clearly back then? Tell me it's true! She mindlinked me."

"Hey. Focus. I'll see you in the cafeteria. I don't want to see an F9b in my results."

She was happy, all smiles and giggles. She didn't hear the whole part of the story. If she did, she would probably be depressed as well.

"Okay. In today's class, we will be considering the 2nd law of Isaac Newton and its application in our daily lives. So, imagine…"

My mind drifted like a solitary cloud as the teacher's voice droned on. Physics class had always intrigued me, but today, the laws and theories were as distant as the stars. The second law of Isaac Newton might as well have been in another universe. My thoughts were trapped in the gravity of my own emotions. The soft voice of Teacher Anna slowly blended into the background, a mere buzz in my ears. I stared at the chalkboard, my eyes following the scribbles that held no meaning. Physics equations danced before me, but all they seemed to signify was the equation of my shattered heart. Amidst my daze, Anna's voice pierced through, "Elara, are you even listening?" My head snapped up, my cheeks flushing a shade of red that might have matched the roses in a romantic garden. "Um, I'm sorry, ma'am," I mumbled, my voice a mixture of embarrassment and frustration. "I just... my mind kind of wandered." Anna crossed her arms, her gaze unyielding. "Wandered? In my class?" "I know, I know, it's not right," I replied, my eyes flickering with guilt. I tried to focus on Anna's stern expression, but the memory of Damien's rejection was like a relentless shadow lurking at the edges of my thoughts.

The teacher's eyes softened as she observed my disarray. "Elara, I understand that sometimes life can throw us off balance. But you have to remember that being here and learning is important too. Do you want to talk about it?"

I sighed, my shoulders slumping. I felt like a dam about to burst, my emotions a torrent threatening to flood the classroom. "It's just... something personal," I finally admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.

Anna's gaze was compassionate. "Sometimes sharing helps, you know. And I promise I won't pry if you're not comfortable. Is it still about your mother?"

I bit my lip, contemplating the idea. I glanced around the classroom, seeing the faces of my classmates engrossed in their notes, their lives carrying on as if mine hadn't just taken an unexpected turn. I looked back at Anna.

"It's fine Mrs. Anna. I'll be okay."

"Well, if you say so. Get your wolf together and listen. You don't want to fail like last session."

I nodded and quickly inhaled and exhaled. Life would go on after all.

My pen suddenly fell. As I bent to pick it, I saw a hand from behind me hand me a piece of paper. It was Dave. It was a written note.

I reluctantly took it from and teared it open slowly.

I gasped in extreme shock as I saw the written words.

How did he know? Why was he threatening me? What was going on?