Not His Destiny

Planning a wedding is exhausting. Planning the same wedding ten times is downright disabling, but still I do it with joy and hope in my heart. Just like the first, third, eighth time already, I truly believe this is the time when Dante and I will get married. It's been four years since we decided to get married and each time, one reason or another surfaces to cancel, postpone, or simply forget.

But I won't give up. I know eventually, I’ll win over his pack. They hated me in the beginning because I am a rogue wolf, which is the usual attitude toward rogue wolves. They don't want their alpha having anything to do with me, especially since they were banking on him meeting his fated mate. But Dante is already past thirty and once a wolf passes that age, finding their fated one becomes wishful thinking.

Hardly anyone waits to find their fated mate once they pass twenty-one. I didn't. I didn't even hope to find someone willing to marry a rogue wolf like me and take in my family, until Dante. He gave me hope, filled my life with joy and gave me a home after years of wandering the wild. So no matter how many times his family puts off the wedding, I know I am going to marry him.

Maybe it would be better if he wasn't the alpha. Maybe they would be more accepting if it was one of his cousins, but this is how it is.

Finally I get home from work, my whole body feeling like it's been passed through a grater. Behind me in the trunk and backseat of the car are all the things I went to get for the wedding. No one helped. Dante is too busy at the shop to spare time, but I don't mind running all the errands.

As soon as I drive into the pack land, a tiny stretch of land given to the Red Fang pack by the Pure Moon pack, I notice how quiet it is. Usually Roberto and Alejandro would be playing basketball at the court, Mariana would be watching with the baby on her hip and their father would be outside drinking in daylight, but no one is there.

I drive toward the house I share with Dante, his family and mine. It's a one-story building with very little space to fit all seven of us but we've managed for the last five years.

In front of the house are the people I expected to see back there. Roberto has his arms thrown over his younger brother Alejandro's shoulder, Dante is standing on the porch, my mother hugging one of the posts holding up the porch roof and acting like a fly on the wall.

"We cannot continue like this," I catch the tail of Dante's mother's words as I get out of the car.

My heart flies out from my chest and returns, beating fast when Dante's black eyes meet mine from across the yard.

Something is wrong.

My stomach drops. I clench and unclench my fist.

Not again.

"What's going on?" I ask, keeping my face light as I walk into their midst. Dante's mom, Celeste, turns that mean look in her eyes on me, her wrinkled mouth pulled tight as she opens and closes it.

His father is standing beside her, turns his face away when I try to hold his gaze, and his cousins Roberto and Alejandro give me pitying glances, followed by their parents, and Mariana, Alejandro's fated mate.

My sisters are not here, likely told to get lost because they are not members of the pack yet. I try not to look at Mom. I know her eyes would be shooting warnings at me, but Mom has this way of making me defensive and right now, I don't think that would help me.

"What happened, did someone die?" I ask, walking up to meet Dante.

"Nothing happened. You are late today," he comments dryly. He is always like that so nothing about it is odd, except he seems to have forgotten I went shopping for the remaining things for the wedding we will be having this weekend.

"I had– I had to get some things," I stammer, losing my nerves. "Did someone die?" Everyone is right in front of our house so no one died.

The Red Fang pack wasn't a very big one to begin with, since they were kicked from their own lands years ago, but maybe it's the Pure Moon pack. Maybe they've sent a quick notice to evacuate their lands.

That would be catastrophic. Dante doesn't have a steady job right now, and this house is all that belongs in his name. My own restaurant sits on the land, our only source of income some days. I hope that's not it.

"It's nothing," Dante takes my hand. My breath releases out of me in relief.

"Then why are your mom and dad standing outside?" I ask, looking at his parents. They live in this house yet they are standing below the porch staring up at us with that tight look on their faces. Wouldn't be the first time though.

I tense my fingers in Dante's grip, already suspecting they are going to cancel our wedding again.

"We have important things to discuss," Celeste says with that voice that says you are beneath me.

"No we don't," Dante retorts then turns to his uncles and aunts, Simon, Jacks and Gabriella. "Tío, Tía, please return to your home. Nothing is happening here."

They do not move. They don't look quite as grim as his parents, but they are obviously in on whatever is going on. I don't dare speak, lest I am called an outsider to whatever is happening here. Wolves do not welcome outsiders. It is a miracle I have been allowed into their pack lands for this long and I have tried not to overstep with them.

It doesn't help that when I become Dante's mate, I would be their Luna and they would have to respect me. The hate I have battled with since I fell in love with Dante, no woman should have to go through that. But I do, because I sincerely love Dante and want to spend my whole life with him.

"Dante," his mom snaps, "we can't keep dragging this issue forever. You know what the right thing is to do, so hurry up and make the right decision."