Chapter 3

The rain fell down across my clammy skin, making my breaths come just a little easier. The forest around me was quiet from its usual critters, all hiding in their homes from the downpour. I could feel the weight on my chest lessen with each inhale of the earthy forest surrounding me, calming my inner termoil.

After learning that Alpha Xander was my mate, I rushed out of the packhouse, telling the other omegas I wasn’t feeling well, and ran directly outside. I had felt the familiar panic coming over me, the air in my lungs getting thinner with each second spent inside knowing the mate I wasn't ready for was just a room away.

Goddess, why me?

“I’m sorry,” apologized Weather for the millionth time. “I shouldn’t have sprung that on you like that.”

“It’s fine Weather. I would have found out eventually.”

I normally would console my wolf better, but I just didn’t have it in me right now. I never imagined I would meet him yet considering my current position and standings, but apparently the Goddess had other plans for me. What those plans were, I didn't have the smallest idea of what to expect. The only good thing that came out of this was that he hadn’t recognized me as his mate.

My life was one giant storm of a mess, but the longer I sat in the rain, the more clear my thoughts became. I was able to really think about my life and where it was taking me.

I was an eighteen year old shifter princess hiding away in a random pack, pretending to be nothing more than a wolf less omega.

I’ve been hiding who I truly am my entire life. From the moment Weather and I were born, my parents kept us from everyone. My birth was never released or celebrated and only a select few knew my mother was pregnant in the first place. They did all this to keep us safe and protected from the people who would like nothing more than to use us and our powers for their own gain.

No one knew Weather and I were special. We were born under a full moon in the middle of a rain storm when the Goddess visited my parents and named me the Luna of Rain. The Queen of Storms. No one had powers like us.

We controlled rain, sleet, snow, lightening, and wind. Our powers were unique and dangerous to anyone who threatened us, which unfortunately, had been few too many.

Ten years ago I went from living in a palace with my royal parents, training to take over as Queen one day, to having nothing within a matter of minutes. All because of some heartless, selfish traitor who desired what was never meant to be his.

My throne and kingdom.

I would never stop fighting for what was stolen from us. My parents died because of us and I would do everything in my power to not have their deaths be in vain. We would make them proud.

With everything I had to accomplish, where did a mate fit into all of this? My life was not only a lie, but extremely dangerous. Arrick and his rogues would stop at nothing to eliminate me for good. They would do anything and hurt anyone to get to me, especially my one weakness. My mate.

I could feel my mind going down a very dark rabbit hole, swallowing me into its deep depths, threatening to take me into it's icy embrace and never spit me back out. It was easy to get lost in my own grief and let the dark thoughts take over but I needed to remain strong. I needed to keep fighting.

And I would.