Chapter Three

Rae's mating day had finally arrived.

She woke up with a smile on her face. She sat up in bed and stretched her arms above her head. She checked the time on her alarm clock and it said 8 AM. The ceremony would start at 10 AM but she wasn't concerned because she still had time. What she found strange, however, was the fact that there wasn't anyone in her bedroom.

Nobody had even tried to wake her up.

She slid out of bed and freshened up in the bathroom. When she walked back into her bedroom, it was still empty. She frowned and opened her closet to make sure the dress was still there. It was. It looked a lot more magnificent in the daylight and she couldn't help but admire it.

Where was everyone?

Two hours wasn't much time. The vows would only be said later at night but the party would start much sooner than that. She had to be ready and she was running out of time. A spark of anger lit her soul on fire. She couldn't believe that her family was so irresponsible. It was her special day and they had to make sure she looked perfect. Where were they?

She was tempted to sit around and wait for them but her practicality spoke louder. She had to do something or she would look back. She was the future Luna, after all. Their packs would unite for the special occasion. She had to look presentable and worthy of admiration.

She would only sabotage herself if she attempted to be petty.

She stormed out of her bedroom and rushed downstairs. She saw people carrying trays of food, more chairs, and flowers. They were already taking the food outside and they hadn't thought to wake her. She set the alarm herself but they were supposed to be there. That was what they agreed on.

They couldn't have forgotten.

She knocked on her father's door and didn't wait for an answer. She opened the door and walked in.

It was empty.

That confused her more than their absence. Where had they gone? She couldn't believe that was happening to her. She checked the kitchen and the library and she even peeked outside to ensure that they weren't there. She didn't want to be seen still in her sleeping clothes. What would they think? To her dismay, a crowd was already gathering outside and they had approximately an hour and a half left to go. She didn't think so many people would show up.

It made her more nervous.

Rae didn't want to risk asking around because it would make her look disorganized and bad overall. She had to find them by herself. Were they in her parent's room, perhaps? Kara's? Checking would spare her some time. They certainly weren't downstairs. She charged up the stairs and headed straight toward her parent's room, which was at the end of the long, carpeted corridor. The door was closed. She knocked before entering and found it empty. She checked Kara's room and found an empty room staring back at her.

Her despair kept growing. She couldn't begin to imagine where they were and she couldn't waste time searching for them. She had to do something. If they had abandoned her, it was heartbreaking but it was on them. She couldn't look bad because her family wasn't supportive and didn't keep their word. Her mother was in charge of getting her ready. How could she have forgotten?

Didn't they care?

She walked toward her bedroom. Her heart was sinking lower with every step she took but she could get over it. She was good at making herself presentable. She never needed anyone's help before and she wouldn't need it then.

She opened her bedroom door and the first person she saw was her mother. She started saying, "Where were—" and then she cut herself off when she saw Kara, hair, and makeup impeccably done, in her dress.

Rae froze. Kara froze. Their mother froze. She was stunned for a moment, unsure of what to say or do. She was bursting with questions. She couldn't wrap her head around what she was seeing. "Kara?" was all she could say.

Nobody answered her. Her shock was replaced by rage. She slammed the door shut behind her and placed her hands on her hips. "What's the meaning of this? What the hell are you doing in my dress?"

Kara simply stared back at her. She got the urge to rip it off her body but it was too precious to her. Why should she ruin her beautiful dress because of Kara?

"Take it off," she demanded. "Take it off right now. Why would you even try it on?" She looked at her mother. "I was looking all over for you, do you know that? You said you'd be here at eight sharp. Why weren't you? Why didn't you send somebody up?"

Her mother didn't answer her and Kara didn't take the dress off. She gritted her teeth and glared at both of them. She was well aware that she was running out of time. Negan would arrive at any moment. The last thing she needed was to be late for her own mating ceremony.

"I'm not going to ask again, Kara!" she exclaimed. "Take it off! Take it off right this second? What is wrong with you?"

"Rae," her mother said. "She's not taking it off."

She folded her arms. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. It was almost as if they both became insane right before her eyes. "And may I know why?"

They exchanged a look. It angered her to her core. She was doing her best to remain calm. There were people downstairs. They couldn't hear that the BloodMoon Family was in the middle of a crisis, although Rae felt that 'crisis' wasn't a big enough word. She asked again, "Why won't she take it off?"

Her mother straightened her spine and said, "Because she will be the one mating with Negan."

It took her a full minute to register what her mother had told her. Kara and Negan mating? It made no sense to her although that was what it looked like with Kara in her dress and their mother standing beside her defensively. Kara and Negan mating. It couldn't be. A chortle left her lips but only because she was shaking with rage. "You've got to be kidding me. If this is some kind of prank, it's one of bad taste. We're running out of time and—"

"It isn't a joke, Rae," Kara said, the first words she had spoken since Rae entered the room. "I'm mating with Negan. It's been decided. I'm sorry, I really am. He should've told you a lot sooner. That was the agreement."

"What?" she asked, dizzy and nauseous suddenly. "What agreement? What in the Moon's name are you talking about? Why would he mate with you and not with me?" She looked back and forth between the two of them. The situation got more preposterous with each passing second. "You're both insane. You're both crazy! Take the dress off!"

"Rae," her mother began. "Calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down. Tell her to take my dress off. Is this a joke? This has to be some sick joke. Take it off!" She started walking toward her just as the door behind her opened. It was her father. He looked at them and his brows sank along with his expression.

He sounded crushed. "You have told her, I gather?"

"We're in the process."

"Dad," she said, turning to him. "What the hell is going on here? Why won't Kara take my dress off? Do you know what they're talking about?" She had a bad feeling about the entire situation. She wasn't stupid. Her father knew what was happening and it explained why they had grown secretive the last couple of weeks. They were looking at her differently.

What she needed was a better explanation and time to sort through the mess in her head. She still felt dizzy and she wanted to throw up. Her father said to her, "I'm sorry, Rae. I really am."

"Stop apologizing to me," she said hotly. "Stop saying that and tell me what the hell the matter is? Negan and I are mates. We're mating this evening. Why are you doing this? Why are you saying these preposterous things?"

Silence ensued. It drove her crazy. She looked at all of them with intense anger. She screamed, "Answer me!"

Kara cleared her throat. She was staring at her fingernails. "Negan and I...well...we've been together for some while now, Rae."

Her heart sank further. Her head pounded once and she felt like she was truly going to be sick. Kara continued, "We were meant to tell you. I wanted to but he insisted that he should be the one to do it. He was supposed to tell you months ago, almost a year. I guess he never had the courage."

Rae was falling. Her father caught her before she hit the floor. Kara moved forward to help her and then stopped abruptly. Her mother looked away. Her heart was beating so fast she thought she'd get a heart attack. Negan and Kara. Together. It couldn't be. It made no sense to her. Things between them were completely fine until yesterday, which was the only time she noticed that something was amiss.

Negan and Kara. She repeated their names over and over again in her head and it made no sense to her.

"Rae," her father began, touching her arm. "Please."

She turned to look at him suddenly. Her eyes were wide. "You knew?" She looked at her mother. "You both knew and you didn't tell me anything. You...you knew?"

"It wasn't our place to tell you," her father said.

Her heart was beating relentlessly. She was hyperventilating. She felt like something struck her head hard again and she closed her eyes and lay on the floor. Her father shook her. Tears streamed down his face. Her mother joined him. "Rae, please, wake up!"

Those words were the last she heard before she fainted.