Fated

Chapter VIII

Adrian

Adrian smiled as he left Adira groggy on her bedroom door. He had debated for fifteen minutes before knocking, and her tiny shorts had more than made up for it. Maybe, he should wake her up every day. Or just share a bed and wake up to her. Adrian knew he had to be patient, but goddamn, she made it hard. His mate refused to believe that he could care about her or that she could lead the pack. She very firmly rejected her worth. He wanted to spend the rest of his life worshipping her. Adrian longed to be the one who changed her mind. He wanted her all the time. Especially, this morning. 

Before the idea could give him a problem down south, Adrian left the house heading for the woods. Removing his clothes behind a tree, he welcomed the shift into his animal, softly nudging his wolf in appreciation. Nowadays, Adrian could feel his hidden wolf in his body at all times, and he relished in the feeling of togetherness. He had never felt this way except on the first day of his shift.  

His large black wolf emerged majestically from the trees. For a moment, he stood there, feeling the breeze through his soft fur. He was tall, even by the standards of his alpha lineage. Slow walking into the forest, he made an effort to only enjoy the forest, feeling the green moss beneath his legs. The greens called out to him. As he approached, the forest seemed to quiet, as the animals registered his dominating presence. His chaos settled in nature's peacefulness. Finally breaking into a run, his wolf breezed through the forest, eventually finding its way into the cottage the housed his office. It was at the edge a very large field, at the very end of the woods, which was adapted as a common area for his pack. Members who did not wish to live secluded were housed there. Cottages and buildings littered on its border. A market ran through it adjoining a werewolf school.  

Eden waited on the porch with a grim expression as Adrian approached. In response, Adrian straightened up losing his wolf's playfulness and happiness. Standing inside, were a group of ten pack members, who all stood in respect when he entered. These were trusted senior members of the pack, all of whom Adrian had known for most of his life. Silently absorbing the tension in the room, Adrian's hands tightened. He gritted his jaw. 

"Alpha. If I may?" A man in his late fifties, Jonah, asked. He had previously worked as the pack treasurer having retired only five years ago. He lived with his mate in the western woods and often gave informal advice to him and other pack members. "There is some tension...in the pack lately. News has spread that you have found a fated human mate." He swallowed as Adrian's expression darkened. "Looking at your eyes, the rumors appear to be true."

"And if I have?" Adrian asked coolly. A woman gasped in the crowd.

"Some pack members have expressed concern about housing a frail, untrustworthy human in the pack-lands." Jonah backtracked quickly at Adrian's loud growl. Curious pack-members peeped through the open door. "I am only expressing concern Alpha. No disrespect is intended to your mate." 

"Do you think of me as a fool, Jonah? You have come here to disrespect my mate. I will not punish you for speaking your mind about honest opinions, it is not my way to curb free speech. But take care of how you speak of the Luna. Say what you have to and leave. This is a disgrace."

Jonah fell silent looking abashedly at the ground. A few minutes passed and a larger crowd gathered at the door. Eden incessantly tapped his right foot to indicate a hurry.

A woman in a blonde pixie-cut pushed to the center of the crowd. Her black eyes cruelly stared at the Alpha, even as she indicated her submission. "Frankly speaking, Alpha, the pack has no wish to accept your Luna. It is an ultimatum." The crowd gave a large gasp, and even Jonah seemed surprised by her words. The pack members looked slightly unsure.