Denying Fate ( Moonlight Trials Series #1)

Chapter 1 - Mates without a bond? It was a beautiful autumn day; the leaves had started falling from the trees and turning different shades of browns, oranges, yellows, and red. They crunched loudly under your feet as you walked on them. There was a slight chill in the air but not enough to be bundled up wearing hats and scarfs yet. The sun was just beginning to rise, sending light through the trees that surrounded a large, beautiful white house. The red roof had leaves gathering on top of it and ivy vines climbed up the side of it, giving it a look of being older than it actually was. The sun shone into one of the large upstairs windows that reached from ceiling to floor. Despite the curtains being drawn, the light shone through the cracks, illuminating a large bed. A person stirred in the bed and pulled the covers over their head to avoid the sun. Karmas POV Bang, Bang, Bang! My eyes opened wide at the noise. It wasn’t fear, but it had startled me awake from a peaceful slumber. “Get up Karma!” A beautiful voice called through my door. I groaned, realising it was my mum. She entered my room and started cleaning it, pulling my duvet off me to start folding it neatly onto the bed. I grumbled and got out of bed, shooting her an unfriendly look. “Cheer up Kar! It’s Chase’s birthday today! We have lots and lots to do!” She said in a singing voice. Why was she so cheerful?! My mind reeled, despite the grogginess, remembering it was Chase’s big day. He finally turned 18! Today would be the day he found his mate. OK, so some perspective would probably be nice. Right? I’m a werewolf! I live in the Silver Rose pack and was born and bred here. A pack is like a huge family of wolves that all live together to make our everyday lives run smoothly. There are the ones in charge. The Luna and Alpha, who look after everyone, their second in command called a Beta and a third in command called a Gamma. Sometimes packs also have a fourth person called a Delta, but we didn’t. The lineage of Alpha is usually passed down to the eldest son of the reigning Alpha and Luna as they usually always have boys. There are some female Alpha’s but not many. My mum and dad are Omegas to the Luna and Alpha. That basically means they cook, clean and care for them so they can run the pack smoothly, they aren’t slaves as they have a house and wage and aren’t forced to do anything. My parents treat the Luna and Alpha like royalty and my mum dotes on them terribly. Being their daughter means I am also an omega and help my parents around the large house. Although, I mostly just end up hanging out with the Alpha’s son, the future Alpha…Chase! It’s almost embarrassing to admit, but I am madly in love with Chase. Stupid, right? I mean I am an omega AND werewolves have mates. We are drawn to one single (and sometimes double) person in our life that is meant to be our other half. We don’t get to choose our mate; it happens to us and is said to be a gift from the moon goddess. However, neither of us are 18 yet, so we have not found them, and our parents have always thought we would be each other’s mates. Chase is exactly 1 year and 1 month older than me. I’m only 16 for now. When I was born, Chase was extremely protective over me and would always be found watching over me or playing in my general vicinity. As we got older, we were never apart, playing tricks on other members of the pack or studying together or even doing chores together. Yep! The alpha would help me do chores! I was pulled out of my daydream by my mum dusting my window. The favourite thing in my room! It held many memories, times I would sneak out to go running in the woods with Chase. I was lucky enough to get my wolf at the same time as him. He was 13 and I was 11. Memories of Chase sneaking into my room late at night so we could watch movies all night or pig out on snacks we had hid from our parents. I sighed and headed to the bathroom to take a shower and get changed ready to help with the day’s plans, the party for Chase! I quickly showered myself and headed into my walk-in closet to get dressed. I looked at myself in the mirror. I wondered what Chase saw me. I was average height, average looking with average length hair… just average! My hair was a chalky blonde colour, not quite white but not yellow, blonde. My body wasn’t pale but not tanned either. I had extremely pale blue eyes that almost looked grey, and I was about 5’7 in height. Nothing to brag about but nothing to complain about, I guess. I shrugged and got dressed into leggings and a plain blue T-shirt and headed to my dresser to plait my hair for my busy day I had ahead of me. Chases POV I awoke with a huge grin on my face. Today was the day! My 18th birthday! I would finally find my mate, Although I already thought I knew who it was! My beautiful, best friend Karma. We had grown up together and apparently, I had known as soon as she was born, that she would be mine. My mother told me that I would never leave her alone and followed her around. I could pick up her beautiful blueberry scent anywhere. We had learnt to mind link at a young age too, further proof that our bond was strong, and we even shifted at the same time despite Karma being a year younger than me. As I got dressed for my day the blueberry smell of Karma hit my nostrils even stronger than usual. My wolf began to get excited. We knew it Chase, Ace my wolf growled. We always knew she was ours but now we’ve confirmed it. He was right, the smell was intoxicating, filling every fibre of my being until I couldn’t concentrate on anything else. I ran into the hall to see where she was. Still in her room? I ran there and burst in. She was already dressed and braiding her hair in front of her vanity. I ran over to her and scooped her in my arms before she could say or do anything. “I KNEW YOU WERE MINE!” I shouted happily, pulling her into a hug! Karmas POV My heart swelled with so much joy for various reasons. The fact he was just here, being called his and just his happiness. However, because I wasn’t yet 18, I didn’t feel the mating bond at all. Chase must have felt my disappointment as he nuzzled into my neck. Id at least expected some sort of indication we were fated. “Don’t worry Karma!” He said, softly. “It will come when you’re 18. We always knew we were fated to each other, didn’t we?” He smiled putting me back on the ground. I smiled too, it was contagious, but didn’t voice how I was feeling deep down. Sure, I’d always hoped it to be true, but I was only an omega. Was I truly worthy to be a Luna? And even though Chase could feel the bond I couldn’t right now. It made me feel uneasy. I loved him with all my heart but what if it was wrongly placed? Surely the goddess wouldn’t have paired us together knowing I wouldn’t feel the pull for a whole 13 months?! I pulled away from Chase and gazed into his beautiful hazel eyes. “I don’t feel it, Chase. Are you sure you even want me?” I asked, sadness creeping into my voice. “Of course, I do, you’re amazing and I’ve loved you my entire life Karma!” He leant down and out his head on my shoulder. “You’re perfect in every way!” I sighed. “I love you too, Chase!” I smiled, but my heart hurt as I said the words. “I just don’t feel worthy of you, and I’m worried because I don’t feel the pull. I don’t want you missing out on your real mate if I’m not it!” “Don’t think like that!” He growled “I can smell your beautiful blueberry smell stronger than ever and my wolf is telling me you’re mine as well. Regardless of that, I’ve known you my entire life, I know everything about you, we’re meant to be together!” I smiled at this, it was true, we knew everything, every secret, every fear, every painful memory. We were connected through more than a mate bond. I must have relaxed considerably at those words because Chase lifted his head and smiled at me. “That’s my girl!” He kissed me on the cheek. I blushed instantly. “Come on there’s lots to do and mum forbid me from doing anything today, so we had better hurry up, so she doesn’t catch me”, he winked before dragging me out of the room laughing.