Fated To Love You

Chapter 1. I couldn’t believe it. The mating ceremony was over—every eligible wolf had been paired, their destinies sealed by the sacred bond. Every wolf… except me. At eighteen, the age when most wolves found their fated mates, I stood alone, untouched by fate, while others clung to their mates with a joy I could only watch from the sidelines. Not even the threads of destiny had found a match for me. Whispers had already started to ripple through the crowd. I could feel their eyes—curious, pitying, and worse, judgmental. The shame of going unmated at a ceremony like this... it hadn't happened in generations. I was now that wolf, the one they'd speak about in hushed tones. The disappointment. The cursed. Just as I was preparing to slip away and lick my wounds in silence, a shadow fell over me. “Little-angel,” a deep voice drawled behind me. I stiffened. I didn’t need to turn to know who it was—Stone-heart. He stopped beside me, arms crossed like he owned the world. “Looks like you and I are in the same boat,” he said, his voice annoyingly smooth. “No mate. Maybe it’s not just coincidence. Maybe we’re... meant for each other.” The air around us seemed to still, but instead of the rush of hope I should have felt, all I tasted was bitterness. I turned my head slightly to glance at him, his sharp jaw set in confident arrogance, eyes gleaming with self-satisfaction like always. Stone-heart—the pack’s golden boy. Boastful. Rude. Everything had always been about him. His victories. His strength. His future. The words came before I could stop them. “I’d rather stay unmated forever than end up with someone like you.” I didn’t wait for his reaction. I turned on my heel, the dry leaves crunching beneath my feet as I walked away from him, from the ceremony, from the eyes that couldn’t look away. But his voice chased after me, low and sure. “One day, you’ll be mine, Little-angel. Be sure of it.” I didn’t turn back. I couldn’t. I walked away, keeping my spine straight, but my heart was already beating too fast, not from his words, but from the panic rising in my chest. By the time I got home, the celebration drums were long gone, replaced by the heavy silence I carried inside. The ache in my chest had sunk deeper—part shame, part frustration. My mother was waiting for me by the fire, her eyes soft with understanding. She saw it in my eyes before I even spoke and she opened her arms, and I fell into them, finally allowing the tears to spill. She wrapped her arms around me without a word, pulling me into her familiar warmth. “My little moonbeam,” she murmured, gently running her fingers through my hair. “Don’t cry. Not being chosen doesn’t mean something’s wrong with you. It might mean... you’re meant for something different.” I sniffled. “Different how?” She pulled back slightly and slid the fabric from my right shoulder, revealing the pale silver mark I always tried to hide. Shaped like a crescent moon, it shimmered softly under the lantern light. “If I’m right,” she said, eyes shining, “that mark... it could be the Moonmark. No one’s seen it in over a hundred years. They say it only appears on wolves destined for something greater—or for someone not of this world. The legend says it glows when you meet your true mate.” My gaze dropped to the mark, my heart thudding. Could that be why I wasn’t chosen? Why fate seemed to skip over me? I shook my head. “The Moonmark? That’s just an old story, Mama.” She cupped my cheek. “Some stories are born from truth, little one. The Moon Goddess doesn’t make mistakes.” But I turned away. I didn’t care about marks or destiny. Not now. Not when all I felt was shame. . She said nothing more, just held me until the fire died low and sleep crept over my thoughts. But the next morning, before I could face the weight of gossip and pointed stares, the pack was shaken by something far greater than my failed mating. The alpha was dead. They said he had been ill for moons, too weak to attend the ceremony and offer his blessing. And during the night, his strength gave out at last. Whispers replaced the laughter of the newly mated. Grief echoed louder than gossip. And in the silence that followed... something in me stirred. As our customs required, three days after the the burial of the Alpha, the pack must gather for the Rite of Ascendancy—a sacred ceremony where the Moon Goddess revealed the wolf worthy to lead. No one could refuse the summons. Every wolf, from elder to pup, had to attend. It was our way. The old must be mourned, and the new must rise under the watch of the moon. The clearing was transformed. Where there had once been joy and laughter during the mating ceremony, now stood rows of silent wolves, heads bowed in respect. At the center, a wide circle marked with ancient runes glowed faintly beneath the moonlight. The Elders stood around it, chanting prayers as the sacred fire was lit, its silver-blue flames l*****g the sky. Each male of age was called to step into the circle one by one, placing their right hand on the Stone of Trial. It was said that the Goddess herself judged their worth. Only the chosen would emerge with the mark of ascension—an ethereal flame dancing over their chest, the symbol of her blessing. I stood near the back, arms folded tightly around myself, hoping the ceremony would pass quickly. But when Stone-heart’s name echoed through the clearing, a hush swept over the crowd. He walked forward with his usual swagger, chin high, shoulders squared like the role already belonged to him. He stepped into the circle, pressed his hand to the stone—and the fire flared. A gust of wind shot through the clearing as silver flames erupted over his heart. The Elders gasped. The mark of ascension burned bright against his skin. The crowd broke into howls and cheers, voices raised in celebration. The Moon Goddess had spoken. Steel-fang was our new Alpha. It was like the world held its breath, then exhaled in the wrong direction. Of course it was him. Arrogant. Entitled. Powerful. This would only feed his ego more. He was already insufferable as a warrior. As Alpha? He would be unbearable. His eyes scanned the crowd, and when they landed on me, a slow, knowing smirk pulled at his lips. Like he already believed I was part of his destiny too. I turned away, heart pounding. No. Not him. Not ever. But deep down, I knew things were about to change—and not in ways I could control. Barely a day had passed since Steel-fang was crowned Alpha when two of his warriors arrived at our doorstep. Clad in ceremonial armor and draped in the silver-blue colors of the Alpha's line, they stood tall, imposing, and proud. Between them, they carried a chest lined with velvet and filled with gifts—jewels, fine silks, and a silver necklace shaped like a wolf’s fang. They didn’t even need to speak. The intention was clear. A proposal. But not from him. Of course not. Stone-heart was far too proud, too important now to dirty his boots with something as humble as asking for a hand in person. Instead, he sent his emissaries like a king dispatching orders to his subjects. And worse, Storm-gaze, my father accepted. He didn’t hesitate. He didn’t consult me. He bowed his head solemnly and said, “Tell your Alpha... our daughter is honored.” My breath caught, fury and disbelief colliding in my chest. As soon as the door shut behind them, I turned to him. “You agreed without even asking me?” He didn’t flinch. “I didn’t need to ask. He’s Alpha now. Refusing him would bring shame—or worse, danger—upon us.” I stepped forward. “But he’s everything I hate, Papa. He’s arrogant, self-absorbed, he—” He raised a hand, silencing me. “Enough. You’ll marry him. That’s final.” I stared at him, stunned. He had never spoken to me like that before. I stormed to my room and slammed the door, but it did nothing to shut out the helplessness rising inside me. Later that night, Mama came to me. She sat on the edge of my bed, brushing a hand over my hair like she used to when I was little. “I know this isn’t what you wanted, my little moonbeam,” she said softly. “He’s everything I despise,” I whispered. “He’s the worst kind of wolf, and I’m supposed to share my life with him?” Mama sighed. “You’ll get used to it. Sometimes the things we hate soften over time. And sometimes, the sides we don’t see at first... surprise us.” I looked away, biting my cheek to keep from snapping. She continued, her tone gentler. “You’re both unmated, and the Goddess didn’t pair you during the ceremony. That means you’re free to choose. And this union—Stone-heart’s wife? You’d be the Luna, the Alpha’s mate. Respected. Powerful. No one would dare pity you then.” I turned my face away. “What about the mark?” I asked quietly, pulling down the fabric on my shoulder just enough to reveal the silver crescent gleaming in the candlelight. “What if it’s the Moonmark?” She hesitated—just for a breath—but I felt it. “I could be wrong,” she finally said. “Maybe it’s not the Moonmark. Maybe you’re holding out for a fantasy while real life passes you by. Don’t waste your life waiting for someone who may never come. This... this is a future many would envy.” I said nothing. What was there to say? She kissed my forehead and smoothed a hand over my hair. “Get some sleep, little moon. Tomorrow will be a busy day.” Then she left me in silence, her words lingering like smoke. But I had already made up my mind. If my life was a story the Moon Goddess was writing, then this wasn’t the ending she meant for me. No matter what my father said. No matter how loud the world shouted yes— My heart screamed no. I would not be his prize. I would not be his possession. I would flee. Before the moon rose again, I would be gone. "But what I didn’t know was that running would lead me straight to the one I was truly meant for…”