A Devotion to Purity (The True Luna Series Book 2)

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Jasmine

I’m eighteen. Have been eighteen for the last two months now. My best friend since we were babies, Joseph, just turned eighteen yesterday and we’re not fated mates. I cried rivers, so beside myself. This is crazy since we’ve made so many plans together for our pack. Joseph is the Beta’s son and I’m the Alpha’s daughter, I’m my parents’ only child. My mom and dad didn’t mind that they only have one child, and a girl at that, hoping that Joseph and I are fated mates. Everybody was hoping that he would take the position as the Alpha, replacing my dad, ruling the pack with me.

See, Joseph and I are not only best friends since we were babies, our parents too have always been loyal to each other, with his father being the Beta of our pack. Now that we know that we’re not fated mates, things become confusing. Our parents will not force us to marry, to be each other’s chosen mate, at least not in this early stage of our lives. People are encouraged to have a chosen mate after waiting for at least five years.

That’s pretty much the norm when it comes to werewolves. If someone has waited for over five years and still hasn’t found their fated mate, they can assume that the mate has died or lives too far away to reach each other. The thing is, Joseph and I are a bunch of teenagers, to choose each other as mates now would be wrong. You can say that we go against the Moon Goddess’ wishes since we haven’t explored all the possibilities presented to us out there. Our fated mates might be someone a year or two younger, our junior in high school, or someone from a different pack. At this point, there is nothing we can do but wait.

Joseph and I are high school sweetheart and we have kissed a few times but haven’t gone further than that. I promised him my virginity after we confirm that we are each other’s fated mate. Now, however, I’m glad that I have waited. Sure, I was curious about s*x like any girls would, but not that curious.

I don’t know what to do now, I don’t know how we’re going to face each other at school tomorrow. I haven’t seen him since yesterday when we found out. I was too disappointed I ended up running, leaving him and everybody else behind in his house. I went straight to my room and haven’t left since. My bedroom has a bathroom attached to it so I don’t have to get out for anything but food and drink. I’m just happy that people have been so understanding, they have been leaving a tray of food by the door. I mean, I’m a teenager, I’m always hungry.

Our love is confusing, the truth is. He’s such a wonderful boy, always kind to me and other people. He’s taught me a lot even though he’s two months younger than me. You wouldn’t know that he doesn’t have Alpha’s blood just by seeing him. He’s big and strong like most Alphas. He’s 6’0 and quite ripped for a high school student, probably because he does a lot of sports in school. He’s our high school’s quarterback, by the way. That guy has got a lot of things going for him.

Joseph and I also share the same great love for our pack. We spend days just lying on the meadow, imagining about things that we would improve once we lead our pack. All the good things we can do. Our relationships have been easy, we are loved and supported by the whole pack, not just our parents. We both are young and ambitious, in a good way, there is no reason not to support us.

Moreover, we are going to MIT for college, both on scholarships. Yep, we’re that smart. People often call us two nerds since we’re both savvy when it comes to technology. The plan was to share an apartment together, studying together, while at the same time being in love with one another. But now, I don’t know what to do. The truth is, I was also accepted at NYU and didn’t even bother write a rejection letter, I may still get in if I hurry.

There’s a knock on the door, follows by a soft voice of my mother. I exhale. I’ve been cooped up in my room for more than twenty-four hours now, I probably should start letting people see my face again. They need to know that I’m not dead, yet.

“Jasmine,” my mom says in a soft voice belongs to any moms. “Baby, can you open the door, please?”

I wipe my face from the residual tears and walk towards the door to open it. She smiles when she sees me but she looks sad as well.

“Oh, honey,” she says, while hugging me. “I’m so sorry. But this is not the end of the world, baby. I promise.””

I hug her back, loving the warmth that comes from her body. “Oh, mom,” I say, crying again. This is so frustrating. “I don’t know what to do now.”

My mom walks me back to my bed and sits there beside me. “You do whatever you have to do, baby,” she says, wiping the tears off my face. “We’ll be with you every step of the way. The truth is baby, this is also our fault.”

My eyes widen. “What?” I ask, couldn’t believe what I just heard. “How’s that your fault?”

My mom sighs. “We’re too confident,” she says. “We’re relying too much on that possibility and convincing ourselves that it would be a reality. And that’s just wrong.”

“But who’s going to be the Alpha after dad?” I ask. “Our pack is too traditional; they will not let me be the Alpha.”

“See, that’s the problem, though,” my mother points out. “We’re so ahead of ourselves, we didn’t give the chance for the Moon Goddess to present you with the possibilities that are out there. We’re too focused on you and Joseph. You should still go for college and perhaps find your fated mate there, baby. Who knows, this guy might just be better than Joseph. Baby, you owe it to yourself to see to it.”

I can’t say anything, but my mother is right. “I suppose we can still go,” I speak after a while. When I see my mom nods, I get a bit more excited. “Joseph and I can continue with the plan and study hard. After five years, if we both still haven’t found our fated mates, we can just become each other’s chosen mate.”

My mom becomes pale. “Oh, baby,” she says. She looks heartbroken for me. “Oh, my love.”

Now I’m worried. “What’s the matter mom?” I ask, shaking, somehow. “Please tell me.”

It takes my mom a while but she answers. “Joseph has found his mate, baby,” she says, her eyes well up. “After you left his house, a couple of your friends from school came late to the party. One of them turned out to be his fated mate.”

That’s it. My whole universe has come crushing down around me, I can’t even cry anymore. I won’t set foot in school anymore. “Who?” I ask, my voice is nothing but a whisper.

“Alison,” my mom answers.

“Alison,” I repeat. Alison is such a sweet girl, a complete opposite of me. I’m a tomboy who likes to fight and bark order, while she’s a china doll who likes to play musical instruments. I’m fierce while she’s fragile. Joseph and I used to make fun of her a lot, well, I used to make fun of her a lot, Joseph just played along. If I got too crazy, he would tell me to stop. And I would, because he always knew what was right. Joseph would let me get away with my antics until it got too much. He then would ask me to stop, which I would, most of the time.

Joseph knew how to control me since we were children, that was why our parents thought that we would end up being fated mates. How wrong. Had he, had he been in love with Alison all this time and just kept it a secret? Maybe, all this time he was just forcing his love towards me. Like me, he only thought of what was best for our pack. He loved our pack so much he was willing to sacrifice his true feelings. Now I feel beyond embarrassed. I used to bully his fated mate. Although, in all fairness, I used to bully people in general. Not just her.

“Alison is also going to Massachusetts for college,” I say, tears start to fall again. “Oh, mom. I can’t go there now.”

“I know, baby,” my mom says. “You don’t have to, though. You haven’t rejected NYU, right? You can still go there but we need to do it soon.”

“I don’t have a scholarship there,” I argue. “I may take a gap year and backpack around Europe.”

My mom laughs. “Sounds like a good idea,” she says. “But you do realize that you don’t have to worry about tuition, right? We have the money and you are our only child.”

Of course, we don’t have to worry about the money, my parents are rich and our pack is one of the biggest packs inside the Northernland Kingdom, although not the biggest. I think the Northern Blue Pack is the biggest. They are also the farthest, like bordering Canada. Our pack, the Northern Stream, borders with one of the packs that pledged allegiance to another kingdom. So, location wise, we’re very important. We are the last line out there. If we’re attacked and lose, the other kingdom’s warriors could come into the Northernland without a hitch.

Cool, right? That is why, we always have warriors from the kingdom stationed in our pack. The safety of the whole kingdom is the top priority, therefore must not be compromised.

My dad is okay with having the kingdom’s warriors in our land. As an Alpha, he’s not weak, far from it. He’s strong and fierce, and the Alpha King of the Northernland Kingdom acknowledges that. But our position is too strategic, so my father cannot be selfish. If something happens at the border which he cannot handle, things can escalate fast. That situation can jeopardize the security of the whole kingdom, not just our pack. Enemies can sneak in through our pack’s territory. With the kingdom’s warriors at the border, the responsibilities of that scenario ever take place will not be solely fall under my dad’s shoulders.

Our pack is key, therefore a strong leader is important. Now you understand why it will be difficult for people to have a female as their Alpha. If our pack is just any other packs inside the Northernland Kingdom, they might overlook it. They might accept me as the female Alpha. If I’m not mistaken, so far in our kingdom’s history, there have been only six female Alphas. All came from smaller packs, with convenient locations close to the kingdom.

Convenient, however, is not the adjective to describe our pack’s location. We’re strategic and crucial. Therefore, when it comes to our pack, the other adjective that we can’t use is negligent. Having a female for an Alpha, will be considered as such. Not only for the pack, but also for the whole kingdom.

I can be a Luna. But I’m determined to be one of the strongest Lunas ever, since I am very strong. I’m one of the best young warriors in the pack. I know that it may not seem like it since I’ve been bawling my eyes out. The truth is, I wasn’t only heartbroken for myself. I was heartbroken for my pack as well. Joseph and I are perfect for each other since we’re both strong, fierce, and smart. The future of our pack will be bright if we lead it. Now that Joseph can no longer be the Alpha, I can’t imagine what’s going to happen to our pack.

In all honesty, my love for Joseph is not a hundred percent romantic. It was noble. I was being noble and I loved it, it made me feel valuable for my people. Joseph is a wonderful man, someone I know all my life, and that is enough for me. Our people don’t need us to be romantic, they need us to be solid. And we are. Ups, sorry. I meant, and we were. Now, my future is unclear, and therefore, the future of my pack is unclear as well. And since our pack serves as the last line for our kingdom, the future of the whole kingdom too, is now, unclear. Darn it!

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