Awaited Mate

Suspicion

—Clayton’s POV—

I watched as everyone except my family left the room. Vera and Liam stayed behind—they knew Scarlet would want them there. Once the door shut, I turned to my daughter. She was beautiful and strong, the kind of daughter any man would be proud of. I would give her anything and protect her with my life. But I was confused by the request she’d just made. Judging by the expressions on Vera and Liam’s faces, they were just as surprised.

“You have the floor, Poppy. What’s the issue?”

“Dad, I was talking to my wolf a moment ago… about me shifting with Liam at the ceremony.”

“So that’s why your eyes glazed over,” I said, nodding. “Figured as much. What’s her name, Squirt?”

Scarlet rolled her eyes at the nickname—she hated it—and replied, “Carly. I like her a lot. She makes things easier to understand.”

I stiffened. Carly. That name... Could it be? No, it couldn’t be the same wolf. But when I looked at Vera, I could see the worry and recognition on her face too. She was thinking the same thing. I tucked the thought away for now. We had more immediate concerns.

“What did Carly say?”

Scarlet looked nervous. “She said we cannot shift with Liam today.”

I wasn’t shocked. Knowing the kind of wolf she had, I figured as much the moment her eyes clouded when I mentioned the shift.

“Why not? Why doesn’t Carly want to shift with me?” Liam asked, clearly hurt.

“I don’t really know, and Carly doesn’t either. All she said was that we have to shift when our mate shifts—only then will we come into our powers.”

“But that doesn’t make any sense. You haven’t met your mate yet. And what powers?” Liam asked, confused.

“I asked the same thing. Carly said the Moon Goddess told her we’d know when it’s time. That when the moment comes, she’ll connect with our mate’s wolf subconsciously, and the shift will happen instantly.”

“The Moon Goddess?” Liam echoed, stunned.

Scarlet nodded solemnly.

I stayed silent. I knew the moment she said her wolf told her not to shift, there would be no convincing her otherwise. Even if Scarlet agreed, Carly wouldn’t allow it.

The real issue now was Liam. If he didn’t find his mate before or during the ceremony, the pack would expect Scarlet to act as Luna. But she couldn’t shift yet. If Liam didn’t find his mate, this was going to get complicated.

“Okay,” I said slowly. “I trust you—and Carly. But we need a solution before the ceremony. Liam needs a Luna beside him when he becomes Alpha. So either he finds his mate today… or we have a serious problem.”

I turned to Vera. “Thoughts?”

“I think we need to respect Carly’s wishes,” she said. “They’re from the Moon Goddess. We have no choice.”

“And if Liam doesn’t find his mate?” I asked. “Do we postpone the Alpha ceremony?”

“You know we can’t,” Vera replied. “The Chalice is already here. If we postpone, we’d have to explain to the King—and he can’t know about Scarlet. Not yet. She’s not ready.”

—Scarlet’s POV—

I’m not ready? What does she mean? Why shouldn’t the King know about me? What do I need to be ready for? Why are they so calm about Carly’s message? What are they keeping from me?

“Don’t shout, Scar,” Carly warned gently.

“Easy for you to say. At least you have some answers from the Moon Goddess. This is about me too, Carly. How can you expect me to just be okay with this?”

“Everything I know, you know,” she replied. “I’m not telling you to be okay. I’m telling you to trust. If our parents say we’re not ready, then maybe we’re not. Do you have any reason to distrust them?”

“No… of course not.”

“Then trust them. We’ll get the answers when the time is right.”

“Poppy, we need you here with us,” my dad said.

I blinked and returned to the conversation, leaving my internal spiral behind.

“Mom. Dad. What are you hiding from me?”

“Baby, trust us,” Mum said gently. “We’ll tell you when the time comes. It’s just… too early now.”

“Too much suspense,” Liam muttered, echoing my frustration.

“Son,” Dad said, “everything we’ve done was for the safety of our family and this pack.”

This was serious. Liam instinctively moved closer to me, ever the overprotective big brother. It actually made me smile. But the moment passed quickly as reality settled in. I had no doubt this had to do with the dream—the memory—and my parents knew more than they were letting on.

“Poppy, you don’t have to shift today unless you’re ready,” Dad said. “Liam, the other Alphas and their entourages will start arriving soon. Keep your eyes open for your mate. You know the bloodlines to watch.”

“And if I don’t find her today?” Liam asked. “What then?”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Scarlet, if it comes down to it, would you be willing to act as Luna even without shifting?”

“Of course,” I said, “but Carly’s full of surprises. She might object again at the last minute.”

“I can see that,” Dad said with a smile.

Carly rolled her eyes in agreement, but I could feel her approval.

“Let’s hope Liam finds his mate,” Dad said. “If not, Vera, would you continue as acting Luna? At least until we find our daughter-in-law—unless Liam wants to go with a chosen mate.”

Liam’s face twisted in pain. My heart broke for him.

“No!” I blurted. “Liam will wait. He’s waited this long—it’s not fair. Mum, you can do it, right? I’ll help any way I can. He can wait another hundred years if he has to!”

“Of course I can,” Mum said, cupping Liam’s face. “I don’t approve of chosen mates anyway.”

Liam exhaled in relief.

I noticed my dad looking at Mum thoughtfully. There was a flicker of pain in his eyes—but he understood.

“So it’s settled,” Dad said. “If Liam doesn’t find his mate today, Vera will act as Luna. And if that happens, we’ll throw a few more gatherings to help Liam find her. If he doesn’t find her within a hundred years, he’ll have no choice but to choose a mate for the sake of the Blue Oasis Pack’s future. And even then, she would need to accept the role willingly.”

Everyone nodded. The plan was set.

We exited the office, and I made my way to the floor below toward my room. Everyone else returned to their tasks—Dad to his office, Mum to hers, and Liam presumably back to the grounds to meet Wyatt.

But as soon as I stepped into my room, someone grabbed me from behind.

“You b***h. What are you keeping from me? Spit it out, Scar—and don’t leave out any of the juicy details.”