Denying Fate ( Moonlight Trials Series #1)

Chapter 10 – Birthday Surprises Pt 1

Chase’s POV

Karma was showering and getting ready for the day’s events. I wanted her 18th birthday to be truly special and had hoped the mate bond would be there when I woke her this morning. Obviously, it wasn’t there. I scratched my hand through my hair and sighed deeply. I knew she was my mate, the sparks were there, the intense feelings deep down. I loved her for years before I knew the mate bond was there, but things felt stronger now. I know she loves me, and she is definitely, definitely my mate, so why doesn’t she feel it?

The last few months I had been gathering as much information I could, without my father knowing, about this strange caretaker guy that Karma met. I couldn’t find anything. I had however, caught on that Karma had been doing her own research. I’d noticed the books she kept sneaking from the library and they made me extremely happy. I knew she wanted to reject this other guy and read she could do so quite easily. They had only met once to my knowledge so there wasn’t any attachment there and even if her wolf had formed a little attachment, it wouldn’t stop Karma from rejecting him.

I heard the shower stop and hoped she came out fully dressed, despite her not feeling the bond, we still had a few occasions over the last year that had come remarkably close to us “sealing our bond”. But we both wanted to wait. Wait until this madness was over and we were both of age.

“Chase, are you still in my room?” I head Kar shout from the bathroom, but her voice was giggly.

“Yes, I am!” I shouted, a little angrily, knowing she was teasing me. Before I could react further, she came out of the bathroom. I braced for her being naked, well, a towel there but she might as well be naked. She was wearing the most beautiful dress I had ever seen. I mean, I’d seen her mum making the dress and knew it was perfect but seeing it on was different.

“I wanted to try it on before anyone else saw me. I wanted you to be the first one to see me in it.” She smiled and walked towards me.

“You look…” I was lost for words, beautiful didn’t quite live up to how she looked right now. Her beautiful chalky blonde hair was almost sparkling. Her eyes looked like they were shining silver and her skin looked pearlescent. Was the dress doing this or the mate bond? Ace was growling seductively in the back of my mind, and I had to put a hand over my mouth to stop the sound from escaping. Karma had gone a faint red colour; she knew how I was reacting.

“I guess you like it then, huh?” She laughed playfully. I couldn’t hold back anymore, I grabbed her by the waist and pressed my lips into hers, hungrily wanting more. She grabbed me head and pulled me closer into her, pressing her body against me. My hand slipped down and caressed the netting at the back of the dress. Moving her hair aside I kissed down her neck, slowly approaching the place I would eventually mark her. I felt her shiver as I kissed the area. I wanted so much to just mark her here and now, make her know she was mine.

She feels the bond again. Ace said.

I know, this is why it is so confusing. I answered through our link.

Suddenly she pulled away and put her hands onto my shoulder. Her eyes had gone a dark grey colour and I knew her wolf was fronting.

“Kismet?” I asked cautiously.

“Yes Chase, you cannot mark us yet. We need to figure this out. We both love you but…”

“I know, I would never!” I answered. But she put her finger to my lips.

“I know, I just want to make sure Ace doesn’t take over, I know what that naughty beast is like” She said playfully, and Ace scoffed at the back of my mind. She giggled and moved away. Her eyes turned back to normal, and Karma looked at me confused. “What happened?” She asked. I looked at her confused as well, even if Kismet took over Kar should have still known what happened.

“Kismet came out to warn me about marking you…” I looked at her with a quizzical look. “Are you ok?” She shook her head.

“She blocked me from seeing that, why?” Karma looked like she was battling it out with Kismet. I walked over to her and wrapped my arms around her protectively.

“She’s just protecting you Kar. We still don’t know what’s happening with this mate malarkey. She wasn’t doing anything bad.” She looked up at me and smiled, but it was only a half-smile.

“I think I had better get changed…” She stumbled to her wardrobe grabbed sweats and headed to the bathroom without saying anything.

Well, that was weird! Ace said.

It sure was, can you block me without me knowing Ace? I asked, still as confused as earlier.

No, never without your permission. You know we can block each other but it’s kind of like an unspoken agreement. If Karma doesn’t agree to Kismet fronting, she shouldn’t be able to do it. Ace seemed genuinely confused.

Karma came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, her hair tied up in a ponytail, her cream and purple leggings and hoody on. She smiled and no longer seemed confused or worried. She grabbed my hand and smiled waiting for me to lead the way to start the events of the day.

Karmas POV

We headed down to the communal area together, everyone was there with gifts. My mum and dad had gushed over the dress and gave me heels and jewellery to match it. Aunt Leah and Alpha George gave me a beautiful bracelet that had the packs emblem on it. A silver rose surrounded by a moon. I put it on immediately which made Chase smile. I found that Chase had also bought me a lot more gifts. I was so moved that I started to cry when I unwrapped a picture of us from when we were around 4 years old. I recognised the photo from somewhere, but it seemed different. The picture was of me about 3 or 4 years old, Chase who would have been around 5. We were smiling at someone taking the photo but some of Chase’s body was cut out of the photo.

“I don’t remember this, Chase?” I said, looking at him, but it was Aunt Leah who chimed in.

“Oh, I do! It was the day we realised that you and Chase would end up together. You’d had a particularly bad argument that day with another pack member, I can’t remember what over, and Chase was there to defend your honour. The picture was taken after you all made friends again.” She laughed as did my mum and dad, but I couldn’t help but notice that Alpha George didn’t join in.

“I honestly don’t remember that.” I said but smiled and leaned into Chase. “But I love the picture of us, Thank you Chase.” He smiles down at me, and I can sense the love he has for me overspilling.

“We have another gift for you Karma” My mum says with Aunt Leah by her side. “Girls only!” She laughs looking at the guys before dragging me out of the room. Aunt Leah is practically jumping up and down on the spot whilst my mum seems to be holding back tears.

“What?!” I questioned as they dragged me up to Aunt Leah’s office and pushed me through the door. “Hey… oh...” My eyes opened wide as I noticed the beautiful dress hanging on a mannequin in front of Aunt Leah’s desk. It was fully white with tiny silver pearls around the neck and sleeves. The front was high necked, and the sleeves were long, white lace was hanging from the sleeves, creating a long dangling sleeve. The dress stopped at the floor and lace circled it creating a large train. I couldn’t hold back the tears, knowing exactly what the dress was for.

“For your Luna ceremony!” my mum said through tears.

“It’s beautiful…” was all I was able to say before both women grabbed me into a tight hug, causing my tears to gush over. I was a mess when we finished and both women were now crying with me.

“We know things aren’t always going to be easy, but you make Chase whole. No matter what happens you’re always his other half.” Aunt Leah said through her tears, but I knew she was hinting towards the fact I didn’t feel the mate pull. How did she know?

“You’ll be an amazing Luna sweetheart” my mum gushed before excusing herself to clean herself up. Aunt Leah grabbed me by the shoulders.

“I know you don’t feel the pull Karma, but just know it doesn’t matter. We know how much you love Chase and that is all that matters Kar. Chase idolises you and feels the pull and that’s what matters.”

“I do feel it! Just not all the time…” I said. She just nodded.

“Everything will work out…” A voice sounded from the door and Alpha George stood there. He looked at Aunt Leah and I could tell they were mind linking. “Can I speak to the birthday girl?” He smiled. I nodded but was worried. Alpha George was like an uncle to me and had always treat me as such. Aunt Leah rose to leave the room but not before hugging me tightly and glaring at her husband. She shut the door and left.

“Happy Birthday Karma!” Uncle George said walking towards the dress I had just been given. “You’re going to look amazing in this, I can’t wait until this evening when we announce you two as future Luna and Alpha!” He said, smiling sweetly.

“Thanks!” I smiled back, but I knew there was more he wanted to discuss. “I can’t wait to be with Chase for the rest of our lives, and I hope I’ll make him truly happy.” Alpha George stopped before perching himself on the edge of Aunt Leah’s desk and turning to me.

“There’s something I want to tell you Karma and I hope you’ll take everything I say very seriously.” I nodded, turning my face serious and slightly worried. “Me and your Aunt Leah aren’t true mates…” I gasped. I knew there was something off after overhearing their discussion, but I didn’t know what it was. “I had another mate, an omega from my pack. I didn’t know her, and we never spoke, she just served under my father. But Leah, I knew from being young, we grew up together and she was a Beta from a neighbouring pack. We were extremely close, and I grew to love her very deeply as she did me. When I turned 18, I felt the pull to her but not as much as I felt it towards my other mate.” He paused and looked me over, clearly waiting for a reaction.

I was reacting, my mind was all over the place. This is exactly what was happening to me! I loved Chase but the pull was pulling me towards Tracker, but I wasn’t going to let Alpha George know this, so he carried on when I didn’t react out loud. “When I spoke to my father, he made me realise how old fashioned the moon goddess’ mate principal was. I loved Leah with all my heart, so I rejected my official mate. She took it well, after all we didn’t know each other, and she continued to live in the pack. She grew up, found another man and had a son. Everything worked well until she started to lose her mind. Eventually she left taking her son with her, and we never heard from her again.”

“Ok…” I said when he paused for a long time.

“I’m telling you this because I know that you don’t feel the mate pull to Chase and I see myself in you. I don’t want you to reject Chase but if you’re going to feel the pull to this other guy at all you need to not hurt Chase.” I looked shocked for real this time.

“WHAT?!” I shouted. “I would never hurt Chase. I love him. I aim to reject the other wolf as soon as I meet him. I do feel the pull to Chase, just not as much as Tracker…” I realised what Id said and put my hand to my mouth.

“Tracker?!” Alpha George looked worried suddenly. “Is that his name? How many times have you met him?” I couldn’t tell him I’d met him a few times.

“Just the once in the woods when the rogue attacked me. He didn’t say we were mates and didn’t even take me on when I questioned him. He just told me to go home…” I trailed off. I felt hurt by that day, but I didn’t want to, I love Chase.

“And he told you, his name?” He sighed. “Please don’t hurt Chase, I love you like my niece Karma but he’s my son and the future alpha…” He stood to leave and opened the door. “He’s needed for the pack to carry on and if he gets hurt it hurts the pack, and… you’re only an omega…” He said staring into my eyes before leaving.

You’re only an omega…

The words played repeatedly in my mind. I am only an omega… Is that what he meant by the story, he rejected her because she was only an omega? Was he saying I should reject Chase to save him the pain? But I couldn’t, I loved him. The tears started to fall before I could stop them. I love Chase so much it hurts that I can’t feel the pull! I stood up, anger rising in me. I needed to find Tracker ASAP.

I ran out of Aunt Leah’s room and bumped into Chase who was standing outside the door holding a package.

“Are you ok?” He asked, looking over me. “I felt you being sad then it turned to anger. What’s going on?” I shook my head. I didn’t want to tell Chase what his dad had told me.

“I need some fresh air is all.” I said, shorter than I meant to. He tensed.

“Ok…” He said, looking me over again his face full of concern. “Can I come with you? I don’t want you peeking on your birthday surprise” I sighed as he winked.

“Of course, you can…” I couldn’t help but smile at him and grabbed his hand. He eased up at this. I needed to reject Tracker ASAP. I loved Chase so much. Id show Alpha George I wasn’t just an omega, I’m the future Luna.

“Oh, you have another gift that you didn’t open yet, it was in the pile with our parent’s stuff, but there’s no card on it so I assume it’s from your parents…” Chase handed me a gift wrapped in pain brown paper.