Luna’s Mate Bond

Chapter 2

~Megan’s POV~

I always thought that the chance of me meeting my mate was very slim, unless they’re a member of this pack, and I definitely didn’t want one of these degenerates to be my mate! Surely the moon goddess wouldn’t be cruel enough to pair me with one of my abusers, right?!

“I think we’re safe on that one, I can’t feel or smell our mate so I don’t believe he’s part of Skyridge Pack! Maybe we will meet him at the ball tomorrow?”

I had gotten a big surprise when, for some unknown reason, the Alpha demanded that I go to this years mate ball, which incidentally he is hosting! Usually he tries to make sure I stay hidden, especially from guests. And we only ever have guests from his closest allied packs! I’ve spent the last week stuck in the ballroom single-handedly preparing EVERYTHING for the stupid event since Blake gave the order. He gave me a ridiculously long list of things to arrange and order, and that’s on top of the already huge list of chores I have to do on a normal day! I’ve also been making my own gown as I definitely won’t get the privilege of buying one like every other she wolf in the pack!

“Great birthday!”

I mutter to Lilly as I roll my eyes to myself while forcing myself out of bed. I give my dull, dark red hair a quick brush and throw it up in a messy bun without even looking in the mirror. I don’t need to see my bruises, too lean figure and the dark circles around my sunken eyes.

“I’ve got that much to do before the ball I probably won’t be finished until tomorrow morning! Especially since Margaret decided to be a childish brat and messed up everything I had already arranged in the ballroom yesterday!”

I continue grumbling as I get dressed, heading upstairs from my tiny dank room in the basement to get started on my colossal list of chores for the day.

Margaret is a she-wolf from our pack who has majorly had it out for me for years now, she truly seems to despise me, although I have no idea why. Maybe she is just so unhappy within herself that she needs to find someone to take it out on, and obviously everyone thinks I’m the weakest link in the pack!

She’s currently dating my brother Kaleb too. After neither of them found their mates at last years ball they decided to get together for the “season.” Margaret has actually been old enough to find her mate for 5 years now but it hasn’t happened yet. Her and Kaleb are perfect for each other if you ask me, but apparently the moon goddess doesn’t agree as she didn’t make them mates. This will be Kaleb’s 4th year looking for his mate too.

Although I didn’t see Margaret mess up the ballroom I know it was her, it’s just her style and she left her trademark rude and ugly notes all over the room for me to find. I must say her actions and notes match her horrible, nasty personality. Thanks to her childish vandalism I am so behind! I was up until early hours of this morning cleaning up the mess she made until I got in trouble for keeping the other pack members awake with the noise I couldn’t help but make. I’ve only had a couple hours sleep at best because I sure as hell don’t want to be late having breakfast ready for everyone!

I could feel my anxiety kicking in as I started to become overwhelmed thinking about the gargantuan task I had ahead of me, I have to have the ballroom perfectly presented in less than 36hours to avoid another beating from Blake!

“Breathe Megan, just take it one task at a time.”

Yes, you’re right Lilly, one at a time. Focus Megan. Breathe.

“We should sneak out for a run later, it will make both of us feel better.”

“I’m sorry Lilly but I don’t think we’re going to have time, plus you know how painful shifting still is for me because we don’t get to do it often enough. I really don’t feel up to enduring that today even if the reward is worth it in the end.”

“What about during the ball tomorrow? We should have time and an opportunity to escape from Blake once he’s drunk? Surely we only have to show our face for a little while?”

Hmmm… Blake did tell me to stay out of everyone’s way. I don’t even know why he wants me to attend the ball, as far as I’m aware no one outside of Skyridge knows I’m his daughter, or that he even has one. Maybe we’ll be able to sneak off at some point. Blake has drank himself stupid every day since Mum left and I doubt tomorrow will be an exception! It’s also highly unlikely that I’ll meet my mate.

I’m not even sure if I want to meet my mate. Blake is adamant that my mate will reject me if I ever find him. No one will ever want an ugly and useless servant girl like me. Memories of his tirades ring in my mind “You’re a worthless mutt! So ugly and weak that no one will ever want you!” He has repeated things like that to me so often that I have begun to believe them myself.

“You’re wrong Megan, you are beautiful, we’re beautiful! Inside and out! Our mate will love us and treat us right, that’s how mates are supposed to be! It would take a horrible person to reject their goddess given soulmate! Mates are sacred and we’re always paired for a reason, who in their right mind would throw such a gift in the goddess’s face?”

Lilly still holds enough hope for both of us, I hope she’s right. Otherwise we will have to go through with our plan to run away and become a lone wolf, once we finally work out an effective way of masking our scent. Everything I’ve tried so far hasn’t been good enough…

“MEGAN! Get your lazy carcass down these stairs! NOW! You filthy mutt!”

Blake’s angry voice booms through the pack house making me shiver in fear.

“Yes Sir, I’m coming.”

I reply as I drop the broom and hastily make my way down the stairs. I don’t want to keep him waiting, the longer he waits the angrier he gets! Last time he beat me so badly it took me 2 days to heal, which is a lot with werewolf healing! Even the pack doctor couldn’t do much to help my broken ribs. Dr Allison is so used to me coming in beaten and bloody that she keeps a special room open for me at all times. At least she is nice to me, the only person in the pack who is. She can’t help me anymore than patching me up though, I guess I’m lucky she is allowed to do that much.

I peer down the stairs ahead of me and spot Blake waiting impatiently, his normally blue-grey eyes were black and his face contorted in anger beneath his beard, as is usual when he has anything to do with me. Seeing how angry he is already I quicken my pace even further down the final steps.

“You stupid girl! How dare you make me wait for you?! You come immediately when I call you!”

SLAP!

“I’m sorry, I was…”

SLAP!

I feel tears threatening to spill from my eyes as my body reacts involuntarily to the stinging of his slaps. I can already feel a red welt forming on my cheek. Lilly was howling in my head, livid that Blake dared to hit me again. She was so angry she almost pushed to the surface and took over my body to fight back.

“Do you think you can get away with being lazy because it’s your birthday?! Think again! We have important guests coming from other packs and you better have everything ready for them, including lunch!” Blake seethes, his broad shouldered body towering over my tiny frame even though he isn’t actually that tall, especially for a male werewolf.

Wait… holy crap! He actually remembers it’s my birthday?! So strange, he hasn’t remembered any other year? Is it because it’s my 18th? He continues to rave on whilst I’m distracted contemplating this revelation, I just nod occasionally and say “yes sir!” automatically.

I was so distracted that I didn’t see his hand flying towards me again…