Delaying Destiny

1. No Other Choice

Orianna Reid

Orianna had been holed up in her apartment for weeks since her encounter with Ivan. His words replayed in her mind like a bad, catchy song.

No one gives two shits if you were dead or alive.

He was right, of course. She had been living like a ghost the past three years, birthdays and holidays passing like any other. And she was getting tired of the pity visits she would get from Luciana - endlessly jealous and resentful as her two pups crawled and screamed and cried around her. No matter how tired or annoyed she looked, there was always a foundation of peace and happiness in the Luna that Orianna could never have.

Orianna's wolf, Rose, sneered lazily, Stop wallowing already. Go do something for once in your sorry life.

Rose had been louder and more aggressive than Orianna had ever experienced. She had been suppressing her wolf for almost four years using that magical contraceptive she had been using as birth control. But with no more witches, no more reason to even be on birth control, the wolf had fully recovered and bounced back from her sedation.

They bickered constantly. But Orianna was often glad that she had someone to talk to.

What exactly am I supposed to do? Just leave?

Yes! Her wolf glared through slit amber orbs, stalking forward as if hunting, Leave. You are not marked as a rogue, what stops you from finding somewhere else to go? Make something of yourself? Start new?

Orianna usually ignored Rose when she spoke of such things. But this time, something seemed to shift within her. Maybe the only thing holding her back in Astral Twilight was the tiny hope that something would happen, that somehow she would be able to return to her normal life. But that was clearly not a possibility - as Ivan so gracefully put it.

With a renewed energy, in the dead of night, Orianna began packing her meager belongings. Living in solitary for three years dwindled her material possessions to a few articles of clothing and next to no personal belongings. She couldn't even fill her suitcase by the time she had picked her apartment to its bare bones.

With a defeated sigh, she sat down on the ground, her back against her bed. A bottle of cheap wine at her side as she took an unladylike swig. When she was drunk, Rose took a backseat, a hazy, annoying blob that groggily snapped at her. Orianna preferred it that way. But in this stupor, her flighty nature suddenly took hold, bringing her to her feet as she walked out of her apartment and into the forest. She left her half-packed bag, her door open as she didn't give her life a second thought, feeling like there was no other choice.

The northern forests of Astral Twilight territory was dense and went uninhabited for miles. It was actually an easy hiding spot for rogues, who lived in the mountains, away from any pack lands. Orianna walked in no particular direction, her sluggish pace and inconsistent swigs of wine making her look like a lumbering fool in the dark. 

Her bottle ran empty, falling to the ground. But she continued to walk, stumbling over the forest floor and crashing into tree trunks. 

She didn't know how long she was walking before she felt her consciousness drifting. But Rose had been getting used to her drunken stupor and pushed through. The woman shifted into her wolf form, the wolf stretching her legs for the first time in what felt like years. 

Anthony Mason Whittaker

The golden wolf glared at him fiercely, her eyes still hazy with sleep. Mason's heart beat wildly in his chest as he shifted back, standing bare in front of the she-wolf. She shifted as well, though in what seemed like surprise, like her wolf forced her out.

The woman who stood before him was the most beautiful he had ever seen. She was tall and slender, with smooth, soft skin and impossibly high cheekbones. Her hair fell just under her shoulders with amber brown eyes that looked like pools of honey, her lips full in the middle and sloped at the edges. Mason was amazed that he stayed so focused on her face, when her perfect body was displayed just underneath. 

But by the Goddess, her body was perfection. Her chest was small but perky, perfectly rounded and giving her an hourglass figure as they dipped into her tiny waist and then widened again at her ass. Mason was practically salivating at the sight as he openly stared at his mate.

His mate.

The woman stared, skeptical but clearly just as enticed by his presence as he was. Her gaze was haughty as she finally spoke, her words like music to his ears, "Who are you? Where am I?"

Mason cleared his throat, squaring his shoulders as he spoke, "You are in Whistling Winds territory, ma'am. I am Mason Whittaker, the Head Scout for the pack. Who are you?"

It took every ounce of strength not to jump her. He felt his member stiffening the longer he stood there. Mason was then acutely aware that he, too, was naked.

But she seemed complete oblivious to their physical situation, standing with her arms crossed over her chest in a position of annoyance as opposed to embarrassment, "Whistling Winds territory? That's all the way in eastern Nevada, right?"

He nodded, his concern slightly growing, "That's correct. Where did you come from?" It suddenly dawned on him that this may be the rogue that the Elders had been worried about. He was still a Scout above all and he had to consider the possibility that she was hostile.

"Astral Twilight pack, central California." Her shoulders fell a bit, doubt cast in her gaze, "I suppose it's possible Rose ran that far... geez." She shook her head, rubbing her temple with one hand.

"Astral Twilight?" Mason paused. Why did that pack name sound so familiar? Maybe he should pay attention more to town meetings. He finally asked, "You don't seem like a rogue. Do you maybe need a place to stay or something before going back to Astral Twilight?"

She hesitated before nodding, "Yeah, that'd be best."

Mason led her back towards the pack's main town. He passed by one of the scattered clothing bins that they had within their lands, pulling on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, handing a similar pair to the stranger. He had attempted to make conversation with her throughout their walk, but she gave little. Even as they arrived at his apartment, he couldn't even get her name.

She sat at his kitchen table, a cup of steaming coffee sitting in front of her as she stared out the window. Mason cleared his throat as he stared at her, fighting the urge to jump her and find out every single thing about her that he can. Did she not feel their mate pull the way he did? She seemed intensely distracted, fiddling with her hands as she wrung them constantly.

Mason sighed, trying to keep level as her overpowering scent filled his lungs, "If you won't tell me your name, will you at least tell me how you got here?"

She took up her cup of coffee, taking a long sip as she downed half its contents. Those amber honey pools steadied a bit as they turned towards him, blinking slowly. He felt her gaze scan his entire body, as if finally seeing him. She stiffened, seeing a visible change in her posture as she crossed her legs and cleared her throat, "I ran..."

"Why?" He urged her to continue.

She shook her head, the male wolf entranced by the way her hair fell about her shoulders as she responded, "I don't know. I guess I just needed to get out."

"Why?" He asked again, moving towards her to sit down.

She stiffened again, her eyes boring into him as she watched his every move, "I guess I just needed to get away from it all."

Mason sighed, clearly he wasn't getting anywhere. She was still wary of him, as she should be. But he wanted nothing more than to find out everything there was to know about her. And suddenly, he was determined to do so. After all, this was his second chance as well.