Lunar Eclipse

Chapter Thirteen

(Annette’s POV)

        “Honey I think you should take the rest of the day off. Go home, rest. I will talk with Cajetan and get back to you tomorrow morning.” Randve rubbed my back still trying to comfort me. Mutely I nodded, taking my vest off I handed it to Prudence. What they must think of me, a strong woman, warrior all but ten minutes ago but the second I found out my mate might die I fall to pieces.

        I was too absorbed in my thoughts, my own internal monologue to notice that I had been walking on auto pilot and had made it to my house.

        Soren, his name was Soren and he was perfect, I had never found myself as attracted to one wolf as I was with Soren. He had barely looked at me but I wished he looked at me and only me for the rest of my life. But he might be criminal, he could have done something so horrible that another pack felt the need to go to war with his pack.

        Why hadn’t the council intervened before? If he had really committed a crime so bad that a pack went to war wouldn’t the Goddess get involved too? Why would she let so many of her children die in a pointless war? Wasn’t that why she created the council? To prevent such wars from happening?

        The Goddess wouldn’t be so cruel to give me a mate than have him be killed would she?

        “What does it matter you didn’t want our mate to begin with!” Gia was growling in her head, her animosity directed towards me.

        “I know I didn’t but now that I have seen him, heard his voice I am starting to feel differently” I sadly admitted, it was true I was so adamant about not having a mate but I felt the bond. Soren had been hurt enough, if he is innocent than he has been through serious trauma and I didn’t want to cause him anymore pain.

        Losing my mother, family and friends would break me mentally and Soren was still functioning, asking for help from us and we throw him in a cell. I rubbed my face with my hand furiously. A hand grabbed my wrist and I let out a startled scream.

        “Annette I have been calling you for a couple of minutes, you weren’t answering, or even acknowledging me” my mom cupped my face kindly, concern evident on her face.

        “I uh found my mate today.” My voice sounded so hoarse, like I had been crying for some time.

        “What! Honey that is great! Who is he?” mom smiled at me happiness overwhelming the concern until she noticed that my expression did not change, concern edged back into her expression before worry took its place.

        “He is um… uh… a r-rouge. Alpha Cajetan put him in the cells, h-he is to go before the council. To prove his i-innocence” my voice cracked on and off.

        “Prove his innocence? For what?” She grabbed my hands “Come up to the house, I will make you something to drink. You should not be alone.” My mother pulled me to my childhood house where she sat me down at the kitchen table and poured me some hot tea with honey.

        “Soren was part of the White Woods Pack. Alpha Cajetan put him in the cells because he doesn’t know if he is innocent for the takeover of the pack by Blood Moon” all emotion was gone from my voice as I stared at my cup of tea. If I looked at my mom’s kind eyes I would fall apart, my emotions would flow out with no stopping them.

        “Honey I know he is your mate but Alpha Cajetan made the right decision” I nodded, the Alpha did. He did what he thought would protect us all, he had the law to obey if he didn’t it would put us all at risk.

        “I know that he did but that doesn’t mean I am not worried about Soren mom. He has gone through so much, losing his family, his pack like that and we put him in a cell. Soren deserves compassion and help. He probably didn’t have any kind of professional help while he was a rouge to deal with his emotional and mental trauma.” I had been so focused on Soren that I forgot he had a companion from the same pack who probably was going through the same thing with no professional help.

        “Yes that is true he probably hasn’t had help, once he is cleared he will get all the help he needs. Cajetan will make sure that he is taken care of but he has to follow the law first. Randve will make sure that he is offered a place here to spend with you” Mom reached out and held my hand squeezing it reassuringly.

        Talking with mom had helped and I knew what she said was true. Randve had already said that she would let me see him before he goes off to the council. My mind had been totally consumed with worry about Soren but at my mother’s words I started thinking of a life here in the pack with him.

We had a family, two girls and a boy who looked exactly like Soren. We were happy, my sister’s families were there, Alma was with her twins and Freyja met her mate, had a pup too. But I had to ask mom one questions before I could let all my heart believe in that fantasy.

“Mom, did you ever regret meeting dad? Mating with him?” whispering out my question I looked at her for her reaction. Her hand went up to her neck where my father’s mark still resided. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath in and deep breath out before answering.

“In the first days after I lost Killigan honestly I did regret it, the pain hurt so much. But with the help of the doctors, therapists, and our Luna I remembered all the good times, the love that we had shared. Without Killigan I would not have my lovely girls and all of our happy memories that we shared. The time that all of us were together were the happiest twenty plus years of my life.” A couple of tears spilled out of her eyes dripping into her drink.

“Your father would have been proud of all of us, especially you for being so being so strong then like I know you will be strong now.” I had to be strong then for my sisters and I had to be strong now for my mate.

My mind had been made, when Soren was pronounced innocent I would make that fantasy a reality.