LUNA’S MATE: A True Mate Bond

Elena's POV I took a deep breath of fresh air. The air was clean, the flowers were in blossom and, although I was dirty and grimy, nature did not mind. I picked a few wildflowers whose sweet scent filled the air and infiltrated my nostrils. It was nice to be out of the house. My stepmother had locked me up in the basement for a week with only water and dry bread. There was no means of escape and I alternated between looking at the boxes of stuff she dumped down here and talking to the mice that shared the small enclosed space with me. I felt delusional and my wolf felt even weaker. Usually, she made her opinions strong in the back of my mind, but I could not even feel her anymore. So, this morning, the basement door swung open and stayed open. I ran out to revive my dulled spirits and replenish my wolf. In the process, I forgot to take a bath. Currently, I was strolling through the park, sniffing at the flowers and generally basking in the feel of the sun on my grimy skin. As it was a popular place, I received a lot of stares that did not faze me even a bit. The females whispered and pointed at me, no doubt saying unpleasant remarks. No one had dared to say it to my face and I preferred it that way. The male werewolves, however, just stared. I recognized most of them and I was used to them. But there was a man in dark shades.I hadn't come across him before. He had an intense stare and carried himself like someone of importance. Now, I felt super conscious of his stare so I pretended not to notice till I got to the edge of the forest. I tried to summon my wolf but she was too weak. I heard a whimper in the back of my mind. “Water.” I walked into the forest to the crystal lake that flowed along the borders of other pack lands. I looked at myself in the calm and transparent water, seeing my own reflection.An oval face filled with wide almond eyes shielded by thick lashes with a small nose and pink pouty lips stared back at me. I drank as much of the water as my tired self could take and then proceeded to wade in to clean myself up a bit. My wolf now revived, I changed to my wolf form, wincing a little from the pain. It still hurt a little to change to my wolf form because I didn't do it as regularly as I was meant to. I ran a few laps around the place, before deciding that I had had enough exercise and freedom. I went back to the house. My stepmother was meant to be at work. I would cook and clean up before she got back. When I got home, however, she was sitting at the table, tapping her painted nails rapidly, indicating that she was waiting impatiently for me. I greeted her before hurrying to start doing the chores. “Let the dishes be.” She said in her chilly tone.For a minute I thought she was going to send me back to the basement again and fear gripped my insides. No. She could not be this cruel. I launched into an impromptu string of pleas. “Please, ma. I promise I just went for a run. I promised I would get the chores done in no time. Just please don’t.” I was cut off by a thundering “Silence.” Tears filled my eyes as I expected the worst. Perhaps this time she may starve me completely. I bent my head to the ground, expecting the usual scolding or even a beating in rare cases. A shadow clouded my vision and I waited for the incoming slap. Instead, a hand tilted my chin upwards. The man I saw earlier in the day studied me, musing to himself about my state. What was going on? He groped my boobs, measuring them , to which I flinched and stepmother glared at me. For the rest of the bizarre examination, I tried to stay still. After moments of silence, he stepped away. “She would do I suppose. Say your goodbyes and let’s leave. Leave your rags behind.” He walked away, slamming the front door with a slam that rattled the small house. “Well, behave yourself. Good luck on this journey.” My stepmother said mysteriously. I am feeling a heightened level of confusion. “What’s going on?” “Oh, you'll just stay with him for a little while.” She explains, patting my hair down. She never does that. She must really be happy. I was lucky my life was not a full Cinderella story. At least I didn’t have any evil stepsisters. I did not think I would survive that. I waved my stepmother bye and entered the waiting car. I stared out the window at the passing houses and people. The main town was a pretty sight. My stepmother and I lived at the outskirts of the town although she was a Beta and went into the main town every day. It was almost a different place altogether. I admired the really tall buildings and fancy malls. Suddenly, the car pulled to a stop at one of the fancy malls, La De Croix. The man spoke with a receptionist who smiled so much I wondered if her cheeks didn’t hurt. Soon, I was ushered into a hot bath, scented with bath bombs. I could literally fall asleep here. My skin had never felt cleaner and I had never felt this relaxed. Next, they did my makeup and hair. I looked different. My hair had been curled and my eyes were popping with bright neutral colors. I had to be done, so I walked around looking for Mr….. I didn’t even know his name. The ever smiling receptionist intercepted me and explained that he said I should get a new dress. I picked the dress that reminded me of my favorite Disney princess. When I was positive everything was done, the receptionist took pictures. Her next words almost had me running. “You would be the star of your wedding tonight. Congratulations and happy married life.” “What?”