The Alpha and her Luna

My Future

I've always enjoyed traveling, and this isn't my first trip to Paris. My parents brought my siblings and I here a few years ago. This is a new beginning for me, and it's far from the life I left behind. My mother pulled some strings and got me into a prestigious culinary arts school in Paris. I don't know how I'm going to pay for the 2nd semester, but she promised to speak to the Luna about it as soon as I left.

When the plane touches down I step off and inhale sharply. Everything is arranged. I have lodging, and I start class on Monday morning. It's going to be rough, as I'll be joining in mid-semester, but I feel confident in my cooking abilities already.

I can't think about life back home, and I've made my family swear not to tell me anything about pack life. I want to know nothing about my mate and her chosen Alpha. I can't bear to watch her. I can't bear to even think of her with someone else. My family didn't understand, but I did. I left before she could reject me. She might have to choose someone else, but I'm not ready to lose my mate before I can even feel her.

This is Paris though, right? The city of love. New beginnings, right?

.........

2 years later

"You told me you loved me!" Clarisse screams at me as I rush to throw clothes in a suitcase.

"I do love you, but I just can't! You don't understand!" I know it was a risk, getting into a relationship with a human, and I knew that when I returned home I wouldn't be able to bring her with me, but she was so beautiful, and we shared a memorable year together before I graduated.

I want to stay in Paris, but my mother says the Alpha is simply not allowing it. They paid for my tuition and now they expect me to return home and work for it. After all, they should benefit from the fruit of my labors, shouldn't they?

It hurts to leave Clarisse behind, but it helps to know she isn't my true mate. My true mate is out there, and has probably chosen a mate by now. I'm steeling myself for her rejection even as I board the plane. I know it's coming, and I know it's going to hurt, but I've had 2 years to prepare myself for it. I can do this. I am stronger than I was then, even if I have been living amongst humans for the past 2 years.

When the plane touches down in Colorado there's snow on the ground. The airport is crowded, and I can hear the voices around me. My hearing is more sensitive than most, and after 2 years of listening to nothing but French the nasally sound of a child whining in English makes me wrinkle my nose. I sigh and shake my head. Home. This is home, and I'd rather be nearly any place than here.

It's not long before I'm attacked by what feels like a brick wall. I nearly fall over, but I've grown stronger over the past 2 years. I've been working out in the gym, and when my brother Brian meets my eyes I grin as I'm enveloped in two huge arms. "Sis! You're all grown up! Just wait til the boys get ahold of you!" I laugh and nod my head toward the conveyor belt holding the luggage.

"Go get my suitcase, you dolt. I'm ready to go home. I haven't had a good grilled eggplant since I left home. I don't know if it's mom's cooking, or dad's gardening, but it's just not the same. Never has been." He laughs and disappears into the crowd for a minute before returning with my suitcase.

"There's a pack meeting tonight. I know you just arrived, but we've been told everyone is to attend. That includes you. They say there's big news. Not sure what that is, but we'll find out together, huh Liv?" He grins and leads me through the airport to my dad's pickup. It doesn't take long before we're on the road back to pack lands. I have been away for the past 2 years, and even though I try not to think about it I can't stop thinking about my last few days here. I've shed far too many tears over those days, and I'm fairly certain they're dried up.