Moon Marked by the Goddess

Four

It's Friday night, and my 16th birthday. I'm spending it in the library studying for my history exam. I told my family I didn't want to do anything special. I've felt awful since the day I realized Jackson was my mate. He's gone out of his way to avoid me, and on the rare occasion we see each other he glares at me. I just want to spend the night curled up in bed under my blankets, so I can avoid these feelings everytime I see him.

I don't understand how someone can loathe the person the Moon Goddess made special for them. He will leave in a few weeks for alpha training with the council. Then hopefully the pain in my chest will lessen when I can walk around the pack without his death glares.

I close my textbook, 'History of Olisis 101.' I've spent the last 2 hours here reading over everything I've learned during the last year. Olisis is a beautiful world. There are currently 13 wolf packs, and 8 green witch covens spread throughout the 1 continent land mass. Though this book only covers the original 6 packs, and 5 covens.

In the beginning the Moon Goddess created the Rising Moon, Waxing Moon, Waning Moon, Blue Moon, Red Moon, and Eclipse Moons packs.

I live in the Eclipse Moon pack which is on the middle eastern coast. Our pack land has grown some and we have about 55 square miles of land. A lot of our land is forest, so our wolves have plenty of connection to nature, and we can run.

There is a green witch coven on our western boarder. They believe in the Moon Goddess like we do, but they were created to serve a different purpose. Though I'm not sure what that is. I'll learn more about the witches during my history class next year. I've been to their land several times. We get a lot of our produce from them, they have a way with cultivating land, that we've never been able to copy. Their fruits are so much sweeter, and the vegetables always look more vibrant and appetizing. So everytime my mother goes, I beg to go with her, so I can eat strawberries in the car on the way home. She always makes sure to buy two containers of them. We usually talk as I eat an entire container of strawberries by myself, then we have one more for the family. Though I eat a lot of those as well.

I place my book, and notes into my bag. Throwing the tote bag over my shoulder I grab my water bottle, and push my chair into the table. I wave to the librarian as I make my out of the small library. The small building is about the size of my family's apartment in the pack house. It's about a 2 or 3 minute walk down the same street from the pack house.

Stepping outside I'm hit by the late spring heat. The sun is starting to set, and the sky is beautiful. The orange bleeding into pink, which bleeds into purple. The beautiful sight making me forget my problems for just a moment. I quickly make my way back. Hoping I can slip in without running into Jackson.

Walking up to the pack house I can see from the front windows that the foyer is clear. I send a silent thanks to the Moon Goddess, then sprint to the front door, making my way inside. I quickly make my way to the stair case deciding to avoid the elevator, because I can usually make it up the stairs faster than waiting on the elevator.

When I make it to my floor I cast a quick glance toward the Alpha's side, seeing that the coast is clear, I grab my key, and unlock the door. Once I'm inside I quietly close the door and lock it, then head to my room. Going to my bathroom I undress, and take a quick shower.

As soon as I walk into the kitchen. I see my father and mother sitting at the table telling my younger brother has to wait just a few more minutes for cake. My father looks up at me smiling, and starts to sing the birthday song. My mother and brother quickly join in. After the song is over my mother gets up, and pulls a tray our brownies out of the microwave.

Brownies have always been my favorite treat, and I ask for them every year on my birthday. My father walks to the refrigerator and pulls out a small store bought cake, for my brother. My brother looks like a miniature version of our dad. They have the same green eyes, though he has his mother's dimples. Which are on full display now that he sees cake.

"Happy Birthday Ry!" My brother, Ian says coming over to give me a hug. His head comes just above my waist. I hug him back, and he whispers "I love birthdays, they always have cake."

Smiling at him I ask, "What kind of cake did you pick up from the store?"

"Vanilla! It has sprinkles. I also helped mommy make your brownies. I tasted one, they are good!"

"If you helped I bet they're the best brownies I'll ever have, thank you Ian." He shoots me a huge smile then walks over to the table. Where our mother who has already cut him a slice of cake. I sit down beside him at the table and grab two center piece brownies off of the tray.

I bite into the first one, it's very fudgy with gooey chocolate chunks. Dancing in the seat, I finish the rest of the first brownie in one bite. "Ian these are amazing, thank you for making them." I say around a month full of brownie.

"Don't talk with food in your mouth, honey." My mother lightly chastises me.

I swallow the brownie. "Sorry. Thank you, for making these." I start on the second brownie.

I notice my father pulls a small gift bag from under the table, it's black and has several balloons drawn on it. He passes the bag to me. "Happy birthday Rylan."

After I finish this brownie I say "Thank you." Then open the bag, pulling put some red tissue paper. Beneath the tissue paper is a keychain with 2 keys on it. I quickly look up at him confused.

"We are giving you our old car, so you can drive around, after you pass the driving exam of course. We bought that newer vehicle a few weeks ago, so we could give you this one as you learn how to drive." My mother says.

I feel tears welling up. I never expected such an amazing gift. "Thank you so much."

"The other key is for a storage locker. We had things from your birth parents moved in there We wanted to wait until you were a bit older before letting you in, so you could really understand what was going on. Maybe seeing some of things will help you feel closer to them." I'm unable to keep the tears back. I stand up and collapse into a hug with them both.

"Daddy why did you make Ry, cry? It's her birthday, no one should be sad on their birthday." Ian says with a mouth full of cake.

"I'm not sad, they made me so happy I cried." I say, wiping the tears from my face.

"You cry because your happy? Girls are weird." He says before shoving more cake in his mouth. We all laugh at his antics.

Knocking at the front door sounds throughout the apartment. "I'll get it." I say as I head over to the door. Unlocking the door, I open it without looking through the peephole. Jackson is standing on the other side flanked by his parents. His lovely scent hits my nostrils, and I can't help but take in a deep breath savoring the smell. He looks happy for a brief moment, with a beautiful half smile. Which is quickly replaced with a scowl. "Here." He hands me a small box that I didn't notice he had in had in his hands, and turns around walking back to the alpha side of the floor. Watching him leave sends sharp pain through my heart, like needles.

His parents offer gentle smiles.

"You guys are more than welcome to come in, we are having cake, and brownies." I say. Though I hope they turn it down. I just want to curl up under the covers and pretend his rejections don't hurt me as badly as they do.

"Oh no honey, we don't want to impose. Just wanted to drop off your gift, and wish you happy birthday." Luna Addison says. She wraps her arms around me giving a warm hug.

"Happy birthday Ry." My uncle says. "I'm sorry he's like this right now. He will warm up to you soon." He pulls me into a hug as soon as his wife let's go of me.

"Thank you all so much for thinking of me."

They say goodnight, and leave as I close the door. As soon as I close the door, and turn around my dad is pulling me into an embrace. Whispering to me that everything will be okay.

I really hope they're right, but I don't want to get my hopes up. I excuse myself to my room, telling my family goodnight.

Once in my room I put the small box on the desk, not wanting to see what's inside right now. I change into a large tshirt, and go to the bathroom to brush the residual brownies bits from my mouth. I then climb into the bed, pulling the covers over my head I let the tears fall I've been holding in since I watched Jackson walk away. Silent sobs shaking my body, as I release some of the pent up pain.

Am I really so bad, that my mate wants nothing to do with me? My mom left, then my dad, and now my mate. I don't feel as though I'll ever be good enough for anyone.

I don't understand how easy it is for him to walk away. I feel physical pain, how does he feel nothing? Is the mate pull only one sided, are we even really mates? Am I just crazy and feeling attracted to the first unmated male I saw after my first shift?

I need to figure out how to stop this pain. Maybe I can go see Loraine tomorrow at the pack clinic. I'm sure she can help me understand what's happening, I think before finally drifting off to a restless sleep.