Page 26 of Blood Pearl
“You will report on the training field in the morning. Warrior Wallace will keep a close eye on you and don’t make the mistake of thinking I am not going to be watching you and having regular reports. Now get out of here and help in the kitchen, where a good little Luna should know every aspect of what the pack does to provide healthy and nutritious meals.”
Taria scampers out of the office so fast it is a wonder her shoes' heels are not on fire. Wallace is doing his best not to grin. Raina isn’t hiding her laughter at all, and Aurora takes a seat, looking more than a little shocked at what has been happening.
Later that afternoon, I run the border with the female warriors, and nothing seems to be amiss. The pack warriors speak respectfully and acquaint themselves, which is good as I don’t want any of the council warriors getting taken down by a pack warrior by mistake.
The last patrol we speak with are waiting for patrol change over. I’m leaning against a tree, watching the interaction of the council warriors and the pack warriors as a smell hits. It is the stink of a rogue, but it has a smell of lavender and honey.
Pushing away from the tree, I scan the area across the border and see what was an attractive female she-wolf. She is, however, dirty, thin, and obviously more than a little feral.
MATE!
‘Asher, she is a rogue and feral.’
Get closer. Let me speak to her wolf. Asher demands.
‘Okay but be ready for anything.’
Everyone around us has gone quiet and watching closely what is happening. They are attentive and on the lookout for more rogues, but currently only this small female is noticeable.
I stand quietly while Asher tries to speak with the female wolf, but all he is receiving are snarls and aggression. I’m worried for Asher as this is our second chance mate, and if we cannot have her, then we will not have a mate from the Goddess.
Wolf is feral, no chance of recovering.
‘I’m sorry, Asher. I know you wanted a mate.’
I can feel Asher’s sadness but also his resignation that our second chance mate is past helping.
Before any of us can decide what to do about this female, she runs toward the nearest warrior and attacks with everything she is. The viciousness of it shocks me into not moving, but one of the female council warriors steps forward to help the pack warrior. He has scratches down his face and arms and a bite on his leg.
As the two warriors relax slightly the female breaks free and attacks again. I can’t allow this to continue, and knowing what I have to do, I step forward, grab the female by the neck and twist. Hearing a loud crack and feeling her go limp, I know I have killed her. My chest rips with a pain that takes my breath, but I stay on my feet and pick up my mate. Looking down at her in my arms, I can’t help but think she would have been a beautiful mate for me to have loved.
Carrying her all the way back to the pack, I feel sad that I found her and lost her all in a few minutes, and I will never know her name. Asher is quiet in the back of my mind, but he is not curled up with suffering. He is sitting watching and, as I am, he’s at peace with what we had to do.
As a rogue, she will not have a funeral, but I won’t allow her body to be thrown into the forest to rot. I find a quiet spot near the pack training ground and build a pyre. Pack members join in as they see what I am doing, helping to build it quickly. Once ready I lay her on the top, kiss her forehead and light the pyre. Standing until nothing remains of her or the pyre itself. All that is left is ash, and my aching heart.
Not sleeping that night, I am already downstairs in the kitchen when the pack members arrive to make breakfast. I take my coffee and sit outside, breathing in the fresh air.
Looking to my right when I feel someone taking a seat beside me. “Good morning, Gerry.” Aurora gives me a small smile as I look at her.
“Good morning, Aurora,” I reply.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes. I’ll be fine. I didn’t know her, didn’t even know her name. But we will recover. If the bond had formed, we would have been in trouble, but as I didn’t touch her until the moment she died, it died with her.” I’m thankful for that at least, as most mates struggle to continue when they lose a mate.
“Nobody knows that I lost my second chance mate as well. I watched him die, but as with you, I never formed the bond as I’d only just set eyes on him. For both you and I it seems the Goddess destined us to have chosen mates, if we had mates at all that is.” Aurora shocks me with this statement, but I know she’s telling me in confidence, and I won’t repeat it to anyone.
“I’m sorry for your loss. We seem to be fated to find a chosen mate if we want one. But I suppose we can pick and choose, rather than be handed one. Goddess forbid we ended up with one like Eve Planter.” I chuckle.
Aurora laughs before looking at me with a grimace. “Flint and the shifter council are coming later today. That means Eve Planter will be here,” rolling her eyes, “I can’t wait!”
Now I laugh and nudge her with a shoulder, which has her nudging me back and laughing too. “Come on, let’s check out how Taria is doing on the training field.”
“That’s another mess that I caused inadvertently mind you, but I missed the fact I had raised an entitled brat,” smiling at me, Aurora walks with me beside her, “Taria is however, going to be learning a hard lesson from now on.”
Chapter 15
AURORA