“Anyway,” she said, jumping up and fluffing her hair. “Today is my private date with Caelan, and it has to be perfect. I plan on getting a lot more than a little comforting from him, if you know what I mean.”
She winked, flipping her blonde locks over her shoulder as she rushed out of my room.
I groaned, climbing out of bed to get ready for my day.
Five more minutes. That’s all I wanted. And why does it bother me so much that Sunny has a date with the alpha. I knew shedid, but still, knowing that she’s going to be throwing herself at him makes me sick.
I showered, contemplating Sunny’s news.
Why would Alpha Caelan have dismissed Deianira instead of me? Deianira is beautiful, and she’s a higher-ranked wolf and part of his pack. Why would he want to keep a cursed omega like me?
I dressed and was just about to leave my room when another familiar face barged through my door.
“Breakfast!” Taffy chimed with a bright smile.
I couldn’t help but laugh at her enthusiasm as we sat down to eat.
“Can I ask you a question?” I asked.
“Of course,” she assured me with a shrug.
“What happens if a wolf doesn’t accept their mate?”
Taffy grew quiet, her eyes darting to me as she considered my question. “Well, rejection is always an option, but it’s frowned upon. Most wolves wouldn’t even consider it unless they had a really good reason.”
Like a curse?
“You can reject your mate?” I asked, snagging a piece of bacon.
“Yes. One of them would just have to proclaim it out loud for the Goddess to hear, and the rejected mate has to accept it. It's simple enough, but I’ve heard it can be quite painful. Honestly, I’ve never heard of anyone rejecting their fated mate.”
“What about a chosen mate?” I asked. “Like in a choosing ritual. Would there still have to be a rejection?”
“Only if they’d already marked each other,” she explained. “Chosen mates aren’t handpicked by the Goddess, so it’s a little different. Probably not as painful, but again, I’ve never heard of anyone doing it.”
“Well, what if that wolf might be making a mistake? Like if they wanted to be with someone they shouldn’t. What if it was better for their pack if they picked someone else?”
“The only mate pairings that affect the pack are the alpha, beta, and gamma,” she clarified.
“Okay, say Alpha Caelan was considering a mate that wouldn’t be good for the pack,” I pressed. “Or say the choosing is a bust and the only one left standing isn’t right for the role of luna.”
“What are you trying to get at, Shade?” she questioned, eyeing me skeptically as she took a sip of coffee.
“If Alpha Caelan dismisses everyone from the choosing for one reason or another, and the only one left standing isn’t right for the role, would he be forced to make her his mate or would he be allowed to find another?”
“He could declare the ritual a failure, and the Elders would allow him a chance to start over and try again. But I doubt it will come to that, Shade,” she replied with a shake of her head. “I already know he’s going to pick you.”
“Why?” I scoffed. “I would make a terrible luna, and we both know it. I’m cursed. I can’t have pups. I’m awful in social situations. I hate crowds,” I argued, listing off each point with my fingers. “Face it. I would be the worst choice.”
“First of all,” Taffy said, setting aside her cup. “I don’t believe that you’d make a ‘terrible luna.’ You’re a warrior who has always put your pack first. That’s what a good luna does. You can learn to handle the social stuff over time.”
I frowned at her, not believing that I could ever get used to any of that.
“As for the issue with pups,” she continued. “You don’t know for sure that your curse keeps you from having them or that they’d inherit it from you. Honestly, I can’t see any reason why they would, so I don’t think you can assume that. But you can always adopt if you’re worried about it.”
“But he’s the pack’s alpha,” I countered. “Continuing his lineage is part of the job description.”
“So? He wouldn’t be the first alpha to adopt. It happens all the time. And knowing Caelan, he wouldn’t mind. He knows his pack well enough to know what’s best for them. An unhappy alpha is a less productive alpha. If he believes you’re what’s right for him and the pack, then that’s what he’s going to choose.”
