Page 30 of Outcast
My brows furrowed, and I hedged, "Yeah...it used to scare us as kids when we were being bad. If we didn’t clean up after ourselves or respect our elders, we were told we’d bring about the beginning of the prophecy."
Her chest rose as she took a deep breath, and I couldn't help that my eyes strayed to the hard nipples that were easily visible despite the bagginess of the shirt.
Why couldn't she have been ugly, or even just have a revolting personality like Sofia? It would make all of this so much simpler.
"Well, it’s not just a bedtime story to scare children. Last night, I transitioned for the first time…” she trailed off nervously before continuing, “and I know this is going to sound crazy, but I met Selene. The moon goddess."
My knee-jerk reaction was to laugh in her face for thinking she’d met Selene, but then I stopped, considering how peculiar her wolf had looked last night and the power that she’d displayed this morning.
Perhaps she really did have a divine connection.
"Okay, go on. What did Selene say?" I motioned with my hand to continue, while a pit of dread wormed its way into my stomach at the notion of this prophecy coming to fruition.
Taking her lower lip into her mouth, she bit it lightly and peered up at me, and I snapped, my own nerves on edge due to the thought of this being true.
"Kira, just fucking tell me. We're running low on time already."
She huffed and rolled her eyes. "She told me that I am her chosen prophetess and that my birth kickstarted the prophecy. Apparently it’s my job to help lead the wolves to victory against whatever is coming…” trailing off she looked at the ground and finished, “If I fail, the shifters of the world will die."
My eyes widened in alarm, and my eyebrows shot up. There’s no way she would have heard about the prophecy if this wasn’t true. We had never included her in the teachings of our customs or stories. "We have to alert my father and the elders. But, prepare yourself to be laughed at and not taken seriously. I only carry so much sway."
Squaring her shoulders, she raised her chin an inch defiantly, looking like she was truly ready to take on the scorn of the pack. A small laugh escaped me, because I guess she was already used to doing that. How dense of me to act like that would be something new for her.
Fuck, was I actually sympathizing with her?Goddess, take me back to the feeling of all-encompassing hatred whenever she glanced my way. That’s what I was comfortable with and needed to get back to.
"I'll wait outside. I have no desire to stay inside your love nest that smells like a whore house," I spat and walked out the door, needing to put distance between us until I could sever this bond today.
The crisp air was the perfect shock to my system to clear my head, and I sat down on the bench outside. Tilting my head back, I looked up at the overcast sky and gave myself a few moments to just be. No thoughts. No worries. Just a second to breathe.
The clouds moved quickly, and for a second I wished that I could leave this life behind and drift to somewhere new. A place where my nightmares weren't the same place I woke up to every day, making it impossible to let go of the grief I carried. It repeated on an endless loop that I didn't think I'd ever be able to escape.
The front door opened, and out walked the three of them, putting a halt to my moment of wistful thinking.
Without glancing at them, I stood and walked to the dining hall where everyone was gathering. Crazy how just yesterday when I made this same trek for the meeting, I had actually allowed myself a moment to be hopeful for the future.
Laughing at my own naivety, I made the rest of the walk in silence, making sure to stay far ahead of the group to drown out their voices. I had become too sympathetic and needed to harden myself once more for what was to come.
It was best for us all. I'd never be able to look at Kira without an ounce of hatred, and clearly I didn't want to share a mate, even before I knew it was her. I just wasn't cut out for this, no matter what fate intended.
We'd all be better off severing the tie today.
Yanking open the door, I walked into the eerily silent room where the entire pack sat, waiting. Glancing around, I found my father standing at the front, and I made my way to his side, where he demanded I stood for meetings. He claimed the pack needed to see me as an authoritative figure now to make the transition to alpha smoother in the future.
I heard the door open again and tensed as my father's face turned scathing. I knew his wrath all too intimately. I had the scars on my body to prove it. Despite my desire to distance myself from the three of them, I didn't wish them harm.
Distracting him, I played the dutiful role of the perfect son he thought he'd managed to mold me into. "I retrieved them as you requested, Alpha," I announced before standing behind his right shoulder at the front of the room.
Kira, Seth, and Milo moved to the back of the room, but it was clear they were ready for war with the air of confidence they exuded. That was good. They needed to show no fear amongst the pack or else they'd never be accepted. It was already going to be an uphill battle with Kira's long-standing place in the pack called in question.
My father's voice rang out strong and clear, "It has come to my attention that we have a few new fated mate bonds. As is our tradition, you will approach me for my blessing. After that is done, we will hold a series of fights to establish the pecking order of our new wolves."
I barely restrained the grimace that wanted to appear on my face. The mate bond issue had completely overtaken my focus, making me forget about the fights. Kira was the least prepared of everyone.
She’d never trained in our combat classes or gone through the instruction from the elders on how to become one with your wolf from the start. It could hinder you in the fights if you hadn’t established an understanding, as the fights were held in our wolf forms.
"Approach me if you are a newly-fated pair," the alpha demanded.
No one moved except Kira, Milo, Seth, and myself.
