WHEN THEY FALL

ARTEMISIA

“I, Riccardo Saviano, future Alpha of the Gray Shadow Moon Pack, reject you, Artemisia Guerrieri, Daughter of Alpha Franco of the Blood Moon Pack, as my mate and future Luna.”

I flinch as my feet touch the surface of the cold water and groan as the flashback of the day in which I accepted the rejection of the love of my life resurfaces from my memories.

Rick and I had been together forever. Since the day we met in our strollers, we had been a thing.

Or at least I thought we were.

We started dating officially after he stole my first kiss in high school and even if my mother had given me long talks about how I should preserve my virginity until I met my mate, I gave him my everything as we went to college and were allowed to live together by the elders of our packs.

As our packs already shared a lot of land and facilities, our bond was very well seen by everyone. And I guess I was not the only one who couldn’t wait to find him as my mate. My father had talked plenty about how our bond would lead to a really strong alliance.

Well, shit.

He turned 20 a few months before I did and as he was acting strangely, I was scared about the possibility that he might have found out that I wasn’t his mate. So, on my 20th birthday, I was immensely relieved.

Just until the moment that I wasn’t.

Surely, as a popular and love-spoiled girl, I could have imagined everything happening but not to get rejected without any explanation on my birthday. As my dreams and plans for my future were crushed on what should be the happiest day of my life, I needed quite a while to rise back up from my ashes.

My only luck was that even if I was ready to give up on everything, I didn’t and kept going with my studies as I was too ashamed to go home and face my family.

While my father and mother took it more on the pragmatic side, mourning the loss of the alliance more than my pain, my brothers were fuming. I guess I prevented a few pack wars as I held back my brothers from killing Rick.

It’s now been four years since I got out of college and back home. I regenerated all alright and was able to train as a pack doctor for our pack hospital. My heart, alas, couldn’t get back on track. It seemed as if the pain was just too much to bear.

I sigh deeply as I watch a bunch of children play on the other side of the lake.

What happened to Riccardo, you might ask? Well, he got back and took over his title two years ago. He got mated with his chosen mate while he was still in college and now has two kids, aged 6 and 4.

Yeah. You got it.

I discovered the reason for my rejection pretty soon after it had happened. His mate was already 4 months pregnant as I found out.

The roaring my wolf released at this was as crushing as the heartbreak itself. My heart broke in a way that made me think that it wouldn’t ever be able to be mended ever again.

‘This is all your fault! You should have done more to please our Mate!’ My wolf, Cassandra, hissed.

‘That’s not true!’ I cried as her voice boomed through my head painfully, ‘I did everything he wanted me to!’

‘Not enough!’ She retorted accusedly, making me whimper.

The next few days I tried to get her to talk to me again. I begged her to talk to me, but she ignored me. And never showed herself to me again.

If not reprimand me for my behavior in my daily life.

You see, our relationship with our inner wolf is essential to our kind. Losing her at such a crucial moment made the pain I felt multiply.

I was still able to train as a pack doctor as I was the Alpha’s daughter, but I surely was the most useless being in the pack, and everybody knew that.

“Missy!” I turn around as I see my younger brother kick a stone in his path. “Mom wants to talk to you about Gio’s coronation.”

I groan, picking up my shoes and getting up. “I’m going to help, but I won’t go!”