To Mate or not to Mate?

Decision.

I woke up to the sun beating down on my face. I was sprawled on a large bed. I looked around at the tall wooden bedposts, and down at the black comforter over me. This was my parents' bed. I quickly grabbed my pants. They were the same sweats I was wearing when I came home. Thank god. Maybe it had all been a nightmare. Maybe the party never even happened.

I heard low murmurs outside the door, and quietly made my way to the en suite bathroom. I locked the door behind me, and ran a shower in the large marble cave that was my parents' shower. I turned the knob fully in the hot position. The water was scalding. It almost burned my skin, but compared to earlier, it felt amazing.

I have no idea how long I was in the shower. I grabbed a fluffy red robe from the door with my mother's initials on it. I opened the door and was met with a gaze from my father, sitting on the bed. I gulped.

"Sit." He said plainly, motioning towards the bed beside him. I obeyed.

"Cambria.." he began. He paused, looking up at the ceiling. I could practically sense the disappointment radiating off of him. I lowered my head.

"Daddy. I'm sorry." I began to sob. I couldn't take it anymore. The last day had been a roller coaster that I could barely handle. My father wrapped his arms around my shoulders, and we sat in silence for what seemed like hours.

"Cambria, the mate bond is something that I could never, ever explain to you as a child. Mainly because you didn't want it." He said softly. I looked up at him, my eyes glazed. "You were always so independent. You lacked the need for motivation because you had so much inside of yourself." He put his hand in his blonde hair, and closed his eyes. "You are so strong. Physically, emotionally, you have always been stronger than your sister. And your sister has always been sensitive, and social. You are two halves of the strongest person I have ever seen." He looked at me, eyes glazed. I held back more sobs.

"It's time, Cammy. Time for you to find another half to complete you. Time for you to embrace the half that was made for you. He was made for you." My fathers words stung. I knew what he meant. But it also meant I would have to leave my pack, and I wasn't ready for that.

"Surely there is a different way, daddy. I just moved up to alpha training. I'm ready to take my place in our pack!" I was almost screaming. I had completed every physical series and course that our pack had. I was among one of the best fighters in our pack. Except last night. The black wolf was so much faster, and so much stronger. The thought made me shutter. My father shook his head, and squeezed my shoulder.

"Cammy... you have a place in his pack. You were meant to lead. And without you, he will fall apart. And as their alpha, the Stone pack will fall apart." His words hit me hard. He was the alpha of the Stone pack? They were our largest allies to the north. Originally, they were our enemies, and they were ruthlessly known for killing any strays that made it to the edge of our territory. A few years ago, something changed, and the killings stopped completely. They became our allies. Their pack was three times the size of ours, and without them, we would have lost a territory battle with another pack that challenged us two years ago. I was too young to partake, and I had never met their alpha. We owed our lives to him. Damnit.

"What now?" I asked redundantly. My father said nothing. He stood, and walked towards the door. Before he opened it, he turned back to me. "Cammy... you already know what." He said as he walked out of the door.

I sat in silence, taking in the hellacious situation I was in. I could never refuse our largest ally. It could start a war, and the entire pack could be killed because I wanted freedom. I couldn't allow that. I would make the right choice, but I'd never let him have me.

Knock. Knock. I heard at the door. I could already smell him on the other side. I growled in defeat, knowing I had no choice.

"Come in."