When they touch me (Shelagh Milano)

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!"

"You have to. Gio would be sad if you didn't."

My older brother would indeed be sad if I were to miss his coronation ceremony. He and his mate have been training for this moment for months and I know exactly how nervous he is. Even though I boast about being over Riccardo at every possibility I'm given, I fear the moment of meeting him at the ceremony. Also, facing him without a partner by my side is always the worst thing to live through.

But the things you'd do for your family.

Walking back with my younger brother, who talks non-stop about his sparring classes at school, I reach our pack house pretty fast. Due to my numerous family, just a few of my brothers live with us, as the Beta's family wouldn't have room otherwise.

The mansion is ridiculously huge. In the basement are the quarters of the omegas working at the mansion. On the ground floor and the first floor are the quarters of the unmated warriors and guards on duty as well as the dining halls, the entertainment and common rooms, the kitchens, and a small library. The floor above is where my younger brother, Fabio, and my younger twin brothers, Zaccaria and Zeno, live along with me. On the fourth floor, there is my father's Beta with his family. They will soon have to move into a pretty house near the marketplace as my brother's Beta will move in with his family after the ceremony. My brother, who currently lives on the fifth floor with his family, will soon be moving up to the highest floor and so exchange quarters with my parents.

I love my family dearly and the only thing making this better would be my elder twin brothers, Cristian and Costa, living with us too.

I find my mother in her office and knock at the open door, making her turn to me with a big smile. "Ah, Missy, there you are."

"Hey, Ma. Is there a possibility I could help without having to go?"

She chuckles, moving her glasses up her nose by pinching their frame.

"Honey, we have already discussed it. We all must show your brother our love and support. What will people think if you don't show up?"

I take a piece of paper that she is handing me over her desk and slump into the seat standing in front of it with a groan.

"I need you to memorize the names of the guests, so we can make a good impression."

"Mom! These are hundreds of names!" I shout, looking at her agape, but she just waves dismissively.

"Oh, I've highlighted the important ones, and you have a few days."

Scrunching my nose, I check the list and murmur, "You have to be kidding me."

She is humming along happily as my eyes fall on a special name.

"Blackwood," I whisper to myself, attracting my mother's attention.

"What was that, honey?"

I turn the page for her to see and she squints her eyes at it. "You invited the Blackwood heir. From the Blood Fang pack?"

She nods as she lifts her glasses to read better. "Yeah. We had to."

"Why?" I ask, standing from my seat.

She sighs, scribbling something in her notebook.

"The treaty that we have with them is really important for us. It is already unstable as it is."

"Treaty," I scoff, slamming the piece of paper back onto her desk. "They break that useless pact at every given moment."

My mother sighs, lifting her finger to my face. "That's why we have to be extra nice to them. They are just playing with us because they are strong. Imagine if they attacked us for real. That would be horrendous. Now, be a nice little lady, and help me pick out the flowers. Luna Diana showed you the dress she picked, right?"

"I can't believe you all!" I yell at her, risking getting punished badly for my insolence. "No wonder they keep playing us like a violin! Those arrogant bastards don't deserve to ruin his ceremonial coronation as well as everything else they show up for!"

My mother looks at me with a displeased expression, pursing her lips. "You are going to calm down this instance and moderate your tone, or I will have a little chat with your father. You are certainly not in the position to evaluate this type of situation. And I warn you, you will behave at the ceremony!"

"Don't worry, mom!" I scoff, already about to storm out of the door, "I will hold still if they choose to attack me!"