Missing Her
1883 Words
Luca’s pov
The news of our Crown Prince’s engagement spread like wildfire. And surprise, surprise, he was getting engaged to Samantha, Lina’s best friend and my ex-mate. When the invitation arrived at the pack house, everyone thought it was for me and my luna. No, it was addressed to my sister. She probably was invited to the ceremony since they had been close friends for quite some time.
I scoffed. So not mating with me wasn’t a problem for her. I dismissed the tiny sting in my heart and handed the invitation card to my sister. I had Rayna, the love of my life, with me. She was my chosen mate, and her official luna ceremony was set to be held on the night of the next full moon.
So I shouldn’t worry about what was happening in Sam’s life. It was none of my business.
Lina’s jaw dropped when she saw the invitation. “What! She is getting engaged?”
I smirked. “Sounds like it’s a surprise,” I said.
She looked at me with widened eyes and an open mouth but didn’t respond. She simply turned around, ran into her room and locked the door while clutching the invitation in her hand. I went to my quarters, where my mate awaited me. She knew about the invitation, and also that it didn't address us. Only Lina was invited.
I reckoned she wouldn’t be pleased about it. She loved parties. Especially since this would be one she would love to attend, as it was a royal ceremony.
I opened the door and inhaled her sweet fragrance. She was sitting in front of the vanity table in her bathrobe, doing her nightly routine. I closed the door behind me. “You took a shower already? I thought you would wait for me.”
“Hmm.” She didn’t smile like she usually did. “I thought you went out to check on the border patrol and I was tired.”
I raised a brow. “Border patrol? At this hour? I wouldn’t go unless it is an emergency.”
She shrugged. “Well, what was I supposed to think when you left like that?”
I removed my shirt. “I went to hand the invitation to Lina. You know she got invited to the engagement.”
She seemed to hold back a scowl. “Yeah… it is strange though. We should be invited, right? Why won’t they invite the alpha and the luna of this pack and invite your sister only?” Rayna complained.
“The girl he is getting engaged to is Lina’s best friend.”
“You mean… the one who was talking to you on Christmas eve?”
“Uh… yeah.”
Her expression was blank. “Hmm. Well good for her. She got the prince. I wish they would invite us all.”
I sighed. “It is just an engagement party, not a wedding. Maybe it isn’t a huge ceremony,” I told her.
She huffed, pouting her lips as she continued doing her skincare routine. So my intuition was right. She was unhappy about it. I chuckled. I found her cute when she pouted like that, but her anger isn’t something I would like to deal with. I walked towards her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
“Rayna, your luna ceremony is so close. I can throw you a massive party if you like,” I said. Her eyes lit up instantly. “You will do that for me?”
“You are the love of my life, the one who sacrificed her freedom for our pack. Of course I will do that for you,” I assured her.
She did that little shimmy whenever something excited her and grinned at her reflection. “Good! I want it to be big, like a grand ball. All the alphas and Lunas should be there.” She looked at me, a tiny frown on her forehead. “Do you think we can invite his majesty? I mean… he is getting engaged to your sister’s bestie… Maybe they will accept if Lina asks them to…” She bit her lower lip, her frown deepening. “Am I asking for too much?”
“No, you are not. There is no harm in inviting them. I am sure they will accept and come to your ceremony if they can,” I told her.
She stood up from the seat and wrapped her arms around my shoulder, pressing her breasts on my bare chest. “Aww,” she whispered as she ran her fingers through my hair, “you are the best. This is why I love you.”
I smirked as I grabbed her waist and pulled her body into mine. Another thing I enjoyed about being with her was that she was always ready to mate… always.... “Yeah? Only that?” I asked her, dropping my voice a few octaves, and grabbed her ass with one hand.
Her lips parted, and a soft moan escaped her lips when I started to knead her behind. Oh yeah, she liked that.
“Mmm, that and…oh,” she moaned. “Luca…” She made eye contact as she moved her bathrobe so that more of her juicy breasts would be exposed. My mouth watered when she started to massage her boobs.
“f**k,” I hissed, ripping her robe off her body.
Yeah… I had chosen Rayna as my mate. She was mine… fate was wrong to mate me with Sam.
I closed my eyes as I kissed her, my hands searching every inch of her body, while her hands searched mine. I cupped her breasts, grabbed her ass, did everything right… but… something felt wrong. My mind wouldn't stop wandering off.
I stopped and turned her around, pressing her back to my chest, and started to fondle her. It always worked. She rested her head against my shoulder and moaned. She was apparently enjoying the ‘magic of my fingers’, but it just wasn’t working for me. Not tonight.
All I could think of was Sam…
It was wrong, yes, but ever since she left the pack, things changed. I was never able to feel as deeply as I used to for Rayna. I just wasn’t myself.
“Aaah!” She screamed, and I knew she was reaching her c****x, so I picked up the pace of my fingers.
By the time I was done, my right hand was a mess and she was breathing hard. But she knew better than to stop. She kneeled down and attempted to work her magic on me, but I found myself involuntarily taking a step back.
She frowned. “What?”
I heaved a breath as I wiped my hand on my pants. “I… need to go.”
Her frown deepened. “Go?”
“Yeah… it's an emergency,” I said. The words just formed on my lips. Perhaps I was too cowardly to admit I didn't want intimacy. It just didn't feel right.
She stood up, looking into my eyes. “Emergency? Is it the border patrol?”
“Yeah,” I lied and quickly put my clothes back on. “I really should go now.”
“Oh, well. I guess this is what it's like to be mated to an Alpha,” she said as I rushed towards the door. “Aren't you going to wash your hands?”
I heard her call as the door closed behind me. I looked at my hand. Wash it… yeah… but I just didn't feel like going back inside so I left.
I quickly ran down the stairs and walked briskly down the hall. It was pretty late and all the omegas who worked as maids had retreated back to their homes. As I walked past the kitchen, I cast an involuntary glance at the closed door.
I froze. I couldn't help but think of the numerous times I saw her baking my favourite dessert. Feeling overwhelmed by emotions, I slowly opened the door. I stared blankly at the empty kitchen.
How strange. My chest felt just as empty.
I sucked in a breath and backed off. Nothing made sense to me. I had everything I ever wanted - peace in my pack and the girl of my dreams. Then what was this void in my chest?
I rushed outside and towards the woods. A whirlwind of emotions disturbed my serenity. I was not okay.
I quickly shifted into my wolf and ran at my full pace. Perhaps a run could help.
***
Even as the days passed, I couldn't shake off the feeling I experienced that night. I threw myself into work, yet, I often felt something was missing in my life… like I lost something important.
I walked down the hospital hallway and smiled at the head nurse who was sitting behind a counter. She stood up and bowed her head.
“Alpha,” she said. “Is there anything I can help you with?”
“I just wanted to check. It has been quite some time since I had heard anything from this hospital,” I said.
“We will send a report, Alpha.”
The truth was, my visit to the hospital was an excuse. I just needed to get out of the pack house.“Yeah, do that. But tell me. What is the condition of public health? And does the hospital have everything you need? Medical supplies, anything.”
“We have everything, alpha and the public health is relatively good.”
“Any issues? Will I hear any complaints if I meet the patients admitted here?”
“It's just that…” she hesitated.
I frowned. “What?”
“Several elderly patients who are admitted in the hospital still talk about Samantha. Her kindness used to uplift them. They adore her. They just miss her.”
It was as if someone had doused my chest with a bucket of cold water. It was odd to hear Samantha's name. My current partner has never volunteered. She didn't collaborate closely with the other pack members. Even though she was wolfless, Samantha was just... different.
Not knowing how to respond, I gave a subtle nod of my head and turned away. I no longer had the guts to meet them. I walked outside, acknowledging the wolves who greeted me on my way out and climbed into my car.
“What the hell,” I whispered to myself as soon as the door shut. I rejected her and she accepted. Why was I feeling all these emotions after weeks of her departure?
“Well, maybe you're missing her. She was one of a kind, after all.”
My wolf's remark made me freeze. I didn't want to accept it. I couldn't miss Sam… could I? I was in love with Rayna. She sacrificed herself for us. How could I miss someone else?
But there was a problem, and I felt like a fraud.
Staring blankly at the steering wheel, my fingers subconsciously brushed over the wound she healed. It was a deep gash and it turned into a hypertrophic scar.
My lips pressed into a grim line. Was I truly missing her?
- Writer
