His Spitfire Mate

Consequences

I'm not sure exactly what to do as I approach the pack house. The front doors don't seem to be an option since more guests are arriving and being greeted. I assume my parents are no longer in the entrance room. If I'm lucky, they don't yet know that I am not in my room, which makes the main issue finding my room. If they already know I never returned from my walk, then I am screwed. I've never broken the rules like this, so I don't even know what they might do. I can only hope Luna Celeste knowing I'm already here means I won't get sent home and I may still have a chance to meet my mate.

I walk along the outside of the building, going away from the entrance. This place is massive, so I am sure there are multiple entrances. A servant's entrance would be great because they would probably be able to tell me how to figure out my room assignment. Towards the greenhouse, I find my first door, but one look through the window is enough to confirm this is not the right door. I see a family being shown into a room as well as other visitors milling about. My room might be in this area, but so might my mother.

The next doors I find are a bunch of French doors around a courtyard. Most likely doors opening out the back of the guest rooms I just passed.

This building is really starting to feel overwhelmingly massive when I see private cars and chauffeurs at a service entrance emptying luggage onto trolleys. Bingo! It's so busy that it's easy to slip in unnoticed and better yet there is a lady who is so obviously in control of the situation that I bet she could tell me the contents of my suitcase.

She is so busy she almost never stops moving or talking for a second. I find my opening when a breeze knocks a hair out of place of her perfect bun, and she needs to stop for a moment to fix it. "Excuse me, I got separated from my parents. Would you be able to tell me where the Solace family is staying?"

Without checking any lists, she reaches back to the keys. She hands me a map like it's a hotel and a key, "Floor 3, Apartment 4."

I want to be that lady when I grow up, I think as I head to my room.

There is activity and noise all over with families arriving and preparations being made for the celebrations. As soon as I am on my floor though, I can already hear my mom's voice. It seem the higher floors have fewer rooms, so there is less noise to hide my approach or her voice. No point in hiding.

"Well, look who didn't die on her walk around the building," my mother sneers as she slams the door shut behind me.

"I'm sorry," is all I say while looking down and bowing my head slightly. I know my best bet is to be as docile and submissive as possible.

"Imagine my surprise when a friend of mine called to say she saw you leaving the academy grounds escorted by a man!" My mother's voice is lethal and cold. She grabs my hair at the root and pulls my head back, forcing me to look her in the eye. "After everything I did to raise you to be the perfect Luna, after all the money I spent on clothes and lessons, you turned out to be an ordinary slut. What a disappointment."

She throws me onto the couch by my hair and I try to dispel her worries, "Nothing happened. Elliot took me to see my brothers. One of the trainers guided me back to the exit, so he must already be mated."

"You think that's better! How stupid are you to be a wh-re to a mated male who wants more than his fair share? At least an unmated male we can shame into marrying you and save our family from a full scandal." My mother seethed, but at least she wasn't looking at me anymore. "I will have to keep you in this room for the duration of the celebration so as not to cause a scandal."

"I swear nothing happened!" I cry, my chance at meeting my mate, though already tiny, slipping away. "Please mother, I promise I will be the perfect daughter for the rest of the trip. I will do exactly what you want. Just let me leave this room. You would never raise a sl-t, you are way too good of a mother, you know that."

She looks back at me with an assessing expression. I am on my knees begging, trying to convey with my eyes the mindless willingness she always expects of me when an order is given.

"Alright, you can have one more chance, but the smallest step out of line will get you sent straight home and you will never leave the pack lands again." She turns and leaves the room and I keel over onto my side. I had been so tense in my kneeling position that I had to focus on each muscle to force it to relax.

I stayed on the floor for quite some time, just staring out the balcony window. Eventually, when the sun was completely gone, I pulled myself off the floor and went to my bedroom. It was a shame the day had gone so horribly wrong because it would have been so exciting to enter this suite and explore. It was absolutely stunning. Instead, I slipped out of my clothes and into the silk nighty that had already been laid out for me. I wonder if that was done before I arrived at the suite or after while I was a mess on the floor, but I don't really have the energy to be embarrassed if it was the latter.

I wish I could call my brothers about this, but they have such a good relationship with our parents and deep down I am worried what would happen if they didn't believe me. If I could shift and take a run, that would probably help as well, but it is forbidden to shift during the celebrations except in a few designated areas that I don't even know the location of.

Laying my head on the pillow, I take a deep breath and relax. I let go of the day's events so I can get a good night's sleep and start fresh tomorrow. All is not lost. I am still here, I will still be out among shifters even if I have to wear and say everything my mother wants. Most importantly, I can still meet my mate and, of course, there are always the little things like the smell of fresh dew in the early morning.