Chapter 11 - Evan

Shawna has gone through great lengths to organize an entire night of celebration. She's invited our entire pack, made enough food to feed an army, and even had a bonfire built. We have a new luna, so we thought this would be a great opportunity to introduce her to everyone and make her feel a little more at ease.

Mia's spent the last two days trying to hide from me and stay away from everyone. She's barely said two words to me since the night she tried to kill me, and tonight is no different. Anytime someone approaches her, she finds an excuse to remove herself from the conversation and hides in a new corner.

I glance over at her now, and she's standing on the outskirts of the crowd, leaning against a tree. Her arms are crossed, and her eyes are darting around the clearing. I can't tell if she's anxious or bored. Maybe a little bit of both.

She's wearing a long, flowing sundress that's a mix of black and lavender, a perfect blend of light and dark. I have to admit, it looks incredible on her, but I've yet to find anything that doesn't. Her hair is swept up in a loose braid, and a few curls have fallen loose to frame her face. She's beautiful.

But it doesn't matter how stunning she is. She has shown no interest in integrating into our pack, and my wolves are not impressed. Word has spread that she's from Stardust Hollow, and that fact alone is enough to make people mistrust her. Seeing how withdrawn she is has only made things worse. They think she's too weak to be their luna, and I'm not entirely sure they're wrong.

The problem is, no one understands what she's been through. They don't know how it feels to have your entire world turned upside down and ripped apart. They've never experienced what it's like to be forced to marry a wolf you barely know, let alone love. And they'll never understand what it's like to be torn away from the only people who matter to you and shoved into an unfamiliar world with no way to escape.

They're not going to give her a chance, and that's only going to make things worse for her.

"I need to talk to you." Rafe appears next to me with his lips drawn in a tight line and his brow furrowed.

My beer has gone warm, and the taste is bitter, but I take a swig of it, anyway. "I'm busy."

"No, you're not. Your mate is off in the corner sulking, and the rest of your pack is busy avoiding her. This is a disaster, Evan."

"Yeah, no shit," I snap, glaring at him. "I know. But what the hell do you expect me to do about it?"

"I don't know, Evan, but something."

I let out a low growl and take another swig. "It's not like I haven't tried. I've talked to her, and it doesn't help. She doesn't want anything to do with me or this pack. She's not interested."

Rafe glances around before leaning in closer, dropping his voice to a whisper. "I've heard some of the others talking. They're not happy."

"Who has been talking?" I straighten up and look around, trying to figure out who the hell has the audacity to gossip about my wife and mate, but Rafe grabs my shoulder and forces me to look at him.

"Listen, man, they're just pissed because they don't understand what's going on. You know how it is."

I let out a harsh, humorless laugh and shake my head. "Now you're protecting them? I want names, Rafe. Now!" I'm yelling now, and I don't give a damn who hears me. Nobody in my pack has the right to speak ill of their luna, and it's better they learn that right from the start.

"Evan, listen, man. Just let it go, all right?" Rafe's hand is still on my shoulder, and he gives me a hard shake. "I'm only mentioning it because I think we should get ahead of things before it becomes an issue."

"Let go," I order, my voice low and filled with warning.

He does as he's told and raises his hands in the air, taking a step back. "I'm just looking out for you."

"I don't need your fucking help, Rafe."

He glares at me, his eyes hard, and for a moment, I think he's going to argue with me, but he doesn't. After he walks away, I stalk over to Mia, snatching her hand and ignoring the look of surprise and fear that flashes across her face.

"Evan, what the—"

"We're leaving," I cut her off, dragging her along behind me.

"What? Why?"

"Because we have no business wasting time socializing, anyway. There's still something we need to do. This curse isn't going to break itself."

"Curse?" she questions. "What curse?"

I sigh and shake my head. "It's a long story, and I'm not in the mood to get into it. Just come with me. It'll be quick."

She struggles to keep her footing as we trudge through the trees, and I slow my pace a little bit. The forest is lit by the moon above, but the shadows are dark and deep. The last thing I need is for her to trip and break an ankle or something.

"Where are we going?"

"A lake," I answer.

"A lake? What's at a lake?"

"Water, mostly."

"Funny," she mutters.

"We need to ask the spirits to bless our marriage," I explain.

"You're serious?"

"Dead serious. It's important to me and our pack. So, stop asking questions and follow me."

"Whatever you say, alpha." Her voice is thick with sarcasm, and it makes me grit my teeth. She's infuriating, and every time she opens her mouth, it only makes things worse.

It takes us almost thirty minutes to walk from the edge of the forest to the lake, and by the time we get there, Mia is winded and has sweat dripping down her face. She plops down on a log next to the water and tries to catch her breath.

"Why couldn't we have taken a car?" she huffs. "Or maybe a bike or something. You had to pick the most remote, inconvenient place ever for this blessing thing, huh?"

I ignore her complaints and pull my shirt over my head.

"What are you doing?" she asks, staring at me with wide eyes.

"Getting in the water, and so are you. So unless you want to hike back in soaking wet clothes, I suggest you take yours off, too."

She snorts and throws her head back, laughing. "I'll give you points for trying, but I'm not getting naked with you. Good try, though. Points for creativity."

"I'm not trying to get you naked, Mia. The lake is sacred, and if we're going to perform the ritual, we have to do it the right way. Which means going for a swim. You don't have to undress, but you'll regret it when you're shivering the whole way back."

"So, you're serious?"

"Yes," I say, exasperated. "Now, come on. Let's get this over with."

When I pull my jeans off, along with my boxers, Mia's eyes bulge. Not even the darkness can hide the blush that covers her face. Her eyes travel down my body and stop right at my hips, where I stand fully exposed, and she takes a deep, shaky breath. It's easy to forget she's a virgin, given how feisty she can be, but the way her eyes are roaming my body tells me my nose was spot-on when it detected her innocence.

"Mia," I call, snapping my fingers to get her attention.

Her head jerks up, and she looks away, her face even redder than before. "Sorry," she mutters, averting her gaze.

"Don't be shy," I tease.

"I'm not." Her voice is breathy, and she's fidgeting, picking at a loose thread on her dress. "I'm just not comfortable undressing in front of someone I barely know."

"Okay, how about this, then. I'll get in the water and keep my back to you. That way, I won't see anything. Once you're in the water, you can tell me it's safe. All right?" I can't believe I have to negotiate something like this with my own mate, but if it'll make her feel better, then so be it. It's a small concession.

"Fine," she relents. "I guess that works."

"Okay." I nod and slip into the water, letting out a hiss as the cold liquid rushes over my heated skin. The moon reflects off the surface, creating a silvery glow, and the water is completely clear, allowing me to see all the way down. I can see the outline of Mia's figure as she stands on the shore, peeling her dress over her head.

She's beautiful, her body soft and curvy. Even from a distance, I can smell her scent, and it's driving me crazy. Her sweet aroma is mixed with the scent of the forest and her own sweat, and it's intoxicating.

I don't understand how someone can have such an effect on me. I'm a strong, powerful alpha, but a single sniff of her has me weak.

"All right," she calls to me. "You can turn around."

I glance over my shoulder, hoping to catch a glimpse of her naked form, but she's already submerged up to her chin in the water. Still, with the moonlight shining down on her, she looks like a goddess. Her skin is practically glowing, and her blond hair is shimmering with little droplets that have clung to the strands. When she wades over to me, I instinctively look down, and through the water, I can see the curves of her breasts.

"Stop looking at me like that." Her tone is scolding, but she's smirking.

"Like what?"

"Like you're a starving man and I'm a juicy steak. It's creepy."

"Can't help it," I say with a shrug, flashing her a wolfish grin. "You're delicious, and I'm very hungry."

She laughs and shakes her head. "Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm not on the menu. So, how do we do this?"

"We need to swim out into the middle and hold hands," I tell her. "There's a statue at the bottom that represents the Moon Goddess, and we need to bow our heads and ask her to bless our marriage. Then, we need to dive down and touch the statue together."

"Sounds simple enough." She swims ahead of me, and I follow closely behind. Once we're in the center of the lake, she stops and turns to face me.

"Okay, now what?"

"Hold my hand," I tell her. She hesitates for a moment before taking my hand in hers.

"Now what?" she repeats.

"Close your eyes and bow your head."

She does as I say, and I close my eyes and bow my head as well. It's time to call on the Moon Goddess, the witch's messenger between worlds. She was the one who was tasked with keeping the spell intact after the witch passed away, and she's the only one who can alleviate the plague that's wrapped itself around my pack.

"Moon Goddess, please hear our prayers and bless our union. Help me be the mate she needs, and protect her always. Through our marriage, release the curse upon our pack, and bring prosperity and peace in place of chaos."

As the last words leave my mouth, a gust of wind blows across the lake. The water ripples and stirs, moving us further apart. When I open my eyes, Mia is looking up at me. Her hand is outstretched, trying to reach me.

"Evan?" she calls, her voice shaking. "Something isn't right."

"Come on," I order. "Swim to me."

She swims toward me, but the water is churning and pulling her away, making it impossible for her to reach me. Panic sets in, and she screams, flailing her arms and kicking her legs.

"Evan! Help me!"

I lunge for her, reaching for her arm. I barely manage to grab a hold of her hand, but as I do, something wraps around my ankle and drags me under the water. My vision goes dark, and the only thing I can see is the pale glow of Mia's skin and her terrified face.

I don't know what's happening, and I don't know why, but I catch sight of the statue at the bottom of the lake, and a faint blue glow emanates from it, spreading out like ripples in the water. It grows brighter and brighter, and I swim toward it, pulling Mia along behind me.

She fights against me, clawing and thrashing, trying to get free. But I'm stronger, and when I wrap my arm around her waist, she screams, the sound muffled by the water. If we can just touch the statue, this will all be over. The curse will be lifted, and everything will go back to normal. We just have to reach the bottom.

My lungs are burning, and my limbs are heavy, but I don't stop. I can't. This is our only chance to make things right, and if I can't break the curse, then I have nothing to offer my pack. Death and destruction will tear us to pieces, and Green Lake will be no more.

When my hand touches the statue, a burst of energy ripples through the water, blasting us back to the surface, and I gasp for air, holding Mia tightly against me. She clings to me, her nails digging into my skin, and her body is trembling.

"Are you okay?" I ask, but the next voice I hear isn't Mia's.

"You've only bought some time, alpha," a disembodied, sinister voice whispers in my ear. I look around, but there's no one else here. The voice was faint, almost as if it were just a thought, and Mia didn't seem to hear it. "Your marriage has been recognized, but the ritual is incomplete. Without consummation, the bond between you isn't sealed. The next generation will suffer the same fate unless you make her yours by the next full moon. Complete the bond, or your children will pay your debt."

The words send a chill down my spine, but I don't have a chance to process them. Mia is choking, clutching at her throat and gasping for air. It takes me a moment to realize what's happening, but when I do, I realize I have to get her out of the water before the spirits take her.

"Fuck," I growl, swimming toward the shore and dragging her with me.

When we reach the shallows, she collapses on the ground, coughing and gagging. Her face is white and her lips are blue, but she's breathing again, and her pulse is steady. Her naked body is sprawled out in the mud, her hair a tangled mess. She looks like a drowned rat, but she's alive.

"You scared the shit out of me," I whisper, kneeling next to her.

"What the hell was that, Evan? What just happened? Did you feel the water churning? It was like a whirlpool pulling us under."

"It was the spirits," I tell her, running my hands through my hair.

I'm not sure how much to tell her. When I told her I would never force her into having sex with me, I meant it. I've never forced a woman, and I don't plan on starting with my mate. The one thing I've learned about Mia is that she will do anything to help people, and if she learns that the fate of her pack and mine rests on her shoulders, it would be no different than pinning her down and forcing myself on her. Our bond, if we are ever truly to have one, will not be forged out of fear or obligation but choice. She's had enough decisions stripped from her. The last thing I want to do is take more.

Mia's teeth are chattering, and her skin is covered in goosebumps. I gather her dress from the ground, along with my shirt, which I use as a towel to wipe the moisture from her skin. Once I'm finished, I hand her the dress, and she quickly slips it over her head, hugging her body close.

"Let's get you home, shall we? Draw you a hot bath and warm you up."

"Sounds like another excuse to get me naked," she jokes, but I'm not in the mood to laugh.

The events at the lake are haunting me, and I can't shake the feeling that maybe this was all a mistake.