SHE'S THE LUNA I WANT

JACE.

I couldn't concentrate the whole weekend. I knew I came off as an asshole to Amara for pushing her away, but I only did it to protect her from me.

Perhaps I liked her more than she did, but I had nothing to offer her. If I knew that I would never meet my fated mate, I would give us a chance. I would take the risk, but I knew that someone out there was bound for me, and sooner or later I would meet her, and where would my kitten be the moment she appeared?

I might forget everything I felt for her and move on, while she would curse me for breaking her heart. If there was anyone I wanted to save, it was Amara, and if that meant not crossing the line between us, I would do so even if it made me appear to her as a jerk.

"What happened to us? Aren't we supposed to be looking out for each other's backs? Are you going to throw away almost fifteen years of friendship because of all this?" I asked her as my arms tightened around her body and I rested my chin on the crown of her head.

It had been too long since I had held her in my arms. Amara had always been a tough female with a wild heart who knew how to carry herself well. And I knew in no time she would get over this heartbreak I gave her, but I couldn't find it in me to just ignore her.

I drove Catherine to the academy this morning so I could have a word with her, but she didn't go to school, and Alonso told me she was supposed to drive today.

After a few hours of contemplation, I called Uncle Aeon again, and he told me Amara had stayed home and was still upset about her falling out with Catherine.

My poor sister was unaware that she was being used as an alibi instead of busting me. She was dead worried about Amara and had been ringing my ears off for whatever I did to her friend. That and my desire to make sure Amara was okay made me drive five hours to her territory — something I seldom do without thinking.

I hated leaving my territory without any valid excuse, but I wanted this fix, and I wanted us to both move on from this without ruining the friendship I was so eager to save.

"Is there something wrong with me?" She finally broke the silence between us. She wasn't hugging me back, and although it saddened me, it was better this way. She had her hands coiling into fists resting on my chest, creating a distance between our bodies.

"No. You're perfect, Amara. But I want you to understand, I don't want to commit myself to anyone.” "But what if I'm okay with no commitments?"

"No." I shook my head, and my hands went to her arms as I pulled her body away from mine and caught her gaze. "Don't ever settle for something without any commitment.”

Her eyes were welled with tears, but she was holding them back from falling. "I liked you, Jace."

I swallowed, but I did my best not to show any emotions at all. "Will it be too hard for you to wait until you're eighteen?”

"Am I not worth it? Not worth the risk? What do you want me to do so you will see me pass Amara, the girl you always follow around to make sure I don't fall and die from all the reckless things I do?" "Amara..."

"It's your fault. You would always catch me and tell me what to do, even when I didn't need it. And now that I want you to catch me, you're running away. I need you now."

"You never needed me even before. And you don’t need me now. Always remember that you're a badass female with a wild heart. Feminine but strong. You're the type of female you would want to go to war with, not against. So don't let the idea of me ruin that. Don’t let me stop you from being the Alpha Female that you were meant to be.”

"If I become an Alpha, do you think you will like me more?"

"Amara," I cupped her cheeks and rested my forehead against hers. Her cinnamon breath fanned my skin. "You can be an Omega, a human, or even a demon like your cousins, and I will still like you..."

"But not the way I want you to like me."

"Two months, Amara, and you'll be eighteen.”

"And what if you're not my mate?”

"I'm sure you will find your mate earlier than me, and you will thank me for this."

"What if I don't want him? Will you give us a chance?"

"I need to find my mate, Amara. I won't be giving you any false hope.”

"I'm willing to give him up for you, but you can't do the same. So I guess it's really a no. Because you will never see me past that friendship line."

"Amara, we are just going in circles.”

"I just want the truth. You say one thing, but your action says otherwise.”

I scoffed but didn't say anything.

"I don't see Kairo, Zach, or Ledger holding my face like this. And telling me I'm just a friend. They would never do that because I am just a friend to them. And I don't think you will do this to Cassidy or Amber."

I let go of her face as I let out a deep breath. I was getting pissed off already, but I was trying to control my outburst. I brushed my hands over my hair as I paced back and forth in front of her. "Fine. Do you want to hear the truth? All I can offer you is friendship, nothing more, nothing less. I've been protecting you as much as I protected Catherine. That's all. I apologize if it seems to you that I'm giving mixed signals. It was never my intention, and I will make sure that won't happen again.”

"Get out!" Her eyes dilated as she pointed to the door. "Get out!"

"I'm not leaving until you agree to come home with me."

"You can go to hell, and I won't come with you! Now get out!" She turned her body around and was about to head for the door.

My hands snaked around her wrist, tugging her back so she would look at me. "If I walked out of this damn and your father asked me what happened, I would not lie to him. I will tell him everything, and it doesn't matter anymore if he asks me to end my friendship with you, since this is already what you want!"

Her hands began ramming on my chest before she stepped back, her chest heaving as she pointed a finger at me. "Don't you fucking dare tell my parents!"

"Embarrassed, aren't you?"

"Fuck you"

"No, thanks!" I scoffed, and it made her glare at me with too much hatred in her eyes. "Now get your ass moving and pack your things. I'm giving you ten minutes to come down the stairs or I will tell them everything!"

"I hate you!" She grabbed a throw pillow and threw it my way, hitting the back of my head before my hand could grab the doorknob. It didn't do anything but annoy me.

"It still wouldn't change anything. Ten minutes, Amara. Either you go over there, or they will go up here." I opened the door and walked out, not giving her a second glance.

She would probably refuse, but there was nothing I could do at this point.

I slipped my hands into my jeans pocket as I walked down the stairs, recalling memories of me and Amara sliding down the railings before we ran off to the back of their house and into the forest. Dad would often come here with Mom, and they would always take us, but Catherine would always cling to Mom, that's why I was the one asked to play with Amara.

** FLASHBACK. **

Amara - 8 years old.

Jace - 10 years old.

"When I become an Alpha, I will conquer your land!" She said it at the top of her lungs as she held on to the tree branch at the top of a low tree where she was standing while pointing a long stick in my direction.

I was seated under the adjacent tree, my back against its trunk, while biting a small twig in between my teeth like a toothpick.

"And what will you do with me? Kill me?" I asked her.

"No. As a thank you for helping me climb trees, I will spare your life. But I, Alpha Amara Grace Mikaelson, will turn you, Jackson Galhart, into my slave.”

"Nice try, little Alpha. But I don't bow down to anyone. Especially not to a kitten who purrs, meow, meow!" I laughed after I mimicked a cat, and I knew it annoyed her whenever I did that.

"Kitten? Watch me conquer you, Alpha Jace!"

"Or watch me conquer you.” I retorted back.

"Will you take my territory?” She asked, her eyes rounding.

"Yeah, I can do that," I answered in a bored tone.

"And what will you do with me? Kill me?"

"Nah, I'm too nice to kill a girl. I will just send you away."

"Why don’t you make me your Luna instead?" She jumped down, and I let go of the breath I was holding the moment her feet landed perfectly on the ground.

"No. Not possible. I have a Luna. I just need to find her.” I answered her.

"Well, Mommy and Daddy said being chosen is not bad either.”

"I know. But I want what my parents have, so... I want my fated mate.”

"What if I turn out to be your fated mate?" she asked as she slumped down on her ass beside me and pulled her knees to her chest, hugging them.

"You should be studying instead of thinking about your mate.” I pinched her nose before resting my hands on the top of my head.

"You're doing the same thing."

"You started it." I chuckled.

"But you don't see me as your fated mate? Are you scared of me, Jace?"

"Yes, very scared. Imagine you're my fated mate, and it means I have to spend the rest of my days running after you while you climb trees and jump down from them.”

She giggled heartily before she slapped her little hand on the side of my head, making a low grunt escape my throat as she scampered on her feet to stand up.

"Tag! You're it!" She yelled loudly before she began running away! "Catch me if you can, rockstar!" ** END OF FLASHBACK. **

A smile crossed my lips at the memory of Amara and me. I didn’t want to lose her, but it was up to her now.

"Jace," Alpha Aeon’s voice snapped me from my own thoughts, and I realized I was already on the ground floor of the packhouse.

"Uncle Aeon," I greeted him.

"I want a word with you if you have a moment."

"Of course,” I nodded my head and followed him into his office.

He opened the door and let me in before closing it behind us, and moving toward his desk, while I remained rooted in the middle of his room, facing him.

He leaned his back on his desk as he crossed his arms against his chest.

"Is there something I should know? Amara never missed school in all those times she fought with Catherine.”

"It was Amara and me that had a fight, not them, but I think it's better if you ask Amara instead of me about what exactly happened.”

"Can I still trust you with my daughter?”

I looked him in the eye before I answered. "Yes. I will always put Amara“s best interests first, the same way I do for Catherine.”

"Whatever happened between you two, can it still be fixed?"

"Yes. But it's up to Amara, Uncle. But regardless of whether she wants it fixed or not, I will always look out for her."

"She can be a handful sometimes."

"She is," I said, letting a smile grace my lips this time as I nodded my head.

"Are you driving back with her?"

I scratched my head, not knowing what to say when he spoke again. "I think she is. She just messaged me, asking where I am and where her mom is because she’s about to leave with you."

I nodded my head. "Uncle, do you think you can keep what I told you between us? I'm not sure she will like it that I told you about our fight."

"Does my girl terrify you, Jace?" His arm went around my shoulder before he guided me to the door.

I chuckled at his questions before nodding my head. "She does. Amara can be too intimidating sometimes.”

He chuckled at my response as we walked side by side toward the entrance of their packhouse. "Did she tell you about her birthday? She wants either you or Zach to be her escort for that night.” "Zach?" I repeated. Zach was my second cousin with Aunt Nadia and Uncle Riley, who were also close to her family.

"Yes, Zach, but she said Amber might not like it, so she was leaning more toward you.”

I wanted to tell him she was probably using Amber as an excuse to justify choosing me.

"I'm not sure if she would still want that after this last fight we've had.”

"She will get over it, as she always does."

I was about to say more when I heard footsteps coming from the stairs, and both our heads turned in that direction. Amara was walking down the stairs with Aunt Alexa, holding a small duffel bag and wearing a short denim skirt — so short that I was sure it would show her ass if she bent a little forward.

"I'm ready to go if Jace is." She said this, smiling sweetly at everyone, including me.

It looked like the kitten was not giving up the fight yet, because why on earth would she wear this when she usually doesn't wear this kind of clothing? This was going to be a long ride home.