Game of Destiny by Dripping Creativity novel Chapter 21

Game of Destiny

Chapter 21-1

The moment the mail arrived, my mother had already sent a mindlink to me, and without a second thought, I excused myself from the meeting and made my way straight home. There was no hesitation—something about the urgency in her mental voice made me act immediately.

As I stepped through the front door, my mother’s voice called out, “Elder, in here.” Of course, I knew exactly where they would be—gathered in the kitchen as always. It had become a quiet ritual whenever Amie sent one of her rare postcards. The card would be placed face down on the kitchen table, waiting patiently until the intended recipient could finally read it. Tomorrow was my birthday, so it was obvious the letter was meant for me. I moved quickly, closing the door behind me, and gave my mother a brief kiss on the cheek.

“We haven’t read it yet,” my father said quietly. He didn’t need to confirm it; I already knew. Still, I nodded and glanced down at the postcard. The front was adorned with stunning scenic photographs from somewhere in Canada. I lifted the card and turned it over.

“Hi. I hope you’re all doing well. Happy birthday, big brother—any grey hairs yet? I’m thinking of you, all of you. Please give my love to Mom and Dad. I’m fine, truly happy, and enjoying life. So stop worrying. I love you all. Hugs and kisses, Armeria,” I read aloud. For a moment, silence settled over us as we stared at the familiar handwriting. The ache of missing my baby sister was sharp, almost unbearable. But this—this was the first time she had ever said she was happy. Usually, she said she was fine or doing well, but never truly happy.

“She’s happy,” my mother whispered, her voice a bittersweet blend of sadness and joy.

“That’s a relief to hear,” my father added softly. I simply nodded in agreement and handed the postcard to my mother. She was the keeper of the album where we stored all the postcards Amie had sent over the years. I embraced her tightly, then turned to hug my father as well.

“I need to get back to the meeting. I’ll be home for dinner,” I said. They both nodded, understanding. I knew the rest of the day would be spent talking about Amie. When we first learned she’d run away, both my father and I were determined to go after her. Alpha Mark had even offered the pack’s assistance when he heard the news, but my father’s anger boiled over. One swift punch knocked the Alpha down cold. My mother intervened, declaring no one was to pursue her. Amie had chosen the path she believed was best, and we had to respect that. My father was never punished for the blow, but the relationship between him and Alpha Mark never fully healed. I could sense the lingering resentment on my father’s part, a quiet bitterness toward his friend for pushing Amie away. And Alpha Mark, with the pride of any Alpha, was bruised by the fact that his Beta had taken him down in a single strike. I suspected things might have returned to normal if my mother and the Luna had stepped in to smooth things over, but my mother chose distance instead. She continued her duties as Beta female but withdrew emotionally from the Alpha family. The entire pack felt the shift in dynamics. The Gamma family attempted to mediate, trying to bridge the gap, but the wound was too deep. Eventually, last year, Alpha Mark stepped down and passed leadership to James, hoping to mend the pack’s atmosphere. James asked me to be his Beta, and for a moment, I considered refusing. But both my parents encouraged me to accept, and in the end, I realized it was for the best. As I reentered the pack house, James approached me.

“The meeting’s over,” he said simply. I nodded in response.

Chapter 21-2

“It must have been important. What was so urgent that you had to leave?” James asked, eyeing me curiously. I hesitated, unsure if I should share the news. He still clung to the belief that rejecting Amie was the right choice—that she wasn’t the best match for him or the pack. But I also knew his wolf felt otherwise. For four years, his wolf had been pushing him to find their mate and bring her home. James, however, stubbornly ignored that inner voice, convinced he knew better. Despite his claims of having moved on from Amie, he hadn’t chosen a mate. It wasn’t for lack of options—most wolves would jump at the chance to become Luna. I was aware that Cindy, the former Gamma’s daughter, had made her intentions clear on more than one occasion, yet James remained unattached. He could say what he wanted, but I knew deep down, he and his wolf still longed for their mate.

“My mother told me there was a card from Amie waiting for me,” I said finally.

“Oh.” He tried to sound indifferent but failed. “How is she?” he asked, voice tinged with something like hope.

“She’s good. She says she’s happy. That was a welcome change,” I replied, unable to resist emphasizing the word.

“Happy? What does she mean by happy? Has she found a mate? Is that why?” His voice betrayed a sharp edge of jealousy.

“I don’t know. She didn’t say. You know how cryptic her postcards can be,” I told him. He grunted and scratched the back of his neck.

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