Today is my eighteenth birthday.

I woke up today feeling nothing out of the ordinary, except knowing that today was the anniversary of the first Grimmileg Árás.

Yes, the first.

The second one happened well over two years ago, the night I left Fathilagt for good. With Fathilagt, I left behind everything else that I would call mine, and it was breaking me on the inside today, more so that it did on other days.

I left Fathilagt with no where to go, with nothing in my hands except some money, and whatever I could subconsciously gather which wouldn't be enough for me to last more than a few weeks.

But there was just one thing I had that night which was of any substance. And that was purpose.

My purpose was to leave Fathilagt for good, so I took the wizard Buri's advice, and decided to go not too far east. Austan was the region on the east of the Palace, and it stretched all the way to Russia. Vestrid is the region west of the Palace, where Fathilagt is, in Iceland, and extends further towards the States.

Although I don't know where the Palace actually is, I know I'm much closer to it here in the UK than I was when I was in Iceland.

With my limited resources and lack of experience outside my pack, there weren't many places I could go to. But help found its way to me in many ways, especially since I was still a child trying to get somewhere, and people were more helpful than not.

I found my way here, a new city, around new people, and I was all alone. My first priority was to find a place to live, and then to find a job.

Finding a place wasn't too easy. Rents were high, and the places weren't great. The one apartment I could afford was the tiniest I'd ever seen, but still, I managed.

Finding a job was easier than finding a place to live, ironically.

I was walking around the neighborhood when I bumped into Katryn. She asked me if I was new around and told me to try her restaurant, Milano's. The first time I entered, she offered me a job.

Since then, I found that I was stable enough to survive on my own, even though I was a lone wolf in a city mostly filled with humans.

I home schooled myself for two years and finally got myself admitted in the city's university on a generous scholarship.

I had lost contact with everyone, even Renee and the children. It hurt to be away from them, but I was too afraid to face them. What would I say when she'd ask me why I didn't save Gramma?

Would saying, I couldn't, be enough?

I never knew what happened that night after I left, and I didn't want to find out either. I knew everyone, even Valente now, blamed me for what had happened. Even though Kristján brought the enemy inside our borders, he was just a pawn in their game.

Sgriosaire would have tried anyway, if indeed it was me they wanted.

How could I justify myself in front of those who lost their loved ones in battle that night? Those who lost their loved ones again?

It was too much for me. Too much for me to take in.

This is why I didn't blame Valente for thinking the way everyone else did now. I couldn't change his mindset, once an idea was placed in his head.

I missed him. But I chose not to think about him. Often thoughts of him would wander in my mind, as little things would remind me of him, even though we didn't last too long together. But in that little time we had, I'd imagined a whole immortal life with him.

I'd imagined him as my mate. And that bond was sacred, yet I couldn't have it. Not with him, not anymore.

Knowing I couldn't ever return to Fathilagt was enough a thought for me to stop thinking about Valente. I had to get the idea of us out of my head, if I was to ever find happiness again.

But although I tried my best to be indifferent about not seeing him ever again, I could sense it took a toll on Imadis.

She never showed resentment against the idea of having someone else as a mate, because she too understands why Valente and I can't be together anymore. But I can tell it makes her weaker by the day, and she hides it, although not well enough.

Now that I'm eighteen, I will be able to sense my mate. The scent of a mate is unique to their counterpart, it changes so their mate can sense them easily. Which means that even if my mate is in the same vicinity, I would be able to sniff him out.

My true mate is somewhere out there. I don't have the slightest clue as to who it can be, but I know one thing for sure.

The sooner I find my mate, the sooner the intruding thoughts of Valente will leave me. I try to push his thoughts out of my mind, but some nights it becomes impossible.

My pack bond was forcefully severed as I left Fathilagt with the intention to never return. But some nights, I feel like I could feel him. I can't talk to him through the mindlink anymore, but I could still feel him.

I still missed him. I still loved him. And the thought of not having him anymore hurt me more than anything. But I couldn't go on like this. I had to forget about him. I had to find my own mate.

And then maybe,

I'd get over Valente.

- End of Part 2 -