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After the plan was in place, I went to check on Maya. She was not in the tutoring classes this morning, and Dr. West told me he asked her to rest. Knocking lightly, it took no time for her to open the door, her face instantly lighting up.
“Luna! You’re alright!” I stumbled back as she hugged me.
“Right back at you! I was so scared for you,” I replied as I returned her hug.
“Dr. West said my body wasn’t strong enough for the shift. He isn’t sure how I managed it at all, really. He thought I would die. I know, though. You helped my wolf, Celeste. She told me you sang to her, absorbing the pain and giving her back strength.”
“I am not really sure what I did, but I’m glad it helped you. I just sang the lullaby my mother used to sing to me. Maya, do you know who my mother was?” I asked as we walked over to her bed and sat down.
“No, you never talk about them.”
“My mom and dad were Alpha Cory and Luna Bella.” Maya’s eyes widened as she thought about my words.
“That’s why you’re mated to the alpha!” she burst out like everything made sense now, making me laugh.
“It is a possibility, but I don’t think the Moon Goddess matches by rank, or Sandra would have found her mate at the party,” I joked.“Will you be able to shift again?” I asked a little more seriously.
“Mhmm. The doctor gave me multivitamins and a high-calorie diet. I should be strong enough to shift in the next full moon.”
“That’s wonderful! I’m so happy for you. Plus, now you can find your mate!” I replied with excitement and relief.
“What if he rejects me because I’m an omega?” she asked, looking down at her hands in her lap.
“Hey, if Markus can accept me when he thought I was an omega, so can anyone else. Besides, you’re beautiful, smart and kind. Any man that can resist you is probably not a man. How about we plan what you’re wearing to the full moon gathering? Make sure you look hot for them.” Winking at her, I moved and pushed her in the direction of her closet.
“We’ll need Kelly for that because you and I are hopeless, Luna.” She giggled as she put her arm through mine, and instead of the closet, we bounded up the stairs to find Kelly. She was living in the beta quarters along with her mother until she or Gillian found their mates.
The following couple of weeks passed by quickly. I was learning so much from the tutor and Mrs. Quinn that occasionally, I felt like my head was going to burst at the seams. The tutor said we should be ready to take the GED exam in the next week and started discussing what we wanted to do afterward. Markus was on board if Maya or I wanted to think about starting a community or a technical college. I found I immensely enjoyed economics and history, and I was competent at them. Maya favored English and biology, so we were spending the afternoons helping each other with the subjects the other was weaker in. We made a good team overall, and I grew closer to her now than I ever did in the eleven years at Blood Moon. I suppose that was understandable, considering how they treated us and how exhausted everyone always was at the end of the day. No one ever had time or energy to get to know each other very well.
My cooking days were always a hit and some of my favorite days. Mrs. Wriley, the cook, got past me taking over her kitchen quickly, as it gave her time to spend with her grandchildren, and I always sent her home with some Tupperware for her family, which they all seemed to like. I even met some of her grandchildren. Mrs. Wriley had four grown children and nine grandchildren already. They hung out occasionally with her and loved to run around the pack house. My favorite was little Matthew. He was smaller than most kids his age, but he was fast and sneaky and always won hide and seek.
Danny went back out along with a few other warriors to track Ruby. The few times he came home to report in, I would have a Tupperware of food ready for him. I liked him. He was wild and carefree but took his job and position seriously, making a juxtaposition of boy and man that was fun to be around. He often acted like a stubborn rebel child, but I could see the love he showed Markus and the pack.
Markus, though, became jealous that I made food specially for Danny, so I always made sure to make extra for my mate when I did. Danny would stop in only long enough to report, grab food, grab clothes, and visit his grandparents. From what little Markus told me about him, Danny was not born of the gamma bloodline. His parents were trusted warriors of Alexander when he was Alpha. Markus, Gillian and Danny grew up together, even though Danny didn’t live in the pack house. After his parents died when he was twelve, Danny continued to be raised by his grandparents and made sure to take care of them now that they were too old to work.
Markus and Danny tried to get them to live in the pack house, but they refused to leave their home, so Markus paid staff to check on them while Danny was away, and Markus himself went to see them at least once a week. Danny promised to bring them around some time for me to meet them. He promised me that his grandma would absolutely love to exchange some recipes with me.
The luna ceremony was drawing near. It was to take place on the following full moon, which was the harvest moon. The council was showing up to conduct the ceremony, and many alphas were invited. I was beyond nervous. The luna ceremony would mark the end of my lie, but at the same time, I was eager to take up all of my luna duties. Mrs. Quinn already sent invitations to all the alphas and the council. She was trying to get me to plan what I wanted for decorations, but I was having trouble making any decisions. It still didn’t feel right to spend so much money when I wasn’t working.
I was currently making croissants, thinking about how much my life had changed in the last four weeks. I was already having to replace some of the clothing we bought. Dr. West said I was thirty pounds from my ideal weight. Kelly was always more than happy to take Maya and me shopping. I think she enjoyed playing with blank slates and Markus always had her get herself a little something for helping us.
Maya was given the green light to attempt to shift tomorrow. She hit her ideal weight and was hoping to ask for a job soon. She just needed to pass her GED, as Markus wasn’t going to let her work until after her studying was completed. Not that it stopped her, as she often helped the staff with small tasks, feeling the need to be useful. I was happy to see her getting stronger and comfortable with the rest of the pack.
“You were not in your room, my little Tuli.” I felt a pair of arms around my waist. I leaned back, relishing the feeling of sparks where our bodies touched, his scent surrounding me.
“I’ve gotten up at four in the morning for the last eight years. I am bad at sleeping in so I thought I’d make some croissants for breakfast,” I answered. I stopped kneading the dough and turned around. Even though I was five feet nine, Markus still towered over me, so I had to get on my tiptoes to kiss him. It was my favorite thing to do as he usually enveloped me in a tight embrace, and I could feel the sparks explode down my entire body, reminding me that this man was destined for me.
Over the last few weeks, I’d gotten to know him, and I’d gotten to know myself. He was my hero, my alpha, my best friend, my protector, my mate, my love. The last part was something I came to realize this morning while I watched him sleep. Since we were sharing a bathroom, I got an all-access pass to his bedroom. I’d sat on the side of his bed this morning and watched him sleep for almost half an hour, thinking about what he meant to me. From the moment we met, he’d done nothing but care for me. I felt his love for me, even though he hadn’t said the words yet; every action and decision he made screamed it to me. He still didn’t push me into sleeping with him, despite leaving him unsatisfied for weeks now.
I was ready. I was more than ready. I wanted to be his mate in more than just name. I wanted every part of what that entailed. I needed to tell him. I needed to find the right moment, and I was hoping that moment was tomorrow before the full moon.
“I missed you. I was having the most delicious dream, and then it left me, and I woke up, and your scent was gone.” He pouted after we came back up for air.
“But don’t you want some croissants for breakfast?” I raised an eyebrow. He grinned that grin that I loved. The one that made him look like a little boy.
Suddenly, his eyes glazed over as he got a mind-link. I frowned. The smile was gone from his face.
“We gotta go to the pack hospital. Danny’s back with the warriors. He’s got Ruby, and they are both injured.”
