Chapter 3

Three days after moving out of the pack house, I rented an apartment downtown.

No Alpha pressure, no pack duties, no endless healing. For the first time, I actually felt some peace and quiet.

I was on my balcony, enjoying a coffee, when my phone rang.

"Sophia!" Marcus sounded frantic. "You have to come back!"

"What's up?" I asked, not really caring.

"The full moon ceremony! The full moon's in four days, and..." His voice was shaking. "The preparations are a disaster!"

I almost laughed.

"Not my problem, Marcus. You guys have a new Luna."

"But Vivian doesn't know what she's doing! The herbs for the sacred ritual, the blessing chants, how to even speak to the Moon Goddess... she's clueless!"

"And what does she have to say about it?"

Marcus paused. "She says she'll learn... but we only have four days! Sophia, if the full moon ceremony fails, the whole pack will lose the Moon Goddess's blessing!"

I took a sip of my coffee. "Yeah, that does sound pretty bad."

"So, will you come back and help?" Marcus pleaded. "Even if it's just to show Vivian the ropes..."

"Give me the phone."

A shrill voice snatched the phone. Vivian.

"Sophia, don't listen to Marcus's whining," she snapped. "I've been studying for three days. The full moon ceremony isn't that hard. It's just chanting some words and lighting a few candles, right?"

I nearly choked on my coffee.

"Vivian, are you sure you actually understand what the ritual is for?"

"Of course! I'm not an idiot," she said smugly. "And I've already got everything ready. You just wait, you'll see how perfectly I handle it!"

She hung up.

I just shook my head and went back to enjoying my quiet afternoon.

Three days later, my human friend Sarah was getting married.

I wore a light blue dress. By the time I got to the hotel, the ceremony was already starting.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated," the officiant's voice echoed through the speakers. "We are gathered here today to witness the sacred union..."

I found a seat near the back, ready to listen, when I suddenly heard a familiar voice.

"Moon Goddess, please witness our mate bond..."

I whipped my head around and nearly jumped out of my seat.

In another ballroom at the same hotel, Ethan, dressed in a black tux, was holding hands with Vivian in a white wedding gown. They were having their mating ceremony right there in front of everyone.

They'd actually picked the same hotel!

"...grant us eternal love and prosperity for our pack..."

Ethan continued with his vows, totally oblivious to me.

I was about to sneak out, but then Vivian's shrill voice cut through the air:

"Sophia! What are you doing here?"

Everyone turned to stare at me.

Ethan's face paled. "Sophia? Why are you here?"

I stood up, trying to stay calm. "I'm here for a friend's wedding."

"A friend's wedding?" Vivian eyed me suspiciously. "You're not here to ruin our ceremony, are you?"

"Ruin it?" I scoffed. "Why would I want to do that?"

Ethan rushed over to me, his eyes flashing with... something complicated. "You... you're mating someone else?"

I blinked, then realized what he thought.

"No, Ethan. I'm just here for my friend Sarah's wedding. A human wedding." I gestured to the ballroom next door. "It has nothing to do with you guys."

"Then why this hotel?" Vivian shrieked. "There are tons of hotels in the city. You had to pick this one?"

"Because the bride picked it," I said calmly. "Besides, I figured you'd be at a traditional mating site, not some human hotel."

Ethan flushed. "We... we wanted something more modern..."

"Modern?" I looked around. "Then why isn't a pack Elder officiating? Why have the hotel event planner read a script? At least the Elders actually represent the Moon Goddess."

Vivian's face got even redder. "All those old rules are such a hassle!"

I shook my head. "You don't even have basic respect, and you expect the Moon Goddess to acknowledge your bond?"

"We don't need your approval for our bond!" Vivian fumed. "And I'm all set for the full moon ceremony. I'll show everyone I'm a perfectly good Luna then!"

Ethan puffed his chest out. "That's right. Vivian's a natural when it comes to rituals."

Just then, Ethan's phone rang.

He glanced at the screen, a smug look on his face. "That'll be the Elders' Council. They're probably calling to say how impressed they are with Vivian's ceremony prep."

He confidently hit the speakerphone button.

But the next thing we heard was Elder Grace's furious voice blasting from the speaker, loud enough for the whole ballroom to hear.

"Alpha Ethan! What in the blazes have you two done?!' Elder Grace's voice was shaking with rage. "The sacred ritual is a total mess! The Moon Goddess's blessing has completely GONE from our pack!"