Chapter 11

It wasn’t until the sun had dipped low on the horizon that Micah whisked me outside the pack. My ears twitched, picking up the frantic rhythm of the drums, thrumming a crazy sound that had me bopping my head.

I clutched his hands tighter as we made our way through uncharted waters. The moon was slowly making its entrance, giving light to the crowd that had gathered in front of his house.

Unlike other packs, there was no central pack house. Everyone lived on their own in bungalows scattered around the pack, with extra ones built for newcomers.

The men stood shirtless, dressed in what could be a ceremonial garb of bear skin, while others were cloaked in hides of deer and elk. The females were in long white dresses that swept the earth, looking every bit like angels.

A hush passed through the crowd when Micah stepped forward, and they all turned to face him. “Welcome home!” A voice cried from the crowd, and the others echoed it, their excitement very palpable to others.

This they did to everyone that had left with Micah, dancing around them even as the wine flowed and I watched from the sidelines, my hands in a deathly grip on Micah.

The drums beat harder, their dances becoming more haphazard. It was nice nonetheless; the atmosphere reminded me of a big happy family, and they continued in that merriment, either not caring about me or too consumed in their excitement and booze-filled state to notice.

After what seemed like a moment, Micah cleared his throat, raising his hands, and the entire area went deathly quiet so that I could hear the trees nearby take their breath.

They fastened their gaze on him, each in anticipation and reverence.

Very often, their gaze flickered to me, curiosity in them, admiration even, and maybe a few malicious gazes. Okay, I was wrong there. I could sense it now more than ever, my skin burning as those that I recognized as my rivals eyed me.

My wolf bristled inside me, begging to be let out, but I straightened, puffing my shoulder. I leaned even closer to Micah, rubbing my scent all over him because there was not a chance I was losing to any of them.

“Wolves of Grimhowl,” Micah boomed, his voice carrying over the area with an authority that had everyone rooted in their place. “A few weeks ago, we left for the unknown in search of the one that was fated for us, and we made a promise not to be back until it had been fulfilled.” He paused, looking at his pack, and many began to glance at me, now recognizing what and who I truly was. “Today we are back, and we didn’t just come back; we came because indeed we have found the one the goddess had fated for us.”

At his words, the pack erupted into cheers, their screams loud enough that they could reach the heavens, and with sensitive ears like mine, I had to stop myself from shrinking from the noise.

Micah angled his head towards me, his eyes crinkling with so much happiness that it was contagious, and my heart leaped, my wolf excited.

I stood tall, my spine as straight as a ruler, wanting to look the part.

“Wolves of Grimhowl, I am proud to present my mate,” Micah continued, pride in his eye, “the one I will spend the rest of my life with, Raya Everhart.”

I had braced myself for the noise that would follow, naturally dulling my senses, but it was all in vain. The eruption shattered me, their cheers rising up way above the recommended decibel, but it was alright; it was for me.

My lips were at the risk of tearing from how much I had been smiling, and I was sure I would need some extra stitches when their voices tore the air.

“Luna! Luna! Luna!” They circled me, reaching to touch me, to scent me, to claim me as theirs even as they chanted my title.

I blinked back the tears that had begun to gather, my skin tingling with warmth as I turned toward them. My gaze caught those familiar brown eyes that shone with so much love even in the moonlight.

I shook my head, unsure I was deserving of such love, but ever so slightly, he nodded his head as if to affirm his love for me, and my entire face lit up in a smile.

“You are so beautiful, Luna.”

“We are happy you are here.”

“We love you.” These words flowed from their mouth so easily; their love opened for all to see, and oh, it gladdened my heart, for one so full of hatred had now become so loved.

So I basked in this new experience, making small talk and trying to learn their names. It was what a Luna would do.

“Hmm mm.” The clearing of a throat distracted me, and I turned to see Micah looking as dashing as ever. “Are you having fun?”

I threw my arms around him, bubbling from all the excitement. “You have no idea how much joy you have brought to me, Micah. Thank you so much.”

“This is what you deserve, Raya,” he whispered in my ears. “And I will spend my life making sure you have it.”

“Micah.” I cooed, unable to find words to describe how much he had healed me with those words. So I only held him closer, letting him feel just how much I was grateful for him.

I guess it would be fine after all.

We parted after a while, and I stared at him, as if to ask, ‘What do we do now?’ His lips curled up in a smirk, his hands wrapping around my waist.

“Now, we party.”

***

And party we did.

It was the first time I had let myself get that loose without any worries. I drank, ate, and danced so much that I was sure my bones would ache the next day.

The party stretched long into the night before Micah finally took me home, leaving the others to celebrate without us, but I was grateful for the escape.

We collapsed into bed, and while he drifted to sleep almost instantly, I lay awake a little longer.

My body had difficulty processing that I was in a new place, and I was mostly wide awake for the night, tossing and turning on the bed.

Eventually, I succumbed to the weariness, and I fell asleep, with my mate’s scent clouding me and a smile on my lips.