By around 04:45 PM, Nana Lolita started preparing for the barbecue and bonfire later. I saw her cutting and marinating almost all kinds of meat – pork, beef, and chicken. I helped her do it, and it was fun. It makes me miss my mom.
"Why the sad face, senorita?" Nana Lolita said.I forced a smile and said, "It's nothing, Nana Lolita. What should we do after?" I replied."A face like that doesn't mean nothing. Are you missing your family?"I paused and said, "Yes, I do. But I don't think I will see my family again.""Why?""My mom and dad are both dead. My brother, I don't know if he is alive. He asked me to run to save myself while he tried to fight ten members of my pack. I don't think he will survive, though I am still hoping.""Oh! You poor soul! Those who tried to harm you are a disgrace of our kind. They should be ashamed of themselves. I wanted to hug you, but my hands are dirty.""That's okay, Nana Lolita. I feel better now."The first cry shattered the quiet. I froze, my heart pounding, and my palms slick with sweat. Then came the second wail, higher, lighter, and it pulled something deep out of me. Something raw and wild and new.“They’re here,” Nana Lolita whispered behind her mask, tears shimmering in her eyes.I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t move, only breathe, and listen. Reule’s hand found mine, trembling just slightly. I glanced up at him, stunned to find tears streaking his cheeks. The Alpha, the feared, the relentless, was now crying like a man who had just seen the stars up close for the first time.“We have two healthy pups,” the healer announced. “A boy and a girl.”The air in the room shifted. Reule let out a strangled sound. I laughed, sobbing, broken, and elated. The healer brought them to us one by one, swaddled in soft cream blankets. I held our daughter first. She had a full head of thick, dark hair and Reule’s tiny frown.“She’s judging the world already,” I whispered.“She’s you,” Reule
The scent of roasted garlic hit me like a punch to the stomach. I was mid-stir at the stove, trying to be helpful for once in the kitchen when the nausea slammed into me. My knees buckled, and I dropped the spoon with a clatter, one hand flying to my mouth as I sprinted toward the sink.Behind me, Adriana’s voice floated in, far too cheerful for someone witnessing my demise. “That sounded dramatic. Should I grab a bucket or a priest?”I groaned over the sink, willing my stomach to behave. “Neither. Just… kill me quickly.”Adriana leaned against the counter, biting into an apple like we weren’t seconds away from me vomiting again. “You’ve been sick three mornings this week. And now mid-afternoon. Something you want to share with the class?”“It’s just something I ate,” I muttered.“Uh-huh.” She took another bite. “Or maybe it’s someone you mated.”I turned slowly. “That’s a very inappropriate accusation.”She grinned. “Not when you’re glowing.”“I’m not glowing. I’m sweaty and p
They dressed me in silence. Nana Lolita’s fingers were steady as she fastened the back of my gown, smoothing the silk across my spine. Adriana stood behind her, holding a pale veil that shimmered like stardust. My breath fogged the mirror in front of me, and still, I didn’t move.“You don’t have to be nervous, but if you are, it’s allowed," Nana Lolita said gently.“I’m not scared,” I whispered.“Then what is it?”“I just… want to remember every second of this.”Adriana placed the circle atop my head, her smile reflected beside mine. “You will. We all will.”The gown felt lighter than it looked. The fabric floated around my legs like the wind, and the moon embroidery across the sleeves glowed faintly under the candlelight. But it wasn’t the dress that made me feel different. It was the mark this night would leave. The night I became his.—They guided me out of the house, past rows of flickering lanterns, down a trail lined with white petals. The entire pack waited in the clearing. Th
I held the sealed envelope between my fingers, its edges still warm from the messenger’s hand. A single word had been scrawled on the front in slanted script:Luna.My breath caught as I traced the ink. The title felt surreal, new, like I hadn’t quite earned it, but the whole pack already believed I had.“Open it,” Reule said, his voice low, eyes still locked on the letter like it might explode.I slipped a finger under the seal and peeled it open slowly. Inside was a simple note, handwritten in delicate penmanship:Luna Wren,Your mating ritual robe is ready.It awaits you in the greenhouse. —N.L.My brow furrowed. “N.L.?”Reule stepped closer. “Nana Lolita.”Of course. My heart eased.“She could’ve just told me,” I muttered, trying to hide how touched I felt.Reule chuckled. “That’s her way. She likes theatrics when she’s proud. And tonight, she’s more than proud.”I held the note to my chest, the moment sinking in. I was really going to become his mate and his Luna.“We’ll have
The night air buzzed with celebration. Lanterns hung from the trees, casting a soft amber glow over the pack grounds. Laughter echoed around me as members of the Gray Pack danced barefoot in the grass, their joy contagious. Smoke curled from the grills, mixing with the scent of roasted meat and sweet herbs. The sound of drums beat in time with the thrum in my chest.And yet, all I could focus on was him. Reule stood near the bonfire, dressed in black, but not his usual; he looked regal. A black button-up shirt that clung to his frame, sleeves rolled just enough to expose the veins in his forearms. His hair was slicked back, and stormy eyes scanned the crowd until they landed on me.“Stop staring,” Adriana teased as she handed me a cup of warm cider.“I wasn’t staring,” I said, too fast.“You kind of were.”I nudged her with my elbow. “You’re imagining things.”“No, I’m not,” she said with a smirk. “And neither is he. He’s been watching you all night like he’s memorizing you.”I sipp
The eastern clearing had never looked more alive. Lanterns swayed from tree branches, casting pools of golden light on the packed earth below. A breeze danced through the pines, lifting the scent of roasted meat and crushed herbs. Everywhere I turned, I saw the people I’d been trying to belong to gathered in clusters, eyes lifted to the sky, awaiting the rise of the full moon.And me? I stood just behind the ritual stone, my heart rattling inside my chest like it wanted to escape before I made a fool of myself. I wore no armor tonight, no cloak to hide behind, but just a simple silver-threaded robe that brushed my ankles, bound at the waist with a thin sash. My hair had been left down, curling in dark waves over my shoulders. Nothing about me screamed power, yet I could feel the weight of the entire pack pressing down on me.The elders stood at the edge of the circle. Marla’s expression was unreadable. Elias, beside her, gave a small nod. Reule stood farther back, arms folded, eyes lo