The Claimed Promise

A Day Apart

After the altercation with Claudia at breakfast, my mind is racing a mile a minute. How could someone who clearly comes from a respectful position in the pack be so focused on themselves instead of what’s good for the pack as a whole? I bid farewell to Tristan and decided to head back to my room instead of seeking Samara out. I’d love to see her, and I know she would be able to comfort me, but I don’t want to put any more stress on her than necessary. I make my way through the pack house, occasionally people stop and greet me and ask me about being excited for tonight. My main response is a smile accompanied by a nod. Once I finally make it back to my room, my anxiety about tonight’s events is through the roof. After taking a few calming breaths, I decided this was a great time to try out the satellite phone dad gave me. Even though Samara told me I wouldn’t be able to contact anyone in the human world after coming here, there was no way I was going to comply. The phone was hidden in a pocket I had sewed into the bottom of my suitcase and I quickly dug it out to call home.

After several rings, the high-pitched squeal of my mom almost deafened me. “Kora! You finally called! Your dad and I have been waiting for your call. How was your flight? Is it beautiful there? Have you done anything fun yet?”

“Calm down honey, give her a second to answer at least one of the questions before you keep throwing more at her.” The sound of my dad laughing cheers me up immediately and I’m already feeling better.

“I’m sorry I didn’t call sooner. It was a long flight and I needed to recover from jet lag, but the flight itself was very good. So far, I’ve met some really cool people and I’ve seen some extremely beautiful landscapes. Tonight, there’s a celebration at the town I’m staying in that Lindsey and I are going to go to.” I decided to leave out the little details about the possibility of death, since that might be a downer. My mom’s voice brings me back from my dark joke as she carries on about being safe at the party.

“How is Lindsey liking it there? We are so happy she went with you.” Dad quickly agreed with mom, and they got sidetracked with talking about how nervous they would have been had I had gone alone.

“Lindsey loves it here and I’m glad she came too. Enough about me, how are you guys doing?” To my surprise, there was hesitation and then a loud sigh from my dad.

“Well, we have some good news and some potentially bad news. We finally got a date for the review for the café, but Mandi stopped by to personally let us know she had pulled some strings to make sure her aunt did the review…” Silence envelopes all of us after the information is shared. Mandi and I hadn’t spoken since breaking up and with how badly it ended, it was clear she was still trying to hurt me.

“Well… maybe everything will be OK. Maybe her aunt takes her job very seriously and she’ll give you guys a fair review. The café does well, and we have always had very loyal customers. There’s no way she won’t take that into consideration.” The hum of agreement comes from my dad, and I know he’s trying to be positive.

“I am sorry that I caused this trouble for both of you. I wish I had listened to her sooner and maybe it would have prevented a lot of heartbreak.”

“Yeah, I’m always right. If you and your mom listened to me more, we’d probably be billionaires and we’d all be over there in that fancy country.” A smack and the loud echo of laughter fills the other end of the phone, and I can’t help but burst out laughing too. Dad always knew what to say and how to make even the hardest conversations easier to handle.

“Yes, well, I actually think we’d all be living in a cardboard box putting on street performances for our next meals had we listened to you, but that’s an argument for another time.” Their banter gets me laughing again and soon tears are running down my face from laughing so hard. This call was exactly what I needed.

“Thank you guys so much for this phone. This is exactly what I needed today. I’ve been feeling a little homesick and this really turned my mood around. Now, anytime I’m feeling down or anything, I’m going to call so I can hear you both argue.” We all laughed again and began saying our goodbyes.

“Call anytime you need us, Kora. We love you and we’ll always be here for you no matter what.” Tears slipped quietly from my eyes as my mom spoke and the fear I’d never hear voice again gripped my heart.

“I promise I will. I love both of you very much. You’re the best parents anyone could ever have.” Our call wrapped up and as soon as it ended, tears began to freely fall. I truly hope the next call they get isn’t Lindsey telling them I’m gone. Please Moon Goddess, please let me be worthy.

After composing myself, I decided it might not be a bad idea to check in with Lindsey. We hadn’t seen each other since yesterday and I wanted her spunky attitude to help distract me.

This time opening my door I’m more cautious and, like I expected, Tristan is standing guard right outside. As soon as the door is opened, he turns and greets me with a warm smile.

“Are you ready for me to take you to your mate?”

“Umm, no. I think I’d like you to take me to see Lindsey please.” A look of confusion crosses his face but clears instantly and he gestures for me to follow him. Our ride in the elevator is awkwardly quiet and as the elevator door opens, I stop Tristan for a moment to talk.

“It’s not that I don’t want to see Samara, Tristan. I just don’t want to let her see me upset or worried about tonight. I feel like that will cause her more worry and it’s not fair to her with all the responsibilities she already has.” Tears fill my eyes and threaten to fall as I explain my thinking to Tristan. As soon as I finish talking, he wraps me in a bone-crushing hug.

“Thank Queen Luna for being observant of my feelings. I was worried about our Alpha Queen, but clearly my worry is in vain as it’s clear you’re already thinking about what is best for her.” Once he released me, the awkwardness between us seemed to just fade away. Tristan led me over to the beta’s room and I could already hear Lindsey laughing inside. . Within a few moments of the knock, the door swung up and there stood an almost furious-looking Liam. When he realized it was me, he’s expression softened instantly.

“Queen Luna, please come in. I assume you’re here to see Lindsey and I know she’ll be ecstatic to see you.” The sound of Lindsey squealing confirms his suspicions and before I’m even fully into the room, she’s shoved past Liam to embrace me into a hug.

“Kora!!! I’m so happy to see you! How are you doing today? Are you excited for tonight? I’m excited for tonight. Tonight, the pack gains their Luna. Liam has explained so much to me about the pack and how important this is. I just know you’re going to be the best Luna.” Lindsey continued to ramble about this evening and all I could do was just nod and occasionally smile at her. Liam had clearly done a very good job explaining the pack situation to her and she was infatuated with the idea of me being the Luna Queen. As if noticing my apprehension, the direction of the conversation switched.

“Hey, you’re being awfully quiet. Are you OK, Kora?” The concern etched into her beautiful features wasn’t missed and I couldn’t help but give her a reassuring smile.

“Yes, I’m ok. I’m just very nervous for this evening. I want The Moon Goddess to accept me and deem me worthy, as well as, I want to be everything the pack needs from their Luna. It’s just a lot weighing on my mind.” My eyes drop and tears threaten to spill as I speak. To my surprise, Lindsey says nothing. Instead, she pulls me into a tight hug and we stay that way for some time before she lets me go and embraces my face in her hands.

“Kora, you can’t see what I see or what the majority of the pack sees but, let me assure you, you are worthy. This pack needs someone exactly like you. You’re strong, compassionate and I can already tell you’d do anything for Samara and her people. Instead of thinking about what could happen, think about what you’ll be able to do once you’re the Luna. A positive thought process is what’s going to get you through this day.” Lindsey’s advice catches me off guard and I can’t believe what I’m hearing. I instantly turned to Liam, who was looking affectionately at her.

“Liam, you are absolutely perfect for Lindsey. I don’t know what you did to make her smart and full of wisdom, but keep up the good work.” A large smile is plastered on my face now and I noticed from the corner of my eye Lindsey giving me the death glare.

“Excuse me? I’ve always been this amazing. You just failed to miss it because I usually wasn’t sober.” For a moment there was silence before we all burst out laughing. We spent the afternoon joking and, thankfully, the conversation didn't go back to that evening’s events.