Chapter Four: New Pack, New Trouble
1614 Words
*Valeria POV*
“Ouch!” I held my head in pain as I opened my eyes to the blinding light coming from outside. I looked around surprised at where I was. The last thing I remember was being beaten by the bullies in my pack and hearing a voice before everything went blank. How did I end up here?
“Ah! You are finally awake. Thanks to the moon Goddess.” A voice came from the corner of the room, startling me.
“Who…who are you?” I asked her while struggling to sit up.
“Easy now,” came her soothing voice, “You are not fully healed yet”.
“What happened? Where am I?” I needed answers, as everything I was seeing looked too strange to me.
“My name is Mama Tessa, I am the healer of the Moonlight Pack, and this is my house” She replied, her eyes not leaving mine. “Alpha Arthur had saved you and brought you here for treatment. You were unconscious for some hours.”
The name ‘Alpha Arthur’ hit me like a cold wave. He is the leader of the Moonlight Pack, the most feared and respected Alpha of all. My mind began to race. "Alpha Arthur saved me?”
Mama Tessa nodded her head gently in affirmation, "Yes, and he gave instructions for you to be taken care of, and then he returned to his duties. He wanted you to be well before sending you back to your pack."
“My name is Valeria… But is--”
“You’ve asked too many questions in such a short time. You have all the important information you need, now I need you to just relax and get better fully.” Mama Tessa said, cutting me off mid-sentence.
****
Two more days had passed with me being in the Moonlight pack. I felt much better as each day passed, it almost felt like I had only been taking a leisure nap and not just recovering from a brutal head trauma like Mama Tessa had said. She had told me that I heal nicely for someone in a tumult of pain.
By the third day, I was strong and ready to return to my pack, but that was the issue. I couldn’t return to my pack, I literally had nowhere else to go, and only pain and hurt from Dennis and my family awaited me in my pack. I needed to think on my feet and come up with an idea, as Mama Tessa was already helping me pack some herbs to take back with me. After much thinking, I finally got one.
As Mama Tessa entered the room for me to start going, I set my plan in motion.
“Can you take me to see Alpha Arthur? I want to thank him in person,” I said to her. I intend to thank the Alpha, but I also intend to plead with him to let me stay in his pack. There was no way in hell I was going back to my pack.
Mama Tessa hesitated for a moment but finally agreed after much pleading and convincing from me.
On our way to the palace, the grandeur of the pack really impressed me, the street looks so clean and well-kept, unlike my own pack. I peppered Mama Tessa with questions, and she seemed not to mind. She answered me kindly and offered some information that I didn’t know to ask.
We got to the palace, and I was more impressed with the elegant look of it, nothing like the sharp stone architecture of my pack. The building of the palace looks strong but welcoming in its strength.
Just as we were about to enter the Alpha’s palace, a woman in elegant attire stepped in our path. She had a presence that was commanding. By her appearance, you would easily know that she is someone of high status within the pack.
“What’s going on here? Who is she, and why is she here?” She questioned, while her eyes looked me up and down.
Mama Tessa stepped forward. “Good Morning, Luna Zara. This is Valeria, she is a guest of Alpha Arthur.”
Zara’s gaze sharpened. “Alpha Arthur didn’t tell me about any guests.”
In other avoid to any unnecessary attention to myself, I quickly spoke up, “Your Grace, I’m here to express my gratitude.”
I moved closer to her and was about to bow to her when she grabbed me by my hair. She pulled me close to her face and looked me in the eyes with suspicion in her eyes, like I was a thief or something. At her touch on my head, I immediately felt a searing headache, I almost yelp out in pain, but kept it in because I didn’t want this meet-up to escalate any further.
As the Luna was about to speak, a deep voice spoke from behind, “Mama Tessa?”
At the sound of the voice, the Luna released my hair, and her countenance changed totally. She went from a cold woman to a warm and alluring one. She was all smiles. She linked her arm with mine and pulled me forward toward the voice.
“Arthur. Mama Tessa brought your visitor, Valeria.” The Luna said, radiating all warmth.
As the Alpha moved close to us, I suddenly felt relief from my headache, it was as if a cool hand was soothing my head. I wonder why this is, just as I also wonder what caused the headache.
Looking at the Alpha up close and in person, he looks so handsome. His shiny black hair tumbled to his back, and his face looked so perfect. It must have been carved by a gracious goddess, his eyes hold a strong look and I feel myself shiver when those eyes lock on mine. At this point, the Luna has broken herself from me to stand beside the Alpha.
“Are you okay now, why are you not on your way back to your pack?” His voice had a rhythmic sound to it.
“I came to thank you, And... I hoped to speak with you privately” I said, my voice barely steady.
The Luna's eyes narrowed in suspicion, “Why do you need privacy with my husband?”
I opened my mouth to reply, but Alpha Arthur spoke first. “Anything you need to say can be said in front of my Luna.” That statement immediately made the Luna smile.
Alpha Arthur turned to Mama Tessa. “Thank you for taking care of her. You can go back to the healer’s house now.” Then he looked at me with a blank expression. “Follow us.”
Inside his office, I took a deep breath and told them everything, from the cruelty of my family to the humiliation of being rejected by my mate, Dennis, and how I ended up in the situation he saw me. My voice trembled as I finished. “I beg of you, Alpha. Please let me stay here. I have nowhere else to go.”
“You can’t stay here. We don’t just accept anyone into our pack.” The Luna spoke with disdain lacing her voice.
“Even if you’re the Luna, I am the Alpha, and I have the final say in this pack.” Alpha Arthur says to her disapprovingly. This made her sit up straight, her back going rigid and her eyes looking to slice me into pieces.
“Although I sympathize with your current plight, Valeria, I will still need to ask you some questions to know if you’re eligible to belong to my pack.”
I answered each question as truthfully as I could. Alpha Arthur's eyes never left mine, and I felt like he could see straight into my soul. His attention was solely on me that it looked like his Luna was not present with us. I could see her fume because of it.
At last, he gave a small nod, as if he’d reached a decision. “Alright, you are qualified to join our pack,” he said slowly. “But becoming a part of this pack isn’t easy.”
He opened a drawer and pulled out a small, sharp knife. Without hesitation, he cut his palm, a thin line of blood appearing. He held his hand out to me.
“To join the Moonlight Pack, our blood must meet. This will break your bond with your old pack and bind you to ours.” He then took my right palm in his left, cut into my palms, and laid his hands on mine.
Immediately, our cut palms touched, and our blood meshed. I felt a deep pain within me, I felt myself being cut away from my pack and connecting to the Moonlight pack. Underneath the pain, I also felt something else I couldn’t describe.
Once the ritual was done, he spoke, “I, Arthur Miller, Alpha of the Moonlight Pack, accept you Valeria into my pack.” His voice was so deep.
When he finished, he gripped my hand harder for a second before releasing it, and I felt that sizzling feeling again. He turned back to go to his seat, and it was only then that I remembered that the Luna was still in the room. She continued to look at me in suspicion, making me uncomfortable.
As I made my way out of the Alpha’s office, I couldn’t help but think; what have I just gotten myself into?
More especially, what was that feeling with the Alpha?
- Writer
