The Pack Survives

[12] Entourage

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Celeste’s POV

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                I woke up feeling stiff, disoriented and down right tired. I began to stretch my limbs out as a sensation swept over my body that I hadn’t felt in centuries. Warmth. My skin was abuzz, tingles erupting all over my body. I tried to lift my arm to look closer at it, sure that there was something on my skin causing this reaction. I was right. It was an arm. A big, strong, muscular, tattoo laden arm.

                I tried to pry it off, eager to turn around and see my mate’s face, but I was having trouble with my lack of strength. I thought to myself with a huff, “Oh, Evan, you big brute. Move your arm so I can see you.”           

                The reply was instant.

                “As you wish, my Luna.”

                I stiffened. He heard me, didn’t he? I felt him stirring behind me, his arm wrapping around me further, rather than away. He used that arm to turn me around and face him. Suddenly, I felt shy. I tried to cover my eyes, but he wouldn’t allow it. “No, love. Don’t’ hide from me. I told you before and I expect you to remember. You will never feel shy around me. I love and worship your mind, body and soul. Are we clear?

                The feeling that coursed through my body was shocking. His demand was strong. I felt my body respond instantly and my head instinctively turned to the side, exposing my neck in submission. Where the hell did that come from??

                “Not to intrude love, but I am sorry. I didn’t mean to order you. The weight of an Alpha’s demand is incomparable. I didn’t think about it because it’s never worked on you. I should have thought smarter, I am sorry. There is a lot we have to discuss and go over now.” he said, guilt dripping from his tongue.

                But he was wrong. I didn’t dislike it. I loved it. I wanted him to be proud of me. To see me submit and praise me for it. I didn’t want anything else in the world more than to please this man, my mate, my Alpha.

                I heard a purr in my head and shot up in fear. “What was that??”

                He chuckled, “That, Luna, would be your wolf. Dmitri said he met her. You said you did, too, right?” he asked, tentatively. Concern was beginning to mark his face. That is when it all came flooding back to me.

                Trying to understand what happened to me was a blur and it was hard to comprehend. I wasn’t even sure all of it was real.

                ***Flashback***

                I felt my body being carried, floating through the air. I knew that it was Evan, I could tell by his scent and had recently memorized each muscle, curve, freckle and scar on his body. I committed his touch to memory and while he had laughed that I didn’t need to do that, that he would always be here with me, I was happy I held my ground. Now, as I lay lifeless in his arm, losing blood quicker than my body could regenerate it, I was thankful that the last memory I would have on this earth, in this mortal realm, was being in his arms.

                It was cold and wet. I was covered in rain and it was seeping through my hair making me even colder, but his body heat helped. I felt myself being moved onto a flat board and then we were moving again, faster, more eager than before. The smell of blood, sanitizer, rubbing alcohol and betadine invaded my senses and I knew at once I was in the pack hospital.

                I fell in and out of consciousness at that point but was awaken with a jolt when I felt a rush of magic flowing through my body. I couldn’t open my eyes, but I was suddenly standing in a room, I think it was a room but I wasn’t sure because I couldn’t tell where the floor ended and where the wall or sky began. I was shrouded in light, wearing the same clothes my conscious body was wearing.

I heard something behind me and whipped around ready for attack but stopped. In front of me, the white was now slowly transforming into grass and sky, a field surrounded by trees began to take form. This was where the fight happened, but now it was empty.

Yep. I’m dead.

I looked around and something caught my eye. In the tree line, not 20 feet from me, stood a tall and beautiful black wolf, paws as white as snow, eyes the color of lavender. She began to trot towards me and when the light hit her fur, it shone with a red hue. Her eyes were twinkling, lips curled into a smile and I felt like I knew this wolf but I couldn’t remember a time I had ever met her.

                “Hello, Celeste. I have waited a long time to join you.” I heard in my mind.

                “Who are you?” I asked, but somewhere inside, I already knew the answer.

                “My name is Zasha. I am your wolf. Our father named us.” she said, her prideful introduction turning into sorrow. I heard her whimper, and her head lowered slightly. I stepped forward instinctively to comfort her and paused, my hand extended to her but waiting. I didn’t know if this was ok, if she was approachable. Was I allowed to touch my own wolf? I mean, when would I ever see her again??

                She looked up at me and without hesitation, stepped forward, pushing her head into my hand and weaving it back and forth, nuzzling the inside of my arm and rubbing the length of her body across mine.

                “This is how we say hello!” she said, playfully rubbing her long tail against me. I chuckled. She was just like a puppy. I realized with a start that this must be her first time talking to anyone.

                “What does Zasha mean?” I asked. I felt like I had heard the name, but not in this lifetime.

                “Protector of Mankind.” She said, lifting her head high, nuzzle to the air.

                She began to jump around, almost like a newborn horse. She ran and dove into the ground, rolling her fur in the grass. I stood there stunned, in awe of her. She was so innocent. So happy. But there was a world out there, right now, that was itching to kill us. They might have succeeded.

                “What happens now?” I asked. She stopped rolling and flipped over to her stomach, pushing up onto her paws and standing tall, staring at the ground. “I don’t know Celeste. But he is coming for us. I feel it.”

                I began to shake. Who was coming for us? Mario? Micah? Were they killed today? I began to panic at the possibility that we hadn’t won. How many lives were lost because of me?

                “Evan. Evan and Dmitri.” She answered and I heard her purring as images of Evan’s wolf flipped through our mind. Suddenly, the air around us began to vibrate and like a glitching television, two figures began to appear in front of us. I ran over to Zasha and stood protectively in front of her, arms extended on either side of me. I felt my left arm being pushed up and looked over to see Zasha taking the space next to me. She pushed forward until she was the one blocking me.

                This was going to be a pain in the ass.

                The figures began to clear up and I was stunned when I realized who it was. It was Emily and Brittany. They saw me and their eyes grew wide, smiles spreading across their faces. They began to walk towards us when a vicious growl ripped through the air and Zasha began to paw at the dirt, her teeth exposed. She meant business.

                “No, wait. They are from our pack. Emily is mated to the Delta and Brittany just found her mate today, he is our Beta. These women are the Beta and Delta females. You can trust them.” I said as I ran my hand down her back, trying to go for a calming effect. Sure enough, her muscles relaxed and she stepped back until she was at my side.

                “Celeste, we are running out of time. We are in the room with you but you are not getting better. We need to know what to do.” Said Emily, now standing in front of me. I looked over at Brittany who was nodding her head. “She is right. What are we supposed to do? How do we heal you?”

                In my head, Zasha was sending me pictures of Dmitri again and again, until it finally registered what needed to be done. I looked at my wolf and she gave me a single nod. I turned back to the girls and told them, “Evan needs to mark me. The only way for me to heal is to break the bind, release my wolf and complete the mate bond. Zasha will heal me.”

                They looked at each other and Brittany smiled. “At your service, my Luna.” She gave an overly dramatic bow and I couldn’t help but crack up. It was an inappropriate time for jokes but who the hell cared anymore. This was do or die and if I wanted to laugh, I was going to laugh until I died.

                “We will bring him back right away!” and with that, they disappeared.

                “That was interesting. I have never seen so many witches at once. They are our pack mates?” she asked.

                “Yes, Brittany just got here today. I feel so bad her introduction to the pack and her mate ended in blood shed. Zasha, there are people out there, people I know, that want us dead. We are unique. There has never been a hybrid like us. We are, in their eyes, an abomination. I don’t know if we will ever get the chance to sit side by side like this again, but I want us to be on the same page. No matter what our mate tells us, no matter how much he promises to protect us, I will not allow another member of my family to die because I merely exist. Do you understand what I am saying?”

                She tilted her head at me, again like a puppy, and finally nodded. “The pack comes first. The pack survives.”

                I sat down next to her, I didn’t know what else to do. We sat in comfortable silence and I found I could share with her images of my life. I showed her my parents, well, my vampire parents. I showed her the memories I had from when I was human, when I was turned, when I was first learning to be a warrior. All of it. I wanted her to know she didn’t have a weak human.

                She dropped her head into my lap and I ran my hands through her fur. Suddenly the forest around us began to shake. The trees were being blown from side to side, the smaller ones completely uprooted. I stood up as quickly as I could and we braced ourselves against each other, still trying to show some resemblance of defense against what was to come. That’s when I felt it.

                I was knocked to the ground, a pain so strong I couldn’t bring words to my lips or draw air to my lungs. It started at my neck, traveling down my chest, up across my throat, until my entire body was covered in fire. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Zasha standing above me, shielding my entire body with hers. She was magnificent.

                “Mate.” I heard, a command so strong that Zasha’s legs began to buckle until she laid on top of me. She didn’t bare her weight on me, but I knew she was struggling. “Wake up. Come to me. Come to me Luna.”

                She looked down at me and said “He’s coming. They’re coming. This is it Celeste. I will always be with you now, you will always be with me. Remember, the pack survives.”

                A force as strong as a tidal wave blasted us and it all went black.

                I heard a lot of commotion, screams, whimpers, glass breaking. I heard an erratic beeping but was momentarily distracted by the sensation of large warm hands on my face. Tingles erupted across my skin where the hands were placed. It was him. It was Evan!

                I had to touch him, talk to him, get to him. I couldn’t move though so I tried the one thing that Zasha had taught me. I fought to locate a line of communication and willed my thoughts into his soul. “E..Evan?”

                Did it work? Did he hear me?? s**t was I dead?

                “Celeste, baby. Can you hear me? Can you open your eyes for me?” I heard. Rather than in my head, the sound was around me.

                “Come to me, Zasha.” I heard, and I knew it was Dmitri. Calling for us. Calling for his mate. My heart melted thinking about them finally meeting. Playing, running, nipping at each other. I needed to wake up. I needed to get back to this man. This wolf.

I felt a strength rise from within me and knew it was Zasha, wherever she was, lending me the power to wake up. My eyelids fluttered open and I was greeted with a sight as welcoming and desperate as an oasis to someone stuck in the Sahara. My mate.

***End Flashback***

                I lifted my hand to caress Evan’s face. He had saved me, over and over again. I couldn’t imagine my life without him. I knew that Zasha couldn’t be without Dmitri, either.

                “I did meet her. It was incredible. I don’t know if everyone else get’s a chance to stand in front of their wolf, but I will never forget that. She is strong, powerful, beautiful. She is perfect.” I said, a smile spread wide across my face.

                Evan’s face mirrored mine as his hand lifted up to meet mine. “YOU are perfect. I am so thankful you are alive. I couldn’t have done it without Emily or Brittany. I need to thank them. And Lisa and Jeff! Oh, Goddess, and Gabe. Oh man I am such a bad Alpha. I was so consumed with you and only you, I fear I was rude and my behavior was inexcusable, C. What do I do?” he said, his eyes were wild, he was quickly losing it.

                I lifted my other hand and turned his face, holding it still in front of my own. I stared into his eyes, struck by how lucky I was. In a world full of such violence, despair, and death, I was given the golden ticket with having a mate as caring and selfless as he is. He doesn’t feel ashamed to let his feelings known and when he is feeling, he is feeling OUT LOUD. This beautiful, strong, deadly man is also the softest, most gentle, and humble creature I have ever met.

                “You will get up, get your s**t together, and apologize like the strong Alpha you are. I assure you that no one is holding the last 24 hours against you. Everyone was high strung and on edge. They will forgive you, if only to appease you, because again… you did nothing wrong.”

                I thought back to what his sister showed me, her memories. I know as a pack that the wolves can share vital information, blips if you will, but what she showed me was intimate. It was her most treasured memories of her brother. Those moments were paramount for here, for molding her into who she is, for sculpting the image she held of her brother. There once was a time where the gift I was given, I felt was more like a curse. I no longer felt that way. It truly is a gift.

                He looked at me, cautiously at first, then his smile grew.

                “I heard that.” He said, except his lips didn’t move. “Babe, I heard that in my head. I can hear you now. The mate bond. It’s almost complete!”

                I could feel the excitement radiate through him, through me. It rattled my bones. It was a bizarre feeling to say the least. They were his feelings, but they were roaring through my body as if they were my own. If I tried hard enough, I could visualize them like they were tangible. His thoughts, feelings, all of it now were laced with his essence. It was so hard to describe, but if there were strings of thread laid out in a row, and one of them were Evan’s, I could pick it out. Did that even make sense? Am I loosing my mind?

                “No, Celeste, you are not. I know exactly what you mean. Us wolves are much more used to it. When I am with the pack, and all their thoughts are rushing through me, I know instinctively who’s is who’s. They truly have their own mark, strength, shape, force, color even. Each person’s inner monologue is intrinsically unique to their soul. You are not crazy love. You are attentive.”

                I felt relieved. I let my hand dropped and laid my head back down on Evan’s pillows and took a deep breath to calm myself. I had so many feelings rushing through me. Some were so foreign, and I suspected them to be my wolf’s. I needed to speak to my parent’s. I had so many questions about my transformation and while I didn’t think they had all the answers, they were still my parents.

                “Evan, I need to see my parents. Can you get them for me?” I asked. I really didn’t want him to leave but I knew physically I was in no shape to get up and move around looking for them. I felt strong with my wolf, and with being a vampire but something was missing. I probably just needed to rest but it felt like an itch I couldn’t quite scratch.

                He smiled tenderly at me and nodded his head before kissing my forehead and rolling out of the bed. I took a moment to admire his body. I hadn’t had enough time with him, to know each curve, muscle, scar and freckle on his body. His deep tanned skin shone in the light cascading through the window. My eyes trailed over his shoulders and down the length of his back. Those shoulders bore the weight of the pack on them, and now they carried me.

                The scars on his back proved that he had endured so much pain in his short life. I wanted nothing more than to take it all away. He bent down to grab a pair of sweatpants and I was grateful for the view of his biceps flexing with the movement. His hands wrapped tightly around the waistband, pulling them up across his strong thighs, over his hips and settled right below his waist. Ladies know it. The ‘V’ mark on a man’s body. He began to adjust the strings of his sweatpants and I found myself entranced by the eloquence of his fingertips.

                Those fingertips have the ability to incite a fire of goosebumps across my skin with the simplest touch, a grazing of his finger across my lips, causing tsunami waves of raging desire to drown me. Those same fingertips can also easily rip a man’s throat out without even thinking about it. I have seen him in action before. I know the damage those hands can inflict. The death they can cause.

                A flash of heat erupted in my throat, traveling down my chest, through my stomach and down, down, down, into the parts of my body reserved only for my hunny. Suddenly, the only thought I had was to taste him, all of him. I wanted to run my fangs across his throat, over to his carotid artery and plunge them in deep while I rode him like a…..

                “Celeste.” Evan said, ripping me from my thoughts. It felt like I had been doused with a bucket of ice water. I shook my head, trying to free myself from those thoughts when an unfamiliar feeling began dancing across my subconscious. It felt like fingers…. Like someone was reaching to get in. The feeling transformed to a total calmness, like I was wrapped in a blanket, being held tight. I felt comforted. I looked up at Evan and he was staring at me, his eyes slightly glazed over.

                I knew that it was him instantly. He made it to me with one stride and knelt down so he was face to face with me. “Celeste. You need to hunt. It’s been days since you last went out. You were sustained with IV fluid, but you need to hunt. You are getting weak and I suspect that…” his voice trailed off. I could sense that he was holding something back from me and I wasn’t about to let that happen.

                “What Evan, what is happening?” I begged. “You can protect me from a lot, that much is true, but if it comes to me, you have to be honest with me. You have to tell me the truth.”

                 So help me Goddess he looked uncomfortable. “Uhhh well, since you were turned, and since you found your wolf, we uhh haven’t had, well… you know… sex.” He finally spit out, eyes cast down. He was embarrassed!! I chuckled, slow at first until I was in a fetal position laughing until I cried. He, on the other hand, did not find this amusing at all.

                “Oh Goddess, Ev, I am sorry,” I said in between gasping for air, “I just thought it was going to be way worse than that. Ok so what do I need to do? I mean, what is actually happening and why do you think us not having s*x since before all this, is the reason?”

                “Oh lord, I feel like I am about to have the birds and bee’s conversation with you. I am getting my sister. I will get her and then find your parents. I am going to gather some of our guards, and we will hunt.” He said, quickly pressing a kiss to my forehead and all but running out of our room. I fell back onto my pillow, still a little out of breath from laughing at him. I kind of felt bad. My big tough Alpha reduced to stuttering over s*x.

                I realized with a start that this was the first time, really the first time I had been alone in his room. I let my eyes wander around, taking in the colors and types of furniture surrounding me. The bed, for starters, was huge. A large, cushioned headboard stood tall, in a light gray shade, behind my head. It came with a matching foot board. Beyond the foot board is a large wooden chest, painted white in a “country antique “ sort of fashion. I loved it.

                The walls were simple. A soft white color painted on the walls. He didn’t seem one to decorate, but there were accent pieces. A large wooden statue with a shiny glaze, carved into the shape of a wolf. Ironic. That stood on the corner of his dresser. On the other side of the dresser was a picture of Evan and his parents, holding what seemed to be a baby Erin. That brought a smile to my face. In the corner of the room was a mounted TV and 2 large floor-to-ceiling windows, great for a quick escape to the grounds below. Behind us, above the headboard, was probably my most favorite piece. It was an abstract piece, made of reds and blues, deep rich browns, and bright greens. At first glance, it looked like unintentional shapes. The longer I stared at it, the more I saw it.

                The shapes were buildings, roads and what I believed to be wolves. Wolves standing next to men and women. The forest littered the background, while the river was displayed in the foreground. There was a clear message: unity. It made me smile. Everything in his room was so uniformed, served a purpose and nothing less. This piece was more. I had to remember to ask him about it.

                I staggered out of bed, feeling weak, and made my way to the bathroom which had quickly become my favorite part of this place. A large tub, with the reverently sought-after claw feet, was elegantly placed in the far side of the bathroom, placed evenly in the middle of the wall, right against a large window. There was a large shower to the left with a bench and a cascading shower head. The double vanity was clean, white, and bright. There was no clutter, no nothing. It was fresh and… clean. I found the simplicity of this room to be so comforting. The lack of anything, any distraction, helped cleanse my mind. There was a small shelf next to the tub that held towels. A few candles placed here and there. Soap and shampoo where it needed to be. Everything in this room was, perfect.

                 I decided on the tub. I filled it up and slid in until the water was just above my chest. I laid back and let the scent of lavender fill my senses. I let my mind wander, in an attempt to feel better about the attack, but each time my mind came back to it. I haven’t seen the pack since it happened, since I was almost killed. They deserved it, they deserved their Luna to be present, active and care about them. Protect them. Ugh I couldn’t even protect them! I am a warrior! I let her get the drop on me and I almost lost my life.

                It was almost comical. “Hi there! I am Celeste, your new Vampire Luna! I know I know, it gets weirder though! I am also part werewolf AND witch, and BECAUSE of that, I am going to be the reason this very pack gets attacked within one week of my arrival and some of you will die! K Cya!”

Stupid. I have to be better than this! I AM better than this. This pack DESERVES BETTER than this!

                I stood up and angrily ripped a towel off the shelf. I wrapped my body up and threw my hair up I a towel as well. I stormed to the bathroom door, determined, I was going to get my pack back and stand by my Alpha’s side. I yanked at the handle and screamed.

                “AHH!!! Oh Goddess! Erin! Holy Helen. Don’t you knock???” I said, gasping for air. She was sitting on the end of my bed with her chin in her hands, looking bored. She smiled sweetly at me and stood up to walk over to me. She wrapped me in a hug and I heard her sniffle.

                “I thought you died. I thought I was going to lose you. I lost my parents, and I just got you here. As my sister, as my Luna, and I thought I lost you just as quickly. Please, please don’t do that again.” And with that she broke down into sobs. I gripped her as tight as I could, shushing her gently and rubbing her back as comforting as I possibly could. I have known this girl, this young woman, for really only a week, but I felt like she has been mine, that she was my sister, my whole life.

                “Come on now Er, I am right here. I am not going anywhere. It would take a lot more than THAT to take me out. Now that I have my wolf, it would probably take, I don’t know, silver and UV laced netting to capture me and kill me!” I said, pulling her away from me so we could see each other.

                She smiled brightly at me and wiped some tears from her face. “Yeah, I know you’re right. Ok, well before I cry us both to death, we need to go out for a run. Are you running like you, or are you running with me?” she asked, leaving me confused.

                “What does that even mean?” I asked.

                “Well now that you have your wolf, I mean. You are still a vampire, but you haven’t fed in a few days so that is obviously a priority. You need to hunt, but you haven’t shifted yet. Have you and Evan talked about that yet?”

                I had walked into the closet at that point and picked out a pair of black cargo pants and my black ankle high combat boots, paired with a white sports bra and white pullover hoodie. I eyed her curiously and remembered what Evan said before he ran out of our room.

                “No, we didn’t make a decision on that, and he said that my run will be guarded, most likely with Gabe and a few other warriors, but he did say something about our bond not being completed and to ask you about it.” I told her.

                Her face turned red so fast I thought I was seeing things. “Oh, OHH. HA! He did not pawn this off on me. Oh that little s**t. Celeste, it’s real simple. You guys are bound, but not mated. Not yet. Not fully. You just have to have sex.”

                A long pause fell upon us before, as usual, we were crippled with laughter. After a while I could finally breathe enough to speak. “So that is it? That is what freaked him out so much he couldn’t talk to me? Yeah, that sounds like him. Alright enough about my prude mate. Let’s find him and go hunting with everyone.” I looped my arm in hers and we left the room.

                We made our way down to the foyer of the house and found a group of guys waiting. Gabe was in the middle of them, they surrounded him in a circle and I quickly recognized them as the top warriors. He was barking orders at them and they were all stone faced, nodding in understanding. “Mark, Christopher, flank her on the left. Joey and Ben will be flanking her on the right. I will be at her 12, Colby and Josh will be at her six. Alpha Evan and Erin will be joining her today and will be spread out with us. We will form a tight perimeter around her. Nothing gets in. No one gets in. Am I clear?”

                He was met by a deafening combination of growls and hollering. I stood there with my jaw to the floor. They couldn’t be talking about me could they? I stormed up to Gabe and the guys and tapped him on the shoulder. He spun around and what I saw was shocking. He had a five o’clock shadow and bags under his eyes. It was clear that he hadn’t slept, but when he saw me his features shifted immediately.

                “Celeste, uh, Luna. Oh Goddess I am so glad you are healthy again, I am truly sorry I couldn’t protect you. I am at your mercy, however you need. I failed my job and it’s unacceptable. We are almost finished wrapping up and we can-“

                I gripped him by his shoulders and forced him to stand in front of me, looking straight in his eyes.

“I appreciate all that you are doing for me, truly, but this is going overboard. I do not need a hoard of wolves to take me out for a bite to eat. No offense.” I offered to the guys behind Gabe. “They don’t call me the ‘Silent Assassin’ for nothing.”

                I said the last part with as much force as I could muster. I heard some snickers from the crowd and frowned. Dammit. I look like an i***t. Awesome.

               “They have never called you that, my love, I hate to break it to you.”

                I whipped around, and standing in all of his 6’2” glory was my father. He was truly a sight to behold. He wasn’t big and bulky like these wolves, but his broad shoulders and solid build made him quite intimidating. He adorned a long black duster, similar to mine and black leather loafers. These were not knock offs, they were genuine Italian leather. He has quite an affliction for fashion. He wore a cable knit sweater under the duster and black jeans. His dark black hair was a stark contrast to his mildly pale skin and bright blue eyes. He was as handsome as they come.

                He demands respect. He has the ability to silence a room, round up troops, soothe a crying newborn vampire, take down his enemies and incite fear in those would would oppose him.

                “Father!” I yelled, and in the blink of an eye, I was wrapped tight in his arms.

                “Mia figlia, I was so worried about you. I thought you had morta. Don’t ever do that to me again, do you hear me? I thought you died. Don’t ever do that again!” he said, holding me tight.

                “Dad. I didn’t DO anything. It wasn’t my fault.” I joked. But eventually the laughing came to a stop. “Where is mom?”

                His face dropped. So did my heart. I opened my mouth, not even entirely sure what I was going to say. I hadn’t seen my Mom, and I hated to admit, I was so preoccupied that I hadn’t given them much thought. My father brought his hand up quickly, waving… dismissing me.

                “She is fine. A little roughed up, but she is almost fully healed. Don’t worry about us my love. You girls go. Go with your entourage and feed. You need it. You are as pale as a Vampire.” he said, shuddering with fake disgust.

                I slapped his chest and he caught my hand, drawing me in for another hug. “Go, seriously, we’re fine. I have some things to take care of myself so I will be on my way.”

                He placed a kiss on my head and reached to my left, grabbing Erin’s hand and giving it a generous squeeze. He turned on his heels and headed down the hallway, descending the steps to the great hall. I hadn’t realized it before but I could hear lots of voices. That piqued my interest. Before I could step forward and follow him, Erin pulled me back.

                “Stop. All of this can wait. We gotta run. Literally.” she smirked.

                I grabbed her hand and we turned to go the opposite direction as my father. I forgot about the team of warriors waiting for us. They were staring at us, in awe, it seemed. Once they realized I was waiting for them, they parted and let us pass, falling in line behind us.

                “Where is my Mate?” I said, a little worried that he may have ditched me for whatever is going on inside demanding everyone’s attention.             

                “My brother may be many things. Annoying, boring, lazy….. a liar is not one of them. He said he will be here and he will. Don’t worry babe. I am going to talk to Gabe real quick. Be right back!” Erin said, slapping my arm and strolling away towards the guards. They stood there, silent, determined, focused. Not one was distracted.

                To test my theory, I took a few steps back and to the side. The closest three wolves were on my tail in a heartbeat. Ok. They’re good.

                With a huff, I decided to stroll around to the front of the house but not too far, just a little beyond where we were grouped in the back. Glancing over my shoulders, as suspected, was my security detail. Ignoring them, I pressed on.

                I could hear the sounds of children playing in the distance. They were too far away to see, so I suspected I was hearing the pup-camp, or whatever they called it. It was on the top of my list for places in the pack I wanted to visit. I was so enraptured by my surroundings. I was taking it all in, all the colors, scents, sounds. I have seen many wolves and been to many packs over my centuries alive, but this one was special. It was a home. It was a community. A family. I could smell food cooking nearby, hear someone arguing, felt the wind on my skin, and the –

                “Luna, we need to return to the group. I apologize, but if you could follow me?” One of my guards said, interrupting my sensory overload.

                “Of course. Lead the way. Maybe my Mate will actually show up? What do you think?” I said, offering a smirk. I hated nothing more than uptight formalities. If these men were going to be trailing me from here to eternity, then I wanted to avoid the weird vibes. I was happy to see a flicker of recognition in his eyes, and the corner of his lips turn up into a smirk, mirroring my own.

                “Yes ma’am-“

                “Celeste. Please, call me Celeste. We are all going to be spending some serious time together, might as well be on a first name basis!” I said, interrupting what was starting to sound like the exact response I was trying to avoid.

                “Right. Well, ok that is fine! My name is Lucas. I am proud to be here. So is my family. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am more than excited to be here to help you out. I promise, I wont be annoying, but your safety takes priority. Deal?” he responded. I admired his answer and knew instantly we would become fast friends.

                “Deal.” I said, offering my hand to shake. He looked from my hand to my face and back again. I thought he was going to turn me down when a smile broke out on his face and he grabbed my hand and gave it a hard shake.

                “Let’s go find your Mate!”