Lunita: The Second Chance Luna

Hand fasting

A defeated Ceira returned to the house slowly, shivering from how long she stood in the cold, just very lost. She stomped her foot when she reached the main door before opening it and going inside. Apparently, someone had come to clear the snow in the time she was gone, some salt had been added as well, so there was no slip.

She took off her boots at the door and walked to the kitchen where she set a kettle on the fire, took out some frozen ginger and lemon slices from the freezer and made a batch of ginger tea.

As the mixture steeped, she warmed her hands around the mug, her head reeling from all she had heard. Anora’s mother had never liked her, that did not surprise her, but her own father had never liked her as well, if he could end her life without consequences from the elders council, he would have done it.

Once her hands warmed considerably, it was easier for the warmth to transfer to the rest of her body. The stomping of feet coming down the stairs reached her in no time and she groaned softly, she wanted to be left alone with her thoughts and Anora and her father were none of the people she would have loved to see without reason.

“Happy now? I hope you never regret it.” Ceira sighed. Anora was still in her robe, but her hair was up in huge curlers around her face, she knew if she dropped those curlers, her hair would look so beautifully done. She had none of those, she’d only put her own in a sock and tied it as Aria had directed her to.

“I hope I don’t regret it too. If I do, I know I’ll lay it all at Daddy’s feet, after all, he made the arrangements. I just followed his directions.” She said, taking a sip of her ginger lemon drink. The hot tea warmed her all over, keeping her happy.

Anora turned around and left the kitchen without anything in her hands, while Ceira basked in the earth of her drink. She had to make do with whatever happiness she could make for herself, there was no way she would ever be happier than she was right now.

The door was knocked and Ceira knew it was Aria, so she strode to the door and opened it to her friend who was carrying a raffia basket that seemed heavy. Ceira tried to take it from her but Aria warded her off and stepped into the house by herself, she put the basket on the floor and Ceira could see that it had in it a hot comb and some makeup, some hair pins as well.

“You’re doing my hair? Wow. We can’t use it for long, or else dad will complain about how much electricity I’m using.” Aria rolled her eyes and pulled Ceira to the attic.

“I should have been here since. I went to look at the decorations with Kaleb and most of them looked as good as they looked yesterday, so I’m satisfied. All that is left is to make you into the beauty that you are.”

Ceira laughed quietly and sat on her bed, while Zaria climbed behind her to untangle the curls she’d slept in since the previous night. A few hand movements later and her hair was loosened. Aria stepped off the bed and plugged the hair curler, once it was hot. She defined Ceira’s curls with the heat.

About thirty minutes later, a lot of the red curls were pinned up and sprayed to be taken down later for a voluminous effect. She asked Ceira to sit on a chair and began working on her face.

Ceira felt the urge to cry but got warned off by Roe. ‘You shed a tear and you’ll ruin her work. She’s doing this for you, not for him. You’ll look beautiful and she’ll have pictures of you to look at.” Ceira agreed with Roe with a clogged throat and let her friend get to work.

A knock sounded at the door, just as Aria zipped the dress and helped Ceira wear the Bolero over it. She looked at herself in the mirror that Aria had brought and was very satisfied with what she saw, if anything, the adoring looks Aria gave her as she put on her own dark green velvety midi dress with cap sleeves.

They both took pictures with the camera Aria set up, pouting happily and bursting into laughter when it did not come the way they wanted.

The knock sounded again, and Ceira got serious. She let herself be pulled by her father, taken through the hallway, only to get to the bottom of the stairs and find Anora in a white strapless dress and a floor length faux fur coat.

Ceira heard Aria who was holding the bottom of her dress growl. She saw her father flick a look in Anora’s direction, she hoped he would say something, he only pulled her hand and they went through the doors to the gathering room, by the time she dressed up, the groom had arrived and was waiting to be wed.

When they reached the door of the gathering room, some of the fake flowers they’d bought at the dollarama in Aspen fell from the door handle, but they were the least of Ceira’s worries as Anora walked right in front of her into the hall, eliciting whispers from the pack members and the guests from Blue Moon Pack.

Ceira shut her eyes, making sure she did not see it happen, it would hurt less later to relieve the pain of what her sister was doing to her.

“Let’s go.” The piano version of Adele’s Make You Feel My Love was her walk down the aisle song. She had planned it with Aria the previous day and she did not feel that the aisle was long when she heard her favorite song chime from the speakers.

She reached the raised dais and was left there by her father in front of Ashton who looked like he would rather be elsewhere than at his own wedding. She took a deep breath and forced herself not to run, she made herself wear her big girl pants and decided to do this for herself.

The sound of the rain falling on the roof of the gathering room muted the sound of the officiating priest, and Ceira wondered if it was going to let up.

The rain did not let up while they said their vows of promises to one another. It did not let up as they cut their thumbs and pressed the blood against one another, it did not let up still as they knotted their hands together with strong cords in a handfast.

They said their vows directed by the priest who read them out to them. Soon, they were husband and wife, but Ceira did not feel the excitement that made both packs roar in happiness.

Instead she felt despair of the worst kind, like she had made the worst decision of her life. Her sorrow was short lived because the moonstone around her neck began to heat up in its space between her breasts.

She raised a brow in discomfort as it seemed like what she’d been told that morning was true, her powers would come once she was married.

*****

She was finally able to take a good look at the moonstone once the reception was well underway and Aria held her as she walked into her room to pack the rest of her things.

She unclasped the necklace and saw that it had turned a yellowish green that was so beautiful to see. It had also changed shape and Roe seemed sharper, faster.

‘Do you think we should have been married this whole while? I feel like I can conquer anything!’