The Moon's Choice

BloodPaw

We leave for BloodPaw the following morning. I don't know where Kyle found this black SUV, but it's stunning. Fitting all the bags in the back was impossible, so we had to leave some things behind.

He looks at me accusingly.

I shrug. "You said pack everything we might need."

"Yes, what we need, not the entire house."

Since the invitation didn't extend to his pack, only he and I are going. He makes Fred drive the car and we sit in the back. He holds my hand and kisses each of my fingertips. It makes shivers run down my spine. He's being extra passionate. It's probably the excitement. I let him.

"How long until we get there?" I ask.

"Two hours. We'll take the road, and then travel by foot. It's the only way of getting there."

"We'll walk through the woods?" I wish he had told me. I'm wearing heels and a pencil skirt, for crying out loud. How am I supposed to walk to the BloodPaw House? Men can be so inconsiderate.

"It isn't a long walk, my love. If it bothers you so, I'll have Fred carry you." He bites my index finger. "Or I'll carry you there myself."

I pull my hand away from his grasp. "That won't be necessary."

It feels strange, being in a car again. The seats are new and the interior is lavish. I breathe it all in. It reminds me of the car Ryan bought for me, the one Kilian abandoned in the middle of the road. What happened to it? Did he dispose of it? I don't think he would. It isn't his style. Or maybe Ryan found it and gave it to Louise instead. I wouldn't be surprised if that happened.

I take the opportunity to ask him questions. "How is this Alpha Romain? Are they all old people?"

"Most Alphas tend to be older, yes. And Alpha Romain is no exception. Though after his Luna died of some sickness, he made a younger Luna his bride."

"So he mated again?"

"Yes. The only way to mate with someone else is if your previous mate dies."

"So if I died, you would take another as your mate."

He looks down at me with a frown. "Why would you die?"

"People die all the time."

"Not in our world. Dying of disease is rare, and so the only other way would be if you were killed by another wolf. And that will never happen."

"You can't say. You don't know that."

"I won't allow it."

"You could be in a tricky spot yourself. How would you save me, then?" I ask.

He shakes his head "You're being irrational again, Ryn."

"So are you, most days."

We don't say anything for most of the drive. He tells me he's never been to such an event before, so this is his first time. So he doesn't have answers to my countless questions. I brush them aside. I guess we'll figure out together.

Some cars drive past us and I press my face to the window. I haven't seen a full human being in so long. These roads aren't particularly busy, but seeing some cars makes me nostalgic.

Kyle snorts. "This isn't the kind of behavior I expected from you. A wolf who hasn't seen the world outside the house, yes. But you were human once. You were accustomed to these things."

I don't answer him. I see all sorts of cars drive by. This is so bizarre. Did I drive past a car with werewolves once? What's the possibility of that? When they look at us, they see two people, three with Fred, all dressed well. But do we look ordinary to them? Or is there something off about our kind? I guess I'll never know.

After two hours, Fred drives into the forest and parks the car once we're away from the road. I stare at the baggage in the back. "How long is the walk?"

He turns to Fred.

Fred scratches his head. "Approximately forty minutes."

My eyes widen. "Forty minutes? There's just three of us. How are we supposed to carry all this?"

"I'll make as many trips as necessary, Luna Lauryn," Fred says respectfully. "I've done this countless times before with other houses."

We start walking and five minutes in, Kyle undoes the buttons of his shirt. The heat is unbelievable. I can't even breathe properly. Fred is ahead of us, carrying an impressive number of suitcases. Kyle and I are carrying the presents. My heels keep sinking into the soft earth and uprooting them is always a hassle.

"Take them off," Kyle suggests.

"I can't. You want me to show up at their doorstep with dirty feet?"

He shakes his head. "We should have shifted. We would've gotten there in no time."

"It's too late for that now. Besides, I'm not going to show up naked."

"Nudity isn't a concern for us, Ryn. I already told you that."

This walk will never end. My arms and legs are sore and I'm sweating non-stop. It's taking an eternity and when Fred points the house out, I sag with relief. It's grand. It's thrice the size of SilverMoon, and that's saying something because SilverMoon is a mansion. This place looks like a palace. Even Kyle looks impressed. So he's really never been here before.

"Magnificent, isn't it?" Fred says, which reminds me of a tour guide. "I've been here before. Stuns everyone."

All of this in the middle of the forest? The vast garden is well-tended and fragrant. There's a pond right in front of the house and with marble statues. This place is a dream. This Alpha is powerful indeed. I see why Kyle was thrilled. Even I'm exhilarated now. Just look at this place!

"Where do we go now, Fred?"

"I'll take the back entrance. The Alpha will meet you now. They're expecting you, aren't they?"

He goes and we stay in front of the building, just admiring the view. We hear footfalls behind us and when we turn around, I bite my tongue so I don't scream. This naked couple is walking hand-in-hand. They're both in their fifties and completely naked. The female waves at us. "Alpha Vincent and Luna Delphine." The man shakes Kyle's hand.

"Alpha Kyle."

"From SilverMoon?" she asks and exchanges a glance with her mate. "We've heard much about you, Alpha Kyle. This must be Luna Lauryn?"

"It's just Ryn."

She takes my hand in hers. I feel like she's sizing me up, so I square my shoulders. Her smile is small and tight. She does not look happy to see me. "Welcome, Luna Ryn. It is a pleasure to meet you at last."

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Luna Delphine."

We stand and simply stare at each other. Her mate is kinder, more easy-going. But there's something off about both of them, and I don't know what it is. The way they're looking at us is bothering me, but I guess this is how it is around here. Everyone sizes everyone up. "We shifted. The walk is always too long and tiresome," she explains.

Kyle looks at me with an I-told-you-so grimace.

"We walked." I offer.

We stand facing each other for a painful minute. They look vaguely familiar, but I don't think I've ever seen them. They're holding hands and staring at us with curious expressions. Kyle doesn't say anything, and I don't know if I should. They're twice our age and we just don't have much in common. I'm not used to this, neither is Kyle, but we need to get ourselves together, or we'll be labeled as the young underbred couple.

The door of the mansion opens and instinctively I know it's Alpha Romain. I turn in his direction and square my shoulders.

Here we go.