Craving my Cursed Lycan

The Perfect Night Elaina's POV ‎ ‎ ‎"Today is perfect," I said, looking around the great hall of the Silver Claw pack house. ‎ ‎ ‎Tonight was the Harvest Feast… the biggest celebration our pack had ever thrown. For generations, Silver Claw had nothing to feast about. ‎ ‎ ‎Tonight, we were celebrating our first full year of harvests, the year the main packs finally learned our name. ‎ ‎ ‎Lanterns hung from the old beams, tables sagged under food grown in our own soil for the first time, and my friends and pack members danced under the lights. ‎ ‎ ‎"It's all because of you." Daniel, my mate and the Alpha of Silver Claw pack, lifted my hand to his lips. I closed my eyes, savoring the feeling of his mouth on my skin. ‎ ‎ ‎"Alpha! There you are!" ‎ ‎Elder Rowan pushed through the dancers, wine sloshing in his cup, his old face shining. He gripped Daniel's shoulder with both hands. ‎ ‎ ‎"Alpha, I lived through four famines in this pack. I buried pups who starved before their first shift. And tonight my grandchildren are fat." His voice cracked. "The miracle seed. Your discovery saved us all. Silver Claw will sing your name forever." ‎ ‎ ‎"You honor me, Elder." Daniel bowed his head. ‎ ‎ ‎"Truthfully… the idea came to me on a long night, watching our people suffer. I simply refused to accept that our soil had beaten us. The rest was hard work and the Goddess's favor." ‎ ‎ ‎A long night. I remembered his long night. He was sleeping, while I had been in the frozen fields until dawn, bleeding my essence into the ground. ‎ ‎ ‎"And modest with it!" Elder Rowan laughed, wiping his eyes. "Luna, you must be so proud of your mate." ‎ ‎ ‎They both looked at me. ‎ ‎"Every day," I said, and smiled. ‎ ‎ ‎The elder toasted Daniel's name and staggered off happily. My mate turned back to me like nothing at all had happened. ‎ ‎ ‎I turned to face the crowd, pride still rushing through my veins. ‎ ‎ ‎For years we weren't able to grow food. But I had created a plant that grew even in the harshest weather. I created it from my essence… my very lifeforce. ‎ ‎ ‎When I started, nobody believed me. But I was able to infuse my essence into a seed, and now, slowly, we were becoming one of the most successful packs in the region. Our economy has never been stronger. ‎ ‎ ‎And it was bigger than us. Nearly a third of all pack lands are like ours… mountains, frozen borders, dead soil where nothing grows. For years our food has been controlled by what the main packs can give us. ‎ ‎ ‎Whoever controlled a seed that grew anywhere didn't own a crop. They owned half the world. ‎ ‎ ‎"Sister!" Sharon, my junior sister, walked toward us with a glass of wine. She looked absolutely beautiful. ‎ ‎ ‎Her long blond hair, exactly like mine, hung loose to her waist… but unlike mine, it was bound up in intricate pearls befitting Luna status. ‎ ‎ ‎Her green eyes met my blue ones. Mine came from our mother. Hers carried our father's shade. ‎ ‎ ‎"Can I please steal my brother-in-law?" ‎ ‎I smiled softly. "You can… but sadly, it's almost time for the first dance. You know only Luna can open the first dance." ‎ ‎ ‎"Come on, sis. Don't you think such traditions are a little too old?" ‎ ‎ ‎"Sharon," I said calmly. ‎ ‎ ‎"Eliana, don't be harsh." Daniel laughed. "She's your junior sister. Let's indulge her once in a while. Today is a special day, remember?" ‎ ‎"But…" ‎ ‎ ‎"No buts, my love. You're Luna. No one will question what we choose to do." ‎ ‎ ‎After a quick peck to my cheek, he took Sharon's hand and led her to the dance floor. ‎ ‎ ‎I felt every eye in the hall turn to me. Questions in all of them. ‎ ‎I ignored it. My sister and my husband had always been close, even before we married. I didn't mind. In fact, it was good that my family was getting along with my mate. ‎ ‎Right? ‎ ‎ ‎Zuri, my wolf, said nothing. She watched her mate's hand rest on someone else's waist, and a low growl rolled through my chest that I had to swallow with wine. ‎ ‎ ‎Daniel danced with her twice more. He came and had one quick dance with me, and by midnight, after the last guests had gone, we retired for the night. ‎ ‎ ‎The moment our bedroom door closed, he caught my wrist and pulled me against him. ‎ ‎ ‎"Finally," he murmured. "I've been wanting to do this all night." ‎ ‎His lips brushed mine… ‎ ‎The door swung open. ‎ ‎ ‎Sharon stood in the doorway in her nightdress, arms wrapped around herself. She didn't even knock. ‎ ‎ ‎"Sharon?" I stepped back from Daniel. "What's wrong?" ‎ ‎ ‎"I'm sorry. I…" Her lip trembled. "The guest wing is so far from everyone. I keep hearing sounds. I'm scared of staying alone." Her eyes slid to my mate. "Maybe Daniel can come and stay with me? Until I fall asleep." ‎ ‎ ‎I blinked. "Daniel?" ‎ ‎"It's fine, babe." He was already reaching for his robe. "She's family." ‎ ‎ ‎She is a grown wolf asking for YOUR mate at midnight, my wolf snarled. In her nightdress. ‎ ‎She was scared, I told Zuri. She'd always been the baby of the family. ‎ ‎ ‎"Well… okay," I said, smiling. I didn't feel like smiling at all, but I forced it onto my face. ‎ ‎Then a wave of dizziness slammed into me. Pain split through my skull. I gripped the table, trying to stay upright. ‎ ‎ ‎"Sister, are you okay?" Sharon rushed a step closer, worry etched all over her face. ‎ ‎Daniel didn't move. ‎ ‎Pain flashed through my chest. I pushed it down. ‎ ‎ ‎"I'm fine, a little dizzy." ‎ ‎ ‎"Are you still sick?" Daniel asked, frowning with concern. "You should sleep now. Sharon and I will give you space." ‎ ‎ ‎"But…" The word stumbled out of me. "Can't you take her and come back? I feel really ill tonight." ‎ ‎ ‎"Don't be like that, Eliana." His frown deepened. ‎ ‎ ‎"No… she's right." Sharon's eyes filled with tears. "She's sick. Of course she deserves more attention. She's your Luna. I couldn't possibly come between you two." ‎ ‎ ‎"You aren't coming between us." Daniel caught her chin, tilting her face up. "Your sister is Luna. She's meant to be strong. She won't die from a wave of dizziness." ‎ ‎ ‎I clenched my jaw and felt my heart crack down the middle. ‎ ‎ ‎He walked out with her. He didn't look back. ‎ ‎Why do you have to be so weak and stupid? my wolf screamed from somewhere deep inside me. ‎ ‎ ‎I pushed her down further into my chest. I didn't want to be scolded. Not tonight. ‎ ‎ ‎Daniel had always been there for me. Even though I was a weak omega wolf… a disgrace to the Luna title… he had never once left me. ‎ ‎ ‎I was constantly ill more times than I could count, and every time, he stayed. He had even learned to mix my tonics by heart. He made them himself, every night, so I wouldn't forget. So all I could do was trust him. ‎ ‎ ‎Then why did this hurt so much? ‎ ‎I lay down on his side of the bed, where the sheets still held the warmth of his body. Zuri, my wolf, turned her face to the wall. ‎ ‎ ‎I closed my eyes and pretended, for one more night, that I didn't know whose warmth I was stealing. ‎ ‎ ‎When I opened my eyes, it was already daybreak. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎