Frost turned to me, his expression gentle. “I’ll go. Wait for me here when you are done; I’ll be back soon.”
I nodded reluctantly, releasing his arm. As he walked away, I felt strangely bereft, as if I’d lost a shield.
My mother stepped aside, allowing me to enter her quarters. I was inmediately struck by the luxury of the space–far nicer than the servants‘ quarters she’d occupied at Mistwood. Sunlight streamed through large windows, illuminating elegant furnishings and fresh flowers in crystal vases.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” she asked, watching my reaction.
“It is,” I agreed, noticing the plush carpet beneath my feet, so different from the worn wooden floors we’d been accustomed to. A small writing desk sat in the corner, with fresh parchment and an ornate silver pen. “You have everything you need here.”
“You know what I hear? This was one of the previous Luna’s rooms. And my pay is way more than a person even’in
should earn.”
my position
There was an edge to her voice that made me uneasy. “I am happy to see you are being treated well.”
She shook her head, as if my response had disappointed her. “I think it’s weird, all the things he does… Alpha Kaius would never do anything if he wasn’t getting something in return.”
So what are you trying to say, mother? You are the mother to the Luna of this pack; how is this questionable?” Irritation crept into my voice. Couldn’t she just accept the good fortune that had befallen us?
“I know you more than you think, daughter. He wouldn’t have taken you if he didn’t have something to get in exchange.” She moved closer, her eyes intent on mine.
“Because I am weak? Because I am an omega?” The words stung, echoing my own deepest insecurities.
“This is the reality you seem to ignore; Alphas like him; they cannot pick she–wolves like you, and that’s the truth; there are more capable she–wolves.” Her words cut deep, each one a knife to my heart. “I am only trying to protect you; do you think everyone would settle for this change? That they would accept a weak wolf as their Luna? It is a taint to the whole pack.”
I stepped back, wounded beyond words. “Why can’t you just be content with what you have, mother? He gave you everything; you look healthy, yet you prefer captivity over all these?”
“I know something for sure, and that is ‘not all glitter is gold… Do you think I care about these material things–the money? The food? The beautiful house? How will I be at rest knowing you are in danger?”
“You didn’t seem to care at the Joining Ritual,” I shot back, recalling how she’d avoided my gaze, disappeared into the crowd.
“How do you expect me to watch my daughter being stripped naked and raped-”
“He is my mate!” I interrupted, furious at her characterization. “And he takes good care of me.”
Disbelief twisted her features. “Really?”
“Yes, even more than you do.” The words poured out, fueled by hurt and frustration. “You’ve changed a lot since we came here, and I only wish I could have my mother back, the one that smiled, the one that was always proud of me. More than ever, I need you now, yet you seem so distant, like a complete stranger.
She shook her head, her expression hardening. “I can’t help you, Elowen; in this, you have to help yourself and take my advice. You are a smart girl; he is dangerous, and you know it.”
1/3
Chapter 38
Is there something more to this that I don’t know about?” I studied her face, searching for clues to her strange behavior.
If you need more evidence to believe that he is no good for you, the maybe you aren’t as smart as I thought you were. The dismissal in her tone was the final straw.
‘I can’t imagine you never asked me how I fared or what had been going on with me. You are just so selfish; I did everything for you, and this…” I struggled to find words to express my pain. “If you will argue with me every time I come here, then maybe ! should stay away.”
I turned to leave, tears threatening to spill. This wasn’t the reunion d hoped for. This wasn’t the mother I needed–supportive, loving, understanding.
“Elowen- she began, but I was already closing the door behind me,
I leaned against the wall outside her quarters, fighting back tears. I was Luna now, or at least playing the role. Lúnas didn’t cry in hallways. They held their heads high, commanded respect. It was time I started acting the part.
Taking a deep breath, I straightened my shoulders and began walking. Frost wouldn’t return for some time yet, and I wasn’t in the mood to wait. I’d find my own way back.
But the pack house was larger and more complex than I’d realized. After several turns, I found myself in an unfamiliar corridor with no idea which way led back to familiar territory.
“Luna.”
I turned at the formal address, finding myself face to face with a woman whose electric blue hair I recognized immediately. Lysandra -the commander I’d seen with Kaius at the training grounds. The woman whose head had rested so comfortably on his shoulder.
“May I help you?” I kept my voice steady, though my heart raced.
“I had wanted to meet you for a while; it’s a miracle to find you here Her smile seemed genuine, though it didn’t reach her eyes.
“I’m glad to meet you too.” The lie tasted bitter on my tongue.
“Maybe a formal introduction? I am Lysandra, a commander in the pack.” She extended her hand.
“I had never met a female commander before, especially one so young; I am impressed.” The words were polite, automatic, as I tried to process this unexpected encounter.
“Yes, you see, in this pack, things are run very differently from the other packs.” There was pride in her voice, a certainty of her place in the hierarchy.
“I can see that.” I was already sick of this conversation, wishing Frost would appear and rescue me.
Lysandre’s next words caught me completely off guard. “I had noticed you came to watch me during the training sessions.
My breath caught. She’d known I was there? Had seen me watching her with Kaius? Goddess, how mortifying.
