Becoming Luna

SLADE

She turned right into me. Granted, I had been walking up to her, but I didn’t expect the contact. That night at the BBQ, I had watched her from a distance.

The summer evenings were warm, and she was flushed in a sleeveless cotton dress. She looked amazing. So I decided to get closer, against my better judgment. Then we crashed, and her scent engulfed me.

I didn’t expect to be so affected by her. So I only spoke what little I could manage and then got away as soon as I could.

I needed to clear my mind. My wolf was not happy, though. The whole way back to the pack house my wolf was yelling at me.

“WHY DID YOU WALK AWAY?! She was so close!! We could smell her!”

“That’s the problem,” I muttered to myself.

“You should have touched her, kissed her. She’s our mate!!! Why did you leave?!” was all my wolf said before going quiet again with an irritated growl. I knew I hadn’t heard the last of it yet.

I lay in bed in the guest room of the alpha’s quarters when I heard the front door open and Max, Leah, and Addison walking in and laughing with each other.

Why were these people all so happy? It was nauseating. But as I lay there, I listened to their conversation. All the encouragement. All the advice. And, of course, the threat.

I chuckled to myself. That alpha-dad bravado was funny, and I wasn’t too scared.

I drifted off to sleep, knowing tomorrow everything was going to change.

***

In the morning, I woke, showered, and slipped into comfortable travel clothes. After packing up my things, I grabbed my bag and took it downstairs.

I could smell breakfast and could tell that everyone was down there. But instead of laughter, there was pained silence. Nobody knew what to say.

Their daughter and sister was leaving, and their family was so close I could tell it was hard for them.

Breakfast was eaten in silence. Her brother and his mate came over to say their goodbyes with promises from both sides to visit.

As the bags were packed into the back of the SUV, she hugged her family who all had tearful eyes. Addison wasn’t crying, though. She is strong, I thought to myself.

We got into the backseat of the car and slowly drove back down the mountain. I looked over to her as she watched out her window.

Apparently, she was just being strong for them so they didn’t have to worry. Because now that we had driven away, she sat quietly with tears rolling down her cheeks.

We rode in silence for a while, Addison still watching out the window with what looked like determination to remember every inch of the mountain that for so long was her home.

“Say something,” I heard whispered in my mind. My wolf was back, and now that we were alone and there was no escape, he decided to make his appearance.

“Like what?! I don’t know this girl. What on earth am I supposed to say to her?” I said back to him. My wolf growled, which showed his irritation.

I had no idea who this girl was. Just because she had some effect on me didn’t mean I knew what to do with her.

“Say anything, man, the silence is deafening.”

“You miss your family” was all I managed to get out before mentally smacking myself. OF COURSE, she missed her family. Idiot. And my wolf snickered at my thought, calling me an idiot as well.

Addison turned around with an incredulous look. That look was all the answer I needed. But she surprised me when she spoke.

“I do. I never imagined I would find a mate that was from a different pack. Obviously it’s a pretty normal thing, but I just assumed I would find someone from home.

“Honestly, I didn’t even think I would find a mate. I’m twenty-one, most people find their mate when they are first able to at eighteen or nineteen. I guess that should have tipped me off.”

She shrugged and gave me a small, tight smile.

“I wasn’t really on the hunt for a mate,” I replied.

“You didn’t want a mate?” she asked quietly.

I paused for a moment, choosing my words carefully. “I just wasn’t exactly searching for one.”

“Same,” she said with a smile. When I looked at her curiously, she continued.

“I could have sat at home waiting for some strong man to come and find me, but the woman in me refused to do that. So I went on with my life. Maybe I’d find a mate, maybe I didn’t.”

Her response surprised me. With most females, that was all they wanted. This girl was interesting, but I wasn’t about to let that affect me.

“Where is your pack?” she asked, bringing me back from my thoughts.

“East. It’ll be a bit different from what you’re used to. No mountains. Mostly plains and flatlands. I prefer the open space, though.”

“Hmm.” Addison seemed to be lost in thought, and the conversation lulled as we drove farther from her home.

***

ADDISON

“He spoke! Ha!” was all my wolf said. As we sat in silence, I dozed off, not quite knowing where we were going.

I was awakened by a touch that sent currents up my arm. “We are almost there,” Slade seemed to whisper.

I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and then stared in awe out the window. Billowing plains over rolling hills that just seemed to go on forever.

The SUV turned to the left at a road marker, and the dirt road was a little bumpy, but the view was amazing. I had never seen anything like it. Wide and open.

The blue sky just kept going on and on until it met the grass at the horizon.

“It’s beautiful out here,” I said quietly. I could just imagine letting my wolf loose and running for miles and miles with nothing to get in the way.

“We’re here.”

I snapped forward to see an enormous pack house splayed before me. The smaller family houses were still pretty large. Definitely bigger than the cabins back home.

As we pulled up to what I could only call a mansion, I was speechless. It seemed the whole pack had heard that their alpha had found a mate from another pack, and they were all here to see.

They all cheered when Slade and I stepped from the car, and everyone welcomed me warmly. That helped a lot with my nervousness.

As they all dispersed to let their new luna settle in, I stood to take in my new home. From what I could tell, it had three stories. Outside, it was white with big windows that let in all the light.

The walk up to the front door was lined with stones and grasses. And as we walked into the first floor common area, there was a grand staircase leading up. High ceilings everywhere made me feel small.

To one side was a theater and game room complete with leather recliners and a projector. To the other side was their event hall, but much bigger than the one back home. And it was grand.

As we walked through to the back, there was a large kitchen and walk-in pantry, all very modern and bright. Warm woods mixed with industrial metals and stone.

Across from the kitchen was the dining area. Two massive tables, each able to hold at least forty, were there, and I realized just how small my pack was.

Past the dining room was the lounge with an enormous oversized sectional and an entire wall going up two stories of books. A library.

“Girl, we are in heaven,” I heard my wolf say. But all I was able to get out was a stunned “mhmmm.”

As I was staring, jaw-dropped at the wonder inside this house, I heard a cough behind me. Whizzing around, I saw Slade watching me.

“Come, I’ll show you the rest.”

Heading up the staircase, he stopped briefly on the second floor. “This is the pack offices,” he said. “My office is the first one here. Other than that, you won’t really need anything else here.”

I just about lost it but kept my cool. “Won’t I need an office?”

With that, Slade turned to me, bewildered. “Why? Being luna doesn’t just give you an office. What on earth would you need it for?”

“OH, HELL NO,” my wolf yelled.

I could feel the heat growing in my cheeks before I took a breath. “I’m sorry, I assumed you would want my help with things. My mother is always helping my dad with daily tasks.”

“Well, that won’t be necessary here,” he said, and I caught the snarky edge in his voice.

I let out an audible huff as we headed up to the third floor.

Obviously, this was the alpha’s quarters. He showed me around the decent-sized kitchen and living room and then through the back to the bedrooms. My breath caught, I had forgotten what mates actually do.

He opened double doors to the master bedroom. It was enormous! Right in the center was a massive king-sized bed. The walls were a rich, smoky-blue color that went with the gray-and-cream-colored bedding.

To the left was a boudoir with a mirror. I walked over there first and then saw the giant walk-in closet. I was pretty sure my whole room back home could have fit in there.

I crossed the room to the other side where the bathroom was, which was just as big if not bigger than the closets.

White tile floors with a massive walk-in shower on one side with black, white, and clear mosaic tiles inside.

At the center was a massive soaker tub with long drains on the floor next to it so you could fill it to the top. The double vanity was on the other side with a door that she assumed led to the toilet.

Large windows let in so much natural light I didn’t think I would ever need to turn on the iron chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

It was amazing. My awe was disrupted when Slade broke into my daydream. “I’ll take you to your room.”

I had to do a double take, realizing this wasn’t where I was staying. He took me to the room just across the hall. It was smaller but still bigger than my room back home.

A queen-sized bed at the center with white bedding and lavender-colored walls. A walk-in closet but not as big as the master.

And a small bathroom—with no soaker tub! That was disappointing…but it was still beautiful. The bathroom had very similar materials and was bright and clean.

“I’ll leave you to settle. Dinner is at six downstairs,” Slade said as he turned to leave.

“Alpha Slade,” I called after him. “Thank you.”

He shrugged. “This is your home now. See you at six.”

I tried to make myself busy unpacking my belongings. I was a bit wired after a day in the car, so I decided to take a shower. The hot water rinsed off any travel dust and weariness.

I came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel and drying off my hair when I saw something lying across the bed. A garment bag.

Inside was a cute, comfortable-looking, white floral dress and a note that just said, Welcome.

Huh, I thought to myself as I put it on. It was sleeveless and fit my form, hugging my breasts and stomach, then flowing at the hips. It came down to a couple of inches above the knee.

As I looked in the mirror wearing my new dress and favorite wedge heels, my naturally wavy hair coming down around my shoulders, and my minimal makeup, I nodded to myself.

“That’s the best it’s going to get.” I laughed as I turned to leave the room.

The minute I exited I was just about flattened by a flying ball of red hair and freckles.

“Oh! Luna! I’m so sorry! I was just coming up to collect you for dinner! I figured walking down by yourself might be uncomfortable.”

The wild thing that just about took me out smiled at me before offering her hand.

“I’m Hannah. Slade’s younger sister. I am so glad to meet you. I didn’t think he would EVER mate,” she said, eyes rolling.

Hannah was just a bit shorter than me. Fair skin, freckled face from being out in the sun, and warm, red hair. She was pretty and kind, and I had already decided I liked her.

I also decided that this girl couldn’t possibly be related to the cold man that was my mate.

As we walked down to the common area together, Hannah asked about my family and pack, how I liked it here, and how on earth I got stuck with her brother.

The last was dripping in sarcasm and joking, but I thought to myself, Girl, I have no idea.

We entered the kitchen to find the amazing smell of grilled meat. There were more side dishes piled up than I thought I had ever seen, and I made a mental note to try every single one of them.

There was a female member of the pack working in the kitchen, and I realized things here were very different, and I was saddened by the fact that I wouldn’t get to cook anymore.

Heading to the dining room, I was introduced to a fair number of the pack. Slade’s beta, Sam, came and introduced himself and his mate, Olivia.

Olivia had kind eyes, and she seemed to be friends with Hannah, so I decided I liked her as well.

The dinner was as loud as a pack dinner usually was. Everyone was talking and enjoying each other’s company.

Alpha Slade was sitting in the center of the bench at the first table with Sam next to him on one side and myself on the other. I had to admit, even though I didn’t know him at all, he looked good.

Dark jeans covered his toned legs, and a black button-down shirt seemed to be painted across his strong chest.

The long sleeves were rolled up to just below the elbow, which just accented his muscular arms even more.

I looked up only to find him staring down at me. More like glaring. Apparently, he was not amused at my gawking.

I quickly looked away and tried to hide my embarrassed blushing and started talking again to Hannah.

As dinner was ending, Slade stood up, and the pack fell silent.

“Thank you all for coming out this evening and meeting your new luna. Hopefully, we can all support each other and help her make a home here.

“We will have the Luna Ceremony next weekend during the full moon. Welcome, Luna Addison.” As he finished speaking, he raised his glass with everyone else as they all welcomed me to the pack.

And with that, he walked away, and I didn’t see him for the rest of the evening. How was I going to do this when he seemed so shut off to me?