The Luna Sage

Chapter Five: Celebration

The next two days moved quickly, Tuesday was filled with classes and then Amelia and Helena found me and took me to do some shopping in the town.

Tahlia had been kind enough to order some things she thought would work as a Witches kit. A set of various-sized beakers, a small gas burner, a stirring set and an array of vials, I thanked her repeatedly, also buying some herbs and a mortar and pestle set she had in the back.

We stopped by the Bull's Head Tavern, a large two-story building that sat in the centre of the curve of businesses that created a semi-circle around a large fire pit and an open field until it met with the road that snaked around disappearing to the next line of forest that led to the gate.

The Tavern was a large open wooden-floored space on the first level, with stone walls and a spiralling staircase that led to the top level that looked out over the town.

The room was open to the patio, a large table spread on the length of one side, already stacked with boxes of decorations. The other had U-shaped red-leather booths leaving the centre open. A Witches Celebration was usually done in the forest with the Elder of the Coven, but after the Pack had heard, they had started to help set it up and before I knew it, the whole town was going to be there and even the Alpha and his Warriors from Moree would be joining us, so we moved the ceremony to the tavern.

We had Training for most of the morning on Wednesday, though the pups and I were excused at lunch.

I had walked everyone home, though I was pulled to the side of the Woodshop to be shown a small herbs plot the Wolves had made me, building it out from the wall and installing irrigation for me, and the kids had planted various seedlings throughout, some already sprouted small flowers and pickable herbs.

I hugged them all, even the older Wolf Al who ran the Woodshop, he'd grunted at me but accepted my hug and then shooed us away.

I stopped by the house to shower quickly and change into a cream woollen long-sleeved dress Helena had given me, the girls had ordered several new clothes for me, and I had yet to go through all the draws in the room they had filled.

Despite saying I would stay in the spare room, I had found myself crawling into Adam's bed each night, finding him in the same restless state as me. He'd spent all of Monday night with the Beta, but I stayed in his bed until he woke me the next morning. Since then, he'd been on his laptop when I'd knock on his door, he would open his arm for me to cuddle into him while he worked, sending emails and occasionally doing something with the Packs systems.

I'd learned there were security cameras spanning the entire territory, some were obvious and hung on light poles or business. Others were hidden within the trees spread across the grounds. There was a whole line that followed the road into town, Adam watched the array of videos frequently.

He had left early that morning, going to meet with Alpha Darius and his Warriors halfway and then have a meeting with them before they joined us for the Celebration.

I had watched the black vehicles pull into the Packhouse garage around the back when I was walking the pups home. I could see Adam, Heath and Valik's essences, mixed with four others I didn't recognise. I didn't like the feeling of one but dismissed it.

Before leaving the house, I checked Adam's office, knowing he wasn't there, but it was where his essence was the strongest.

I took a moment to breathe in the calm of it and felt it soothe my Soul-Self.

Even Witch seemed to come forward to bathe in it for a moment, filling me with a replenished pool of magic.

I touched my chest, feeling the void as it swelled, accepting the magic it craved.