Finding My Luna (Sequel to ICBTAM)

Chapter 11- What's Meant to Be?

The sun shown through the glass window as it began to set behind the trees. Only a couple hours left until the ceremony. 

"Do you need me to shut the blinds?" A lady asked behind me?

"No, it's okay. I like watching the sun set."

There was a team of women helping me get ready. Hair, makeup, everything had to be perfect. 

One of the women twisted my hair around the hot rod of the iron, letting each lock fall down in bouncy curls. She worked quickly, until my face was framed with the spirals. The woman then pulled back each piece, fastening them somewhere at the back of my head. 

I had no idea what she was doing, but she was supposed to be the expert. I couldn't help but wonder just how many experts Rafe's family had working for them. Each day seemed to supply us with more. 

The woman added small clips with crystals to my hair before covering my entire head with hairspray. There was no way it was going anywhere with how much she applied.

"We need to even out that skin tone," the other woman said. She started in with the foundation, covering every inch of my face. She stood back, inspecting every pore of my face when she was done.

"Okay miss Katarina, onyx black, or brown?" She held out two eyeliners for me to choose between. 

"The black will work." Thank goodness the decision had been easier than the dress.

"Perfect." She lined the top lid, carefully drawing it on. She then reached for a set of false lashes. "Please keep your eyes closed."

That was not something I wanted to do when I knew there was going to be glue near my eyes, but I tried as best I could. 

The glue was cold, but she was able to apply the lashes relatively quickly. 

"Just a few more moments. They need to dry."

I nodded and took a deep breath, looking across the room at myself in the mirror.

Today was supposed to be one of the happiest days of my life. The day when I say 'I do' and join myself to my mate for the rest of our lives. However that's drowned out by what's still missing. Myself.

I stare at my reflection in the mirror and it's almost like I can see the part of me that's missing. Rafe has claimed that he doesn't care that I can't reach my wolf, that it's a problem that we will solve, that everything will be alright. He can't help me with this though. The Moon Goddess told me it was up to me and me alone, she's given me clues, only I still have no idea what to do.

I feel like my soul has been lost along with my wolf, and even though Rafe smiles and kisses me and tells me it's alright, I can't help but think that he's somehow disappointed in me. Disappointed that I can't be what he needs. He needs a Luna, and right now, that's not who I am. And I'm worried that the pack sees that too.

I won't give up hope though. I won't stop trying until I've found Kali, until I've found my Luna.

"I'll be right back," I said as I stood, tightening the strings on the white robe. 

"But I'm you're not done yet!" The woman shouted, holding two tubes of lipstick in her hand.

"I just need to get a drink. I'll be right back." I made my way out of the room and down the hall toward the kitchen to get a glass of water. 

There was a curt laugh behind me and I turned. There was Aphrodite in all her disgusting perfection. My fists clenched.

"This whole grand gesture is quite pointless, don't you think?" She crossed her arms.

"Is it really necessary for you to open your mouth every time we're in the vicinity of each other?"

"I don't think we're going to have to worry about that much longer, will we?"

I remembered the papers in Rafe's office. In just a few hours he would sign those, and this bitch would be out of my life forever.

"You are absolutely right. It's going to be much better once you're gone, Aphrodite. I'm counting down the minutes."

Something flashed behind her eyes. Was it panic? Whatever it was, it was gone with a blink of those lashes. 

"I'm not worried about me. It you who should worry. Everyone knows this whole night is pointless. You know it, Rafe knows it, hell even Ty knows. You're not going to make it to the end of the week. That baby is going to come, and it's going to kill you. Seems sort of poetic doesn't it? The very symbol of your connection to Rafe, the product of your... love," she sneered the word, "it's going to kill you."

She took a few steps closer. "You were never strong enough, Katarina. That's quite evident by the way you were carried across the border into this pack. You've been nothing but a pest since you've arrived. But that's okay, because the gods are working to correct their grave error." She looked down at my stomach. "They've come to realize that you are no match for the Blood Alpha. Things will take their course, and by the end of the week Rafe will be all alone with his heir, but it will be okay. I'll be here to pick up the pieces."

The bitch reached a hand out as if she were going to caress my stomach and I grabbed her hand, twisting it backwards. 

"Don't you dare lay a hand on me or my child," I snapped. "You will be nowhere near here. You will be wasting away in the woods by the time the sun sets tomorrow. No one will take you in. The only mercy that will be granted you is the very fact that the Blood Alpha let you walk free instead of burying you under the ground."

Aphrodite laughed and twisted her arm free, grabbing at my neck and pushing until my back was to the wall. Her fingers were tight around my throat. 

"You are no match without your wolf. You're weaker than you've ever been. There is nothing left of you. You're just a shell, a host to carry the heir of this pack. I could kill you right now. It would be so easy to let you fight for a breath that would never come. But then Rafe would never forgive me. There's still hope if you die in childbirth. I will be there to comfort him, to soothe his soul in every way. There is so much history between us, and it wasn't that long ago he'd been unable to resist me." Her smile was dark with her reminder of Rafe's lack of fidelity.

"I do regret that I won't get to see the life leave your body, but the satisfaction will most certainly be there. Enjoy your fifteen minutes as Luna." She released my throat and walked away, not so much as glancing back. 

I leaned against the wall for a moment, trying to slow my heart as it pounded quickly in my chest. There was a sharp pain in my stomach and I bent over, holding it tight. I gritted my teeth, groaning and trying to breathe. 

The pain subsided and I stood back up. I just hoped they were more growing pains with how fast he'd been growing, and not an indication that he was ready to make his grand appearance. Especially not after what Aphrodite had just said. 

It was entirely possible that if I died Rafe would go back to her. She was right. There was history, they'd been set to marry before I showed up. 

But if it were meant to happen, then I never would have been caught on their edge of the pack line. And the Mood Goddess wouldn't have helped me like she has. No, I had to believe that there was a reason for all of this, and that everything was going to work out just as it should. Rafe and I had to have many years left together. 

********

It's wedding day! But Aphrodite is doing everything she can to ruin the moment. 

What do you think is going to happen?

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