I Want Her (GxG)

28: Mia

I woke with a pounding headache. It felt something like a hangover, just without the alcohol consumption. Riley was already awake by the time I began to stir, whispering sweet nothings in my ear and rubbing my back as I carefully stretched my limbs. "My head is killing me", I groaned, digging my head into her neck. She laughed lightly. "You're probably dehydrated from crying, come on, we'll get you fixed up". My body felt like it was weighed down by bricks as I rolled out of the bed. My injury burned a little as I did, but thanks to the painkillers Dan had given me, I couldn't feel much anymore. It was a relief.

My hair had come loose during the night and was now sticking out of my scalp in usual ways. I sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing the sleep from my eyes while my mate laughed hysterically. "You look like you've been dragged out of a bush", she snorted. I opened one eye to look at her. "Trust me, I've been there after a few too many drinks...it's a lot worse than this". She smiled warmly at me, reaching out her hands to pull me from the bed gently. I stumbled into her body, whining at my lack of energy. "Time for breakfast...and definitely some coffee", Riley beamed. Coffee sounded perfect. I needed a lot of it if I was to stay awake all day.

I felt myself being steered out of our cozy room and down the stairs, my eyes feeling puffy and heavy. The house seemed to be pretty lively today and judging by the color of the sky outside, it was only dawn. I frowned. "Please tell me it is at least 8am", I cautioned, pulling myself into a kitchen stool, while my mate dodged around familiar pack members who were gathered in the kitchen. She grinned and rolled her eyes at me while I pouted. "Not a chance". She poured me a large mug of coffee and slid it over the counter towards me. The sight of food made my stomach churn, so I opted out of breakfast, much to my mate's dismay. My appetite had disappeared since all of this chaos began to unfold yesterday.

I sipped at my coffee, grateful for the energy it was giving me as Riley took a seat beside me and dug into a stack of pancakes. Leaning my head on her shoulder, I watched as Riley''s parents strolled into the busy kitchen, beaming over at me as they did. "Oh this is fantastic", Ellen gushed, scurrying over to embrace me in a careful hug. "Thank Goddess you're okay". I couldn't help but smile, appreciative of their concern. "You really had us worried there kiddo", Ray chimed in, flattening some of my crazy hair. They looked like they hadn't slept or changed since we left for the cabin. They must have been holding down the fort while we slept. "I'm alive and kicking don't you worry", I assured them, throwing back the last sip of my coffee, while Riley cleared her plate and stood. "Dad, we have a lead on who did this, I need your help gathering intel and strategizing - could you call Henry and Liam in for some extra assistance?" Ray looked down in thought as she spoke. "Of course, anything I can do to help - I'll meet you in your office in fifteen".

My mate nodded as he spun on his heels and left, then looked at me. "Are you okay hanging around while I take care of this? I know you probably don't want to be alone, but I don't want to drag you into this side of things any more than I have to". She looked concerned. "Of course I don't mind, I can entertain myself for a while-" I was soon cut off by Ellen leaping forward and gripping my hand. "Absolutely not sweetheart. Let old mama here take care of you today, we'll have a great time". This warmed my heart, ever since I upped and left Ireland, I never had a mother figure to turn to, it was always just me and the boys. Now I had a mother-in-law who was willing to bend over backwards to look after me. "I would adore that, thank you Ellen".

Riley rose from her seat, I could tell she was more comfortable knowing that her mother would be my company for the day. She pressed a kiss against my head and stroked my cheek, checking my eyes for any signs of worry. There were none. "Thanks, mom. I'm gonna go shower and get to work, I'll probably be at this until tomorrow morning, so make sure she takes all her meds and eats - I'll check in when I can", she hurried. As she walking out of the kitchen, towards the stairs, she looked over her shoulder and shot me a wink. "I love you gorgeous, don't get up to any trouble with my mom". I watched her back as she disappeared, feeling a lot more secure compared to last night. I turned to Ellen. "So mama bear", I bantered. "What shall we do to keep ourselves busy on this fine day?"

Ellen had a cheeky glint in her eyes that piqued my curiosity. She scanned the room. "There are too many people in here, let's head to the leisure room". Following her lead out of the kitchen and through the vast ground floor, we entered the leisure room. The room was painted black and grey and was decorated with various pool tables, foosball tables, and more. It was pretty cool, to be honest. My mother-in-law cleared her throat, looking down at me as she towered over me. "I don't mean to be intrusive", she burst. "But I can see that Riley has marked you, and I think you are aware of what that means?" My mind drew a blank, still waiting for my thoughts to form. She continued anyway. "It means that you are now the official Luna of the Moon Creek pack". Silence filled the room for a few seconds. "Fuck, I forgot about that", I whispered to myself. Ellen laughed at my crudeness. She seemed to enjoy it.

"I know honey, I was in your shoes once upon a time. Although everyone knows who you are at this point, and respects you - I wanted to plan a ceremony...or a ball to celebrate you officially taking up your position as Luna. Goddess knows this pack has been waiting for a kind-hearted and down-to-earth Luna like you...and I have been waiting to meet you since little Riley was born". The affection Ellen poured into her voice and gestures comforted me. I pondered this thought. A ball sounded okay. I could get on board with that. "I think I like that idea", I admitted, biting back a grin. My companion squealed like a teenage girl, jumping excitedly in her spot. "Oh perfect, perfect", she rejoiced. "We have to organize the pack's ballroom, oh, and pick out a dress and, of course, shoes". The idea filled me with excitement. After getting shot and reliving everything I felt like a party is exactly what I needed to rejuvenate my spirit.

"I will definitely be dragging Zoe and Heidi along for dress shopping", I giggled. "Don't worry about a thing, I will arrange everything so we can plan from right here in the house. It's not safe for you to leave right now". I hummed in agreement, letting out a well overdue yawn. "Okay, but, before anything I'm going to clean myself up - I look like a troll". Ellen chuckled and rubbed my arm. "You look like a very cute troll, dear".

With a snort, I began trudging up the stairs, as she returned to the kitchen. "I'm going to kick these boys up to the offices, and then I'll have everything ready for when you come back downstairs - including Zoe and Heidi".

"Yes ma'am", I saluted. Ellen laughed at my accent and shooed me up the stairs. I'll be honest, it was hard to ignore the feeling of dread and anxious nausea that came when I thought about my new predicament - but I recognized that I no longer felt alone, no matter how awful I felt, or what I went through. This ball would reinforce that for me. I suppose it was a good idea after all.

It was finally time to show my true colors as a Luna.