To Rule the Alpha's Heart

19. Idoneah

"Thank you, Idoneah," Calla murmured, nodding toward the plate of steaming meat. There were no vegetables or grains on the plate.

"Eat, Luna," Idoneah instructed, dutifully extending the platter toward Calla. "A Luna must eat. Stay strong."

Using her thumb and forefinger, Calla gingerly picked up a slice of dark red meat. "My name is Calla. You needn't call me Luna."

Idoneah blinked, apparently taken aback by Calla's request. Finally, the woman dipped her chin in reverence. "It is honor to serve you... Calla."

Calla managed a half-smile of encouragement as the female shifter stumbled over her name, then brought the steaming red meat to her lips. Even her sharpest teeth had a difficult time tearing into the cooked muscle. After chewing on the tough meat for several long moments, Calla forced it down her throat.

"Did Einarr return to the celebrations, then?" Calla wondered, absently massaging her throat as the resilient meat slid down her gullet. She would have given anything for a flaky filet of white fish.

Idoneah nodded. "You will join him?"

"No," Calla answered quickly. "No. I will stay here."

The brown haired shifter narrowed her eyes, as if she could not quite understand Calla's behavior. Idoneah's full lips pressed into a thin line as she nodded and placed the folded clothing on the bed beside Calla.

"I'm sorry that you've been forced to tend to me," Calla sighed.

"It was Alpha's will."

Idoneah avoided Calla's gaze as she rummaged about the room, stoking the brazier and straightening the fur rugs on the floor.

"Are you Alpha Einarr's servant?" Calla inquired. She supposed someone must have prepared Einarr's tent for his arrival, and Idoneah seemed incredibly devoted to him.

Across the tent, Idoneah stiffened.

"Servant?" She practically seethed the word. "I am warrior. I am... I was the future Luna."

The future Luna? Calla's eyes widened and her mouth fell open. "I– I apologize. I didn't... Einarr never said..."

Idoneah didn't give Calla the opportunity to properly apologize. The beautiful brunette's eyes glossed on the surface, and she lifted a single hand in a wordless order for silence.

Idoneah took a deep breath, as if mustering her resolve. Finally she spoke, lowering her head once more. "Onyx Craven needed Luna. Alpha Einarr chose me... Then he find you."

Calla's heart thundered in her chest. She could scarcely believe Idoneah's words, and she certainly could not understand the uncomfortable twisting in her gut at the thought of Einarr with this woman.

She forced herself to inhale. "Y-you are mated with Einarr?"

"No," Idoneah corrected, silver lining her large, brown eyes. "We would have the Mating Feast with his return."

Calla understood. Einarr had intended to take Idoneah as his Luna upon returning to the Onyx Craven Pack. He could have had the beautiful, strong brunette shifter that now stood before Calla, and yet he'd chosen to unite with a mere human instead?

The realization only made Calla's anger burn hotter in her veins. She opened her mouth to inform Idoneah that she did not want Einarr, but the words caught in her throat. Calla's cheeks flushed in self-resentment.

"You are Alpha Einarr's true mate. Blessed by Moon Goddess," Idoneah persisted. There was no more bitterness in the female's words. Instead, she spoke firmly, as if she was also trying to convince herself of this hard truth.