His Rogue Luna

Thirty Five

Sang-froid
(n.) Coolness of mind; calmness; composure

After my talk with the Phantom Pack, I could feel the mate bond sparkle to life within me. Thankfully, it was still small and easily extinguishable, nothing some more wine and laughter couldn't cure.

So I did just that. I drunk more wine and laughed with all my friends, making some more as I got to meet all sorts of packs during the celebrations.

Tonight was all about having fun and I was going to do just that.

Jamal, Koray's mate was a particularly funny individual to be around and the perfect tipsy partner. Granted, I wasn't quite as drunk as he was.

"And then-and then...he kissed me. After slapping me-Koray you bitch, it hurt," I laughed along, barely managing to hold onto him as he stumbled with his arm around my shoulder.

He had been narrating a drunken version of how he and Koray met a decade ago. Jamal had no filter whatsoever which was a huge contrast to Koray and his quieter and more reserved disposition.

"What about you Arty Baby," I chuckled at his silly name for me, adjusting my arm around his waist as he put more of his drunken weight on me.

"What about me?" I asked.

"Any special guy in your life?" I snorted, shaking my head, more to myself than to him.

"I don't even know if I want a special guy in my life," I admitted quietly.

"Don't worry, there's plenty of girls out there. I can hook you up too, if you want," I shook my head at his offer kindly refusing.

As the night wore on, I felt myself slowly grow tired. The Elders had officially retired for the night and the crowd was dwindling down. I broke off from my friends in search of my green eyed mentor, knowing what tomorrow night would bring. I swallowed thickly and tried to ignore the growing unease in my stomach.

I found her outside in the gardens, sitting on a bench and watching the sun rise. I took the seat besides her, enjoying the view silently.

This would be her last sunrise.

Again, I had to push down the warring thoughts in my head. I silently grabbed her hand besides me and held it gently, savouring the calm moment.

"Did I ever tell you about my mate?" Diana spoke up. I turned to face her, shaking my head softly.

"Well I had one," It was a surprise since I had mostly assumed she had never found her mate. She had never spoken of one before. She was a very private and cryptic old woman.

"I met him when I was just a young girl. Barely fifteen. He was almost twenty at the time," she sighed. "I was visiting my aunt's pack and we met in the forest,"

She paused for a while, her pale eyes glazed over, lost in a distant memory.

"Back then, status was everything and my family and I were simple omegas with only the clothes on our backs and he was a noble highborn, a direct descendant of the first Lupine," she spoke the last few words bitterly, as if they left a particularly nasty aftertaste in her mouth.

I squeezed her hand silently, and she squeezed back, letting out a humourless chuckle.

"I suppose this is where our stories become so similar. As the next alpha of his pack, he was disappointed to have me as a mate. He denied our bond and while he didn't reject me, he did much worse," her tone wobbled slightly and my heart broke for her.

"His family had already betrothed him to a noble she wolf and he didn't want to back out of it for me so I ran away and lived in the forest alone, away from everyone," she sighed, looking down at our joined hands.

"It was painful. The mate bond was still there since we didn't reject each other properly," she absentmindedly stroked my fingers. "But then suddenly, the pain disappeared and I started having visions in my dream,"

"I kept seeing a woman in my dreams and before I knew it, the woman in my dreams found me in the forest. She was a spirit wolf and taught me what I taught you," I smiled at that, imagining what a young and feisty Diana would have been like.

"Artemis, that spirit wolf was the First Elder," I blinked at her, surprised at the revelation. She turned to face me properly, grabbing my other hand to hold both of them in her lap.

"You once asked me how do you become an Elder. That's it. You start as a spirit wolf and eventually, one of the elders picks you to take over from them," I blew out a breath I hadn't known I had been holding.

"So why aren't you an Elder?" I questioned.

"The First Elder had asked me but I refused," My eyed widened as I gaped.

"You just said no?" I asked with disbelief.

"Of course I just said no," she laughed. I giggled along with her, knowing just how outspoken Diana could be. "I just never saw myself as worthy enough to be a leader. I didn't deserve the title," I furrowed my brow, trying to get her to meet my eye. That comment was full of so much self loathing.

"Why would you say that Diana? What did you do?"

"Like a coward, I had run away from my responsibilities and blatantly ignored a sacred gift from the moon goddess," a lone tear ran down her leathery cheek and I gasped.

"My mate, he had never married the she wolf and he had gone insane trying to look for me, to make amends," she sniffled, turning away to look back at the sky. "His pack suffered the most at the hands of their insane alpha and only those that escaped managed to survive,"

"Diana, how can you blame yourself for that? It's not your fault-," she cut me off before I could finish.

"No Artemis. That's where you're wrong. I played a part in this tragic tale because I was a coward. I didn't have the guts to either acknowledge nor reject the bond so while I was able to ignore it, he wasn't. It destroyed him," she hissed, squeezing my hands tightly as she glared at me.

She sighed and let go of my hands, choosing to fiddle with her rings instead.

"What are you trying to tell me Diana?" I broke the silence, still reeling over her little outburst.

"What I'm saying is Artemis, you can't ignore the mate bond forever. Either accept it or reject it, otherwise a lot of people will suffer," I was a little hurt over her words, offended that she'd think so low of me.

"What do you think I'm doing Diana. I'm going back to the Phantom Pack and trying to fix all that I ran away from," I frowned, looking away from her. She grabbed my chin to turn me back to her, an odd look on her face.

"I know. It's why you're better than me," she sighed, her shoulders slumping before she sat back up straight. "It's also why you'll no doubt be the next First Elder. Unlike me, you deserve it," I stiffened at her words, giving her an incredulous look, but before I could protest, she spoke.

"Don't worry about that now, you still have centuries left before you can begin worrying about that sort of thing," I nodded at her words, my thoughts still running a mile a minute.

"I feel so lost," I admitted. She quirked a brow at me and I continued after a beat or two. "I feel like everything is moving so fast and I'm being pulled in all directions but I don't know what to do," she laughed at me, shaking her head to herself.

"This is why I know you're perfect for this," she chuckled. "While most people in your position would be partying and enjoying their new lavish lifestyle, you're sitting here contemplating with an old woman," I let out a chuckle of my own, leaning down to rest my head on her shoulder.

"Diana, what am I gonna do without you?" The words came out in a half laugh-half sob, that familiar lump coming back in my throat.

"Don't cry or I'll start bawling," she choked. "Tonight is a night of celebration. Let's leave all the sad stuff for tomorrow and have fun," she cleared her throat. I sat up and stood up with her.

"I already had fun. I had way too much wine," I giggled.

"Bring out the whiskey and I'll show you some real fun," I snorted at that but did as she asked.