Brenna
Magenta and I spent the next few hours planning the Luna Choosing Ceremony. I couldn't believe that it was in two days. And to think that I could be a Luna then.
"I'll have Asana come tomorrow and fit you for your dress." Magenta took a sip of her tea.
I took a bite of a scone left over from lunch. They had brought so much food up from the kitchen that we saved our dessert scones for later.
It tasted delicious. "Are you sure she can do this on such short notice? I'm sure there's a dress in the ones they already brought—"
Magenta laughed. "She'd be delighted, I'm sure." Her smile faded as she tilted her head to the side. "Are you sure this is what you want? To become a Luna? You still have free will to choose."
I nodded, considering. "If it means I can stand beside Adan with as much power as him, then yes." I took a deep breath. "I'm upset with him now, but it doesn't mean that I'm going anywhere."
A broad smile spread across her lips. "I was hoping you'd say that." She looked at our plans. "So, do you understand what will happen?"
I nodded. "I think so."
"Have you ever been to a Luna Choosing Ceremony before?"
I shook my head. "No, but there's a first time for everything."
"It really is a wonderful sight. I'm sure you'll have the opportunity to attend many in the future." She took a bite of her scone, chewed, and swallowed. "I'm sure your father was just trying to protect you."
I nodded. "I see that now. Looking back, he sheltered me more than I ever knew. I guess he was trying to protect me for as long as he could."
"But destiny came knocking on your door sooner than he had anticipated."
My head snapped up as I narrowed my eyes. "It wasn't destiny, but that White Alpha. I'll take him down if it's the last thing I do. I owe my family that much."
Magenta leaned forward. "Do not let revenge be your undoing, Brenna. You have a Pack to think about now. When you become Queen—"
"If," I said, cutting her off. "If I become Queen."
She chuckled. "If you become Queen, you'll have more than yourself to think about. You'll have the welfare of the Pack to consider, as well."
"I already do." I dabbed at my lips and laid my napkin on my plate as I rose to my feet. "Thank you so much for this today. I know you weren't expecting me, but—"
"Actually, if you hadn't arrived when you did, I was coming to see you." She shrugged. "We needed to plan for the ceremony, after all." She stood and placed her hand on my shoulder, then walked me to the door. "Get some rest, and we'll complete the preparations tomorrow."
"Will we be able to do this on such short notice?"
She chuckled. "Yes, of course! Chef West won't have a problem. He's really quite good at last-minute preparations." She opened the door for me. "And try to be a bit more understanding of Adan. This is all new for him, too."
I nodded, letting out a deep breath. "I'll try."
After saying our last goodbyes, I headed up the stairs toward my suite, hoping Adan would leave me alone tonight. I just wanted some time to process everything that had happened. But when I walked into my suite, Adan was there, waiting for me, dressed in a black shirt and dark gray pants, his black hair combed to perfection. Candles flickered on the table, casting shadows across the room. Cloche-covered platters sat on the table, along with fine china and flatware.
"Welcome home." A smile lit his lips.
A thrill ran through me at the surprise of seeing him, but I tried not to let on. "Adan, what are you doing?"
He lifted a single red rose from a white vase between the candles and crossed the room, closing the distance between us. "I'm so sorry about what happened earlier with—"
"She who must not be named." I chuckled. But my smile faded as I gazed into his eyes. "Adan, I couldn't expect you to have been celibate all this time. But from here on out, there will be no other women. Some queens condone their Alpha's having mistresses, but I'm not one of them." In our world, it's not unheard of for men or women to take more than one Mate, but not me and not him.
"I don't intend to." One corner of his lips curled into a sexy smile as he handed me the rose. "I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you, her, or anyone else."
I took the rose, and the sweet fragrance surrounded me.
"I know this doesn't make up for earlier, but maybe it's a start?" He arched an eyebrow, giving me a sexy smile.
"Wow... you really know how to put on the charm when you want to. Don't you?" I chuckled, shaking my head.
"I try." He placed his hand gently on my back and led me to the table. "Come. Let's dine together. Maybe I can change your mind about me."
I sat as he held the chair. "And what do I think about you?"
"That I'm a player." He shrugged as he sat kitty-corner from me at the head of the table.
"No. I know you're not a player." I shook out my napkin and slid it across my lap. "You had women, yes. But you never lied to any of them."
Adan stared at me for a moment. "That's true, but how did you know?"
I sighed. "Magenta told me. But then I realized that I already knew." I bit my lower lip and released it. "You never lied to Hailey. She knew what she was getting into."
Adan smiled as he gave my hand a gentle squeeze. "I promise that from here on out, there will only be you."
Even though I had a feeling that this wasn't over with Hailey, I pushed the thought aside, determined to make the best of what was left of the night.
"So, have I at least earned brownie points tonight?" He chuckled, arching an eyebrow.
"It's a start." I laughed, shaking my head. "You're shameless."
He leaned in close, causing my heart to pound. "I try." He gave me a quick peck. Then he sat back and looked over the table. "So, are you hungry?"
I didn't want to ruin anything and tell him that I just ate a scone with Magenta. But this was dinner, after all. "I'm ready if you are."
He gave me a sly grin. "Be careful what you offer."
I laughed, shaking my head. Even though I had no idea what the future held for us, Adan had taken a step in the right direction by agreeing to be monogamous with me. I just hoped the fallout with Hailey didn't end up being our downfall.
***
A/N: What do you think of Hailey? Do you think she will be Brenna and Adan's downfall? Leave a comment and let me know. :-)