When I finally exit the bathroom, I see that the broken lamp has been cleared away. Cass is sitting on the edge of the bed, her hands twisting in her lap.
When she sees me, she begins to cry, standing to hug me. "Oh, Dahlia. No one would tell me what happened to you. Caine told me to leave you alone, but I've been so worried." She rambles on, wiping tears from her cheeks. "They told me your father was here, and the Alpha from Aurora. Mike and the others wouldn't let us downstairs, but I could hear so many wolves shifting. Were you hurt?"
I attempt to reassure her with a smile. "I'm okay, Cass." My words only cause her to sob and pull me back into a hug. I pat her on the back, shushing her.
"We should go down and eat," I say as I pull her gently towards the door, glad for the distraction from my thoughts.
Cass sniffles and looks at me, her eyes swimming with tears. She looks like more of a mess than I do. Her dyed hair is pulled back into a messy bun and her usually perfect makeup is smeared below her eyes. Had she been so worried about me that she cried while I was asleep? My heart both warms and breaks at the thought.
We make it down the stairs and towards the kitchen, following the sound of pack members' conversations. I pause at a bathroom and grab a tissue, helping Cass wipe the makeup from under her eyes. Evan and Fiona intercept us at the entrance to the kitchen.
They pull me from Cass and hug me, my body squished between theirs. "Lia, you're okay!" Fiona's voice causes my eyes to prick with tears. Were they all worried about me?
Our hug is interrupted by Mikhail, who talks over Evan and Fiona's questions about what happened this afternoon. "Glad to see you're mostly back to normal, Luna." I narrow my eyes at the honorific and Mikhail smiles, patting me on the back. "Let's head in and eat."
We walk into the kitchen as a group and I spot a dozen serving plates of food on the bar. It seems almost like a holiday feast, but without the special occasion.
The ladies who are putting the final touches on the meal look at me and smile. "Good evening, Luna," one says. Another follows quickly behind, "We wanted to put together a special meal in celebration of you joining the pack."
They speak normally, with no sense of concern or hesitation. It seems that the events from this afternoon hadn't reached the rest of the pack yet. I smile back at them and nod. "Thank you." They return to their cooking and I turn away, looking at Mikhail.
He gives me a knowing look and whispers, "Most of the house members were out this afternoon. We'll fill them in after our formal meeting with Alpha Julian."
"Of course," I whisper back, looking back towards the women who have sparked conversation with each other about children's TV programs. That explains why they seem so unworried.
Mikhail leads me towards the dining hall off of the kitchen, a room I hadn't had the chance to explore yet. Its grandeur surprises me. This pack house seems to be very cozy, but this room is straight out of a fairytale.
Cass notices my amazement and giggles. "That's everyone's first reaction when they first come in here. Our pack hosts dinner conferences and events for packs all over the continent, so we have a dining hall to match the importance."
My gaze continues around the vast room as she explains. The ceilings are vaulted, like the rest of the first floor, and two massive metal and crystal chandeliers hang from them.
Shorter tables line the edges of the room, facing the one long table in the middle. It almost feels like a conference room, but the elegance of the tables and chairs take away from the clinical feel. At the head of the long table sits two chairs, almost like thrones.
On every wall, there are painted portraits of what appear to be past Alphas of the pack. I spot a painting of Leander, Phoenix's father, at the far end, above the two chairs.
He appears younger in this painting, perhaps in his early thirties. He also seems healthy, much different from his present-day appearance. I notice the similarities between Leander and Phoenix the longer I look at the painting. Then, I tear my eyes away from his father's face and begin searching for the painting of Phoenix.
Evan seems to notice what I'm looking for and nudges me with his elbow. "Phoenix doesn't have a painting yet. He won't get one until he's completed 10 years as the Alpha of the pack. That will prove his loyalty to his people and they'll have a portrait commissioned in his honor."
I furrow my brows. What a strange tradition. I glance at the other faces immortalized on canvas, and notice the vast difference between them. My eyes settle back on the painting of Leander. Are they even from the same bloodline?
I don't get a chance to ask because Phoenix walks up from behind me and stands by my side, holding two plates of food. "It's a nice painting of him." His voice is cold, but the words seem genuine. "Come, let's eat."
I follow him towards the head of the table, passing groups of people who are settling in to eat. A few pack mates are walking around, filling people's glasses with various juices and water. Phoenix sets the plates in front of the two chairs at the head of the table, pulling one out for me.
I look around the grand room once more, watching it come to life with chatter, before I sit down. Phoenix stands at the chair next to me and raises his glass of water, catching the attention of everyone in the room. Everyone else raises their glasses, even the little pups at the tables to the side.
Phoenix's voice echoes through the hall. "To a new mating. To my mate. To our new Luna."
The crowd echoes back, "To our new Luna!" And glasses clink all around the room, cheers erupting from Cass, Evan, and Caine.
I smile as Phoenix lowers his glass to mine, tapping them gently together. He then sits and everyone begins eating.
After dinner, I help clean up, despite Phoenix telling me I don't have to. "I want to help," I tell him. They have welcomed me so sincerely and cooked all of this for me, the least I can do is help with the cleaning.
Another young wolf – Elizabeth – and I are standing at the two large basin sinks, scrubbing food from dishes. "It's so strange having a young Luna," she says, turning her head towards me with a bright smile. "I don't remember much of Alpha Leander's mate, but she was definitely closer to his age."
I nod thoughtfully at the mention of Phoenix's mother. I remember when she died. It was only a year after my own mother was killed, so talk spread quickly through my pack. I don't know the circumstances of her death, but I don't ask Elizabeth.
She continues her train of thought. "Ruth said you're 21 – that's only four years older than me! Ruth is my eldest sister, she's also 21 and lives in the city near the big university. She usually just visits on holidays and summer break, but she came in this weekend when she heard you were here."
I feel more comfortable the longer Elizabeth talks. She isn't treating me like her superior, which I appreciate. I let her continue to ramble on about her family, smiling and nodding when she pauses. She doesn't mind that I don't respond.
By the time we have finished washing dishes, a few other pack members have joined in on the conversation. They ask me questions and are satisfied with my nods and "mm-hmms."
I dry my hands on a dish towel and pat the wet spots on my shirt dry. I excuse myself from the group and wander into the front room. Phoenix is there, standing near the unlit fireplace, talking intensely with Mikhail. As I approach, they go quiet and Mikhail nods, leaving me alone with Phoenix.
I blow a quick breath from my nose and watch as Mikhail walks away. "What was that about?"
Phoenix shakes his head and takes my hand in his. "We were just discussing tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?"
"You have to go to your classes."
I sigh, my face dropping. "Oh." It's quiet for a moment before I ask, "Do I have to go back?"
Phoenix nods, giving me a stern look. "Your education is important to me. As much as I'd like to keep you here, locked away from the world, I can't."
"It wouldn't be the first time," I mutter. He narrows his eyes at me, but doesn't ask me to elaborate.
"I'll be placing guards along the edge of our territory closest to the college and to Aurora. If anyone tries coming for you, we'll know." He sounds resolute, but I doubt his words.
"What about the students? At least a few have access to the pack link. They'll tell my father-," Phoenix abruptly cuts me off.
"Your father isn't part of Aurora anymore. He has no connection to the link. I spoke to Julian and he said they are on high alert. Magnus and Viktor both left, taking a handful of wolves with them."
This news shocks me. Viktor is gone? But where? I break out in a fearful sweat. What if he comes here? "Who went with them?" The question leaves my mouth without my permission. My wolf is simmering below the surface, waiting for the answer.
"Magnus's son is the only one confirmed missing. The others seem to be from the lower ranks of the pack and I'm still waiting for Julian to identify them."
"My brother is with them." The words don't come out as a question. Of course he would follow my father. "What about my sisters?"
Phoenix sighs again, rubbing his forehead with his free hand. "They're still at the pack house. I really don't have much information, my love. The meeting with Julian isn't until tomorrow afternoon. He's still gathering intel from known subordinates of your father's. They're also scrambling to promote a new Beta now that your father and brother have both left. There's no one of proper age and bloodline to take over."
This makes sense. My sisters are too small, all under the age of 14. I am the only one left in my direct bloodline, but I'm here. Wolf packs struggle with the balance of power when proper ranks are not held. Countless packs across the world have fallen when a new Alpha or Beta was not chosen quickly enough.
I try to push these thoughts from my head. I hate the people in the pack for what they have done to me, but there are children there, innocent victims of circumstance. If I dwell on this now, I won't be able to function.
"Let's go to bed, my love. We have all day tomorrow to think about what we're going to do. I swear I will keep you safe." Phoenix's soft words bring me down from the mental ledge I stand on. I nod and allow him to lead me upstairs and into his – our – bedroom.
I change quickly into pajamas while Phoenix disappears into the bathroom to shower. I lie in bed and try to wait for him, but the moment my head touches the pillow, I fall into a dreamless sleep.