It was a day later before Emilia let me out of my bed. When she came back a few hours later, I had felt a bit light headed, which made her postpone my release. I didn't mind, though. Luke stayed by my side the entire time, keeping up light conversation and some to-be-expected kissing.
Standing back on my feet, after what now felt like an enternity laying down on the bed, was more of an adventure than I care to admit. There was a lot of tumbling and losing my balance, but after a few moments, I was able to compose myself and stand myself up straight.
Luke held my hand, leading me out of the doorway. It was like I stepped into a historical movie. The hallway was long and majestic, with deep gold and red drapes on the far side window and high rise corridors. I let out a small, surprised gasp. Luke turned to me and let out a small smirk.
"I told you it was old. We tried to keep the public areas as close to the original look as we could. Any bedrooms, though, are decorated as the occupant pleases." He informed me, pulling me in to kiss my cheek. I heard silent whispers and soft rustling from down the hall, but couldn't place the sound with a sight. Luke sighed, and rested his head on my shoulder. "Don't mind them. They are the pack children. We told them to wait in the playroom, but they obviously didn't listen."
"Wait for what?" I asked. He looked up and into my eyes.
"For you. To meet their new Luna." He told me. I blinked, but soon after a smile bloomed across my face.
Just then, the door feel open, followed by child after child falling over each other and tumbling across the hall. They were all laughing, though, a deep heart-felt laugh. I couldn't help but smile as I watched. Then they froze and looked up at the same time. They stared at me, their faces excited and energetic. Luke growled playfully. They jumped.
"We're sorry, Alpha Luke!" They immediately apologised. He let out an exaggerated sigh and draped his arm over my shoulder.
"I suppose I should forgive you. We are in the presense of your Luna." He told them, while turning and planting a soft kiss on my cheek. A series of "Yew!" ensued, though Luke only laughed. I laughed with him, wrapping my arms around his lower torso and returning the kiss with one of my own on his own cheek.
One little girl, a petite brunette who couldn't be older than five, ran over and wrapped her arms around my right leg. I was shocked, and honestly didn't know what to do. I never had this response with a child. I blinked, and slowly bent down and picked her up, not knowing what else to do.
"What's your name?" I asked her, looking into her sparkling blue eyes. She smiled, but was shy and hid her head in my shoulder.
"Clara. Clara Goodwin, Luna." She said into my shoulder. I felt other small arms wrap themselves around my legs and my waist as I saw the other kids follow Clara's lead and latch onto me. I laughed and looked over to Luke. He seemed geneuinely happy, which in turn made me feel the same.
"Well, Clara. It is an honor to meet you." I told her, pulling her in for a hug before placing her back on the ground. Luke's hand found mine and I looked back to him, to see his gaze had shifted back down the hall. I followed his eyes and saw others standing by and watching me. Grown adults of all ages. When they noticed me watching them, they all bowed their heads in respect to me and I smiled in return.
Luke pulled me to his chest, engulfing me in a tight embrace just as the children let go and ran back over to their parents. "They adore you." He told me. I blush.
"How can you tell?"
"They saw how you acted with those children. I could hear their thoughts through the mindlink. They couldn't hope for a better Luna." He told me, not letting me go.
I stayed silent, thinking of the things that would make me more suited for the position. He sighed.
"You are perfect." He told me, kissing my temple before reluctantly releasing me slightly. I turned back to look down the hall, to see that it had cleared. We were back to privacy. "This pack is very much so set in the old pack ways." He told me when I gave him a questioning look.
"What does that mean?" I asked him, just as he turned and guided us to two double doors down the hall. He opened them to reveal a large library, with a fireplace and chairs all around. It was empty, though, from what I can tell. He led us to a loveseat near the fireplace and sat us down. I leaned against the arm rest on one side and faced him, while he did the same.
"It means that they abide by the old rules. The Alpha has supreme power over all decisions. All male wolves must either be trained to fight or be trained in academics to help protect or heal the pack. The women can choose between medicene or academics or homelife. They raise the pups, with the help of their husbands, of course. They know that the Luna is to be protected at all times, and is most likely to be kept inside the pack house as much as possible. It is just shy of a rare sight to see the Luna." He told me. I pursed my lips.
"Can I not interact with them?" I asked, my eyebrows coming together.
"You can. They just know that you are the key to the future of this pack, so they expect you to take the upmost caution with your life. The coma you were in the last few weeks has shaken everyone up. They are worried about you." He told me. I stared at him.
"When can we talk to Father Andrew?" I asked bluntly. Luke sighed and stared into my eyes.
"I'll ask him to meet us in my room." He told me. I nodded and stood up. Luke followed my lead as I walked myself back to where I believed was the room. However, before I opened the door, I heard Luke clear his throat from behind me. I turned to see him in front of the door beside the one I was about to open. I huffed slightly, but followed him in without a word. Luke let out a soft laugh.
Just as we sat oursleves against the headboard of his bed and he wrapped his arm around my back, a knock came on the door. "Come in." Luke called. A man in the late forties, maybe early fifties, entered the room slowly, watching the ground as if it were one of the most fascinating things in the world.
He glanced up and bowed his head to us. "Alpha, Luna."
Luke nodded in reply and waited for him to begin. When the silence rang on, he blurted out, "What did you find out?"
Father Andrew reached for the chair on the right side of the bed, but stopped halfway there and looked up to Luke for permission. Luke nodded. He proceded to pull the chair out and place it in front of the foot of the bed. He ran his hand through his hair, looking exasperated. My stomack dropped.
"What did you find out?" I repeated, my voice low. He looked straight at me and blinked. He turned his head away and stared at the headboard blindly.
"I have a theory, though it isn't fully explainatory nor is it 100% likely. It could just be that the Werewolf gene skipped a generation, though that is not usual. I mean, it could happen. Right? Right." He said, though it sounded like he was more telling himself than us.
"Is that your theory?" I asked, confused. His eyebrows furrowed and he shook his head.
"No, no... Possibility, yes. Theory... No." He said. I could tell that this Father Andrew was quite an eccentric guy. "The theory is.... well... you see, there is this story. Well, fable. Well, event. There was a lady who was the Luna of a powerful pack, though she couldn't shift. No one could figure out why. It didn't make sense." He paused. "However, over time, she grew angry. She demanded to know just why she was human. She turned... well, evil. The pack fell apart."
I sucked in a breath. "So, you're basically telling me that I will be the downfall of our pack?"
"No, no... Possibilty, yes. But, no. You see, I and many others believe that the Moon Goddess does this as a test, to see the will of a pack and of the power of the Luna."
"I'm confused."
He blinked and looked back to me and stared into my eyes. "The Moon Goddess is testing us. You will either make or break this pack. Though, in our world, history doesn't always repeat itself. I don't know if just accepting your inability to shift is your challenge. I fear that it is something bigger."
"What does that mean?" I asked him, sitting up straight in the bed. He blinked, but I watched as his eyes glazed over and he lost sense of reality and slowly he fell forward onto the bed.
"Father Andrew?" I yelled, jumping up. I ran to him and pushed him up on the chair, though his head was limp. "Come on, wake up!"
Luke was by my side in a second. He placed two fingers to the side of his neck. I watched Luke's face carefully, judging his reaction. It didn't look good.
Luke looked down to me, his face torn and broken.
"I... I think he's dead."
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Sorry for the cliff hanger. It isn't too bad.... I don't think. It will all make sense soon. I'm sorry if the chapter seems a bit rushed. I'm on a time limit.
I know none of this probably makes sense right now. I will probably reread this after I get back and I might rewrite the ending to make it clearer, but I don't have time right now. I'm not going to change what happens, just how it is written.
Please Vote, Comment, and Fan!! They are all extremely appreciated!! :)