The hug seemed to last forever, so when a tall, middle-aged man who I assumed to be Ryder's father appeared in the doorway, I was immensely thankful. He cleared his throat, effectively distracting his mate and causing her to release me from her grip.
"So, this must be our new family member," he spoke with a grin.
"Yes, father. This is Zahra...my mate," Ryder told his father, sounding rather professional.
"Great to meet you, Zahra. I'm Kane and this is my mate and Ryder's mother, Mira. I remember doing work with your father during my time as Alpha. I'm very sorry to hear about his condition," he said to me, sounding sincere.
I shot Ryder a warning look as he spoke for me, and then turned my attention back to his father, "It's nice to meet you as well."
"Please, do come inside! Dinner is almost ready!" his mother chimed in, sounding just as giddy as she had when she first answered the door.
I forced a smile until she turned around to lead us inside. Their personal quarters were very nice and tidy, which was to be expected for an Alpha family. The walls were decorated with beautiful artwork, mostly of the ocean or tropical islands, and hand-crafted decorations sat upon various side-tables and on shelves. The center of the living room was taken up by a large, sectional couch, and seated in the center of it was a young woman who had features very similar to Ryder's father - bright green eyes and light, golden hair. Honestly, she was gorgeous, and she gave off a sweet, bubbly vibe that was easy to pick up on despite the fact that she hadn't yet spoke.
I had a hunch that she was Ryder's sister, and I instantly knew that we would absolutely not get along.
"Zahra, this is my sister, Noelle," Ryder told me as she stood from the couch and quickly approached us.
"It's so nice to meet you, Zahra! It's about time my brother found his mate! I know all of the she-wolves are going to be so excited to finally have their Luna!" she rambled on while giving me a quick hug.
I once again, forced a smile, and I was positive that this time, it was quite obvious that I was faking it. Noelle caught on quickly, and her demeanor changed. Her bubbliness switched off, and her smile completely disappeared.
Part of me felt bad, but I'd never been able to tolerate people like her. They were just too happy and over the top all the time. It was enough of a chore to keep up with Ryder's mother, but there was no way I'd be disrespecting the former Luna. At least, not before I was official.
"Thank you, Noelle. I'm very much looking forward to being a Luna," I replied honestly, although I knew the damage was already done.
Noelle started to speak, but then paused, seeming to think over her words before verbalizing them. She then shut her mouth again and simply nodded to me, which only intrigued me. Had this little ray of sunshine been tempted to stand up to me for a moment?
Keeping her mouth shut was a wise decision.
"Zahra, I do hope you like fresh caught fish! We just had it brought in this morning – mahi mahi and red snapper. I figured we'd have some local food and authentic recipes to welcome you," Mira spoke up from the kitchen, directing all attention back towards her.
I was grateful, but at the same time, I was curious to see just how much spunk Ryder's sweet sister could truly muster up.
"I'm sure it will be great, thank you," I replied to his mother, still struggling to be polite. In all honesty, I wasn't a big fan of fish. It wasn't something we often consumed in Night Fire, but it would be fine for the night. Besides, I'd already stirred up enough trouble with Noelle – I didn't need the rest of the family turning against me so soon.
Mira simply smiled widely at me, her teeth bright white teeth blinding, but beautiful. Kane joined his mate in the kitchen, and the two of them continued to put finishing touches on the meal.
Noelle, however, remained quiet. She grabbed a stack of plates out of the cabinets and began setting the table, but her change in behavior hadn't gone unnoticed by her brother.
"Noelle, are you feeling alright today?" Ryder questioned, raising an eyebrow at his sister.
She forced another smile, "I'm perfectly fine!"
"Do not lie to me," Ryder replied instantly, his voice stern this time, which caught me off guard.
Noelle narrowed her eyes, clearly not intimidated at all by her brother's Alpha status, "It's nothing that needs to be discussed over a perfectly good dinner, Ryder."
Ryder simply stared at her for a moment, their eyes locked in this intense gaze that I couldn't quite figure out. In fact, it was kind of creepy. But after several seconds of that, they broke eye contact and went about their business.
I looked at Ryder with a quizzical expression, but he simply shook his head. Clearly, I'd be getting no explanations tonight.
Once the food was ready, we all took our places at the table while Ryder's mother and father brought the food in. They set out large bowls of vegetables, rice, and pasta on the table followed by platters of fish and shrimp. I was a bit surprised by the amount of food they'd cooked for the occasion, but I didn't comment on it. At least I was receiving a proper welcome.
We all dished up our plates and began to eat while making light conversation. The food was surprisingly good and tasted fresh, just as they'd promised it was. Although the seafood wasn't bad, I made a mental note to try and push more red meat into the pack's diet. No wonder they were so weak.
"So, Zahra, what kind of timeline are you looking at for this mating process?" Kane asked me as he cut into his fish.
"I'm afraid I'm not sure what you mean," I replied.
"Oh dear – you're always asking such trivial questions!" Mira spoke up, swatting at her mate's arm playfully. "He's simply asking how long you'd like to get settled before we start getting into the process and traditions of you becoming the official Luna of Moon Wave. There's quite a bit involved, but you can take things at whatever pace you feel comfortable."
I stared back at them with a blank expression, blinking my eyes several times as I process what they'd just told me.
"I wasn't expecting to have a choice in the matter. In Night Fire, the Luna must follow the processes and timeline as her Alpha instructs. I was expecting to comply by the same rules here," I answered honestly.
This time they were the ones to stare back at me with a blank look.
"That being said, I'm fine with doing everything as soon as possible. It's always been my dream to become a Luna," I added definitively.
Mira frowned slightly, and Kane seemed to withdraw from the conversation altogether, clearly regretting even bringing up the situation in the first place. Noelle completely ignored us, pretending to be focused in on the vegetables she was eating, but I knew she was listening to every word and likely judging my responses.
"Don't you want to take some time to get to know each other and really develop your relationship before getting into such a sticky process?" Mira finally asked, now looking a bit concerned.
I took a deep breath and thought about how I should respond. How did I tell the mother of my mate that I quite frankly didn't care about developing a relationship with her son? All I really cared about was earning my title of Luna and carrying out the rights and duties that came with it. But I couldn't say that – not now...not so soon.
"Mother, let's not dwell on such topics on Zahra's first night here. She's had a lot sprung on her at once," Ryder finally spoke up, saving me from the spotlight.
Yet again, I found myself feeling grateful towards this mate of mine.
"Of course, of course," Mira mumbled softly, turning her attention back to her plate of food.
This night had definitely not gone as planned, but what was I expecting? I should've known Ryder's family would be just as he was – soft, friendly. They were likely expecting me to throw myself into Ryder's arms the moment I found out he was my mate. In fact, I was sure they didn't know that I'd already known this and restrained myself from giving into the mate-pull for three years.
The rest of dinner was fairly quiet, with only bits of small talk made here and there. There was a light, awkward tension in the air from both Noelle and Mira, and I honestly didn't know what to do about it. Although I had no intentions to make friends here, I didn't need these women against me so soon.
Much to my relief, dinner soon came to an end. Noelle and Mira began to clear the table, and Ryder and I stood from our chairs to say goodbye for the night.
"It was very nice to meet you, Zahra. I do hope you'll enjoy your new life here in our pack. We're all very eager to finally have a Luna again," Kane told me with a smile before squeezing my shoulder reassuringly.
"Yes dear, it was lovely to meet you. We look forward to getting to know you better," Mira piped up from the kitchen and sending me a sweet smile. It was good to know that I hadn't completely turned her against me yet.
Noelle, however, remained silent.
Ryder and I finally made our exit and headed back up to our quarters. It was beginning to get late, and I hadn't a clue what his plans were for the next few days. Clearly, there wasn't going to be any rush on his or his family's end on getting the Luna ceremony and traditions started.
"Don't forget, we'll be having a welcome breakfast for you in the morning with the pack. I don't know how much sleep you typically require, but just keep that in mind," Ryder told me as we approached the doors to the Alpha's wing.
"I function just fine on any amount of sleep," I assured him. Truth be told, I really did enjoy sleeping in, but I knew my duties as a future Luna and a she-wolf of Alpha blood.
As we entered the wing, Ryder shut the door behind us and locked it before heading for the bedroom. It seemed he was certainly eager to get some rest, and I couldn't really blame him. All the travelling we'd done had sucked the energy out of me as well.
I made my way to the closet where my bags had been placed to find that all of my clothing had been put up neatly and in an organized fashion. I smirked to myself before putting down a robe and then making my way to the dresser in the bedroom to find my sleep-wear. I was rather quick about removing my makeup and getting ready for bed, although my typical nightly routine often took up to an hour.
Tonight, I was too exhausted to be bothered with it.
I finally slid into the massive bed and practically sank into the plush mattress. It seemed my mate had good taste in furniture as well, and I was extremely thankful.
Ryder didn't pay any attention to me as I got into the bed beside him, and I tried to ignore the awkward tension that was still radiating between us. He was propped up on his pillows, reading some sort of book and seeming very focused. He actually looked kind of sexy in his own, studious sort of way.
"Do you mind if I ask you a question?" I asked Ryder, breaking the silence between us. Normally I wouldn't have bothered to ask, but I felt the need to be at least a bit courteous after the day's events.
Ryder quickly turned his attention to me, almost seeming shocked that I spoke to him first.
"Of course, anything," he replied, attempting to conceal his excitement.
"I know I didn't make the best first impression with your sister, but...what exactly was that that went on between you two? The whole...silent and intense staring that just ended abruptly as if nothing happened?"
Ryder chuckled, closing his book and setting it on the night-stand beside the bed, "There's a lot you still don't know about me, Zahra. I know you have all of these assumptions and stereotypes in your head, but they're not all accurate. You have a lot to learn."
I sighed and rolled my eyes slightly, hoping Ryder didn't see. Could he not just give me a straight answer?
"Noelle and I both have our own individual...unique...abilities, and being twins, there's also an ability we both share. As far-fetched as it may sound to you, Noelle and I are able to communicate with each other telepathically," Ryder explained casually.
"Excuse me?" I instantly questioned. Had I heard him correctly?
I didn't even realize that Noelle and Ryder were twins – much less siblings with some freaky supernatural abilities. I'd always thought that shit was reserved for the Tropic Sun pack.
Ryder simply chuckled again and shook his head, clearly amused with my reaction, "Like I said, you have a lot to learn about me and our pack. None of it is something you can learn and understand in one night, so I'd suggest you don't think too much about it and focus on getting some sleep instead."
I huffed at him and his lack of a thorough explanation for the information I'd just received. Did he really think I was just going to let that go? I was curious about what all he meant, but I knew I wouldn't be getting anymore answers from him tonight.
"Fine," I mumbled stubbornly before flipping over so that my back was facing him, and closing my eyes in hope of drifting off to sleep.
Yay, an update! I'm so sorry for the delay ya'll! What'd you think of this chapter? Zahra's behavior? Ryder's "abilities" ? And of course, what do you think of Noelle and Ryder's parents?
As for the abilities Ryder mentioned, I'd like those of you who have read Luna Lena to think back to Ryder being in her story. Subtle hints and comments were dropped here and there about his "abilities" during Lena's story, but of course you all will find out a lot more about them as this story progresses.
Please continue to read, vote, and comment! Let me know what you're thinking! I appreciate it all <3
xoxo -V