Hey everyone! Another update. I've been getting tons of of messages saying that I should publish this book and at first I wasn't really sure but now I'm considering it. Of course I would need to MAJORLY edit it but I am thinking about re-writing it so that it would be more worthy of publishing.
On another note, a little more Caeden and Vanessa in this chapter =] I love their little sweet moments. Still not sure about if I'm extending this or a sequel I'm thinking about just letting you guys vote on it...
Dedicated to: LeaNobriga for leaving such an awesome comment! Also I wanted you all to know that I read every single comment that you leave me. Sometimes it's a little overwhelming but I love them nonetheless lol but if you ask a question I'll respond. Bamagranna also left one of my favorite comments but I can only make one dedication per chapter =[
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Ch. 22: Well This is Awkward.
“Luna…” I heard and immediately skidded to a halt in the hallway as I noticed that every pack member that lined it was bowing down to me. Confusion painted my face as well as astonishment, but my wolf seemed to swell with pride. Everywhere I looked, men, women and children were bowing to me and I felt my cheeks heat up. Soon, I felt shocks around my waist and instantly became aware that my mate was putting his arms around me. I spun around so that we were chest to chest and put my hands on his arms.
“Caeden, what’s happening?” I whispered wearily. He smiled and kissed my forehead. “They are showing respect to their Luna, you have to tell them they can get up.” He said trying to keep from laughing. My eyes widened and I turned back to the hall. “Uhm, thank you everyone.” I said and they all rose, nodded to me with smiles and went about their business. Some members came up and congratulated us and others just bowed as they passed me.
Finally Caeden grabbed my hand and began to lead me down a hall. “How do they know?” I asked, scared for the answer I would receive. Caeden smiled over at me and then asked, “When I entered you what did you feel? Besides absolutely amazing.” He joked and I hit his arm laughing with him and thought back. “My chest warmed,” I said and unconsciously touched the spot where his initials were now tattooed over my heart. When I touched it, it seemed warm and made me shiver a little. “And…and I felt like my mind cleared.” I said uncertainly and looked up at him as he continued to drag me down the hall.
“When you felt your head clear, that was your wolf’s mind opening up to the pack members. As their Luna you will be able to communicate with them through your mind link. But you won’t be able to hear their thoughts at will, like I can. Only the alpha can do that.” He said as an afterthought. I nodded finding all of this wolf stuff amazing. It was crazy for me to know that a little over a month ago I never knew that any of this existed. And yet here I was. The Luna of a pack of werewolves, and I felt amazing. How could I not when I had a man as breathtaking as Caeden who was completely devoted to me? I never even knew a love like this was possible, and I knew I’d never be able to let it go.
I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn’t notice that we had made it to the office Caeden was telling me about earlier. He took a deep breath and turned to look at me. I gave him the biggest grin I could muster and saw his eyes light up before I heard his voice in my head. ‘No matter what happens, know that I am here for you, and that will never change.’ The look in his icy blue eyes was so intense that I nearly cried, but I just nodded my head in acknowledgement.
He opened the door and the tenseness in the air was so stiff it made it a little hard to breathe. He let me walk in first and a nervous smile made its way onto my lips as I glanced around the seemingly crowded office. It somehow appeared to be dingy in here even though the sun was barely getting ready to set outside the window.
“Hi everyone.” I said, waving my hand awkwardly. Catalina, Nate and Caeden’s parents’ all nodded to me with smiles on their faces. His mother actually walked over to me and engulfed me in a hug that nearly knocked the wind out of me.
“Mom, don’t kill her.” Caeden joked, pretending to tug her arms off of me. She laughed and backed away before bowing slightly. “Luna.” She said before looking back up to me and smiling. “Not you too.” I said as I felt the heat return to my face. I couldn’t help but notice a slight orange-yellow haze appear over her heart, before I could say anything Nate and Mr. Cabrera laughed at my bashfulness and bowed slightly to me also, making me lose my focus because they too had little orange-yellow orbs pulsing, above their hearts. What the hell is going on?
“Enough with all of this. We have a lot to explain.” Caeden said before grabbing my hand and dragging me behind his desk. He sat down and then pulled me into his lap. With the tense atmosphere the action really seemed to soothe me.
“So what’s all this about?” I asked and looked around. Now that I was over the initial shock I could see that Catalina looked like she had been crying. Her eyes were a little puffy and her skin was a little blotchy. Angie was also here and she too looked like she’d shed a couple of tears, making me curious as to what she would reveal. Alpha de Luca had his intense gaze set on me and his mate seemed to look at anything but me. I found that odd but thought nothing of it. Abruptly I began to think, maybe Caeden wasn’t exaggerating about the importance of this meeting.
“I’m not even sure where we should start.” Caeden said from behind me. “Let’s start from the beginning.” Mrs. Cabrera suggested and I agreed, what better way to tell a story? Caeden sat me sideways on his lap so that I could see his face. “First of all love, your family history isn’t what you assumed it was.” He said, his expression seemed flustered as though he was trying to figure out how to break something to me.
“OK, so who are they?” I asked and looked around. De Luca stood up and walked to the front of the desk. I was too busy staring at the daunting dark colored haze over his own heart to notice he was speaking to me. “Hello, Abrienne.” My eyebrows creased at the name. “I think you have the wrong person. My name’s Vanessa.” I told him looking a little afraid for his health. Plus I wasn’t too fond of the way he looked at me, as though I was a prized possession. He gave a low steady laugh before his eyes met mine again.
“No, it’s definitely you. I picked that name out myself. It used to be common in the old days, but now not so much. That’s why Cat and I agreed on it, an old name for an old soul.”
“Cat?” I said under my breath almost to myself as I looked down at the desk. When it hit me what I said I stood up and looked at Catalina, who was another with the small orange-yellow haze over her heart.
“You’re my mother?!” I asked her and I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. She nodded and took a step toward me, tears already slipping from her eyes but I took a step back. Almost stumbling over Caeden in the process. “All this time? You lied to me!” I accused as I felt the betrayal that I never thought I’d feel for my biological family members.
“Abrienne I had to...” She started. And I noticed that her little orb constricted a little as though her heart was in pain by my reaction.
“Don’t call me that!” I shouted catching everybody off guard. I had never raised my voice in front of anyone besides Angie and even that was in a playful matter. We’ve never fought until I started to see Caeden. “I don’t know that person, I don’t want to BE that person.” I nearly growled. Caeden and De Luca reached out to me, Caeden pulled me back against him letting me find comfort in my mate. I could tell that he was angry because I was upset but he also knew that I needed to hear this. He just wanted me to calm down and hear everyone out. I could do that for my mate.
‘You ok?’ He asked me through our newly mated link and I nodded pressing a kiss on his cheek. He grinned at me and it set my heart fluttering. I took a deep breath before facing everyone again, my mate’s arms still wrapped tightly around me. “Continue.” He said to Catalina. De Luca still stood there, his gaze fixed on me.
“I know that you are upset but I had to do it.” Catalina said before proceeding to tell me a story I never imagined would be how I was brought into the world. I always imagined that my parents were in love and maybe they couldn’t afford to keep me or something, maybe they were forced to give me up. I never once imagined that my father would seduce a young girl into carrying a baby for him. A conversation that was supposed to make me feel better and understand my family more, instead made me feel sick to my stomach.
I felt immensely guilty listening to what Catalina had to go through to have and give me away. I felt like it was my fault that her life had become so difficult, so complicated at such a young age. I may not have had the best upbringing, but I wasn’t as forced into a lifestyle as she was. After I left the orphanage I had options as to where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do. Some would argue that I didn’t make the right decisions but my choices lead me straight to the man that now holds my heart.
By the end of the discussion I was emotionally exhausted. I felt like the overload of information was going to make my head explode; the betrayal from Angie being the icing on the cake. Caeden noticed this and told everyone that they should give me the rest of the night and some of tomorrow to absorb all of this and recover before we all met again to discuss how the punishments would be handled and how everything would work with De Luca’s pack. His ‘mate’ glared at me before she left and I looked at her with a curious expression, wondering if all the fairytales about witches were true. She certainly seemed to fit the description. At this thought Caeden laughed and reminded me that he could hear my thoughts when I didn’t block him out. I laughed too instead of blushing and we headed off to our room.
“So what’s going to happen with Angie? I asked as I went to the closet in search of night clothes.
“She will be held in our prison cell underground for her crimes.” He said looking at me as I emerged from the closet. I nodded, agreeing with his judgment. A part of me still felt that friendship connection with Angie but a bigger part of me, due to my wolf, despised her for trying to keep my mate and I apart, and for that I resented her.
“The De Luca’s will be back tomorrow to discuss how we will handle the packs.” Caeden said once again evaluating my reaction as I walked passed him to the bathroom door. I back tracked when I heard what he said though. “What do you mean?” I queried and he patted the spot on the bed next to him so I walked over and sat down. Still holding the clothes in my hand.
“Since you seem to be the sole heir to De Luca’s pack, we have to decide if you and I want to be responsible for two packs, or if we want to appoint someone else to the task.” He told me. I looked at him like he was crazy. Why on Earth would I want to be anywhere near De Luca or his pack. He must’ve heard that thought because he sighed loudly before answering the question. “I understand that you want nothing to do with them, but as wolves we have to accept our roles in this society. Although the politics of all of this may not be fun, it is what we were chosen to do. If the Moon Goddess didn’t think we could handle the responsibility we wouldn’t be born from Alphas, we would’ve been common wolves.” He said as he leaned forward and pecked my forehead.
“And you, dear Child of the Moon, are the most special of us all.” He said in a phony British accent. I laughed and huffed at him. “Yeah, the Moon Goddess really screwed up there.” I replied as I started to get up from the bed. Caeden put a hand on my forearm stopping me. “The Moon Goddess doesn’t make mistakes Ness. Everything she does, she does for a reason.” Caeden said to me and I thought about what he said and nodded. “I love you.” I said and leaned in for a kiss. He kissed me tenderly and it took everything in me not to go for a round three today. “I love you too.” He whispered between kisses and I backed away with a goofy grin on my face before heading into the bathroom to shower.
“By the way you’re meeting the entire pack tomorrow!” He yelled to me before I closed the bathroom door. I almost fainted.
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Well that's that chapter....lol the next one shouldn't take too long to have up seeing as I'll have a bit of free time this week.
Thank you everyone for reading my story and I hope you're enjoying it.
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