FORGOING HER HUMANITY
R E M
The days cameand went underneath the roof of the Evensen Pack. Ronan did not spend any time in there, as being an unmated Alpha made him just as susceptible as the others, which both excited and annoyed Rem.
He wouldn’t be susceptible if he had a mate…
And just how vivacious would he have been if she had not gasped in pain, or if his body was in prime condition?
It was times like these that she was desperate for her mother, and with Oliver safe, she allowed her heart to openly yearn for home. Rem had no idea how to navigate any of this. What if Ronan wanted to see if any of the other Silvers were a preferred Luna for his pack? What if that also meant other Silvers being intimate with him?
Surely, that would be his right as an Alpha, would it not?
“You nervous for tonight?” Nia asked.
The Silvers were undergoing the full change that very night.
“Yeah… Hey… Can I ask you something?” Rem asked, Nia doing her hair—the sides had intricate, loose braids that met at the top of her head, all bound together so the loose ends flowed freely.
“Of course.”
“Do you think Ronan will, I don’t know how to phrase it… ‘feel out’ the other Silvers?” Rem asked with apprehension.
Nia paused before resuming the tight pulling of Rem’s hair. “It’s alright, Rem. If you were another she-wolf in the pack? I’d say don’t get your hopes up. But Ronan wouldn’t lead you on like that. You’re still new to us, and he even had me come in to verify you knew what you were doing. I don’t think he intends to mislead you.”
Rem looked down at her hands, which had been cleaned, all the way to underneath the nail bed. “I just… Worry, is all. We haven’t gotten to actually talk or anything, so no real bonding, you know?”
“You shouldn’t doubt yourself.”
“I think it’s more like… He could end uphatingme once I can talk to him,” she confessed, slightly laughing at the idea.
Nia sighed, although it sounded more sympathetic rather than frustrated. “It’s hard to explain. Once my kind catches interest in another… It’s hard to shake. Their scent means more to you than the others. You seek them out more in a crowd, even if all you’ve done is say ‘hello’ to the other. We don’t have anything like fated mates, as that’s mostly for the faes,” Nia remarked. “But we develop attachments that almost make things seem predestined.”
Rem recalled stories of fairies and pixies growing up, never consideringtheyhad a life to live, full of their own politics. Nia pressed on, “I think he feels it towards you. Could be that you’re a Silver and he’s an Alpha, so the like-minded energies resonate. Could be that if any of these other Silvers had gone to Warden, he’d have met them first and be having this same reaction to them… Either way, Ronan is not one to flirt for no reason—not this way. He can sleep around like any other Alpha and has many times, but those were with females that knew what that was. He wouldn’t have let you clean his wounds like that if he wasn’t serious.”
Rem couldn’t suppress the smile that was on her face. “Thanks, Nia.”
“Some advice? Do what you can to lead. Take initiative. It’s what he will want in a Luna. I notice his interest in you spikes when you act like… Well, like Jemma.”
Rem frowned. “I’m so tired of hearing about her… Do I really have to compete with her, even if she’s not here?”
“I don’t think so. He hasn’t smelled like her in fourth months—it was pretty close to before you got here, actually. Right around the time the Elders saw the Silvers in their visions. But she is definitely a paragon of what Alphas want. I mean, even Marcus fought for her.”
Rem looked down, forlorn. “How am I supposed to rise tothat?”
Nia finished wrapping all the hair together in the back as she said, “Well, for starters, the way you told him you were unashamed, back in that room, was a great move on your end. When in doubt, remind yourself you’re a Silver. Remind yourself that you’d do anything for the ones you love, and that any male would be eternally luck to have you.”
Rem genuinely smiled, staring ahead out the window. “Nia, whenever you find a male you want, I’ll do whatever I can to help. Or just if you ever need anything. I’ll fight for you.”
“As long as you let me keep doing your hair,” Nia said with pride, stepping back to admire her work, Rem eagerly grabbing a hand mirror to look.
“Ilovethese hairstyles,” Rem said quietly, looking at the orange eyes that glared back.
“Yeah, it took me a while to learn to work with hair like yours, but I really like doing hair,” Nia said earnestly.
“Well, you’re great at it,” Rem replied. For just a small moment, the two of them spoke carefree about their lives and dreams, as if nothing held them down.
It didn’t last long, however, as Rem had to dress for the day. For that night, all the Silvers were to wear white dresses, and Rem kept the black crystal around her neck underneath the fabric, never leaving the home without it.
