“No, they wouldn’t. I just have this feeling, like something’s coming.”
I wanted to tell him he was just imagining it, but I’d felt it too. It was in the tension vibrating through every pack member, making them angrier with one another.
I couldn’t bring myself to lie to him, so I just squeezed his shoulder and smiled. “Well, whatever happens, Rufus, I’m here. You can count on me.”
“I know that,” he answered, grinning back. “You and I will keep this pack together. And rein Mother in too.”
“I think I’ll leave that one up to you,” I said with an exaggerated flinch.
Still laughing, we headed back toward the pack settlement. Tomorrow, everything was going to change, but we would be ready for it.
Three
Chapter 3
Luna
“Now remember what I told you. Make a good first impression on the Alpha. You’re a very beautiful female. Use it.”
I clutched Ivy’s hands as tightly as I could, nodding. “I’ll remember, Ivy. Thank you for this.”
“Don’t mention it. I wish I could do more but—”
“You’ve already done more than enough,” I cut her off.
Ivy’s support had helped me a lot. Her reassurance and presence hadn’t magically erased my nervousness, but at least now I had a plan. It was better than stumbling through the dark, hoping and praying the Firewolves wouldn’t hurt me too badly. And it had brought back some of my self-confidence.
I could do this. Even if I was an Omega, I had other skills. I could prove to the Firewolves that I belonged to their pack. I’d be a good mate to Alpha Savage and a wonderful mother to our pups. He was not the male I’d wanted, but he’d chosen me, and I would embrace and encourage that.
Even with that decision firmly in mind, I wasn’t prepared for the moment when Andrea came for me. She shot me a compassionate look, obviously noticing my nervousness. “The Alpha is waiting for you, Luna,” she whispered. “We have to leave to the Firewolf Pack.”
“Will you be coming with us, Andrea?”
Andrea nodded. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
I would have almost preferred it if she had stayed home. Things were still awkward between us, almost ten years after the incident that had changed my life. I didn’t blame her for it, even if the injury I’d gotten that night had permanently weakened my body and turned me into an Omega. She’d done her best to protect me, and it wasn’t her fault that her own wounds had kept her from helping me in the aftermath of the fight. I’d told her that many times, but it hadn’t helped.
In the end, I’d stopped trying. I was just rubbing salt in the wound by bringing it up. Besides, Stuart’s death had been far more important than my injuries.
The shadow of my brother’s fate reminded me of my duty. For him too, I needed to make sure my mating with Alpha Savage worked out. If he’d still been alive, the pack would have been safer. But he was gone, so it was up to me to ensure our loved ones were safe, even if I could only do it like this.
So many what ifs lingered in my heart. If my brother hadn’t attacked me that night, Nate and Sam wouldn’t have been forced to run away. Would one of them have claimed me as their mate? It was possible, but it was also only a dream, one I needed to let go of. By now, they must have found another female who was less problematic for them.
Maybe it would be the same for Andrea. Maybe she could find of form of closure too, now that I’d be leaving the pack.
“Andrea, before I go… Thank you for everything. I know you always did your best to help me and you’ll continue doing so.”
Our eyes met, and Andrea clenched her jaw, obviously seeing the true meaning of my vague words. “I wish I could have done more.”
“We all wish that, I think. But regrets can’t really help us. The only thing we can do right now is to move toward the future.”
I wasn’t as optimistic about it as I was trying to seem, but I suppressed my anxiety. When Andrea took my hand and pulled me outside, I followed her without protest. As we made our way toward the center of the settlement, I saw my father waiting for us, flanked by his two betas. I felt everyone’s gazes burning into my back, and I couldn’t help but notice that many younger females looked fearful. Several were hiding behind Dana, taking refuge in the older female’s authority.
But no one said anything, respecting my father’s presence. He eyed me from head to toe and nodded in approval. “Ready, daughter?”
“Yes, Alpha,” I replied. “I am prepared.”
“Very well. Say goodbye to your pack. This is the last time you will see them as a fellow Wolfsbane.”
