The Runaway Breeder

Chapter 26

"You look beautiful, Laina. Everyone is going to love you." Eeva praises me as I turn around in a circle looking at myself in the mirror. Today is the day I will officially become a member of Bloodsvain, the day I will take my place as Luna. I have already considered this pack home since meeting Tate and Eeva, already considered the wolves my pack mates and now I will officially become one of them. Nerves flutter inside me as I smooth out the strapless, cream, figure-skating dress I was told to wear by Eeva. The front half of the dress falls down to mid-calf while the back half of the dress ends in a two-foot train that trails behind me. The material is light and flowing, leaving the dress to flutter in the wind when I move.

My long, chestnut hair is styled in curls away from my face, and a crown of wildflowers rests on top of my head. White gold bangles adorn my wrists, and white gold armlets wrap around my forearms and upper arms, adding to the majestic feeling that I emit. Eeva took the time to paint the pack insignia on the center of my chest in dark, blood-red body paint, with golden paw prints scattered on the visible skin all over my body, as per the tradition of a new Luna. ensuring everything is in place before turning to face Eeva. With Eeva’s house being so close to the pack house and the lake where ceremonies have taken place for hundreds of years, it became her duty as Beta Female to protect the lake and when she mated Loren, it became his as well. This also makes it the perfect place to prepare for the ceremony.

"Are you sure? I'm sixteen. What if they don't want someone young and inexperienced for their Luna?" I ask, pacing the length of her bedroom. Part of me worries that the pack will resent me for being so young. Tate and I have a ten-year age gap but I also know that some mates could have an age gap as large as one hundred years between one another thanks to our long life span.

"News has already spread about you. People can't wait to meet you and get to know you. They want you as their Luna." My friend explains with a grin on her face. I know Eeva had started spreading the news about Tate finding his mate the day we met. I also have a feeling that the warriors Tate and I have talked with on our walks have said a few things to other pack members. Even the ones I have met and talked with personally have called me Luna and gave me their full respect.

Sighing, I return to the full-length mirror and gaze at my reflection. My pale skin has turned to a healthy glow with more rest and healing. Tate made sure I rarely did any heavy lifting and even locked the workout room so I couldn’t try and sneak in a quick workout. Here, I feel loved and happy. I feel safe. And its because of these feelings that I worry I wont be a good Luna to them.

"Besides, you're not the only one getting accepted into the pack." Eeva continues, and I smile. Eeva is right that I wouldn’t be the only one joining Bloodsvain. Chris and Jack are joining the pack tonight, and so is Julia as soon as I am accepted. I couldn’t wait to watch my baby girl grow up in a strong pack that stands together and not have to fear about becoming a Breeder. She will have endless possibilities when she shifts, and it makes my heart swell with pride thinking about it.

"Okay then.” I mumble, taking a deep breath to steady my nerves.

“I can do this." I whisper to myself, staring into my reflection as my blue eyes twinkle. A wolf howls in the distance, causing me to jump from the sudden noise. I glare when I catch Eeva clutching at her side with laughter at my reaction. Excuse me for being jittery today.

"Are you afraid of the big bad wolf?" Eeva jokes at my expense. I just roll my eyes and walk to the table that holds a pot of tea that Eeva and I have been sipping throughout the day, lifting my glass and taking a needed drink of chamomile tea.

“Not one bit, considering that the big bad wolf is my mate.” I retort, with Eeva fake-gagging at my cheeky response. She sighs before getting to her feet and handing me a shoebox.

“Well, that was the signal for the ceremony to start. Put these on, and we can go.” She explains. I slip on the white Egyptian sandals before we head downstairs and out the back door, taking a dark path into the woods. The fallen leaves crunch under my feet, and I smile at the warm fall night and the fresh, clean air in this forest. Fall is my favourite season, and as I look up at the full moon, I can’t help but smile. My life is full now. I have a mate I wanted to be with, a pack I know I will love, and a beautiful pup who will hopefully have siblings in a year or two. Today will mark my beginning of forever with Tate as his Luna of the Bloodsvain wolves, and I can’t wait. It feels right being here.

Eeva and I converse about upcoming events the pack holds for October, my favourite being the pumpkin carving that pups and their mothers do the day before Halloween. It felt nice knowing the pack comes together as a community for fun holiday events. The dark forest soon brightens up with lanterns hung every so often on trees until the lake comes into view. The pack is already congratulating the regular wolves who have just finished being accepted into the pack. As the Luna, it is customary for me to join the pack last during a joining ceremony, as I can connect to every current member in the pack. But part of me believes Tate just wants to say he saved the best for last.

Noticing our presence, the pack turns to greet Eeva and me as they separate into two sides, opening a large path for me to walk through. As I walk past the wolves, each one bows to me respectfully. I smile at them feeling their acceptance in the air until my eyes face forwards just as the path opens up to reveal the edge of the lake illuminated by the full moon with Tate standing inside. He smiles at me, and I smile back, taking the last few steps towards him until I stood directly across from my mate in the chilly water, the moon making the water appear silvery below us.

"Today, we welcome Laina Starcrest as a new member to our pack, as my mate and as our Luna!" Tate begins, his voice loud and carrying past the group of wolves. Cheers of excitement follow his words, causing a blush to crawl along my skin. Waiting for the crowd to settle down, Tate takes the time to look into my eyes, mouthing the words ‘You look beautiful’ to me. When silence settles over the lake once again, he takes a deep breath.

"Laina, do you promise to uphold the laws of the pack and perform the duties of your role as a just and true Luna?" Tate continues, asking me the one question every Luna is faced with answering. I see the love and devotion behind his gaze, causing the nerves I felt earlier to turn into giddy butterflies. I have an amazing mate.

"I do." I answer confidently, conviction filling my voice. I felt whole answering Tate back, knowing that my role will always keep me beside him as we lead as equals.

"Then we welcome you to Bloodsvain as a member of our pack and our Luna." He raises his left hand, a blade in his right as he slowly cuts a line before turning the handle for me to take. I copy his movements, cutting a line into my left palm and wincing from the pain of the blade. Taking my bleeding hand, Tate grasps mine, and our blood mingles with one another. All at once, pack magic flows into me, causing my knees to buckle with its force and Tate reaching out to grasp my waist to keep me from falling. I close my eyes as the power opens up the link to the pack, many voices filling my head. I needed to wait for the magic to settle before I could close each channel off and be able to have silence once again. Taking a deep breath, with our bleeding hands still clasped, I feel Tate shift until I am leaning against him. My body shivers as the magic runs its course and settles down, allowing me to turn off the pack link and tune out the voices of the wolves I will be leading. Finally, silence resumes once again, and I open my eyes, seeing my reflection and noticing the neon blue glow. I am finally a member of Bloodsvain. Cheers erupt around me, and I jump from the sudden noise. Shaking my head helplessly at the celebrating wolves, I turn to catch Tate glaring at our pack as Loren walks forward and hands us each a towel to clean our hands. The pack continues to cheer loudly for a few seconds until a loud wail sounds to the left, quieting the pack while Chris steps forward to hand me an upset Julia whose eyes still glow like mine. She and I were now members of the pack, and I was happy that as her mother, I would be the only one who has to go through the initiation since she is still a newborn.

"We're home here in Bloodsvain." I tell her as she quiets in my arms and I walk out of the water. I watch the glow fade from her eyes, finally noticing that she has my blue eye colour. Tate finishes speaking with Mateo and Loren then joins us on the shore, wrapping me in his embrace and kissing me passionately in front of everyone. I feel the promise in his kiss that soon we will be fully mated, and I couldn’t wait for that day to come.

Flames catch my attention when I pull away breathlessly from my mate. Bonfires were lit up just a few feet away in the clearing beside the lake, and the smell of food wafts towards everyone in the wind. Taking my hand, Tate and I lead the pack to celebrate. I smile and laugh as I get to know my new pack mates while Tate finds excuses to fill my plate with food. Julia is carried away by Eeva, Chris and Jack as the three, thick as thieves, explain that she needs to learn about her territory as Tate and my pup. Every now and then, Tate would bring her back only for one of them to steal her again, but I know she is safe. She is surrounded by her family, and each member probably fears what would happen to them if something happened to Julia. They know how vicious and blood-thirsty Tate could be, but they would soon learn what I could do if my pup is harmed. Hours pass as we party and I watch as my cousin and his mate make friends. The moon is high in the sky, and by now Julia sleeps in a baby carriage making Tate and I decide to end the celebration now and allow everyone to go home to sleep. We were saying our farewells for the night, exhaustion settling in when loud threatening howls sound in the night. I freeze with fear as I know those howls all too well.