Chapter 41: Morning of the Trial

Marcia

As soon as the door closed behind the men, she jumped from the bed, wincing at the unfamiliar aches and pains. Having been hurt many times and nearly killed a few, she smirked at the idea of discovering any new form of discomfort, but today proved that she had not felt everything. Every muscle seemed to be screaming as if she had run a marathon, and her joints ached as if recovering from an injury. That thought brought her up short; she was recovering from breaking every bone in her body when she shifted. Added to that, instead of sleeping in, she had joined Marcus for an enjoyable, albeit ill-advised, romp. With a shrug, she acknowledged that the aches she was feeling had been earned in the most wonderful way, and if she could do it again, she would not change them.

Moving as swiftly as she was able, she walked into the bathroom, pausing to stare at her reflection in the mirror. The longer she stared, the more confused she felt. After all of the revelations and changes over the last few weeks, she would expect to look different. The only change she could see was the mark on her neck, which seemed to glow in the morning light, and a slight increase in the definition of her muscles from training with the twins. It was shocking to see what looked like the same person, but know that it was not who she was anymore. She was now Marcia, soon to be Luna of the Blue Moon Pack, lycan princess, and the white lycan.

As she stared, she felt Athena in her mind. She was not speaking, but she was pushing forward to see out of their eyes and comfort her confused human, which caused her eyes to begin shifting color in the mirror. It reminded her that she did not need to face these changes alone; she would never be alone again.

Reaching deeper, she also felt a warm glow of joy coming from her link with Marcus, reassuring her he had no doubts about their relationship, even though it had changed his life in so many ways. The hardest part of her new life was getting accustomed to so many people caring about her. After growing up on her own, it was hard to accept help and support even from those she had grown to love.

As she got into the shower, Athena spoke to her for the first time since the change, sensing her human half's thoughts. “We are now one, you will never be alone again. We are together, and we have our mates. Now that Dax has changed, he will live as long as we will, never leaving our side.”

The words created an indescribable happiness and strength in Marcia that she could not hide. She stepped out of the shower and dressed quickly, stepping into the leggings, top, and sweater Seth had laid out for her. Once her wet hair was braided out of her face, she headed out in search of her mate.

“Use our senses.” Athena's words shocked Marcia, but she focused on the scent of her mate in the hall and the sounds of those stirring. She thought she could hear his voice in the distance, but it was muffled, shifting gears, and she took a deep breath of the air around her. She immediately caught his scent, which was strongest to the left, so she followed it, soon hearing his voice talking to the King in his office.

“What time will they get here?” The words made no sense, but Marcia kept listening as she moved quickly to the room, not pausing before she opened the door. She never wanted to show so little trust in her mate or her father that she felt she had to eavesdrop on their conversations. Walking straight to her mate, she stopped and kissed her grandfather on the cheek before reaching Marcus. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, holding on, knowing that if she ever lost him, she would lose herself in the process. “Who is coming, and why are you so worried?” Addressing the issue straight on, she looked at Marcus, waiting for an answer.

The King watched as his granddaughter walked in, now carrying the scent of her lycan, and smiled. Having her alive, well, and back in his life was more than he could have ever asked for. When he noticed the mates starting to get wrapped up in each other, he cleared his throat. Time was short, and they needed to finish their conversation.

“Well, my child, I have called for the elite fighting force of the shifter world, and they will be here within the hour. Today they will stay and offer additional protection for the trials and Luna ceremony before they go with the members of your guard to the Dauphin pack.”

His words were light, but every shifter in the world knew that the clean-up crew consisted of ten of the most deadly shifters to ever live. A single one could wipe out a pack or tribe without taking a single major injury. No Alpha wanted them on their land, even if it was for protection.

Smiling, she walked over to the King, pulling Marcus behind her by their joined hands, and kissed him on the other cheek. The action causes Marcus to growl and the King to grin. “Thank you for your help with that matter. No one should live in terror of those meant to protect them.” Her face darkened at this statement, and it was clear to both men that her comments were coming from her own past experiences.

“Since I arrived at this pack, I have learned that Alphas and Lunas are there to protect and help their people. They serve their people, not the other way around. When they do not protect and cherish this bond, they break a sacred trust. There is no worse feeling in the world than knowing the person who is supposed to love you, protect you, is the one that you need protection from.” As she spoke, Marcia unconsciously rubbed at the scars on her arm.

Her face showed traces of the life she had lived before she got away, upsetting Marcus and Dax. They made a sound somewhere between aggression and a whimper, causing her heart to break. Across from them, the King paced, clearly upset at the thought of her previous life.

Realizing what was happening in the room, Marcia realized it was time to de-escalate the situation. She pointed at the clock with her free hand. “The trials start in just 15 minutes. We have to leave now if we are planning on being there on time. It would be the ultimate level of rudeness to be late to our own event.”

Both men sighed, knowing she was right and not wanting to fight with her; they each took position on one side of her, walking together out of the house. As they went, other members of their circle joined, creating a bullseye with Marcia at its center, protecting her from all sides.

Jackson walked behind Marcus, smiling and raising his eyebrows at Marcia when he caught her eye. This caused her to blush and giggle, quickly covering her face in Marcus’s shoulder as they walked. His snickering made her smile and struggle not to join in.

By the front door, they were joined by the twins, their eyes twinkling with excitement for the day they had dreamed of their entire lives. Even though they were not able to compete themselves, having worked to create the new and improved trials was more than they had ever wished for. Today marked a new era for the Blue Moon pack, and they were proud of the role that they played.

Brian and Quinn stood on the front porch, dressed in the uniform of participants. Both men looked so different from how they had arrived, more alive and less scared. With expressionless faces, they each bowed as they walked by before falling in at the back of the group. They did not laugh or joke as they mentally prepared themselves for the challenge that faced them.

Marcia looked from one man to the other, having not realized that they were participants. She smiled, excited to see how the men would do. They fell into the back of the procession and were soon joined by many other men and women. Together, the growing parade slowly made its way toward the area of the woods that they used for the tracking event.

Missing on the walk was Seth, who would remain at the pack house for the first event, arranging the omegas in the preparations for breakfast after the tracking portion of the trial. Also, Travis and the doctor were already at the edge of the woods, watching the crowd arrive and waiting for the signal to start. All the preparations were complete, and the excitement in the air was palpable.

Every person was excited but also on guard, ready for this momentous event, but none noticed the eyes watching from a distance.