“Now would you look at that smile?” Sephora said, cupping my cheeks, her lips widened in a grin that made her eyes glow.
I blushed under the unwavering gaze of everyone in the room. They all watched me with varying expressions. Two older women I’d never seen before were also in the room, they’d woven the crown of flowers that was currently seated on the dresser.
“It’s the mate effect,” Natalie responded, scrunching up her nose.
“Love.” Sephora turned to her. “And one day, you too shall find your mate of course, and then you’d rid yourself of this despondency in the face of love.”
She shook her head. “I think I'm good just watching everyone else be happy and being a pessimist on the sidelines.”
“You’ll see,”
“Hah! I'm just going to take that as a threat.”
This elicited a laugh from me and Sephora both. Sephora glanced at Natalie with a fond look that I didn't miss and a small part of me ached for the relationship I never got the chance to build with my sisters but I immediately quelled the feeling.
Tonight, I was going to be exuberantly happy; they were here and that was all that mattered. Still, terror crawled all over my skin and sweat trickled down my back – I had a gut feeling tonight wouldn't go as smoothly as we all wished.
Well, perhaps not all of us. I still had little idea who was for us and who wasn't.
“No, no, bring back that smile,” Isla chided.
“I can't help my fear,” I whispered and she pulled me close, reminding me what it felt like to be hugged by my mother. She stroked my hair and dropped a soft kiss on it.
“Everything will be fine, you just have to believe so.”
“Thank you,”
“Now let's get this started. I can't wait to see my little sister become Luna of the most powerful pack in the world, I am never going to shut up about this,” Natalie swore.
“It still feels surreal,” I disclosed.
“Of course it does, it's the perfect love story.” Sephora beamed and her words ricocheted through me, taking me back to months back and how I could never have imagined anything like this happening but here I was.
I had never taken a moment to applaud myself for what I’d accomplished because regardless of all that had happened, I was here now.
I had endured Alexander’s torture, managed to save myself from getting sexually abused by him, temporarily incapacitated him, fought with rogues, survived being poisoned, stood up to Radley, fought and defeated Amelia, and in a few minutes, I was going to take my ascension as Luna.
This was indeed surreal.
But I had passed through these hurdles and I held the confidence that whatever tonight brought, I was equally ready for it, and this time with my Alpha by my side.
I steeled my back and lifted my head staring directly at my reflection in the mirror and slowly, I let out a breath.
“Let’s do this,” I whispered to my wolf.
One of the older women delicately placed the crown on my head and with my sisters on both my sides, their arms linked to mine, we proceeded downstairs. I’d had to change my dress from earlier and this didn't feel so suffocating.
The train of my dress trailed behind me as I walked causing my confidence to soar.
I felt beautiful - I looked perfect.
The night was alive, the sky lit up with the scattered stars that decorated it, and even the moon seemed to have descended lower, its soft glow caressing my skin as though reassuring me that all would be well and that eased some of my nerves. The Moon Goddess was with us tonight.
The stairs that led down to the gardens had been marked with lamps that glowed green, lighting up the path with its beautiful dim lights.
The garden’s view stunned me, far past the garden reaching where I could only discern them as heads was a largely populated crowd of the pack members that had come to witness the crowning ceremony.
Lounging in the intimacy of the garden were the men I presumed to belong to the pack’s council and their families, the pack warriors lined up on opposite sides, hands on the hilt of their swords, Grace, Mathias. Luther, and some other faces I couldn't recognize, and then finally, Callan.
He stood patiently in the heart of the garden standing just by its fountain that held a large fire burning where he stood and where the moon shone on directly. We were going to circle the fire.
As soon as our eyes met, I felt my stomach drop.
Under the light of the fire, he seemed to glow. His skin looked tan and every inch of him was a stunning display of perfection. His eyes widened a little when he saw me and then slowly, the corner of his lips lifted into a small smile. Happiness filtered through me and I knew for certain, they were his emotions, his and mine melding into one.
I clutched my hand in front of me tighter and when my steps faltered, my sisters pushed me forward, urging me to keep moving and I complied.
Roars of excitement resounded from the crowd when I reached Callan and he took my hands in his, his large ones swallowing mine. The cheers and whistles widened my smile as I looked up at him.
“You look gorgeous,” he let out in a quiet voice.
“Thank you,” I managed because when he looked at me like that, like I was the only one he saw, it completely stole my breath away.
Grace approached us, her eyes filled with unshed tears. She reached up and gave me a small kiss on the cheeks.
“You look gorgeous, Sophia. I'm deeply sorry for how I’ve treated you.“
I gave her a genuine smile. “There is nothing to apologize for.”
And there really wasn't. I liked her and I understood there were some things I needed to know but she couldn't tell, it didn't cause me to hold any bitter feelings toward her, but I could see the secrets that she kept her were beginning to take a toll on her and I hoped soon enough she would trust me to divulge them.
She looked at Callan with loving eyes. “Oh, Callan. I'm so sorry about all that has happened. You deserve Sophia and I am so glad you have her by your side now.” She shook her head. “You deserve all of the happiness, brother.”
She pressed herself to him, burying her face into his chest.
“Grace…” With his other arm, Callan hugged her back. I fought the emotions that, yet again, threatened to spill from my eyes.
The tenderness between them was glaring and I was glad that despite everything, Grace still had Callan’s interests at heart. She gave me one last smile before retreating.
One of the men I’d assumed to be a council member stepped forward and placed his hand on mine and Callan’s.
“We shall begin the ceremony…”
Just as I felt Callan’s whole body freeze, the man’s words died on his lips. His face turned lax and I watched him struggle to breathe for a few seconds.
“What…”
He fell on top of me, almost taking me down with him. Before I reached the ground, Callan was able to immediately pull me back and the man went crashing to the ground, his face colliding with the splintered wood of the fire. It was then I saw the three crescent-shaped arrows that were stuck to his back.
“We’ve been attacked!” someone yelled, but I couldn't be sure where the voice came from because immediately, disorder broke out, and screams and cries filled the air.
It was happening, the very thing I feared the most. Alas, it had been inevitable.
Callan pulled me to his chest, using his body as a shield as he hurriedly made his way through the sea of bodies that were now scampering around, yelling and trying to all get to safety at once.
“Stay with me!” Callan instructed roughly.
We managed to get to a less disturbed area.
“Luther,” he called, marching forward to meet him. “Are the men ready?”
“Yes, they are in position.”
“Any sighting of Silviu?” Callan asked and my heart thundered. Of course, my uncle was behind this. Vaughn Alden was despicable.
Luther shook his head. “Not yet, I doubt he is still here.”
Callan shook his head. “That can't be possible.”
“But I have received news that Alpha Alexander of the Dark Wood Pack has been sighted. He and his men are still a considerable distance away from our territory but he’s certainly headed here.”
“What?” I heard the words escape from me, my voice filled with shock.
Callan reached out to the inside of the coat he wore and when he came empty, the look on his face haunted me - a look of such intense horror that I never knew Callan could feel consumed his expression.
“The watch.” He looked up at Luther, both men conversing with their eyes.
“Grace,” Luther confirmed. “I’ll find her!”
“Wait.” Callan let me go. He reached Luther and whispered urgently into his ears.
Luther’s eyes met mine and he nodded. With that, the large man fled with a speed I had no idea he was capable of.
My confusion deepened and the cries from the crowd didn't make it any better. My heart was pounding and I felt stifled in my dress; my fear of Alexander had returned in full force. He was going to take me away. That, or he was going to kill me.
“What is going on, Callan? What do I not know? What does Grace have to do with this?”
I watched him grit his teeth, his eyes a depiction of how hurt and betrayed he felt but nothing prepared me for how broken his voice sounded when he spoke. “She has stolen from me, my pocket watch contains a concealed wolfsbane potion.” He clenched his fists. “It’s what Radley had been searching for back in the Dark Wood Pack.”
I shook my head. “No, no, you have it wrong, Callan. Grace wouldn't, she’d just been wishing us well and…”
She had hugged him.
The realization hit me hard, punching me in the gut, momentarily stealing my breath.
She had gotten close enough to him just to steal from him.
“Is it…”
Callan nodded. “It's the form believed to be extinct.”
A potion strong enough to kill an Alpha… and Grace had it.