Chapter 119 The Luna Ceremony pt 1
Seren
Laughter spilled through the suite as the women opened the door, each of them laden with bags and gifts. Duncan merely shook his head, gently kissing my forehead before squeezing me tight one more time. He stood back, hands on my shoulders.
"I'll let you get to it, little wolf. I can't wait to claim you before the moon later this evening." He turned, smiling at our mothers as he passed them. "Don't scare her away at the last minute, Mom," he joked.
"Pfft. As if she'd run. She's got steel in her." Cat winked at me as she patted her son on his shoulder, then gently pushed him out the door. "Now go. Your father's waiting with the King. You have guests to greet and settle while we pamper our princess."
I watched the door swing shut as the muffled sounds of his departure faded quickly. A sigh escaped my lips, a mix of nerves and anticipation. Excitement threaded through the air, almost tangible, as everyone turned their attention my way. My mother's arm wrapped around me. Her touch was now a familiar comfort. "Ready for the royal treatment, my darling?" she murmured, her eyes twinkling.
"I'm not sure if I'll ever be ready, Mom," I rolled my eyes. "But at this point, I don't think I have a choice."
"You're right about that. But Seren, you're just taking your rightful place. You deserve the effort." With a smile, she turned to the hair and makeup artists who were setting up in the living room. "Now, hair and makeup first. Change into a button-down shirt so that we don't mess up the stylist's hard work when it's time to put on your dress. Brunch is on its way up. We can't have you fainting later because you didn't eat today."
Kayla came over to me, looping her arm through mine as we walked into my bedroom so that I could change shirts. She leaned in close. "Can you believe this? I never would have thought we'd end up here, you getting ready to announce to the world that you're a princess, and you're mated to Alpha Duncan. And me, your beta female!"
I smiled at her excitement. "I know. A couple of months ago, all I wanted was to survive until I turned eighteen." I slipped into one of Duncan's dress shirts, his familiar scent clinging close and helping to calm my nerves. "Now I'm Luna to one of the most powerful alphas in our kingdom, sister to the future king, and a white, blessed wolf fated to stop a great evil. Be careful what you wish for, huh?" My smile turned wry. "I am grateful for all of it, truly. But I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop."
"I'd say facing a looming evil is the other shoe, Seren. For now, let's just take the happy days where we can. And today is certainly a happy day." Kayla wrapped her arms around me. "You deserve all the good that's coming your way. And we're going to kick big, bad evil ass when the time comes. Just like I kicked Lenore's ass yesterday." She laughed.
"You're right. I know it."
After that, the morning passed in a blur of snacks, hair treatments, and makeup applications. The stylists, at Mom's insistence, kept me away from mirrors until they were done. When I was finally allowed to look, my jaw dropped. The stranger staring back at me looked…regal. My brown hair was wavy, framing my face. Somehow, the makeup artist made my eyes look huge, shadows and highlights only emphasizing their color. I was beautiful.
"Wow…" The word slipped out on a breath, barely more than a whisper. I leaned closer to the mirror, half expecting the image to dissolve, to reveal the same girl who had spent years keeping her head down and her shoulders hunched, trying not to draw attention. But she didn’t disappear. She only stared back at me with wide green eyes and quiet strength, a softness to her mouth that hinted at nerves and something fierce beneath the surface.
“That,” Kayla said from behind me, pride thick in her voice, “is a future Luna if I’ve ever seen one.”
My mother stepped up beside me, her reflection joining mine. For a moment, she didn’t speak. Her fingers trembled slightly as they brushed a curl away from my cheek, her eyes shining far too brightly. “You look like your grandmother,” she murmured. “She had that same look. Like the world could try to bend her, but it never quite would.”
Emotion clogged my throat. “I don’t feel very unbendable right now.”
She smiled softly. “Strength doesn’t always roar, Seren. Sometimes it just stands up and says, 'I’m still here.'”
A knock sounded at the door, followed by the soft glide of attendants bringing in garment bags—ivory fabric, silver embroidery, layers upon layers of careful magic and craftsmanship. The dress I'd so carefully chosen that disastrous day weeks ago, carefully altered and freshly pressed, hung on a rack someone rolled in. The room shifted instantly, the air buzzing with reverence. Even the stylists straightened, voices lowering as if we’d stepped onto sacred ground.