Chapter SIxty-One

Sullen.

Sullen stared in the bathroom mirror, Natalie behind her twisting her hair into a fancy braid that Sullen would never pull off alone.

The person staring back at her looked different than a few weeks ago. She looked stronger. She looked … content. The heavy pressure on her shoulders had lifted, and she was left with the responsibilities of being a Luna. Which meant she was now responsible for someone other than herself.

But she thought that it would broaden her in beneficial ways.

Ways that would grow not only her but her wolf.

“You must be really thinking about something over there,” Natalie said, a bobby pin wedged in between her teeth. “I can practically see your pours getting ready to sweat and ruin the job I did on your face.”

Sullen laughed. “I’m just thinking about this.”

“The party?” she asked, putting the bobby pin in place.

“No, being Luna.”

Natalie met her gaze in the mirror. “You’re gonna be a great Luna, Sullen.”

Sullen nodded half-heartedly. “Yeah.”

Natalie walked around to stand in front of her and braced her palms on Sullen’s shoulders. “You are. You’re kind. You’re smart and brave. I know this wasn’t what you wanted in life, but that doesn’t mean you’re not gonna rock it. It’ll take some getting used to, but I trust you. Roan trusts you. And the pack is going to trust you. Don’t you dare doubt yourself, little fox,” she said with a sly smile.

Sullen chuckled. “Thanks, Natalie.”

Natalie walked back toward her hair and sprayed enough in it to ruin the ozone layer. “There we go. Now we get dressed. I’m in love with the dress Roan picked out. Who knew my big cousin had such good taste? I thought he got lucky with you being his mate, but I was sure that was where his luck ended. But this,” she said, holding the dress up to her chest. “Is spectacular.”

Sullen loved it, too. It was black, with a low-cut front, long lacy sleeves, and a skirt that hit right above her knee. He’d even bought her a pair of silver heels that she imagined would kill her feet.

But with enough alcohol, she wouldn’t care about kicking them off and dancing the night away. “Okay,” Natalie said. “We start in ten minutes, and I still need to go slip into my dress. Here.”

Sullen stepped into the dress, and Natalie zipped her up. “Your cleavage is banging,” she said, reaching over to straighten Sullen's boob.

Sullen chuckled and turned to look at herself in the mirror. Natalie was right, her boobs did look amazing. She chuckled again and straightened her palms down the skirt of her dress.

The party starts in ten minutes, one of the wolves said through their mind link.

We know, loser, Natalie said back.

Sullen stepped back, and reached for her cell phone, slipping it into the pocket of her dress. That was the one expectation she asked Roan to look for when he bought her a dress. Pockets.

“I’ll meet you down there,” Sullen said.

Natalie quickly stood up. “I’m ready. Let’s go ahead and go.”

They hurried down the steps toward the gym. Most of the wolves were already there. The music was playing loudly, and there was so much talking that Sullen attempted to block them out to keep herself calm.

She stopped at the outside of the gym doors, breathing in and out, while Natalie made her way inside, and Sullen wondered if her mother or father would show up when she felt Roan’s palm on her lower back. “Calm down, little fox. You’re stressing me out.”

She glanced up at him in his suit and tie. Those deep blue eyes were playful, and she loved it. He looked good enough to eat. “I’m nervous.”

Roan held up one finger and dug a flask from the inside of his suite. “This will take the edge off.”

Sullen chuckled but took a drink, and coughed at the bitterness of it.

“Dang, Roan. Where did you get that? From underneath your grandfather’s bed?”

Roan took a drink and winked at her. “Come on, Sweet Girl. We’re all waiting for you.”

Roan opened the doors, and the entire gym erupted into applause. For her. Sullen’s cheeks burned with embarrassment as Roan led her toward the stage.

“Hey everyone,” Roan said into a microphone that Sullen wanted to break so she didn’t have to use it. “Thank you all for coming and dressing up.

This is a bittersweet night for us. We’re mourning the loss of some of our beloved pack members, but we’re officially welcoming Sullen as our Luna.”

Someone whistled loudly, and Roan smiled. “I won’t make Sullen talk because I can feel her anxiety from here, but I want to thank you” —he turned to face her— “for giving me that chance and protecting this pack like you’ve been here your entire life. I love you.”

Sullen’s chest tightened, and she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him in front of everyone. She noticed some of her pack members from her childhood in the audience, and other wolves she’d never seen, but none of it mattered.

She was with Roan. Roan pulled away while keeping his forehead against hers, and said into the microphone, “Turn the music up, Liam. The food will be here shortly. You all enjoy. We deserve it.”

The party resumed, and Sullen relaxed. She scanned the audience for her mother but didn’t see her. Roan interlaced his fingers with hers and distracted her from the absence of her family. He pulled her onto the dance floor, and they danced for what seemed like hours before she felt her dad. She noticed him standing in the doorway to the gym, staring at her with a distressed look.

She knew right then that her mother had rejected him, and her stomach knotted.

Roan stopped and glanced down at her. “You okay?”

“My dad.”

Roan looked over his shoulder at her dad. “Let’s go.”