Chapter 28
Chapter 28
“It is good people who make good places.”
Anna Sewell
“Oh, Luna, you have no idea what an honor it is to meet you!”
“Luna, do you dye your hair? I want mine to look just like yours.”
“We’re so happy to have you here, Luna. You’re one of us now, and we protect our own.”
After the reckoning, the entire crowd had gathered in the pack house – or mansion, although even that word felt inadequate for the size of the space. Without the reckoning to watch or my mate (who’d disappeared somewhere to talk with a few of the guards manning the borders of the clearing), there was no longer any barrier between me and hundreds of smiling, curious faces.
And curious, they were.
A little girl tugged at my hand and peered up at me with wide eyes. “Are you really human? Do you have to use fake teeth?”
I raised an eyebrow in confusion, but fortunately, the little girl’s mother interjected with an apologetic smile. “Sorry about that, Luna. Until now, she’s only seen humans on TV and in books, so she’s just very curious.”
“Oh, that’s alright.” I crouched down until I was eye-level with the little blonde girl. Her pigtails bounced excitedly. “If it makes you feel any better, I’ve only seen werewolves on TV and in books till now. And no, I don’t have any fake teeth.” I couldn’t tell if her question referred to the fake fangs you’d wear for a Halloween party or dentures, and I wasn’t sure I’d get a ton of clarification if I asked.
The girl’s eyes went wide with fascination. “What about fake claws? Do you have any fur?”
The woman shot her daughter a scathing look. “Those are inappropriate questions, Arabella, and when you speak to her, you should address her as ‘Luna.’ It’s a sign of respect.”
The excitement in the little girl’s eyes faded as she looked down and quietly said, “Sorry, Luna.”
“You don’t need to be sorry,” I shrugged, “You can just call me Elsie if you want.”
“Like Elsa the Ice Queen?”
“Pretty much.” It was a more forgivable comparison when it came from a child, and not some smirking adult that thought they were making the joke of the century.
“Wow, so you’re the Ice Queen –”
“*Arabella*,” her mother hissed, and with a forced smile at me, began leading her daughter away. I could hear her scolding the girl about calling me the “Ice Queen,” regardless of what I said.
As much as I didn’t like the nickname when it came from most people, I wasn’t sure I liked "Luna" any better. It’s all I’d heard from the moment I wondered into the pack house. Luna this, Luna that – as if I had any real authority in their pack.
I knew better than to think I did.
If I had any real power, I’d use it to get the hell out of here.
Speaking of Scarlett, she was having a less awkward time socializing than I was. She was standing in the midst of three or four werewolves around her age, nodding her head and looking only slightly overwhelmed. The wolves seemed to be asking her questions, and not in a mocking or humiliating way – they were genuinely curious about her.
*At least one of us is making friends.*
“Luna, I hope I’m not bothering you, but I’m Liam…I’ll be part of your personal guard. I just wanted to tell you what an honor it will be to serve you.”
I turned to face the unfamiliar male voice who’d spoken to me: a baby-faced blonde boy who couldn’t have been more than eighteen. He had large blue eyes, and despite being the one to approach me, looked terrified.
“Wait, personal guard?” I asked. I was still a little fuzzy on the specifics of werewolf hierarchy, but nobody had said anything about a “personal guard.”
The fact that *I* was confused seemed to confuse him. “Yes, Luna,” he said as if that cleared up anything.
“So, you’re going to guard me? Like protect me?” I asked. This was definitely Enzo’s doing, I knew that.
Liam’s cheeks went red. “Well, not just me,” he replied, “There’s a few of us, but yes, we’ll be protecting you.” He suddenly turned serious. “I hope you know that I will guard you with my life, Luna. My body is your shield.” He bowed his head the same way that I’d seen the pack members bow to Enzo, and there wasn’t an ounce of insincerity in his tone.
He meant every word.
*This kid barely looks old enough to graduate high school, and he’s telling me he’d lay down his life for me? Someone he doesn’t even know?*
Maybe this was the loyalty that all werewolves showed to their Alpha or Luna, but it felt foreign to me. To lay down your life for someone you didn't know just because they were lucky enough to be born with more power than you? It just wasn't logical.
“That’s, uh, sweet,” I said awkwardly, rubbing the back of my neck, “But there’s really no need for that. I don’t need to use your body as a shield.”
The look Liam gave me was akin to a kicked puppy. “You don’t think I’m capable of protecting you?”
“No, it’s not that,” I tried to reassure him, “I’m sure you’d make an excellent guard, it’s just…”
An idea suddenly struck. “What exact orders did Alpha Enzo give you as my personal guard?”
He furrowed his eyebrows, but without missing a beat, replied, “Alpha said that I wasn’t to let you out of my sight, protect you with my life, and treat you with the same respect I showed him.”
Okay, maybe I could work with this.
“So, like…if there was something I asked or ordered of you, you’d do it? Just like you would with your Alpha?”
Liam still looked a little confused, but said, “Well…of course.”
“So, like, if I asked for a tour of the grounds and where the borders are, you’d show them to me?”
Liam nodded. “If that’s what you’d like, Luna. But are you sure you don’t want a tour from Alpha? I’m sure he’d love to show you our lands.”
I almost felt a little bad tricking him like this, but I had to take any opportunity I could to get out of this place…right?