Chapter 52: Willa

Rebekah got lucky and managed to find the silver we needed at a local lab. Luckily, I didn’t have to have much in my system for her to work with. We weren’t sure what about my aura was causing the reaction, so we wanted to suppress it as little as necessary. Austin had kept Haley close to test her reaction and ensure the suppression worked. Ultimately, my aura was pushed back to the strength of a beta.

Ferrin commanded Haley not to say anything about what she experienced to anyone. It probably wasn’t needed, but she agreed to allow him to do so happily. He still would have if she hadn’t, but it would have been uncomfortable for her.

Ferrin left early the next morning for a meeting. I had a full day myself. Austin was taking me to the barracks to be introduced to the werewolf recruits. I was eager but nervous. It was still an hour or so before Austin would be there to get me, so I decided to go for a walk.

Shane and Adam came with me to the gardens. The morning air was cool as we were heading into autumn, and it was a beautiful day. We made conversation as we made our way through the greenery. We were about to head back when someone greeted us.

“Ah, Luna Willa,” Lord Henshaw said as he approached us on the path, “good morning to you.”

“Good morning, Lord Henshaw,” I replied with a smile. “It’s nice to see you. How are you doing today?”

“I’m doing quite well. Thank you,” he replied. “And might I say you are looking ravishing? Mateship suites you.”

“Thank you, Lord Henshaw.”

“Please,” he said as he fell into step with me as Shane and Adam fell back a few paces, “call me Aaron.”

“Okay, Aaron,” I complied. “Where is Lady Henshaw this morning?”

“Hannah likes to sleep in,” he chuckled. “She was actually a servant for the royal family back in Mescar. After years of late nights and early mornings, I’m happy to oblige her the luxury. It’s one of the few she has embraced since we have been together. I’m sure you can understand, given your own humble origins.”

“Indeed, I can,” I confirmed. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to others cleaning up after me. But I will make sure not to work my staff the way Hannah was.”

“She will be glad to hear that,” he said.

“How long will you be staying with us?” I asked. “I would like to get to know Hannah better. We seem to have quite a bit in common.”

“We haven’t decided yet,” Aaron said. “But we’ll be here at least another week. I have some council business to catch up on.”

“That’s right,” I said. “You are part of the council. I hope you were one of the ones who looked favorably on Ferrin and my pairing.”

“Of course,” he said with a smile. “History has proven that fated mates are stronger leaders than any arranged marriage that had occurred. Not that those were bad rulers. Ferrin’s parents, for example. His father made a lot of progress during his reign. And his mother was a great Luna for the short time we had her.”

“Yes,” I said. “I’m still learning the history, but Ferrin does speak proudly of his parents. So does anyone else I’ve met.”

“What about your parents?” he asked. “I know you were a rogue. Is that because they weren’t a part of your life?”

“My mother died when I was a child,” I offered. “But I was raised by my father. He was born a rogue, so it was the only life we knew. But it wasn’t so bad. We made it work and were able to help other young rogues survive along the way.”

We had reached the entrance to the castle when Austin mind-linked me that he was ready to go. I told him we would be right there.

“Well, Lord Aaron,” I said, “it was nice to see you again. I have an appointment to make, but I hope Hannah and I can get together soon. Please give her my best.”

“Of course, Luna,” he said with a bow. “I hope you have a good day.”

“You as well.”

Leaving Lord Henshaw behind in the gardens, Shane, Adam, and I headed to the garage, where all the staff vehicles were parked. Austin was waiting outside.

“Everyone ready to go?” he asked.

“Yep, all ready,” I said.

“Great,” Austin said, leading us to one of the SUVs. “We have one werewolf company training here in Dharlow. There are two others in the recruiting process throughout the country. When they have enough recruits, they will come here. It will be up to you to determine when and who has successfully completed this round of training.”

“It’s not just up to me, though, right?” I asked, feeling nervous again as we drove through the city streets.

“Don’t worry,” Austin said. “Captain Wendell will be working alongside you the whole time. You’ll be working together to run the training program. As Ferrin said, we don’t want this to be a full-time commitment for you. But it will take up much of your time for a while as everyone settles into the change."

We left the more developed part of the city and came to a walled-off facility on a large portion of land. Austin turned into the drive and stopped at the gate. A set of guards stepped out of the small room to the left and approached the SUV.

“Identification,” one said brusquely.

Austin held up his I.D. as Shane rolled his window down for him and Adam to present theirs. I got a little worried for a moment. I didn’t have any form of identification. They knew I was coming, but I still wished we had gotten that taken care of beforehand.

As the guard checked their credentials, two others moved around the vehicle, scanning for security threats. Satisfied with their identification, he handed them back and looked to me.

“It’s an honor to have you, Luna,” he said with a bow. “Once through the gate, head to the main office. Captain Wendell will meet you there and start getting your authorization completed.”

“Thank you,” I said.

The gate opened and we pulled through, following the road to the right and parking in front of the administration building. I made sure to stand up straight and appear confident as I entered the building. I was a point of authority here, and the last thing I needed was to look sheepish in front of soldiers I was supposed to be welcoming.