CHAPTER NINE

RILEY

Several pairs of eyes stay fixated on me. All holding different mood and questions as I step into the space and take that exact position where I stood to exchange vows with Jude.

Exchange?

Was that an exchange?

Well, lets just call it an exchange.

Roughly thirty women stand with frowns on their faces, barely hiding their shock on my arrival.

“Hi everyone.” I say with my brightest smile, which I punctuate with a small, very unconscious wave.

Uh oh.

For a second, I forgot that I wasn’t introducing myself to a group of little pups, or to my age group.

These are women.

The lines on their faces speak of experiences, decades of existence. Their glares go straight to my brain and register that ‘hi’ is not a greeting for this breed.

Hi?

Riley this was not the plan.

I recharge my confidence and decide to try again. There is no harm in that right?

My shoulders go straighter, my head, I put higher, I tighten my chin, wiping all traces of smiles off my face. And hope I don’t look stupid.

“It is of great pleasure that I am standing with you this day as not just a fellow woman but as the Luna of this esteemed pack. So, though, I am aware that you all know who I am, permit me to reintroduce myself.” I pause, letting my words sink in. I brush both of my sweaty palms on the front of my dress then look up and make eye contact with almost all those eyes.

I am Luna, might as well start acting the part.

I continue, “I am Luna Riley Green, the wife of the Alpha and the Luna of Green Creek Pack, which is obviously this pack.”

As thes words fly out of my mouth, I realize that I am saying the same thing in different ways. It is more of me convincing and reminding myself of my new position than introducing myself.

“Where is the Alpha?”

I turn to see that this has come from a tall lanky woman with a crown of red hair on her head, who stood at the far right of the crowd.

I am taken aback by the sudden enquiry, but I open my mouth to give a reply.

“He was meant to be with us today.” A plump round woman, standing at the far left, says with a very obvious frown of displeasure on her face.

With maximum composure, as I refuse to panic or get nervous today to avoid stuttering, I reply, “Well, my husband,” Glares. ”…that is the Alpha, had a thing or two that are very important that arose, and he needed to attend to it immediately.” Well, that is a reasonable explanation.

“Things more important than the issues the women wing brought to his table?” Red haired woman spits out.

Oh.

“so? He sends you to us?” round woman says, but I focus on her eyes as it moves over me from up to down.

Okay.

I begin to feel my composure slip away as I sense a vibe of inferiority from their stares and words. Or could be my really low self-esteem coming into play?

“thes are things that you cannot understand or relate to. Not to be disregarding, my Luna, but you can barely be called a woman.” Red haired woman voices out her thought.

“A child, is the word.” Round woman comments.

Ouch.

As my head moves left to right, and right back to left, digesting the insults, reading their expressions, trying to remain calm, I realize one thing.

Only these two women were speaking.

Others just move their haeds to see who is talking and nod whenever they feel it is necessary.

It is either that the other women were born mute, or they were given a sanction not to utter a word or these two women have, by themselves, registered themselves as authorities of this wing.

Understanding this, I write somewhere in my mind that in this war to win these women over and show them my worth, there are just two people to destroy.

Okay, destroy is a strong word, but my mind gets the gist.

“These are issues that bother on life and death.” Red haired.

“Definitely not child’s play.” Round.

Do they always talk in sync? Will they be angry if they know what I call them in my head? Should I be mad at them for calling me a child?

Then I recall that Jude had told me to take care of the problem. And Pa had told me to smile. I would do nothing less than making the two men I have, or had, in my life proud.

I am Luna.

I lift my eyes from the ground and put them on Red haired woman.

Nobody taught me, but from experience, I know that eye contact screams confidence. And confident is the major thing I want these women to remember me as.

Even though it’s a sham.

“May I know who you are?” my voice seems foreign.

I notice a hint of surprise on her face as her right eyebrow rises, but immediately returns to its normal position.

“of course. I am Margaret Green. The wife of a Gamma and a Gamma myself.” The small smile at the end of her statement, gives her words a whole different meaning from just what the mouth said.

“okay.” I turn to give round woman her own share of my eyecontact.

“Me? Sure. I am Jill Green. A Gamma.” As expected, she mirrors Margaret’s smile.

Making ones rank known during any introduction is something that has been a normal thing in this pack. I see it as just a way of affirming yourself as important. More of self-conviction than an information.

Not that my opinions matter.

I don’t ask the others of their names. Not because I see them as unimportant, but because they have proven to be disciples. Reactions, not voices.

“I want to believe that you are both more than a century old from the wise words coming out of your mouths, and have heard stories of past Lunas, or even been with them.” I wonder why they choose to stand so far apart when they are almost one person in speech and behavior, as my head keeps moving left to right.

“That is correct.” Magaret responds.

“In as much as I did not come here to talk about me, I want us to arrive at an understanding. So in all those Lunas, can you recall how old the oldest was?” I ask both of them.

“A hundred and Fifteen.” Jill replies.

“No. I don’t mean how old she was when she stepped down from being Luna. How old was the Luna when she became Luna?” I correct.

“Twenty two.” Margaret chips in.

“Good.” I nod, happy my plan is falling in the right place. “Can you recall the age of the youngest Luna you have ever had?” I smile in advance.

Silence envelopes the space. And feel light headed as my head turn here and there.

“Hmm?” I push fot a reply.

“Eighteen.” A voice from the crowd says out to the hearing of all.

I spot the owner of the voice as all standing around her turn to stare at her with irritation, some even whisper inaudible words. No wonder no one speaks.

“Thank you esteemed one.” I praise to tone down the jabs. “so, that says it all. I would be twenty one by winter. And, no offense, but, I believe I know more about women issues than the Alpha.” I smile widely, happy that that part has been resolved.

“That Eighteen year old Luna was no Omega.”

And like that, my smile withers.

I turn to Jill, who has just gotten harsher in her criticism.

But she is in no way fazed by my stare, as she continues. “She was brought up in a family. And had morals and commonsense passed on to her by a mother.”

“She had no drunk as a father.”

My heart stops.

“She didn’t raise herself by herself.”

“Nothing like spending the beginning of her life scrubbing floors.”

“well, even if she did, it was for nobody.”

“Yeah, it was just her being a good girl and helping out to tidy up the house.”

“And she didn’t come to her wedding alone, with a dress that looked like a sagging leaf.”

This pulls out a chuckle from many. Chuckles which they cover with their hands.

I wasn’t alone. Stefani came with me. And that was Stefani’s best dress!

I almost scream.

Almost.

But, being embarrassed is nothing new to me. And as I had seen Jude for the first time and fallen in love with him, I had vowed to stand by him and be his Luna. And that, I will be.

I am luna.

Letting out a breath, I smile. Forced, but it is a smile. I smile at the two women who still had theit mouths working. They are elderly and I had expected better.

“The Alpha was actually in love with her before hd even…”

“My husband had told me to meet with you all as there is a very important issue on ground.” I pause to confirm I have all of thsir attention. “Inasmuch as I would love to hear all you know about the past luna, that would be a discussion we would have when we don’t have a pressing issue down our throats. Right?”

The reaction given is definitely not what was expected. I see this from the pursing of Margaret’s lips, which Jill mirrors.

I am not this confident in the real setting of things. But I came out here to win respect. Being humiliated is not on the agenda I made in my fuzzy mind while waiting all day for this meeting. After the meeting? I don’t know.

But not just here and now.

“Good. Now, can someone fill me in on what is going on?” I don’t know how I feel right now.

I just want figure out the problem, end this meeting and return to Jude’s arms, fulfilled.

I am smart and I can do this. I say in my mind as I tune down my thought to hear what the problem is.

After much explanation from Margaret, which were mostly punctuated by Jill, I am made to understand that yhis wing was not only filled with mute reactors, but with unsupportive inactive women.

The issue was that a very pregnant woman, who was about to be delivered of her pup, had just one friend. The pregnant woman, they said, claimed to be introverted and avoided people, meetings and even celebrations that involved all the women wing. They relayed that she talked to only that her one friend.

So when it was almost time for her delivery, fully aware, as they said, that her friend knew nothing about helping her deliver her pup, and she knew she would need help grom the wing, she began to come for meetings and tried to ‘force’ her friendship on them all. Being that her initial behavior had been registered in their minds, they played along and became 'friends' with her. But her plan didn't come through as successful, because on her delivery day, none of them came.

She was left with just her friend, who was running from house to house,seeking help. But help never came.

She lost the pup because of delayed labour and lost a lot of blood. But she didn't die.

All these had happened two months ago. Why this was a topic now is because after recovery, she and her friend had marched up to the base to table a compliant about the conduct and behavior of the women in the wing. And they had given a counter complaint about her behavior and the use of the excuse that she is an introvert to avoid attending other women's delivery, speaking in or even attending meetings.

I close my eyes and heave a sigh as I try to digest what I have just heard. I keep it in mind to see from both perspectives, but there is a nagging feeling in my mind screaming that this is complete nonsense.

But I don't say that.

"So she lost the pup." I say, my eyes still closed.

It is no question, so I'm not surprised when no answer comes.

"Who called the meeting to state that you all shouldn't go help her?"

Still no reply.

I open my eyes and stare at Margaret. "Was it you?" She looks away, avoiding my eyes. I turn to Jill. "Or you?" She transfers her gaze to the ground.

Hmm

"That will not repeat itself. We will stand for one another. There is something called being introverted and it is real. We should all understand one another's struggles." I let the words sink in.

"No need for blames or regrets, we move for a change. The solution for this is apology, forgiveness and reconciliation. We are going to apologize to..."

"But she is aware of..." Jill comes in.

"Don't you EVER interrupt me again. You speak, I listen. So when I speak, YOU listen."

Yeah. No humiliation for me today.