IrinaWe took our places on the small stage where we normally had our meals and Hunter turned to look at his people. He waited just a moment for them all to calm down and be quiet before he started.“You all know why we are here. Our Luna has asked me to mark her and you all know how long I’ve wanted to do it, but that I was scared I would lose her when she turned. It has been brought to my attention that the old wives’ tale that humans could die has been hugely exaggerated. It is possible that she could die, but it’s not such a huge possibility as I originally thought.” My usually very articulate Hunter was rambling and, for the first time today, I noticed how incredibly nervous he was. I stepped forward and slipped my hand in his, linking our fingers. I felt his confidence grow just a little as he smiled at me and then continued.“I present to you, your Luna.” Hunter turned to me and moved my hair out of the way. My heart was racing and I felt adrenaline rush through my veins. Tilti
IrinaI had to explain what happened and who Lupe was. None of them had gone through a similar experience since they were born this way, so it was very exciting for them to hear that I actually met the moon goddess. It felt strange to tell them what she looked like. She was someone they all believed in, but I only heard about her a short while ago. Now I was the one who got to meet her, while they got to keep on believing.My entire body tingled and it didn’t take very long for all of them to ask to see my wolf. I looked at Hunter, who was still stunned by everything and he smiled, nodding. He carried me out of our room and the entire pack was waiting. Everyone seemed so happy that I was one of them now. I didn’t die. I survived. Hunter put me down and told me to imagine what Lupe looked like. Of course, they warned me it would hurt like hell, but Hunter promised that each bone that broke would heal just as fast. I thought about what she looked like but nothing happened.“Sweetheart,
IrinaMy relief was short-lived. We were still celebrating when I heard the alarm through the pack mind link. We were being attacked. Again! I was bundled into the house with the others who normally had to hide. I wanted to go and fight, but since I had no training, there was no use in even arguing about it. We were locked in and I looked at Emily.“It will be okay, Luna.” Her words and the look on her face didn’t match. Emily was afraid. Everyone was. Each time we were attacked, we lost people. It weakened us. The last time I hid here, I was still human and I had no idea what was going on outside. This time, I received reports through the pack link with everyone else. I suddenly wondered if that was such a great thing!Hearing about the battle made my stomach turn, but thankfully it was another small group of rogues and the pack warriors quickly took care of them. When Hunter returned, I wanted to shift into my human form and run into his arms, but I didn’t do it quickly enough. My h
IrinaEverything I had hoped for was falling into place. Now that I was a wolf, it all felt different, just like I had hoped it would. Lunch with my parents was great even though the urge to tell them was nagging at the back of my mind. I knew them best and I had no idea how they would react to the news that their daughter was also a huge wolf.“What time are you coming home? I miss you.” In the late afternoon, we had just closed up the shop when I heard Hunter’s voice coming through the mind link.“On our way, as we speak. I miss you too.” A smile formed in the corners of my mouth as I slipped into the back seat of the black SUV. I had grown used to having them around and people in town didn’t stare as much anymore. It was strange. The pack’s SUVs had been driving around town for years, but I never really paid much attention to them.The pack had been living here for years and I never really took notice of how the town’s people stared at them. Almost as if … They were a different spe
IrinaI couldn’t believe what I was seeing though. All these werewolves were living all over our country and not a single human suspected a thing. We had been so desensitized by stories of all kinds that most people wouldn’t believe me if I told them what was really going on in the world! Not that I would tell anybody, but still!I knew I wouldn’t be able to stick to Hunter’s side all day, but when he left, I felt completely abandoned. If I didn’t have Lupe in my head telling me he was coming back, I would probably have completely freaked out. I made a couple of new friends and the ladies were very nice.“Fresh meat!” One of them called me while they all laughed. It didn’t take very long for me to find out what they meant. We left the hotel and Hunter laughed at our link when I told him that it felt as if they were kidnapping me.“Enjoy it, babe. Your guards are with you so you will be safe.” I didn’t want to bug him too much. He sounded pretty busy, so I decided to enjoy the day with
IrinaThe dinner was incredible and it was clear that the werewolves catered for our kind. There was more than enough to go around and some even ate seconds! After dinner, another Alpha I met when we arrived made a speech and then everyone started dancing. I was surprised when Hunter asked me to dance and even more when he expertly guided us across the floor.I didn’t even realize he was such a great dancer. I loved being a wolf. You could dance the night away in heels and your feet never got tired. You could drink as much as you wanted and never get drunk! But the part I loved the most was that we could make love all night long and still function in the morning when we had to.I was living the best life ever. After having breakfast with Hunter in the morning, we went our separate ways. He went off to his meetings and I quickly found Rosemary. I figured out during the ball that since she and her mate were the oldest, they basically ran the entire event as well. It was just another thi
IrinaHunter and I had a quiet dinner in our room and in the morning, we would be returning home. Hunter was a dear to listen to me rambling on about the entire trip as we drove home. I needed to get to the store and although he didn’t say it, I was sure he was relieved when I left. The poor guy looked positively burnt out when we got back home.We didn’t get tired easily, but he seemed tired. I could only imagine what their meetings were like, but I didn’t have much time to ponder about it. I had to catch up on a couple of days’ worth of work. Emily had done an absolutely incredible job, but there were things that required my attention. I dug in and got to work and when Emily popped her head into my office, I couldn’t believe that it was past closing time already.Life was great. I had friends, my darling husband, and the store. None of which I could ever have imagined, but I was incredibly grateful for it. Hunter and I had dinner with the pack and, for the first time, we went to bed
IrinaI felt torn … AGAIN! I wanted to be part of the pack. I wanted to be majestic and all those things. I just … Killing something … Even something that was attacking us. It was a very bitter pill to swallow. My internal struggle didn’t stay internal for very long before I couldn’t hold it in anymore. Hunter and Emily were sure that I was feeling this way because I wasn’t born into this life.I had a feeling that wasn’t it. I was beginning to wonder if I was ever meant to be like this. Even after the moon goddess spoke to me. I was all for defending yourself, but all this killing! For days the scent of blood hung thick in the air. It seemed as though the others couldn’t smell it anymore, so maybe it was just my mind playing tricks on me! I tried breathing exercises and even tried to do some yoga, but I couldn’t get the images out of my mind and the taste of blood out of my mouth. I wasn’t a wolf! I was a monster!“Irina!” Hunter’s growl drew me out of my line of thinking. He was sca