Preparations For The Festival

Chapter 48

That night, the first night she slept in the room next to Karyan’s, Nalani could not close her eyes. Memories came back of when Kabar invited her to move into his room after years of sleeping on the cold kitchen floor.

At that time, she felt happy because Kabar was the person she loved. In Inverno, they didn’t have a castle like Mond.

Their homes were more like farmhouses, with half-wood, half-stonewalls, because they would rather fight than spend time building a nice house.

The alpha’s dwelling was the largest, made almost entirely of stone. Kabar had placed a simple bed in the corner of his spacious room for Nalani to sleep on, with a partition made from the hide of a stag he had hunted.

On cold nights, Kabar would call Nalani to his bed to cuddle for warmth. Kabar only allowed himself to kiss Nalani, though Nalani did not mind if Kabar did more than that.

Nalani could only wait for that moment to come, lulled by Kabar Promises. “Later, when you are officially my partner, Nalani,” he said, caressing Nalani’s cheek with a sweet smile.

In the middle of the night, Kabar often disappeared from bed. Nalani Suspected Kabar might have jumped into another woman's bed, but she always dismissed the thought, not wanting to paint her feelings for Kabar with suspicion.

She could hear Karyan’s quiet snoring in the next room. Now in Mond, she felt trapped in the alpha’s grasp. Even though they didn’t share a room, she didn’t feel relieved.

And what she felt now was different. To her, Karyan was just a stranger to whom she was loaned, for the purpose of spying on him.

Unable to sleep, Nalani paced around the room, inspecting the beautiful furniture, then pulled back the curtains and found a balcony.

She stepped out and looked down. The bonfire lit by the guards was burning below, and she recognized Radoff Giving orders to some guards. “Does he ever sleep?” she wondered as she looked at his large tall figure.

She looked at the dark forest edge in the distance and thought of the poor creature tormented by remorse.

He had twice had the chance to confront the creature and enter its mind. The Deegon inside that creature was a figure tormented by regret and longing for Lorelei.

Perhaps that was the reason he was unable to remember anything else before the curse. He was unable to remember his daughter, Karina.

Before she realized that Karyan’s snoring had stopped, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

His voice, which was very close to her ear as he bent down behind her, startled her. “What are you doing? Don’t even think about escaping by jumping off the balcony,” he said.

Nalani turned her head and found Karyan standing so close that she could feel the warmth of his breath on her skin.

His expression was no longer as haughty as before. Yet his gestures still radiated authority and something she couldn't understand.

She shivered, not from the cold but from the close proximity of their bodies.

“I’m not thinking about that,” she said, her voice almost a whisper. “I’m not trying to jump away. I’m just... thinking.”

“About what?” he asked, his tone softer and more curious.

"About Deegon. That thing," she admitted. "Karina always believed that the old Deegon was still inside. I pity her. She Must miss her father, just like I miss mine. Every time I confronted the creature, I tried to enter its mind to look for signs that could prove Karina's belief. But ...." Nalani looked down. Her breathing was labored with emotion.

"But?"

"There was nothing there. Just Lorelei's name repeated over and over again. That seems to be all that's left. His love for your mother... maybe also guilt. Or my telepathic abilities aren't what I expected. I can't go any deeper."

Karyan's face hardened. "I don't like the thought of him loving my mother," he hissed. "Because he killed my father. It makes more sense that he keeps remembering my mother out of regret, but even that’s too late. My mother is gone and I can't even look for her out of duty."

"You want to look for her?" Nalani gave a puzzled look.

"Didn't I tell you that my mother's body was lost and replaced by an alabaster statue?"

"Yes. You still think it was done by the fae of Sivandell?"

Karyan shrugged. "Who else?"

From below the balcony came a whistle.

They looked down. Radoff was looking up, gesturing with his hands towards them.

Karyan grinned. "He said you should sleep, because they're worried you're reading their minds from here."

"That's not how it works," Nalani snapped.
"Hey, the sign language is weird, isn't it?"

"It's our sign language," Karyan said casually. Now he looked at Nalani more seriously. "Look, I know things are different here. But you're safe, Nalani. Even if it doesn't feel like it."

"Safe from what?" asked Nalani, turning her head toward the forest. "From the creature?"

"From everything," he replied, his hand remaining on Nalani's Shoulder for a moment before he stepped back. "Come inside. It's cold outside."

Nalani nodded, following him back into the room. As she sat on her bed, she couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed between them. Karyan, the stern alpha, had shown glimpses of something else, something almost tender.
***

Someone gently shook Nalani awake, and when she opened her eyes, she saw Mita. "What are you doing here?" she asked, surprised.

"Alpha asked me to wake you up so you could help prepare for the festival with the others," Mita replied using sign language.

Nalani got up, washed her face, and glanced out from the balcony to see the courtyard below. She could see that the werewolves were busy with various tasks.

They were building altars, erecting torch poles, making totems, gathering firewood, and weaving dried flowers into decorations for the windows of their homes.

Nalani thought of the Festival of Medeina, Goddess of the Forest and the Hunt. The werewolves of Mond worshiped the Moon Goddess, Luna, and the Forest Goddess, Medeina, while in Inverno, they only celebrated the Moon Goddess Festival.

She descended the stairs and was greeted by the women who invited her to join in the preparations.

"Here, you can help with this," one of the women said as she handed her a bunch of dried flowers.

Nalani smiled and took the flowers, following the group to a long table where several other women were already working.

They showed her how to weave the flowers into intricate patterns for window decorations.

As she worked, she listened to the chatter around her. The women at Mond spoke excitedly about the upcoming festival, sharing stories of past celebrations and their hopes for this year's event.

Despite their rough appearance, they were friendly and welcoming, and Nalani began to feel at ease.

One of the older women leaned over and said, "This is your first Medeina Festival, isn't it?"

Nalani nodded. "Yes, in Inverno we only celebrate the Moon Goddess Festival."

As the day progressed, Nalani became more and more immersed in the preparations. She helped hang the floral decorations, set up the tables for the feast, and even helped make the large totem that would stand at the center of the celebration.

In the afternoon, as the sun began to dip into the horizon, she took a break and watched the others continue their work.

She Spotted Karyan across the courtyard, giving instructions and helping wherever he was needed. He caught her gaze and gave a small nod in thanks.

Suddenly, a hunched old woman burst out of the crowd and Hobbled towards Nalani, pointing at her. "You... yes, you!" She stopped in front of Nalani.

The old she-wolf with hersnow-white hair was now staring at her. “I finally found the girl who will become Medeina’s figure," she said in a hoarse voice. Her gnarled claw-like hand rose up, caressing Nalani’s Cheek.

"What are you doing to her, Jora?" Karyan approached, while Nalani was still transfixed with shock.

"Oh, Alpha. There hasn't been a girl representing Medeina on that altar for a long time. I found her now. Look at her. She shines like the moon over the forest."

All the werewolves in the place looked at Nalani impressed, even though they did not see any light in her. But Karyan understood.

He sighed and turned to Nalani. "Jora is our traditional elder, and she has chosen you."

"But... why me?"

"Because..." Karyan leaned closer, bending his body towards Nalani and her lips whispered in the girl's ear. "she saw your magic."

***