Chapter 13

Time had seemed to slow down while me and Blake were enclosed within our little bubble. It felt like I had been lying here, lovingly wrapped in between Blake’s arms for days on end, but I knew we had only been gone for roughly an hour or so. I’d heard of post-coitus bliss, but I’d disregarded it as a total myth, as I lay here, letting the gooey satisfied feelings that oozed through me like wildfire, taking complete control of my body, I finally realized it was anything but.

Ever since Blake had claimed me for his own, I felt more alive than I had ever done before. My senses had heightened to new levels that I didn’t think was possible and my new focus in life had shifted also. It wasn’t about getting revenge on those who had wronged me or just trying to live my life under the radar, but it was this man. This man was now the reason why I wanted to live, wanted to breathe and fight. Everything I wanted or desired was now for this gorgeous man lying right next to me. My body no longer felt tired and heavy, nor did it feel battered and bruised, instead, I felt a renewed energy flowing through me like an electrical current. I felt like I could rip up trees, smash down buildings and run for miles without ever getting tired.

Happily, I inhaled deeply and snuggled deeper into the warmth of his embrace, pulling his arms tighter around me. Carefully, Blake shifted from underneath me and casually lay propped up on one arm, before smiling and gazing back down at me.

“You do know we have to go back downstairs and show ourselves to the rest of the family sooner than later?” Blake whispered carefully. “As much as I’d love to lie here with you for all of eternity, we’ve been gone for nearly two hours. It would be rude to keep them waiting any longer.”
Sighing, I turned to look up at Blake, my eyes scanning over his body hungrily. “Yes, I know, but do we really have to?” I whined sadly. “I just feel so happy lying here in your arms. This is the only place I want to be right now.”
“I know it is, sweetheart,” soothed Blake while stroking my hair gently. “But you’re going to be their new Luna. It’s your right and place to meet your pack. Come on. I’ll be right beside you.”

Sighing once more as Blake pulled his arm free from underneath me, I watched as he stood up and began pulling his clothes back on, hiding his perfectly sculpted body from me once more. Chewing my lip thoughtfully, I too stood up and made my way into my closet and began selecting clothes at random before making my way into my bathroom and out of sight. The sound of water gushing filled the room as I had a quick shower before emerging with my fresh clothes on.

“Ready?” Blake asked gently while holding his hand out towards me. “You will be okay. I promise. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
“I know,” I whispered back confidently. “It’s just surreal that one minute I’m going from omega handmaiden to Luna in waiting. It’s like going from one end of the hierarchy to the other in 0.2 seconds. It just doesn’t seem real! I don’t even know anything about being a Luna.”
“Granted. You do have much to learn,” nodded Blake apprehensively. “But with me by your side and my parents, and Beta Alistair, you will be fine. You are stronger than you give yourself credit for. You can do this.”

Smiling at his words, I carefully held on to his hand and felt myself being gracefully pulled across the room and back out onto the landing. Silently, we made our way back down the staircase towards the kitchen, where we knew a large crowd was waiting for us. I could feel my heart thumping in my chest nervously while my throat began to dry up with nerves and worry. What if they don’t like me? What if they refused to see me as their new Luna?

Finally reaching the entrance to the kitchen, I paused briefly, as my reflection in a nearby mirror caught my eye. Pulling my hand away from Blake’s, I walked over and stared at my reflection in shock. Not only did I look older and more mature, but all my bruises, cuts and grazes had disappeared. My skin looked flawless with not a blemish in sight and a white silvery glow radiated all around me, just like it had with Marii. That’s when I realized there was something else that caught my eye, and loudly, I gasped in shock. There, for all to see, on the side of my neck, where Blake had used his fangs to claim me, was the symbol for our pack etched on my skin. The non-mistakable mark of a burning red sun, half hiding behind a silver cloud, was there, proudly on display, evidence of our coitus activities while we had been gone. The crimson red stood out against my pale skin and silvery hair. Gingerly, I lifted my hand and gently touched the area with my fingertips, expecting my skin to be sore from the recent injury, but to my surprise, the skin felt healed as if I had had the mark for ages. Blushing, I glanced back across at Blake who was standing there in amusement, patiently waiting for me.

“That’s the mark of our pack and to say that you are mine,” Blake explained. “You are a true member of the Midnight Sun now.”

Grabbing onto his hand once more, we silently entered the kitchen and turned to face the kitchen table, where many pairs of eyes instantly locked with ours in awe and silence.

"Wow? Done already?" someone's voice called out before the room filled with tiny giggles.

Slowly, all the pairs of eyes swivelled towards me and lingered on my neck, seemingly confirming their suspicions at what had taken us so long. Sideward glances and hushed whispers echoed out before Marii stood up, with her husband Jonas and began walking towards us smiling gently albeit sheepish. Standing between the table and us, I realized the silvery glow that Marii always had around her had now vanished from sight. That’s when I realized it was the same glow, I currently had swimming around me. Did this mean that the glow now made me recognizable as Luna? Without saying a word, Marii and Jonas dropped to one knee and bowed their head, the rest of the Pack members quickly following in their footsteps.

Arching one eyebrow curiously, I slowly peeled my eyes from the silent group and looked up at Blake nervously. Before I could utter a single word to my Mate, Marii and Jonas began to stand up, looking at us intently before beginning to clap loudly. One by one, the various werewolves behind them stood up until they were all standing and clapping wildly, causing my ears to ring with the loud wall of sound. Jonas eventually came forward, turning to face the group, with his back to us before coughing loudly and addressing the crowd, with a hint of glee in his smooth crisp voice.

“Everybody, the time has finally come. Meet your new Alpha and Luna!”