Charlie and Ella 8

Ella POV:
I found myself in a flurry of activity for the next week, I would be forever grateful that Annette decided to come and join us. It seems that all the suggestions that her mother was making that she knew were really her planning a wedding she enjoyed.

“These flowers grow in the region of this pack so we will place them here,” her mother commented selecting a small pointy flower and setting it atop a table marker.

“It’s custom to have the flowers native to the land of the couple is it not,” Annette interjected.

I remember because I had stopped fussing over the way the flowers looked in their vase. I looked over at the Luna who was slightly red and clenched.

I had never assumed my wedding would be the binding of two packs, nothing special, no large event. So I never thought rules and customs would apply, I had never been curious to learn them and no one had thought it of consequence to teach me.

She had taken advantage of my ignorance and was planning a wedding she enjoyed and she liked, the one she had pictured planning for her son for years.

“It’s respectful though, we’ve got to make up for the fact they’ve already been bound,” she snipped.

“Everyone seems to be alright with it otherwise they wouldn’t be coming,” Annette retorted. “Let’s ask the bride,”

She turned and looked to me her mother fuming behind her. I had already had my wedding I didn’t care for the pompousness that her mother seemed obsessed with. Shouldn’t I just let her have her fun?

“Why don’t we do both,” I suggested, out of her daughter's eyesight the Luna rolled her eyes.

I wanted to say something to remind her of her promise to behave but I couldn’t. She was still the Luna, and I did feel guilty for how left out she must feel now.

She had continuously tried to pester my husbands with things that she thought he should be doing, but he still had no place for her at the moment. It seems anger towards her lasted, and it wasn’t just him. Theo also kept her arm's length, not speaking to her the way that he used to. Cea who I had informed was never the Luna's favorite was fine with us and didn’t do anything to change her husband’s mind.

I displaced this poor woman and I couldn’t help but feel responsible.

More people arrived every day and the Luna was busy so she wasn’t hounding me or asking me for thousands of details most of it had already been decided. I tried to make sure I was getting what I wanted for the most part I was, my parents would be there. My husband and I would be acknowledged everything would be all right.

That was what I kept telling myself. I just had to get through it and everything would be all right.

My parents were supposed to arrive with Annette had been delayed. Brian came as well, acting in part as my brother, but also as protection for his Luna.

It was weird to me the fact that I saw Annette is not my Luna anymore how quickly it happened to me. I felt this overnight that I had a home. My entire life was now distant, and detached from me. It made me feel slightly cold.

My mother was doing her best to help, but I could tell she felt the same way. I did slightly out of place and out of depth. She was following every order that Luna Eva gave, dutifully and quietly doing as she was told.

Where if this were a wedding to a man of no consequence, my mother would be bustling about ordering about making sure that everything was perfect for me. Annette came to my rescue with things that were actually important.

“He is the head of the largest pack in Europe; he has to be seated in a place of respect!” Eva whined.

“He will not be seated before the parents of the bride. The spot beside Ella goes to her family,” Annette stood firm.

My mother froze behind her Luna holding her tongue as she always did with her betters. It was what we wolves did. We didn’t know how not to respect our leaders. Luna Eva was the leader, person, and golden children and was a strong defender. I couldn’t imagine my mother speaking back, I felt the small child inside of me desperately wanting her too.

“He will have our respect Annette as the Luna of a large pack you should know that some people come before others,”

“And you should understand that tradition comes before respect as the parents to the Luna one of America's strongest packs they have respect now too,” Annette did not budge.

I stood beside her and raised my head attempting to find my words and my strength. “I want my parents beside me,”

The Luna squinted at me as if I was a bug, and my shoulders shrunk in. “ you don’t understand respect,” was all she said. “ you’re a commoner,”

“She’s going to be your daughter-in-law. You want to talk about respect,” Annette barked.

But apparently whatever patience my mother had was run through. She walked over and stood between me and the Luna. A feverish glint in her eye as she passed me. I had never seen my mother make that face, never seen her even dream of standing like this in front of Amaria.

“I understand your ire. I am hurt too I didn’t get to see my daughter wed, and you-“ she hugged and her hands shook at her side. “You are a far greater woman than I am, but you have no right to mention respect to my daughter. The only reason this is all a farce is because of your continued disrespect to a girl who has stood by your family and loved your children with everything she has,”

I felt tears prickle my eyes and grabbed my mother's hand feeling my strength return to me.

“Thank you for all your help Luna Eva but we will manage from here,” I told her looking her dead in the eyes for the first time.

My mother was right, I was there for those I love and even if the woman before me was of higher status, I had done nothing wrong. I won’t back down.

“You dare to-“

“I will be informing the Alpha of today's indiscretions. I don’t think you want to add another to the list “ I warned her and watched her feel fear for a moment.

“I think that best,” the beta voice rang out from behind us. She had been busy with the security detail but sauntered into the room standing beside us. “I’ve already torn your husband you’re on your way,”

The Luna looked as if she wanted to say more but she didn’t, stalking off with her tail between her legs. I couldn’t let this keep going on forever, and it would if I didn’t stand up for myself.

I wished she understood that this wasn’t the way I wanted to go about it. That if she had let me I would have had her involved in everything, but she had done her best to make me feel small. I couldn’t do that anymore, if not for myself than for the people I love. I was to be the wife of a strong Alpha, my people here needed me to have a backbone.

I waited until the house was quiet I knew she took her tea late at night in the den. I didn’t tell my husband where I was going but I made my way there with sure steps.

“Luna Eva,” I greeted her refusing to knock and I didn’t bow my head.

She grimaced and set sow her book. “I’m tired I’ve had a long day so-“

“You’ve given no thought or concern to my feelings so I don’t see it fair I should do the same for you. I’ve come to make something clear between the two of us. I love your son,” I declared it to her. My heart was in my throat and I felt lightheaded but I had to do this. I was going to spend the rest of my life as a pet of this family I couldn’t keep fighting this battle the whole time. “He is my whole world and though I may not be even remotely on the same level as him I adore him and would die to defend him. I am his wife already, I will be the mother to his children and you cannot change this. No one here is holy with you and despite knowing this you have continued your onslaught of vicious behavior,” I watched her as she clenched her fist around her book. “I am not going anywhere and you can only choose to accept that and make peace with us or, you will be cast out of your family blame me all you want but we both know this is your doing I am done feeling guilty for simply loving a man. You say you want the best for your children, act like it,”

I didn’t give her a chance to respond instead turning on my heel and walking out of the room I moved into a side hallway collapsing to the floor and shaking.

I hadn’t heard him follow me there and didn’t hear as follow me back, but my husband was by my side holding my hands as they trembled.

“You are the strongest person I know,” he kissed my knuckles. “I’m proud of you,”