32. Madden
Madden
G od, I don’t think I’ll ever get over how absolutely stunning Luna is.
You’d think, because of the time we’ve been forced to spend apart, that I’d build her up in my head. But the reality of seeing her at the top of that staircase surpassed any of my wildest dreams.
She looked like a princess from a fairytale. I’m not big on fashion, but the theme of her dress—a sparkling night sky—fits her so well. Chase calls her Moonlight for a reason.
And her smile. Oh my fucking god, her smile. It lit up the entire fucking room, and that smile was all for me. It made my heart melt.
It also made me want to smash in the faces of the other alphas around us because of the kinda shit they started saying. I wanted to scream from the top of my lungs that her smile wasn’t an invitation for them.
But I kept quiet. Per usual.
It wouldn’t be a good look for the pack if the only Southsider lost his cool at an event like this .
“Hey buddy, how’re you doing?” Chase asks, grasping my shoulder.
I glance down at him, shrugging.
“You look like you’re about to throw hands,” Chase chuckles.
“Understandable,” Kane says, eyeing the table that Luna’s sitting at. It’s at the center of the dining area, so it’s easy to keep an eye on her. She’s the centerpiece of the entire event tonight. “At least the Graylock pack is better than the first pack.”
“That’s for sure,” Archer adds in, his hands shoved into the pockets of his dress slacks. “Did you see the face she made when they got close?”
I did. I hated it.
“I know there’s no way around this, but I hate watching her talking to other packs,” I say softly.
There’s a part of me, the territorial, insecure part of me, that worries she’s going to find another pack that’s better for her and leave us in the dust.
It’s not impossible, considering the amount of interest she’s gotten from some really high-up packs. Packs without me and the sort of social-status baggage I bring.
“Hey, now you’re worrying,” Chase says, squeezing my arm again and pulling me back to reality. “Where’s your head at right now?”
I shrug again. I don’t know if I can bring myself to say what I’m thinking out loud right now. Part of me is a little scared that if I say it out loud, I’m going to speak it into existence.
Chase seems to pick up on what I’m thinking, though.
“Ahhh, I get it. You’re scared she’s gonna find another pack she wants to be with?” He asks, crossing his arms across his chest with his usual smirk. “I doubt it. Check it out.” He nods over my shoulder.
I turn to look and see the Graylock pack standing and leaving Luna’s table early. Seven minutes early.
That’s unheard of, at an event like this. Everyone wants to spend as much time with the omega making her selections as possible.
“They’re leaving early?” I ask, blinking in confusion.
“That’s strange,” Archer mutters.
“I think it’s 'cause our Luna sent them away and they were nice enough to listen,” Chase says, the tone of his voice all confidence. “You guys agreed the Graylock pack’s a good pack. They’re the honorable sort, they’re not gonna want an omega who’s interested in another pack.”
“I can see that,” Archer agrees.
There’s silence between the four of us as we take a second to just soak Luna in. Her hair shines like spun gold and it’s expertly framed around her face. Whatever makeup artist did her makeup knew exactly what they were doing, highlighting her huge, deep blue, doe-like eyes and pouty lips.
And her dress.
It was tailored to perfection, highlighting her delicate frame. Like I mentioned earlier, it makes her look like a princess. A princess you want to go out and save.
The only issue with how gorgeous she looks is that every other eligible alpha pack here is thinking the same thing.
“Hello there, Ward Pack?” A tall, beta woman in a maroon dress smiles and gestures for us to follow her. “The omega Luna will see you now. I hear from her you’re familiar, but the same rules still apply. Only she can initiate physical contact and any gifts must be appropriate, sound good?”
“Yes,” Archer nods. “Thank you for looking after her tonight.”
“Oh, you’re very welcome,” she says, seemingly surprised at Archer’s thanks. I guess she probably doesn’t hear that very often, considering she’s also the person telling the packs their time with Luna is up. “Enjoy your time!”
Luna’s expression brightens the moment she sees us. She stands from her chair, her hands nervously laced in front of her. I remember her doing that in the foyer of the pack house after we first found her in the cold.
She looks so much better now. Healthier, brighter, even a little more confident.
“Hi,” she says softly, blinking quickly.
“No need to stand on our account,” Archer says, pulling out her seat again and gesturing for her to sit back down.
“Thank you,” she says, smiling up at him. “It’s good to see you.” She meets all of our eyes around the table. “All of you. You guys look really good.”
“So do you,” I jump in. “You look—you look breathtaking tonight.”
She smells amazing, too. Finally, after so long, I get to soak into her soothing peppermint perfume. It’s like a balm for the gaping hole in my chest I feel when we’re apart.
She purses her painted lips into a sheepish smile. “Thanks. The makeup artists did a great job.”
“Nah, I personally think it’s all you,” Chase says, leaning back in his chair.
“So, omega Luna, what kind of home would you like? Whatever your heart desires our pack will work tirelessly to provide.” His tone is playful, as if making fun of the traditional song-and-dance-style conversations these meetings usually have.
Luna laughs under her breath, taking a sip of her drink.
“Well, I’d really like a big library, but I don’t think I have to worry about that with you guys,” she says.
Kane clears his throat, drawing Luna’s attention to him. Her smile towards him is as warm as ever.
“We have a present for you,” Kane says softly, pulling out a small wrapped box.
Luna’s eyes go wide with surprise.
“For—for me?” When Kane nods, Luna’s manicured hand curls on the tabletop. “You didn’t have to.”
“It’s part of the custom for this whole process,” Archer says. “But also, we wanted to. ”
Kane pushes the wrapped box towards Luna.
“We’d like for you to open it now.”
“Thank you,” Luna says, her voice growing thick with emotion.
She delicately unwraps the gift at the seams, peeling the tape off, being careful not to actually rip the paper. It’s adorable to watch.
She lifts the lid to the box and gasps, dropping it to the table so she can cover her mouth.
“Oh my god,” She whispers.
When she blinks up at us, her eyes are starting to fill with tears.
“Shit, I can’t cry and ruin the makeup!” She laughs, tilting her head back and fanning her face.
Kane reaches out and hands her one of the cloth napkins on the table, which she uses to dab delicately at her eyes.
“Where did you guys get these?” Luna asks when she’s done. She carefully lifts up a couple of really well-loved romance novels from the box. These were the books on her little bookshelf in that closet of a room she had at her parents’ place.
“We got them when we went to… when we went to talk to your parents,” Chase says, leaning his elbows on the table and soaking in Luna’s reaction.
“You… you remembered?” She whispers, brushing her hands along the spines of the books.
“Of course we did,” Kane says, his hands fisting in his lap as if he’s trying his absolute hardest not to reach out and touch her.
I get how he’s feeling. Lucky for me, I’m across the table from her, and I’m not crazy enough to lunge across the table.
“Check underneath your books,” Archer says, nodding towards the box again.
Luna lifts out the last couple of books we found on her shelf, and her eyes go wide.
“Oh my god,” She whispers, lifting two more brand-new paperbacks .
“They’re the latest two books from one of the authors.”
“Kane chose the author of the book that looked the most beat up,” Chase chips in.
Luna bursts out laughing and the sound draws me in like a moth to a flame.
“I’d like to call that book well-loved,” She laughs. “But you’re right. That author’s definitely my favorite out of the bunch.”
“We just wanted to say that we’d love to buy you more books to fill your very own shelf at the library we have back at the pack house,” Kane says, giving her a small smile. “Floor to ceiling. All yours.”
Luna stands from her seat, setting her new books down gently before throwing her arms around Kane, and hugging him tightly.
I can feel the attention of practically everyone in the room. I swear, some people around us gasp. Others start murmuring.
That sort of physical contact at an event like this is rare, or at least Luna’s enthusiasm is rare. I’m sure some alphas are going to have complaints.
Luna makes her way towards me, her steps small and almost bunny-like with excitement. She wraps her arms around my shoulders, holding me tightly to her.
I’m enveloped by her and her sweet peppermint perfume. This is what heaven feels like. Her touching me. Her skin against mine.
I can feel a softness on her frame that wasn’t there when we first found her at that horrible train yard, and it makes me relax, knowing she’s been able to take care of herself, even without us there.
I’m careful not to scent mark her as she holds me tightly to her. That would be against the rules. I do angle my head to the side so her face is brushing against my neck, which is the closest possible thing to her scent marking me. I want to carry a piece of her for as long as I possibly can.
Luna finally breaks the hug, standing to her full height and flashing me a blinding smile before going to hug Chase and Archer.
Now that I’m not swept away in my own little world with her in my arms, I can tell some of the other interested packs are almost circling around this table, trying to figure out what we gave her that’s gotten her so excited.