Chapter 32 Chapter 32
ELLA
I woke in the morning at my usual time, dragging myself downstairs to work on breakfast. Even though I didn’t really need to work anymore, I wasn’t going to stop until after the luna ceremony.
I started making some quiches and was almost done when my mom walked in.
“Good morning!” she sang. Somehow even after getting up at five every morning for twenty-something years, she was always chipper in the morning.
“Hey, Mom,” I replied as I took a sip of coffee, hoping to ward off the last bit of sleep in my eyes.
Sophie started working alongside me as the other assistant cooks came in.
“So how was the talk with Alpha Daniel?”
I shrugged.
“Good, he reacted about the same way you did.”
Sophie laughed.
“I think he was pretty upset that Zane had rejected you.”
“I think so too. He talked with me a while ago and said as much. He was really disappointed in Zane. I guess he’s a big believer in mates.”
“We all are.” My mother smiled, her eyes distant, and I could tell she was thinking about Dad.
“I miss Dad too.” I smiled, squeezing my mom’s hand.
As breakfast began and pack members started to wander in, I started serving plates.
Zane walked in and gave me a peck on the cheek before taking a plate and sitting down and I smiled, looking down as I tried to hide the blush forming on my cheeks.
“Good morning, everyone!” Alpha Daniel boomed as he walked in.
“Good morning, Alpha!” the pack echoed.
“We have an announcement,” he said, motioning to Zane to join him.
“Zane and Ella have decided to accept each other as mates, and we will be having a luna ceremony next week on the full moon!”
I blushed as everyone clapped and whooped. Zane walked over and took my hand.
“I hope they’re okay with this,” I mumbled.
“Why wouldn’t they be?” Zane asked, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.
“I’m just an omega, they probably don’t want me as their luna.”
Zane shrugged and then faced me, taking my face in his hands.
“But I want you, so they’ll have to deal with it.” He gave me a soft kiss and I blushed again at the whistles from the dining hall.
We didn’t see the scowl spread across Mariah’s face.
We met with Alpha Daniel to go over plans for the ceremony, and then I left them to pack business. I needed a moment to myself anyway.
I really cared about him and loved the new person he was becoming. He had gone from cruel and dark to kind.
I knew he would become a great alpha. But I needed to come to terms with the fact I would be luna. I decided to take a run to get my mind straight.
As I made my way to the edge of the forest, I started to strip out of my clothes. I hid them next to a tree and then shifted.
It had been a long time since I shifted, and my wolf was excited to have some time out to run. I sprinted through the forest, jumping over rocks and fallen trees.
It felt good. I knew exactly where I was going to go. I turned to the east and was excited as I saw the tree line begin to thin.
I kept sprinting, running down the dock, and jumping into the cool water. My wolf paddled along, enjoying the lake and the alone time.
I made my way back to shore and lay down on the rocky sand, looking out at the calm water. I had almost fallen asleep when I heard a twig snap behind me near the treeline.
My ears perked up and I looked at the trees behind me, trying to see what had made the sound.
I turned back around to the lake.
“Stupid rabbits…,” I mumbled to myself. I looked back at the lake and took a deep breath.
Snap!
My head shot up again.
“I don’t think you realize the mistake you’ve made.”
I turned around to see Mariah standing there. I growled, which only made Mariah smirk.
“You see, Ella, you really should have just kept your head down and let him get over that stupid crush.”
She stepped forward, glaring at me with fire in her eyes.
“I am meant to be luna. I am meant to be his mate. You should have left it alone!”
I stepped backward. I didn’t know what Mariah was capable of.
“Now you’re in the way! You should have just accepted your place, you little omega! You. Are. Nothing!” In her anger Mariah shifted, her wolf moving forward aggressively.
My eyes were wide, fear creeping into my mind. I was just a cook who had never been trained to fight. Suddenly, Mariah lunged forward. She bit at my neck, which made me yelp in pain.
I managed to get free only to have Mariah stalk forward again. I managed to nip at her leg, hoping to make a mark big enough to slow her down. But it didn’t.
Mariah jumped on me, her jaws clamping down on my neck, her claws ripping at my ribcage. The pain burned through my body as I tried to get free.
I could feel my body getting weaker, my eyes blurring from the loss of blood. I let out a yelp before collapsing.
Mariah watched me, smirking as she saw me giving up the fight. She shifted back and stood above me.
“See. You can’t even handle a small fight like this. You are weak. You are no luna.”
Then Mariah walked away, leaving me fighting to stay conscious on the banks of the lake.
I could smell the blood streaming out of my body and feel the sting of the holes in my flesh.
We are not about to die here! I yelled in my head. I knew I couldn’t shift, or I’d die right there by the lake.
My wolf and I gathered all of our strength and attempted to stand. We made it up and took a few steps before falling again.
Again..., I whimpered as I stood and limped forward, making it to the tree line before falling again.
Again! I yelled in my head. I stood up and limped farther, my body bleeding as I made my way back through the forest.
I made it far enough to not see the lake anymore before I collapsed on the ground, all of my energy expelled.
I lay there in the middle of the forest, my body torn and my mind blurry. I could feel consciousness leaving me, and my mind drifted back to Mariah’s words.
...you are weak... you should have left him alone... you are no luna...
...little omega...