Chapter 16 - Luke
The waves are tall and restless today, almost like the ocean is reflecting Sera’s mood.
After enduring her irritated glances and silent treatment for most of the day, we make our way toward the cliffside. A clearing just past the cove is where most of our gatherings take place, since it’s out of the way enough for any humans in town to avoid.
“It will only be a few hours,” I tell Sera, glancing at her. “We’ll stay for the feast, the usual blessings, and after that, we can leave.”
She throws me another look of barely-restrained annoyance. “You’re the Alpha, you can leave whenever you want.”
She still sees a divide between us, regardless of how hard I try to shrink it.
“Where I go, you go. Vice versa.”
Sera’s jaw tightens, but regardless of her anger, she still looks beautiful with her hair wind-swept and that light blue dress tangling around her legs in the breeze.
She looks like she was born from the sea itself, just like she had the day of our mating ceremony, and it twists something inside me.
Without warning, I see the memory of her from a few nights ago in my mind, with her in my arms. It sends a rush of heat through me, almost blinding and unwelcome. The bond flickers in response, but I keep it down, trying to block how quickly it hits me.
Today is about gratitude and asking for blessings from the sea, not about me losing my mind all over again.
I need to focus. While I’m not naive enough to think one festival will unite everyone and solve every problem, I hope it’s a place to start.
With a vaguely possessive pride stirring in me when I take another look at her, I push forward, allowing myself to soak in the fact that she’s here with me, regardless of her reluctance.
Before long, the clearing comes into view, as does the annual festival I’ve celebrated since I was young. While the full moon doesn’t always align with the spring equinox, it did the first year the festival was established, and finally, after nineteen years since the last one, it’s happening again.
Wooden poles stick up from the ground, connected by strings of decorations and lights that flutter in the breeze, and various tables are spread with food. The fire pit in the very center hasn’t been lit yet, but soon enough, it will kick off the celebration.
Music and laughter reach us first as we approach, while the pack communes. The younger ones run around and play games while the others talk, surely going over recent events and future plans.
When we’re close enough to be noticed, conversations become quiet until they seem to die out completely. A few heads turn as their voices falter, and that open energy seems to curl inward.
It isn’t hostile, necessarily, but I can tell they’re being too careful as they look at Sera.
She feels it immediately…I know she does.
From next to me, I sense how she retreats within herself, going rigid from the pressure of those eyes on her. A wave of emotion spills down the bond before she can help it, and it makes me bristle.
This is my mate, the woman I chose, and this is how they react?
I reach for Sera’s hand without a second thought, careful yet affirming, and I keep my pace steady. Every instinct in me wants to lash out and bare my teeth. I want to demand what everyone thinks they’re staring at, but I don’t. I can’t today, even if the air is thick with unspoken judgment.
Like a vague attempt to break the ice, a group of kids runs by, throwing us joyful, oblivious smiles as they wave. I smile back, greeting them before they head off again, laughter ringing through the space.
This is what it’s about. Unity and connection.
Reminding myself of that, I pull in a deep breath and guide her forward, passing by small groups.
As if the others remember themselves, they offer their greetings too, keeping things polite with their restrained nods given to Sera after. Conversations continue to falter and pick up again, and I pretend I don’t notice.
Sera’s shrinking all the while, and I hate it. I hate how the others make her feel like she has to brace for impact, and I hate how they look at her like she’s an anomaly.
What’s worse is how she expects it, and she has no choice but to handle it.
The urge to say something rises the longer I shoulder it alongside her, not caring if it disrupts the rites or embarrasses half of them. I can’t have her standing beside me and feeling like she doesn’t belong.
The tether burns with my rising temper, but before I can say anything, her fingers tighten around my hand.
“Don’t,” she mumbles under her breath.
“I’m not doing anything,” I mutter, though I keep my grip on her hand firm, hoping it might soothe her despite the irritated undercurrent.
“You’re about to…so don’t.”
Before I can say anything else, Eve appears, grinning ear-to-ear as she glances at me, then sets her sights on Sera. “There you are! I was starting to think you two wouldn’t show.”
Sera blinks back at her, surprised by her appearance, but relaxes a bit more. It seems my sister has helped to some degree. “Hello to you too.”
Eve chuckles and loops their arms together as Sera releases my hand. “You’re with me.”
My brows furrow. “What are you doing?”
“Rescuing her, obviously,” she says pointedly, like I should’ve read her mind already. “You’re brooding, and it’s uncomfortable for everyone.”
A soft sound of indignation escapes Sera, though the relief shows on her face.
“We’re doing the sea-knot rite later, and you have to join us,” Eve says, looking far too excited for Sera’s hesitance right now.
“The what?”
“Don’t worry, it’s just a harmless tradition,” she says, softening her tone. “We braid cords with shells and things to symbolize wishes for the coming season. Unmated girls do it for future mates, and mated ones do it to strengthen their bonds. I think you qualify for that.”
Sera’s cheeks flush just enough for me to catch, but more so, I feel the internal battle happening. Part of her wants to try and blend in, while the other wants to flee.
But Eve gives her a coaxing nudge in the right direction. “C’mon, we’ll hang out by the water first while you get settled in.”
Finally, she takes a breath to collect herself, then she nods. “Alright, fine.”
Relief fills me as Sera agrees and starts walking with her, heading to the path that winds down to the water’s edge. Eve glances back at me encouragingly, and I nod once in silent thanks.
She gives me a small, satisfied smile before practically dragging Sera on.
To my surprise, the tension eases from my shoulders slightly, but it’s enough to let me breathe. I just hope the others can find it in themselves to welcome her.
“Rough start?” Hunter asks once he reaches my side, clapping a hand against my back.
With a look thrown behind me, I catch as Dominic and Zane approach alongside him.
“That’s an understatement,” I mutter, scrubbing a hand down my face. “I thought I was going to have to put everyone in their place.”
“As entertaining as that would be to see, luckily, you didn’t have to,” Dominic says, arms crossed with a knowing grin. “But the look in your eyes was a little too murderous for a cheerful festival.”
Zane sighs, but gives me a more supportive look. “It’ll settle eventually. They’re still getting used to her.”
“They need to get used to her a little faster.”
Hunter huffs out an amused breath. “If only it worked like that.”
Pulling in a deep breath, I try to keep my irritation reined in regardless of how on edge I feel still. I’m trying to be level-headed, but the bond is amplifying everything inside me.
“She doesn’t want to be here, but she’s trying. It’s all been hell on her, and I wish they’d just cut her some slack,” I mumble. “She’s starting over completely, and half the elders are looking at her like she’s a bomb waiting to go off.”
“They’ve only ever known fear when it comes to people with abilities like hers,” Hunter adds, looking empathetic. “It will take time.”
“Isaac told us the story Jonah shared with you three the other day,” Zane says, gaze turning a bit more serious. “Don’t let it get to you.”
The memory of Jonah’s story comes back, along with the way it pulled an ugly kind of anger out of me.
Even if I refuse to let his warning blind me from the truth in front of me, I know that kind of fear still lingers in their minds.
Hell, some days even I forget I’m supposed to think differently, too, and it’s not easy to let go of.
Still, that fear won’t bring progress.
“I won’t. She’s not malicious.”
“We’ve been around her enough to know that now,” Zane says with a nod. “We don’t sense anything off about her.”
“I need the rest of the pack to get there, too. I just want her to see nobody here is her enemy,” I murmur, watching as the others continue to talk in their groups, focusing less on Sera or me now that she’s out of sight.
“You’ll figure it out,” Hunter offers, patting my shoulder this time. “You always do.”
Forcing out a humorless breath, I shake my head. “I’m winging it.”
“Aren’t we all?” Dominic says in a long-suffering kind of way, despite his subtle amusement, while he passes me a drink. “That sounds like a problem for future Luke to solve.”
I give him a pointed look, but I accept the drink anyway.
As the festival continues, I watch it unfold, well aware that this isn’t just about tradition or pack politics. It’s about Sera standing with my sister by the beach, feeling alone while I’m supposed to be the one making sure she isn’t.
I want to assume everything I do is for her own good now, yet I can’t help but feel like I’m still not hitting the mark.
While the guys are good at distracting me, they can’t exactly provide the answers I need. None of them has experience in balancing a pack and a mate who only partially likes them.
Caleb would know what to do, but he’s back with his own pack, handling his own business while keeping an ear out for ours. He’s the only other one who has navigated the early chaos of a bond before.
Either way, I have to figure this out myself, and I’m determined to do exactly that.
I won’t let Sera feel like she’s any different from us, even if it takes a while to get there.