The Quiet Luna

Chapter 5. Odessa

It felt like I had just closed my eyes for a second, and when I opened them again, the sun was pouring through the windows. I did have a weird dream about Torin feeding me soup. At least I think it was a dream. He was sitting on the side of my bed, shirtless, looking like my own personal fantasy, and fed me the most delicious soup I’d ever tasted. Licking my lips, I swore I could almost taste it.

I shook my head, laughing at my strange imagination, and stretched in the warmth of the sun. I felt better this morning than I had in a long time. I figured I should probably try to get up. The hardest part would be leaving the soft comfort of the bed, but I figured it would be waiting for me after I explored the rest of the room.

I pushed myself into a sitting position, dangling my feet over the side. My toes just reached the floor, and I sat for a moment hoping I wasn’t going to fall when I tried to stand up. Might as well try, I thought, and slid down until my feet were flat on the floor. I was still leaning on the bed for support, but gradually I stood straighter and found that although my legs were a little wobbly, I was able to walk around.

I shuffled across to a door that was open and poked my head inside, gasping in surprise. The room was a stunning bathroom with a marble countertop, a shower, and a tub big enough that I thought I could probably swim laps in it. I went in to get a better look, and startled at the figure that moved beside me. Turning, my mouth dropped open at the sight of myself in the full-length mirror. No wonder people looked at me the way they did! I looked like some sort of reanimated corpse! I was skeletal, my thin, pale skin stretched over my bones, old bruises staining my sallow skin sickly colors of mostly green and yellow, and my hair hung limp and dull. I took comfort in the fact that my eyes seemed unchanged from how I’d remembered them- clear and bright green.

I sighed and moved out of the room, tired of looking at myself. I shuffled to the other side of the room, towards the door Torin had said led to his room. Next to it was another door, and I opened it and peered inside. It revealed a large walk-in closet. Empty hangers hung on the rail as if waiting for clothes to fill them. I shrugged. The only clothing I had was the purple pajama set I was currently wearing, and I wasn’t sure if I could really call it mine, or just borrowed.

I shut the door again and sighed, not really knowing what to do. My stomach grumbled, and I thought maybe I could go in search of food. I stared at the door Torin had carried me through last night, knowing it was the one that led out into the house. Did I dare try to open it? What if it was locked? Was this just a gilded prison?

I shuffled towards the door, my hand shaking as I slowly reached out, when suddenly there was a short knock and the knob turned. I jumped back in surprise as the door opened inward and a beautiful woman stepped inside. She let out a shocked squeal when she saw me, clutching her chest.

A burly man rushed inside behind her. “What happened?” he demanded.

I was breathing hard, trying not to panic. I didn’t do anything, I thought desperately.

The woman shook her head and laughed- a small, nervous sound. “It’s ok, Felix, I just scared myself,” she said. Her voice was melodic and soothing, and she smiled reassuringly at me. “I didn’t expect to see you out of bed, Luna. Torin said you were too weak to walk.”

I shrugged at her and motioned half-heartedly at myself. Obviously, I was standing, so…

She chuckled, “Yes, I can see you must be feeling a little better already.” I decided I liked her. “I’m Candice, the Beta Female, Wynne is my mate. That’s who drove you yesterday,” she explained and I nodded, not entirely remembering since my attention had been fully focused on Torin. “Torin had a meeting this morning that couldn’t be rescheduled, so he asked me to come up here and make sure you got some breakfast. I brought you some clothes to change into.”

I was confused. More clothes? The clothes I had on weren’t dirty. Why did I need to change? She handed me a bundle with a pair of soft grey yoga pants and a black t-shirt. I shrugged and started to change, but lost my balance. Candice caught me, and helped me into the new clothes. She winced when she saw the bruises on my thighs, but tried to cover it with a soft smile.

“Come on,” she said when I was dressed. “Let’s get some food, I’m famished!”

She led me downstairs, letting me lean on her for support without making it seem like a big deal, and showed me to the kitchen. By the time we made it there, I was feeling tired again, but hunger won over exhaustion. My eyes went huge at the sight of a feast laid out on the serving counter. Scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, toast, waffles, grilled tomatoes, biscuits, and tortillas were set out under warmers. There was a box with a wide selection of teas, a coffee machine, and jugs of several different juices and milk on the side. How many people were they feeding?

“Several of the unmated warriors stop by after morning training to grab a quick breakfast,” Candice answered my unspoken question. “Help yourself, we can always make more.”

Suddenly feeling shy, I grabbed a plate and put a little bit of food on it. Not much, since I knew my stomach wasn’t used to eating so much, and I didn’t want anyone to think I was being greedy. Candice watched me with a slight frown, but didn’t say anything as she loaded her own plate with a little bit of everything.

“Do you like apple juice?” she asked when I sat at a table. I nodded at her, trying to remember the last time I’d had anything to drink other than dirty water, and she poured two glasses from one of the jugs before sitting across from me, putting one of the glasses of juice in front of me.

We were the only two people in the room, and I took the opportunity to look around while we ate. It looked like a large cafeteria, but also like a home. There were plenty of tables set around the room, surrounded by chairs, the wooden surfaces scared by years of use, but immaculately clean. The walls were painted a deep green, and featured photos of what I assumed was the pack. Some of the photos looked quite old in black and white, the edges slightly wrinkled. I saw several that featured Torin, laughing and smiling. The other people in the pictures with him seemed happy, but it was obvious they respected him. A strange sense of pride filled my chest at the thought.

I reached for another piece of bacon, shocked to find my plate was empty. I’d eaten everything, but I was still feeling a little hungry. I sighed and tried to ignore the hollow feeling in my stomach.

“I’m going to get some more bacon,” Candice said. “Want some more?”

That was allowed? I looked at her and she smiled before getting up and grabbing my plate. While she put more food on it, I eyed her plate, seeing she still had several pieces of bacon there. I guess I was fairly transparent.

She set my plate back in front of me, now heaped with entirely too much food, and winked at me. “You don’t have to finish it all, but you do need to eat to get your strength up.”

I grinned at her and dug in, this time paying closer attention to the food I was eating. Everything tasted amazing! I ate about half of what she brought me before finally feeling full and pushing the plate away. A group of men and women began to filter into the room. A few of them looked at me out of the corner of their eye, others stared in open curiosity. I heard a few of them whisper to each other, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying.

“How about we go get some fresh air?” Candice suggested, glaring at a few of the people who'd been more obvious in their curiosity about me.

I nodded, happy for the excuse to escape the inquiring gazes, and got up to follow her outside. She led me to a garden filled with roses, and sat down on a bench by a small fountain. I sat next to her and closed my eyes, wanting to weep at how good the sun felt on my skin. I could feel the warmth seeping into me, driving the memories of the dark, damp dungeon out.

After a few moments, Candice cleared her throat. “So, there are a few things you should probably know,” she began. I opened my eyes and looked at her, giving her my full attention. “This is Blazing Hills Pack. The trees on the hills surrounding the packlands turn a bright red color in the Autumn,” she explained with a grin at my raised eyebrow. “Torin is the Alpha, he’s twenty-seven. He took over the pack when he was twenty-two, which is younger than normal, but there was an… incident with his father,” her smile faded and her eyes turned hard with the memory of what had happened. Judging by her reaction, I assumed whatever had happened with Torin’s father was a dark time in the pack’s history.

Shaking off the mood, Candice smiled again. “Wynne is the Beta. He and Torin have been nearly inseparable since they were toddlers. Zade joined their antics when they were teenagers, so it was no surprise when Torin made him Gamma. His mate is Ginger, you’ll meet her later. She’s the best!

“Finally, Ricktor just took over the lead warrior position. He hasn’t found his mate yet, but he’s only twenty, so there’s plenty of time for him,” she smiled fondly and I c****d my head at her. She giggled, “Ok, you got me. Ricktor is my little brother, so I’m super proud of him!”

I smiled at her. I wasn’t sure how she seemed able to read my expressions so well, but it was fun feeling like I was part of the conversation.

“We’re not the biggest pack around, there’s about a thousand of us now, but we’re ranked pretty high in strength. Part of that is because Torin insisted we start allowing females to train when he took over as Alpha, and even requires everyone to train in at least the basics.” It was obvious how proud of her pack she was.

I looked around at our surroundings and had to admit, her pride seemed justified. The grounds were immaculate, and the few people I saw walking around all seemed happy. I took a deep breath, feeling the air fill my lungs. It felt clean, refreshing. I imagined it replacing all the dingy air from Alpha Drake’s pack in my body, and smiled.

“The guys really got into environmental science,” Candice said. “That’s where most of the pack’s money comes from. We have one of the most successful consulting firms in the country. We work with people to educate as well as repair damage done to their areas. Right now, we’re spearheading a campaign to replenish some of the areas that were de-forested.”

“There you are!” a shiver ran down my spine at Torin’s booming voice behind us.

Candice rolled her eyes, but smiled at him. “Don’t even start! I linked you we were here.”

He smirked at her. “Your mate is looking for you. Something about practice makes perfect? Do I even want to know?”

Candice blushed a bright pink. “Probably not,” she squeaked out. She popped up from the bench and smiled apologetically at me. “It was really nice meeting you,” she paused and her eyebrows drew together. “Luna… Torin, you need to figure out what her actual name is. I can’t keep calling my new bestie ‘Luna’ all the time. People will talk.” With that she ran back to the house and disappeared inside.

Torin sat next to me and chuckled. “She and Wynne are going to try for a pup next time she goes into heat,” he explained. “He’s trying to kick start her. How are you feeling this morning?”

I smiled at him. I wanted to snuggle into his side, breathe in his scent, and feel the tingles on my skin when he touched me, but I wasn’t sure how to approach it.

He stared at me as though trying to read my mind. “You look tired, sweetheart. Did you eat?”

I nodded my head. I think I ate more this morning than I’d ever eaten before.

“Candice has a point,” he mused quietly, “we need to find out your name. I suppose I could ask Alpha Drake, but I’m not sure I could trust myself even talking to him on the phone right now, and with the council involved…”

I tugged on his sleeve to get his attention. When he turned to look at me, I made a motion like writing, hoping he would understand. It had been a very long time since I’d written anything, but I was pretty sure I still remembered how to spell my name at least.

His face lit up with excitement. “You can write your name? Brilliant!” He stood up and bent down to scoop me up in his arms. I laughed at his enthusiasm, and snuggled closer, finally getting the contact I’d so desired. He nuzzled his face into my hair and breathed deeply. “I missed you this morning,” he murmured.

I looked up into his face. His lips were so close, his stormy grey eyes seemed to hold so many unspoken promises. He leaned down, but just as I thought he was going to kiss me, he straightened up, and looked away from me. Frustrated, I wanted to ask what I’d done wrong. Instead, he carried me into the house in silence.

He took me to a room dominated by a large wooden desk. I knew instantly that this must be his office. The walls were a dark grey, but the colorful art that was hung up stopped it from looking like a cave. The large window let in plenty of light and faced the forest. I wondered if those were the trees that changed color in the Autumn that Candice had mentioned. There was a love seat against one of the walls, and two chairs facing the desk, but he carried me around to the large desk chair behind the desk and sat down, settling me comfortably in his lap. He reached into a drawer and pulled out a notepad and a pen that he set on the desk in front of me.

I took a deep breath, hoping I could do this. I picked up the pen, holding it awkwardly. Carefully, biting my tongue in concentration, I formed the letters that spelled my name. They were sloppy and childish, and I was a little embarrassed by how much effort it took me, but I sat back and studied the result.

Torin’s arms wrapped around me, and I was grateful he didn’t laugh at me. “Odessa,” he breathed, and goosebumps broke out across my skin at the sound of my name on his lips. No one had called me by my name in years. The sensation of hearing it from him made me feel off balance, but in a good way. “That’s a beautiful name,” he whispered.

I smiled at him, feeling giddy. Maybe this was all a dream. Maybe I’d wake up back in that dingy cell. Maybe I’d died. I didn’t care. I wanted to enjoy every moment with Torin I could. If this was a dream, or the afterlife, I figured I’d earned at least this tiny bit of happiness.

He gazed down at me, his lips so enticingly close, his eyes hypnotic. My pulse raced as he lowered his face even closer to mine. I could feel his breath fanning my face, and I held my breath in anticipation of his lips claiming mine.

“Your tension must be affecting the whole pack! I’ve never seen so many disputes-“ Beta Wynne stopped suddenly as he entered the office. Torin sighed and sat up. I bit my lip, disappointed that our moment had been interrupted. “Am I interrupting something?” Wynne smirked at us.

Yes, I thought, and for a moment could’ve sworn I’d heard someone huff in irritation in the back of my mind. I had to agree with the sentiment, I was ready to shove the beta out of the office and demand my kiss. Instead, I slipped off Torin’s lap and offered him a small smile. He had work to do, and I really shouldn’t take up any more of his time.

“I’ll come find you as soon as we’re done here,” Torin promised me.

I nodded and slipped out of the room. I was tired, but didn’t really feel like sleeping. I thought about going back outside and sitting in the sun for a while. Then I wondered if they had any books around. I had always loved reading when I was little, before I was locked away. None of the other kids in Deep Waters would play with me, so I was often on my own, and books filled in that loneliness.

I stood in the hallway outside of Torin’s office for a while, thinking about my options. It had been so long since I’d had any options about what I wanted to do. The feeling was a little overwhelming.

An older woman approached me with a smile. She had a basket full of clothes, so I assumed she was an Omega. I smiled at her and moved aside to let her pass. Instead, she stopped in front of me. “You look a little lost, dear,” she said gently.

I nodded my head, not sure if she knew I couldn’t speak, or if she would get mad at me for the perceived rudeness.

She just continued to smile warmly at me and asked, “Would you like to see the library?” My smile brightened and I nodded my head enthusiastically, making her chuckle. “Ok, come with me, I’ll show you the way. It’s on the way to the laundry room anyway,” she said before leading me down the hall. “My name is Madrona,” she introduced herself. “I’ve been working in the house since Torin’s grandfather was Alpha. Torin is a good man, much better than his father,” she muttered. This was the second time someone had mentioned Torin’s father with contempt.

We walked across the entrance foyer and she pushed through large double doors into an enormous room. There was a floor to ceiling window on one wall, with a cozy little nook set in the corner by it. A large fireplace dominated another wall with comfortable looking chairs and couches set nearby and I could imagine curling up next to a roaring fire on a cold winter’s night. The rest of the walls were lined with shelves crammed full of books. I stood in the middle of the room and stared around me in open-mouthed amazement. I had no idea so many books even existed!

Madrona laughed softly. “Read anything you like, dear. I’m sure the Alpha would tell you the same if he could see your face right now.”

I felt a blush heat my cheeks, but I smiled at her. I touched my fingers to my chin and moved my hand down and towards her, thanking her for her kindness and her help. She c****d her head at me, and I mentally kicked myself for once again using a sign without realizing she had no idea what it was.

She nodded slightly and closed the door, leaving me alone with more books than I could ever hope to read in a lifetime. Now the hardest part was deciding where to start!