Forever Bound

Luna Derek glanced at her reflection in the mirror before her and smiled. She wasn't the Luna Derek, who was a commoner and a farmer that once managed the farms of her now dead parents. No, she was Luna Derek, the chosen mate of Alpha Rex Edinburgh, the Alpha of the blue moon pack and the ruler of the blue moon kingdom. In a few hours, she wasn't going to control farms and the soil, she was going to be controlling people and resources. Her friend, Sara Vincent, smiled at her through the mirror, applying the last of her makeup. Despite the fact that Rex had wanted the best make-up artists from far and wide to come and see her preparation, she had settled for her friend Sara, because she not only wanted her to share in her joy, she wanted her to know that even when she eventually became the Alpha female of the pack, she wasn't going to leave her behind. “Luna, your hair is so coarse, I'm sure it will scatter before the wedding is over. It has a mind of its own and doesn't like control.” Touching her hair lightly, Luna smiled again. She was beautiful, and despite the fact that her hair was going to be troublesome, she was sure it was going to agree with her for the few minutes they were going to spend at the Blue moon pack circle. “There, done!” Standing up, Luna twirled, enjoying the breeze that caressed her skin as she lifted her white bridal gown and did a little dance. “How do I look, Sara?” “Stunning, as always. You're going to knock them off their feet, I assure you.” Smiling, Luna hugged her friend before she could stop herself. Even though she was getting married to the alpha, she wanted Sara to know that the boundaries they were supposed to share as royalty and commoners were non-existent when it came to her. “Thank you, Sara. Words can't express how grateful I am. How are the kids? How is Benedict? They'll be present at the wedding, right?” She stared at her friend who stared at her in return, the warmth and love in her eyes genuine. “Of course they'll be present. I personally made sure their clothes were well sunned and dried. They'll be here, surely. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I should also prepare myself as the chief bridesmaid.” Luna watched her childhood friend bow down mockingly, and she burst into laughter. There never seemed to be a dull moment with Sara, and she wanted it to continue. Her friend was going to be welcome into the palace for as long as she was the Alpha female, and nothing was going to come in between them. By the time Sara came out of the room opposite, the sun was beginning to dip, the glow of the sunset warm and beautiful. When she had been chosen as the mate of the Alpha by Seer Caramel, the redhead seer of the kingdom, she was shocked. Asking the seer to confirm it once again because she didn't believe that her destiny was to end up in the Palace, the seer confirmed it once again, that yes, she had been chosen by the moon goddess to lead the Blue moon pack. After that, she had met with Alpha Rex just twice before the wedding, but she was already convinced that they were meant for each other. He was a very pleasant gentleman despite his royal heritage, and making sure he held out her chair for her whenever she wanted to sit down, proved that. He seemed to only have eyes on her anytime they were together, and Luna had fought to take her mind off the fact that he was going to be hers, and they were going to live in the same building for the days that led up to the wedding. She loved him even though she knew very little about him, and she was sure that by the time she knew him deeply, the love was going to be greater than it was presently. She left the palace with Sara holding her arm and several stems of flowers that had been chosen. There were whistles from the guards, servants and house attendants, and she waved to them in her happiness, her smile driving them to a frenzy. There were shouts of “we love you, Luna!” as the white chariot that was borne by two white horses that had been chosen specially by Alpha Rex for the wedding. “It seems you're already a legend around here, Luna. And you're not even married yet.” Luna laughed, watching Sara grin from ear to ear. Her friend was happy for her, and it pleased her. The love was genuine, the friendship was real, and that was all she wanted as she was beginning this new chapter of her life. The Blue moon pack circle was filled to the brim as the chariot came to a halt. Luna came down from the chariot, a guard dressed in an immaculate white shirt and trousers helping her maintain her balance. She went down, trying not to look at the faces of the people she knew and the face of the man in a black suit in the middle of the circle. It was Alpha Rex, looking spectacular and handsome. She wondered where his brother was because it was a different person by his side, a soldier, and she remembered Rex clearly telling her that his brother was going to be by his side today. Trying her best to avoid blushing, she let Sara hold her gown as she made her way to the middle of the circle. She smiled at Rex, who mirrored the same feeling in her eyes. The whistles and chanting followed as the crowd saw the smiles and the messages it seemed to bear. Sara glanced at the elder in a robe who was in charge of the wedding proceedings. He was the oldest elder in the kingdom and a member of the council, Elder Jeremiah. He smiled at both of them, his eyes warm and twinkling. He waited till the noise reduced, before he spoke, his voice surprisingly loud and clear despite his old age. The scene was perfect, the sun was just setting, and the leaves of the trees that surrounded the circle fluttered as the evening breeze caressed her skin as the proceedings of the wedding began. “Alpha Rex Edinburgh, will you take Luna Derek to be your lawfully wedded Alpha female and join you as you both join hands in the ruling of the Blue moon pack Kingdom?” “Yes, I do.” The reply was met with cheers and whistles. Luna smiled, glancing at Rex’s cheerful face and the strong outline of his jaw. She surprisingly knew every detail of his face even though she had practically been up close to him just twice. “Luna Derek, will you take Alpha Rex Edinburgh to be your lawfully wedded Alpha and join hands with him as you both rule the Blue moon pack Kingdom?” Nodding and saying “yes” at the same time showed the dexterity of Luna’s excitement. The cheers followed, and she blushed fiercely as she met Rex’s warm gaze. Nodding, the elder Jeremiah continued, clasping his hands as he raised them up to the crowd. “Now, is there anybody in this circle that is in objection to this union? Speak or forever remain silent!” The silence was deafening, but Luna smiled regardless, believing that their union was pure and there was no one in objection to her becoming the Alpha female and leading the pack with Alpha Rex. “In that case.” “Stop, wait!” Turning to the sound of the voice in alarm, Luna turned to see a chariot come to an abrupt halt and Richard, Rex’s brother, jumped out. Next to him was a blonde woman, and she was the one making the objection and the screaming. When she came closer, Luna's blood ran cold when she discovered that it was Seraphina, Richard’s supposed girlfriend. What wrong had she ever done to Seraphina? “Stop, stop.” she muttered, out of breath, her eyes bloodshot and reddened as she joined them in the middle of the circle, Richard by her side. “Stop this marriage, Elder. Stop this marriage, great Alpha. This woman is not fit to be your Alpha female because she is a thief!” The circle gasped, then erupted into a volcano of noise as Luna froze momentarily, her head reeling in shock.