Bonded

Chapter 8

I wake to the feeling of the sun shining through my window kissing my skin, raiding warmth throughout me. I stretch, snuggling into the pillows and what I suspect to be rather expensive bedding. I slept well last night, not waking once, and I feel like a new person. The sun shines, the sun sets, and then it rises again, constantly promising a new day. Today is a new day in my new life.

I realize when I get out of the shower that I don’t have a hair dryer, so I do my best to dry it with a towel. I had planned to wear a dress that David had given me but with my hair still damp, I opt to put on a pair of jeans and a shirt instead, for fear that my wet hair down the back of the dress would mess it up. I slip on a pair of black flat shoes, surprised that they fit so perfectly, and look at myself in the mirror. This will do.

Once ready for the day, I walk downstairs, following the scent of food because I don’t exactly remember how to get there on my own through the vast hallways of the packhouse. Thankfully, I find it easily enough and I walk inside to find David and Austin sitting at the table, deep in conversation.

“Morning Celeste,” Austin greets me with a smile. “You could have taken the time to dry your hair.”

I don’t want to seem greedy. I don’t NEED a hair dryer, I can just wash it at night instead, so I just offer a laugh. “I was too hungry.”

“I’m sure you were,” he says, taking a bite of eggs. “Dad told me. I can’t believe you shifted like that. How’s your wolf?”

I offer him a small smile and notice that David is now intently listening to our conversation. “I haven’t heard her since we made it here to safety. The doctor said she’d need to rest a while.”

“That makes sense,” he says, not seeming to be alarmed. “I guess that means you won’t shift tonight.”

I reach for some oatmeal and take a bite, feeling better about it today than I did yesterday. Everything I have eaten so far has been bland, but I do feel a bit better. “I honestly hadn’t even thought about it. Shifting was so terrible that I am content to wait quite a while before shifting again.”

“The first one is the worst,” David reminds me and pours some coffee into a mug that he passes to me. I look at it wary, the smell of it making me feel a little sick. “Perhaps some tea instead?”

“Maybe,” I say, unsure if that would be better. He calls over an omega and asks them to bring some tea for me. The man just smiles at me kindly and nods, turning away to what I assume is the kitchen.

“Celeste is going to be with me tonight, anyways,” David tells Austin. “I’ll be doing the ceremony to induct her into the pack.”

“What even happens for that?” Austin asks.

I shake my head at him but before I can answer, Beta Ralph walks up with Carolyn and Audrey. “Nothing when you're born into the pack.”

Well, now I’m curious. How exactly does all of this even work? I wonder if David would tell me if I ask. I look up and he nods at me ever so slightly and I realize he knows exactly what I’m thinking.

“What are you up to today, Celeste?” Austin asks, changing the subject as an Omega comes back with a mug of tea for me.

“She’s going to take today and this weekend to get situated,” David tells him, passing cream and sugar down to me. He must have remembered how my mug looked two nights ago, something I didn’t even think he’d notice. “Celeste is going to start school on Monday so she can finish that up before she starts her training and gets too deep into the Luna duties.”

Carolyn perks up upon hearing that and smiles at me broadly. “That’s great, honey!”

I nod and take a sip of the tea, finding that it is helping me feel a bit better. “As long as my wolf is good with it. No one really knows how this will work since I’ve already shifted, or if I’ll even be able to shift again before I’m 18.”

“You wolf only wanted the best for you,” she says, and I nod in agreement. “I’m sure she will want you to finish school. You’re so close to being done.”

“I’m not happy about how it happened,” Audrey speaks up. “But I AM happy we get to go to school together, though. You can always come today!”

“Celeste is still healing from her shift,” David speaks up, remembering from our conversation that I said I wanted to start Monday. “Besides, I haven’t gotten everything she’ll need yet.”

I suddenly feel bad that he’s having to provide everything for me. When I ran, I was just trying to stay alive. I didn’t think about the fact that I’d be starting over at a new pack with absolutely nothing. My face must show this because I feel David’s hand squeeze my forearm under the table as he smiles at me. It seems to be his way of letting me know that it’s OK and it's appreciated.

After breakfast I go back up to my room and feel much more confident about how to get there. I’m supposed to meet David for lunch later in his office and he’s going to show me around my new office and the packhouse. As I approach my room, I find an older Omega shewolf standing outside, her arms loaded with bags.

“Hi,” I say as I approach, unsure what they’re doing here.

“Hi!” she returns brightly, immediately putting me at ease. “The Alpha requested that I bring these to you, Luna. Umm… Celeste…? I’m so sorry. I’m not sure exactly what I’m supposed to call you.”

I smile at her and open the door for her to enter, taking a few of the bags from her as we walk in. “It’s alright. I’m not really sure what I’m supposed to be called, either. You can just call me Celeste.”

“Yes, ma’am, Celeste. I’m so sorry. When they told me there was to be a new Luna, I just wasn’t expecting someone so young,” she says, looking around the room. “Where do you want me to put these?”

“Oh, umm… wherever is fine. I’m not even sure what’s in them.”

She nods and places the bags on the bed.

“So, what’s your name?” I ask her, trying to get to know someone other than Audrey’s family in my new home.

“Rita,” she tells me and turns to leave, stopping at the door. “It was nice to meet you, Celeste. It will be wonderful having you here with us.”

“Thank you, Rita” I tell her. “I really appreciate how kind everyone here has been to me.”

She steps out of the door but turns back. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” I say, sure that she’s going to ask why I’m so young.

“Is it true that your Father is the Alpha who is letting the Omega children go to school?”

My heart tightens in my chest. I didn’t know word had spread outside of our pack about it, and certainly not outside of the Alphas. “He was,” I say, feeling my voice wavering to barely a whisper. “They killed him for it.”

“And that’s why you’re here?” she asks, walking over and pulling me into a hug. “You poor thing. You really are as young as you look, aren’t you?”

I nod, wrapping my arms around her tightly. “I’m only fifteen. I’m not his mate. He’s just making me the Luna in name to help protect me.”

“Good,” she says, and it feels like I’m wrapped in the arms of a grandmother who hasn’t seen their grandkid for months. “He’s a good Alpha and a good man. He’ll keep you safe here. We all will, baby.”

Eventually, she releases me, reaching up to wipe my tears away and leaves me alone in the room. I hadn’t expected anyone to know about my dad, or the plans he had. David didn’t act like he had known about it, but this kind Omega did. I find this interesting, very interesting indeed.

I peek into the bags and see more clothes and shoes. There’s a bag that contains some makeup and in another, I spot a hairdryer, causing me to smile.

There’s easily twice as much stuff as what David gifted me yesterday and while I feel guilty about how much money he must have spent on it all, it makes me feel good to have more options. Excited, I dump the bags onto the bed and look through it all before putting everything away.

I take the hairdryer and plug it in, drying my hair, though it is mostly dry by now. Still, it feels nice that he noticed that I needed something and immediately got it for me.

He was kind with the Omega at breakfast, and has been so very kind in every interaction with me. I feel much more at ease with my decision now and take a deep breath, releasing the fears that I have had. This is going to work. I will be just fine here, I just hope Willow agrees.