I had always wondered when I was a kid what marriage would be like. Would it be like my parents', former parents, marriage. Would it be the quiet devotion of my father? Or would it be all burning like Cedric and Brienne?
I didn't know.
One night, when Nesta and I were stargazing in a park, I asked her what she would want in a mate. She had replied, her eyes shining, the excitement palable, "I would want him to love me unconditionally. Not for my features, not for my status... or my blood." The words struck a chord with me.
Maybe Lucas did love her for all of those things, but she could have told me. She could have-
My thoughts were interrupted when a knock sounded on my door. I inhaled shakily.
Michael, true to his words, had invested in my dad's company with my name, so I kept my part of the baggage. Today, I was no longer Decker Silver. No, I was Chloe Saint VonJhering.
I opened the door and saw a man with black hair in waves and the greenest eyes had ever since in leather apparel. He was handsome with a round face that made him look cuter. "Hi." I said breathily.
His eyes were picking me apart with the way he looked. They seemed wary. "I'm here to show you around the pack."
The pack. It hit me like a hammer. I was the Luna of a pack thrice as big as my former pack. Gods, what had I gotten myself into? I swallowed whatever was coming up my throat.
His eyes flickered, hesitating, "Or I could come back when you are more settled."
I smiled gratefully at him, but I had to do this. I couldn't just sit here all day. I was a teacher, and I taught hormonal teenagers every day. I could handle this.
'We can always handle everything together.' Cassie reminded me.
I shook my head at him and replied, "I'm ready now."
He just nodded and started walking. I had to half-jog to keep up with him.
"This is the pack house, as you may have noticed." I nodded, and he kept speaking as we walked down the halls. The house was huge, noise emanating from everywhere. People ran around trying to do their jobs, my tour guide said.
The colours I saw varied from a pale red to a light blue.
When we got to the main hall, the place quieted. My heart leapt to my throat. "You are new here. They are curious." He said, not glancing at me as he continued with the endless tour.
Rooms and more rooms, high chandeliers hung on the ceiling, the dining area, the Grand Hall were important ceremonies were made like the initiation of a new Alpha, his Beta, Gamma and Delta. And his Luna, too. Our wedding didn't take place here. I honestly didn't know what I had chosen for myself or what fate had chosen for me. He was my mate for goodness sake and he just abandoned me!
Was everything he said to me that day fake?
"- and this is the Courtyard were the Enforcers and Warriors train." I looked up and saw we truly were on a massive field that spanned for miles and miles.
"Woah!" I exclaimed. "I can already imagine my kids running around the field and trying to run every mile before one of them finally passes out." I chuckled. A real one.
The man looked at me strangely, "Your kids?"
I nodded. "I'm an English teacher, or at least I was."
I couldn't figure out how he felt about me or about my past job, but he asked, "You chose to be a teacher?"
The question made me pause. Did I choose or did Brienne suggest it, and like a fool, I listened. I recalled bitterly. Still, I wasn't sure I would have chosen something worthwhile. I did enjoy teaching, though.
"Not at the beginning. The children were such a pain my ass at first. I almost quit on my first day when one of them spilt mac and cheese on my clothes," I smiled at the memory, "I walked out of building, got into my car and was about to drive back home. I couldn't do this, I told myself."
The man looked at me, truly looked this time, "I'm guessing you didn't drive off."
I smiled, "No, I didn't. But I still thought about quitting every once in a while. Kids are a lot. One time, one of them glued his underwear to his butt because he didn't want a wedgie!"
He couldn't help the smile that emerged. "What? Why would he even-"
"I can't say. He cried and cried until we managed to get it off, and in the next hour, he was telling everyone, jumping everywhere. I almost pulled my hair out." His smile became wider.
"Arc. Delta of the Blood Moon Pack." He finally said.
"Chloe," I leaned in, saying mischievously, "I'm the Luna of the pack, pretty big deal." He shook his head.
The Courtyard was full of equipment with people doing exercises, drills, fighting each other and at the furtherest corner, some were using their Arcanas.
"How many people in the pack have an Arcana?" I asked, eyes never leaving them. It was wonderful. The idea that people could use their Arcanas this freely was so foreign to me. I was in awe.
A girl had knocked someone over using her telekinesis. The number of people who had Arcanas were few and far in the whole Werewolf population, all thanks to the Tri War that happened over a century ago. The vampires and witches almost wiped them out. Last I heard, we were between 90 and 134.
Arc eyed me in askance, his voice more distant. "I can't give out information, not authorised."
Did they think me a spy? The thought sent chills down my spine as I glanced around, feeling uneasy.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry. Just curious." I explained, but the tension in his shoulders didn't disappear. "What's your Arcana, or is that unauthorised information too?" I joked.
Before he could reply, my entire life flashed in front of me as a knife was thrown at me, targeted at my throat. It was too close, and even if I moved, it could still nick my throat.
I stood there frozen, chest pounding as the knife finally reached me, and I closed my eyes, letting the darkness swallow me.