Chapter 83: Getting Ready.
Yara.
Tonight, I’ll take my place as Luna of this pack. It’s an important moment for me and for this pack. I’ve accepted Warren, this pack, and my role in it. This is my future, a future I never truly expected to have, but I can’t wait for each day to begin so I can live it.
Archie had gotten my things from the university when Warren sent him to erase my presence there. Thankfully, he’d put all my school records back, but now I have my clothes from when I was in Alpha Solomon’s pack. I don’t have a lot of dressy clothes, but Alpha Solomon insisted that I have a couple of nice dresses for important dinners, pack events, and graduations.
As I stand in my closet, I remember the man who raised me, who looked after me, and who ultimately died because he protected me from his son. There was one dress, in particular, that I’d only worn once. Alpha Solomon had chosen it for me. He said it made me look mature, yet elegant, and still feminine. It’s a color that is close enough the color of my eyes that it makes my eyes stand out. It has crochet lace overlay on the bodice with a halter neckline, which means no bra. I smile thinking of Warren’s reaction to that when he takes it off of me later. The long skirt has a chiffon overlay that falls from a fitted, banded waist. The dress also has a sexy slit that made me self-conscious before, but now, I can’t wait to see Warren’s reaction to it. It makes me wonder if Alpha Solomon thought I’d one day need a dress like this for a Luna ceremony. Even if it didn’t feel like the perfect dress for today, which it does, I’d wear it for Alpha Solomon. I wish he was here to see me take my place as a Luna. I know he’d be proud of me.
There’s a knock at the door and I call for the person to enter. Anna and Piper come in and gasp when they see me.
“Oh, Luna. Alpha is going to swallow his tongue when he sees you,”
Piper says.
“I bet he’s stunned into silence, and how often does that happen?” Anna agrees.
“Never,” the three of us laugh.
“You think he’ll like it?” I ask.
“He’ll love it. You look so beautiful Luna, it almost makes me want to cry,” Piper says. Her voice is still soft she continues to heal, and she’ll always have silvery scars on her throat where Simon tried to rip her throat out, but those scars only reinforce how strong she is. Of course, she also has a silvery mate mark that shines brighter than the scars on her neck.
“What’s this I see?” I ask her, walking over.
“Geez, you even glide in that dress,” Anna says, her eyes going wide.
I smile at her but focus on Piper.
“Travis and I made it official last night,” she smiles.
“Oh, Piper. I’m so happy for you,” I say, hugging her carefully so I don’t crush my dress.
“Thank you, Luna. It feels really good to have someone like him as my mate. I feel so lucky to have found him.”
“So, what can I do for the two of you?” I ask.
“Well, first, we’re here to help you,” Piper says.
“Help me what?”
“Get ready, of course. We’re multi-talented, Luna. We wanted to help you with your hair and make-up,” Piper says.
“Yes, but also, Gamma Laney doesn’t have a dress and we were hoping you might have an extra one for her?” Anna asks.
“Do you think she and I are the same size?” I ask, turning back to my closet.
“Erica is helping her and she’ll find a way to make it work. Gamma Laney didn’t say it, but I think she was feeling bad about not having anything to wear other than warrior clothes.”
“What about Beta Noelle?” I ask. She’s small like me, so I know my dresses would fit her.
“Gamma Laney made sure her sister had a dress for important events, so she has one. But our Gamma didn’t spend money on those sorts of things for herself,” Anna says.
“Of course she didn’t. I’m sure Noelle always came first for her,” I say, pulling out another dress, this one close to knee-length on me but it would probably come mid-thigh on Laney.
“The blue won’t match her eyes, but it will go well with her blond hair,”
I say.
“It’s perfect. Our Gamma is a warrior and I’m sure her legs are fantastic. Gamma Haynes will drool over her in that dress,” Anna says excitedly. “Okay, take that to her. Is someone helping Noelle get ready?” I ask.
“Yes, Luna. Katie is helping Beta Noelle. We drew straws to see who got to come help you,” Piper says, pulling a bag from behind her back that I hadn’t noticed before. “Have a seat, Luna.
“Okay,” I say, excited to dress up for Warren and the pack.
Anna returns before Piper is finished. “Alpha Warren sent these up for you, Luna,” she says, handing me
a bouquet of wildflowers. I can tell that he hand-picked them for me. It makes my heart flutter with love for this strong, powerful Alpha who picks wildflowers for me.
“Here, Anna, tie them with this ribbon. It will match the ones I’m putting in her hair,” Piper says. “Oh perfect!”
When Piper is done, I turn to look in the full-length mirror at myself.
I’ve never been one to dress up, always focused on my studies and wearing comfortable clothes and lab coats at school. I almost don’t recognize the woman in the mirror. She looks exactly like what a Luna should look like, poised, elegant, and beautiful.
“Oh, Piper. I look amazing,” I whisper.
“Luna, you looked amazing before. Al I did was make your hair match your dress and you. It’s the woman who makes the Luna, not the clothes,” Piper says softly, our eyes meeting in the mirror.
“You really are our perfect Luna,” Anna says, looking at me in the mirror.
“I’m going to cry,” I say, my eyes filling with tears.
“Wel, then, it’s a good thing Anna hasn’t done your make-up yet,” Piper says.
“Make-up?”
“Not much, Luna. You’re already beautiful. It will just enhance your natural beauty. Have a seat.”
It isn’t long before she’s done and when I look again, I can see that she really didn’t add too much, just enough to enhance my looks, like she said.
“It’s perfect, Anna.”
“No crying now, Luna, or I’ll have to start all over.”
Anna looks at the time. “Piper, we have to go get ready. The ceremony starts in less than an hour.
“We’ll see you down there, Luna,” Piper says, gently hugging me again. I give Anna a hug and after they leave, I look at myself again, taking a deep breath.
When Warren’s voice drifts into my head, asking if I’m ready, I get my bouquet and begin to head downstairs. On the way, I meet Noelle heading down and then we both find Laney.
“Well, if our mates aren’t struck speechless, I don’t what will make them so,” I say, looking at Noelle and Laney. They both look beautiful and my dress looks good on Laney. Just like I thought it would, it shows off her muscular legs. I can tell she’s a bit uncomfortable showing so much skin while being so dressed up, but it suits her. I also notice that both women have small bouquets of flowers as well.
“Are we ready?” I ask.
“Ready, Luna,” Noelle says.
“Ready,” Laney says.
I hold my bouquet in both hands and open my arms for my ranked females. I want us to all walk outside together.
When they loop their arms through mine, holding their own bouquets, I take one more deep breath, and we step out back.
As one, the pack turns to look at us. I can hear their murmurings, but my eyes are on the stage where our mates all turn their focus to us. I, however, only have eyes for Warren.
‘Damn,’ I see him mouth as his eyes darken possessively as we begin making our way to the stage.