Kenna
Midday sunlight drifts through the open windows in my Aunt Maddy’s personal sitting room. The pale pink wallpaper glistens with delicate floral patterns that glow a soft gold in the sunlight, and all of the furnishings are pale wood and soft, creamy colored fabrics. The scent of Grandma Isla’s rose garden just outside the windows is thick and rich, and I find myself closing my eyes for a moment to breathe it all in.
Ryan and I drove from his pack territory to the castle, where his parents live, after a quick breakfast. Ryan got a call from his dad, my uncle Isaac, that he needed to speak to him immediately, and I decided to tag along in hopes of seeing some of my family members.
Unlike our yearly family gatherings in Maatua, this visit has been a little boring and lonely. My aunt, uncle, and cousins work, and I just… sit around, smelling the roses, apparently. But I also need to borrow one of Maddy’s gowns for tonight.
Just as my eyelids flutter closed, a sharp female voice cuts through the air as she whines, “You’re not my dad, Ryan!”
A smacking sound follows, and I feel the corners of my mouth ticking up at the corners as Misty, Ryan and Sydney’s sixteen-year-old sister, whirls into the room.
“You’re a teenager!” Ryan shouts as he rubs his cheek, following her into my haven of quiet solitude and wrecking my peace. “Also, Mom and Dad already said you’re not allowed to attend any of the balls this summer. Why are you mad at me for it?”
“Because I can be,” Misty huffs, throwing herself on the couch next to me in a very dramatic fashion. “I can just sneak out and go to the festival pretty easily.”
“Oh, yeah? What are you going to do? Climb over the front gate and run past the warriors dad has on guard twenty-four hours a day? Or are you trying to get me to let you spend the night so you can sneak out of my house–”
Misty bares her teeth in an aggressive snarl that cuts Ryan off. He bites his tongue, narrowing his blue eyes at his sister.
“You’re a witch,” he tells her flatly.
Misty rolls her eyes to the ceiling and crosses her arms under her breasts.
“Hey,” I laugh, pointing an accusatory finger at Ryan. “I’m an actual witch, remember?”
“Sorry,” Ryan grumbles, but he runs his fingers through his hair and slouches into an armchair across from us.
Misty flips her thick, golden blonde hair over her slims shoulders and glowers at her brother. She has the same bright blue eyes, but other than that, she looks nothing like Ryan or Sydney, for that matter. The twins take after their mother in coloring, even though their hair is a dark shade of reddish brown.
Misty, however?
She is the spitting image of our Grandma Isla in every way. It’s honestly impossible to tell them apart when looking at old pictures of Isla in her youth.
“What exactly is going on?” I ask, looking from cousin to cousin.
“She cornered me the second we got here and demanded I let her spend the night tonight so she can attend the masquerade ball taking place on the festival grounds,” Ryan says testily, stretching out his legs. “And I said no, obviously.”
Misty sticks her tongue out at her brother. “I don’t see why it’s such a big deal. I’m sixteen! I’m going to Wellington next fall. It’s not like I won’t be around parties, boys, and alcohol there!”
“Are you trying to get me in more trouble than I already am?” Ryan hisses through gritted teeth.
I lean forward. “What are you in trouble for?”
Ryan’s gaze slides from Misty to me, and he huffs out a breath. “No reason–”
She barks a laugh. “No reason? Ha! Dad has been in a horrible mood the last two days because you and Syd beat up an Alpha–”
“What?” I ask, shocked. “Ryan–”
“Syd and I had nothing to do with what happened to the Alpha of Emerald Shore, first of all. Secondly, Dad agrees that the asshole had it coming.”
“Markus? The guy I danced with two nights ago?” I blink, trying to remember his pack name. I’m sure it was Emerald Shore, but there are so many packs….
“Yeah, him.” Ryan runs his hand down his face and scratches his jaw. “Apparently, he got jumped while leaving the temple. He’s causing a scene now, trying to get Dad to do something about it. He thinks me and Sydney were involved.”
I glance at Misty. She looks smug as she inspects her bubblegum pink painted nails.
“Were you involved?” I ask. I haven’t given this Alpha much thought, honestly. I didn’t like the way he talked about my parents and what my role should actually be when it comes to ruling ahead of my eventual husband.
But for the past two days, I’ve been wondering about the… reaction I experienced while in his arms.
Was that the mate bond?
I feel like I need to see him again to be sure.
But judging by the look on Ryan’s face right now, I doubt that’s going to happen easily, if at all.
“He’s a cocky, arrogant bastard who might have killed his own brother to take over their pack,” Ryan deadpans, crossing an ankle over a knee. “He’s been trying to get on Syd’s good side for a while now, to form some kind of alliance. But we didn’t like the fact he took you to the dance floor without even asking us.”
“Do I need your permission to dance with someone?” I cut in, my tone sharpening to a fine edge.
“No, but I’m an Alpha, and you are my family member. Practically a sister. It’s my responsibility to have your back.”
“I don’t need your protection.” I scooch to the edge of the couch in preparation to stand, but soft footsteps drift into the room, and both Misty and Ryan relax.
Ryan gives me a look that says we’re going to continue this conversation at another time just as Aunt Maddy comes into view.
She’s beautiful as always with her dark red hair pulled back away from her face. Dressed in a pale blue, finely tailored suit, she glides to a stop in the center of the room with her hands planted on her hips. “Misty, you’re supposed to be at training right now.” She checks her watch. “You’re actually twenty minutes late, missy. Cassian is going to be livid.”
Misty sighs heavily and stands. She glares at Ryan, who makes a face back at her as she practically stomps out of the room.
“What's her problem?” Maddy asks, looking between me and Ryan.
“She wanted to spend the night at my house so she could sneak out and go to the ball tonight,” Ryan says with effort. He suddenly looks exhausted and groans as he rises. “Is Dad out of his meeting?”
“Yeah, he should be. Where’s Syd?”
“I thought he was here with Dad,” Ryan replies. “Is he not here?”
Maddy shakes her head and shrugs. Ryan simply walks away and out of sight.
“Well,” Maddy sighs, rolling her shoulders. “Come here, Kenna, and give me a hug!”
I do just that.
“Goddess, it’s been too long. How was your birthday? How has it been staying with Ryan? Tell me everything!”
“My birthday was fine,” I laugh, “and staying with Ryan has been great. It’s nice to spend some time with him, just us.”
“I knew it was a good idea. I suggested it, actually. We thought Ryan could use the company.”
“I think he has plenty of company,” I chuckle, then promptly shut my mouth and turn pink.
Maddy smirks. “Oh, trust me, I hear all about Ryan’s reputation as the kingdoms most notorious flirt.”
He does a lot more than flirting, but I just smile and nod as Maddy motions for me to follow her upstairs.
She takes me into a room on the second floor, closing the door behind us before flipping the light switch. I blink to adjust my eyes to the brightness and take a deep breath as I scan the room coming into view.
Of course, the Luna of Crescent Falls would have an entire room in the castle as a dedicated closet.
It’s nearly as large as my bedroom back in Moonrise. Shelves are full of shoes, gowns hang from racks, and ceiling height shelving units are stacked with sweaters and pants.
“So,” she says, rifling through a rack of gowns. “I talked to your mom this morning.”
“Oh, yeah?” I ask, momentarily blinded by the torrent of color making the room spin.
“She says you haven’t checked in with them since you left Maatua last week.”
“Yeah… I haven’t. I’ve been busy.” It’s true, in my defense. Dad spirited me to Maatua, which is also called ‘jumping,’ the act of basically walking through space and time and landing somewhere completely new. It’s incredibly difficult and taxing on our powers to do long jumps all the way here, so once in Maatua, I spent a few days with my grandparents before catching the ferry to the mainland.
But… that was a week ago, and I did tell my mom and dad I’d be checking in weekly.
“Don’t worry, I talked to her and let her know you were fine and having a good time. You are, right?”
“Having a good time? Yeah, I am.”
Maddy eyes me for a moment before pulling a few gowns from the rack and hanging them on a hook next to a huge full length mirror. “Ella told me you’re here to find your mate.”
I purse my lips and tuck my hands in the pockets of the cream colored silk pants I have on. “Did she?” Great. My mom and aunt are best friends, and nothing has ever been a secret between them. I should have known Mom was going to share every detail of my plans.
“She wanted me to talk to you about something. About the mate bond, actually. Here, do you like this one? Red is always such a good color on you and your mom.” She holds up a crimson dress, but I shake my head. She frowns, putting it back on the rack.
“What about the mate bond?”
Maddy chews the inside of her cheek for a moment before pulling out another gown, this one a muted sage that shimmers in the sunlight. “Look, I know you’re wondering if you can even feel the bond. Your mom told me about how training in your wolf form is going. I lost my wolf when I was your age.”
“You did?” Well, apparently this is one secret Mom left out. “How?”
“I’m sure you’ve heard a few tidbits of the story of how Isaac and I met, and my life in Celestoria. I was abused, starved, and worked nearly to death. I was weak, and that reflected in my wolf powers, and then I lost the ability to shift altogether. I couldn’t feel the bond with Isaac, not at first. It wasn’t that crazy pull and feeling that knocks you off your feet.” She smiles to herself, carrying the sage dress toward her shoe rack. “Honestly, not everyone feels that way around their mates when they first find each other. Your parents are the exception. Those two, well, their bond was stronger than any I’ve ever heard of. They were woven together from birth, whereas I needed a little… nudge, to feel anything with Isaac.”
She turns to me with the dress in one hand and a pair of beautiful strappy heels in the other.
“What kind of nudge?”
“I thought I’d never feel the mate bond, and I was okay with it. I was fine being with Isaac knowing he wasn’t my mate, but then he… he marked me, and our bond snapped into place.”
She hands me the gown and smiles, squeezing my hand.
“You’ll find your mate, honey,” she says softly. “You don’t need to rush.”
“I’m going to be a Luna soon, Aunt Maddy.” I don’t want to be alone. I don’t want to rule–alone. I don’t want to be stuck in Veiled Valley waiting for my mate to find me.
She must pick up on the unsaid words dancing behind my eyes because she tucks a rogue lock of hair behind my ear and says, “Evander will be there with you, right? You won't be alone. You’ll have your best friend with you.”
My heart feels incredibly heavy as she leaves my side to start going through her jewelry.
I stand in silence, my mind reeling back to that strange, all-consuming sensation I felt at the ball.
Maybe that wasn’t the mate bond.
Maybe that was… something else.
“Where is Syd, by the way? He’s supposed to join us for lunch today.”
I sigh, smoothing my fingers over the dress. “I have no idea.”