The Lunam Ceremony (Book One), page 3
Krystal says the third Sierra branch is Pinehurst. They run a cattle ranch in Central California. Sophie Ann thinks it’s ironic that a pack of wolves owns cattle. “We used to be natural predators, to sell cows for money goes against our ancestors’ ideals. It’s like a shark selling sushi.”
Krystal rolls her eyes. “Ever heard of evolution, Soph? I thought you were the smart one.” Sophie Ann is all about traditions and living the way nature intended. If it were up to her, we would stay in wolf form forever.
“We’ll see what tune you’re singing next year after our Lunam.” Krystal picks up a can of hair spray and lets out a long, steady stream, covering my entire head. I close my eyes and hold my breath. When she stops spraying, I cough and exhale. Krystal just laughs.
“You mean next year when you become some alpha-douchebag’s sex slave,” Sophie Ann says as she opens the window and fans the air.
“Shut up! You’re gonna scare Kalysia,” Krystal yells then turns to me. “You’re not going to be anyone’s sex slave. Unless you want to be.” She winks and winds my hair around a hot curling iron.
“Lunam wasn’t always about power and sex.” Sophie Ann sits on the bed. “It used to be about reconnecting with our true selves. I’m hoping new leaders like you will change things.” She smiles hopefully at me.
“I don’t really know the rules.” I shrug. I don’t know how I’ll be able to change anything. I can’t even decide if I want to be here.
“You will be the leader of the most powerful branch in our history. You’re the first to have money and power right from the start. Tuluka is going to set the tone for our future,” Sophie Ann says with so much conviction I’m afraid to tell her she’s wrong. What if she isn’t wrong? Will I really have that much power?
I don’t even know what the pack does, other than bits and pieces about wine and now the mention of cattle. Layla purposely kept it from me. She didn’t want me to research the pack online. Layla is all about finding out the truth on an as-needed basis. “I know the new business is top secret, but what other businesses do the Sierras have?”
“The Sierras grow grapes for fancy wineries,” Krystal says as she teases my hair with a comb. “It sounds sort of lame, but they make tons of money.” She pauses to spray another ozone killing layer of hairspray around my head. “Nobody messes with the Sierras. Not even Shasta, and they have twice as many members.”
Krystal says Sierras are steadily losing members to the outside world. “It’s not just pregnancy that keeps girls from Lunam. Some just want to live their own lives.” She looks into the hall then leans in towards my ear. “Like Tandy,” she whispers. “She’s a pureblood.” She shakes her head in exasperation. “I’d kill to have her bloodline, and she just wasted it on some beta.”
“What branch is he in?” The wheels in my head starts to turn. Maybe I can get them jobs in the new pack.
“None,” Krystal whispers loudly. “He works at a Wal-Mart.” She delivers this news as if it’s the most horrible thing in the world. “His parents are betas that left the pack before he was born.”
I think about the pep talk I gave Tandy. She must have needed that more than I even thought. I’m a pureblood and I was ready to bail on this whole Lunam thing. I feel underserving of it. I definitely don’t appreciate it and I’m starting to think I should.
“It could be worse. He could be a half-breed,” Sophie Ann adds with a shudder. “Human blood in your line diminishes all chances of phasing. Nobody wants a half-breed baby. They’re basically just hook-ups gone wrong.” Sophie Ann laughs like a mean girl.
“Shasta is full of them. Well, that’s the rumor anyway,” Krystal says as she unravels my hair from her curling iron and sets it down. “Shasta sluts,” she sneers and falls onto the bed next to her sister.
“Shhh.” Sophie Ann jumps up and closes the bedroom door. “If Mom hears us talking shit about Shasta girls, she’ll blow a gasket. I’m not about to get my phone taken away again.”
Krystal stands up and starts to examine my hair. She must see the confused look on my face, because she drops her hand on my shoulder and gives me a squeeze. “Don’t worry, you will match with a Sierra. And next year when I turn eighteen, I want to join your pack.” Krystal winks at me. “We’re going to have so much fun!”
“Sure,” I tell her even though I have no idea where I’ll be in a year. I try not to think about it. I just focus on what’s in front of me. Baby steps.
Layla interrupts with a single knock as she opens the door. “You ready to hit the road?” She brings her hand to her mouth, trying to hide the shock so evident in her eyes. “You, uh, look different, Kalysia.”
“I did her hair and makeup. Isn’t it great?” Krystal’s face beams with pride.
I pray my mother isn’t her usual truthful-to-a-fault self. I don’t want to crush Krystal’s confidence. “Isn’t it great, Mom?”
She puts her hand on her hip and leans on the door frame. “It’s very chic. I’m just not sure it’s you, Kalysia.”
“Maybe I don’t want to be me today.” I wink at Krystal as I stand and walk out of the room to get my bag. Fake eyelashes and teased hair still won’t hide the fact that I’m scared out of my mind. I hide my shaky hand as I lift my bag onto my shoulder. The only other time I felt this nervous was when I stood in line to ride the roller coaster at the top of Stratosphere. My knees buckled as I looked over the edge. That was the first time I felt fear. In the nervous, pee-your-pants sort of way. What I feel now is more like I want to puke then run or run away while I’m puking. I walk into the bathroom and stare at the overly mascaraed hair-bear I’ve been transformed into by Krystal. I start to laugh at how ridiculous I look. No boy in his right mind would ever pick me for a partner. I have nothing to worry about.
I meet my mom out front. Jessie and Bonnie are packing the last of the bins in the trunk of the convertible. Mom offers more kind words for Krystal and tells her she has a good eye for color. She hugs and kisses Sophie Ann, and then Krystal. “You two be good,” she warns. “I’ll be back after Lunam, so you’ll have to deal with me and your mom if I hear you’ve been acting up.” They pretend to be annoyed, like teenage girls do, and assure Layla they will be angels.
I decide to ride with Jessie and Bonnie in the SUV after Layla mentions making a pit stop at a shopping center nearby. The idea of spending time with my mom is tempting, but shopping sort of kills any chance of us actually speaking. And shopping with Layla is torture. She always tries on a million outfits and usually ends up buying the first one in the pile. When she’s on a mission, nothing and nobody can get in her way.
I give her a hug goodbye and tell her to hurry. I know I’m about to become a woman, but I still want my mom there for support. “I will, honey,” she says and hands me a little travel bag. “You’ll need this.”
I settle into the back of the SUV and open the bag. I laugh as I look inside. God, I hate when she’s right. I pull out a container of makeup removing wipes and start swiping my eyes. I use a handheld mirror in the bag to check my progress. It takes six wipes before I look like me again. My hair is a lost cause. I put it in a messy bun and sit back to enjoy the beautiful scenery outside. The drive to Clearlake is a series of twists and turns into the mountains. By the time we pull to a stop in the gravel parking lot, I can’t tell if the knot in my stomach is from the drive or fear. I hop out of the SUV and stretch. Sweat slides down the back of my knees. In the desert the heat is dry, but here it’s like a wet blanket being draped over my body.
Layla must have beaten her personal record for her fastest shopping time ever, because she pulls up only ten minutes after us; she looks as if she just rolled out of a salon. She unties the black silk scarf from her head, and there isn’t a hair out of place. She steps out of the car and I notice she is wearing a dress. It’s a retro Marilyn Monroe style black and white halter that looks amazing on a curvy woman like Layla.
Bonnie and Jessie whistle when they see her. She spins playfully and poses by the car.
“Who are you trying to impress?” I ask as Jessie loads my arms with grocery bags.
Layla adjusts her boobs and smiles at me. “Just worry about yourself tonight, sweetie.”
I’ve seen Layla on the prowl. She’s had a few male friends over the years. There was one guy, Miles. They dated for three years. He was rich and had a boat. He took us to fancy dinners in Las Vegas and even got me tickets to Cirque de Soleil for my birthday. One night I heard them arguing because Miles wanted to take us on a ski trip and mom refused to go. Miles ran a string of casinos and had a business trip in Reno. The argument escalated from her not wanting to go on the trip to problems in their relationship. Miles stopped by one more time to pick up some clothes he had left at the apartment, and I never saw him again. After that her relationships, if you can call them that, were all casual. When I questioned her about finding my soulmate, she always said the same thing. I’m different, stronger than she is, and she had no doubt I would make a match that would last forever. How do you argue with that?
After a short walk into the woods, we arrive at the ceremony area. The clearing is about half the size of a football field. A few dozen picnic tables and an old farm house are the only signs of human life in the middle of the forest. This farmhouse has been the location of the Lunam Ceremony for the last one hundred years. From the outside it looks like a rundown bed and breakfast. Jessie opens the double doors and Bonnie walks inside ahead of me. The foyer looks like a fancy prep school. Opposite the door is a large staircase leading to the second floor; it’s made of dark wood, with metal ornate hand rails.
“Down the hall on the right is the girls’ dressing room,” Jessie says. Then she points out the sign on the wall. “Boys are on the left.” Jessie walks to one side of the foyer and opens a set of large double doors. They lead to a huge banquet room. “This is where the ceremony is held when the weather is bad.” The wall on the opposite side of the room is a series of French doors providing a view of the forest. “You won’t have to worry; the weather is clear for tonight.” The weather is the last thing I’m worried about.
I follow Jessie into the kitchen; it looks like the kitchen of a four-star restaurant, with industrial-size appliances and several work stations. As I unload the groceries, she fires up the stoves and starts cooking. I don’t really know what to do, so I decide to play sous chef. I empty a bag of chopped onions into a bowl and carry them to Jessie. I trip, and the onions fly into the air and land all over the floor. Jessie takes the empty bowl from my hand and pushes me out the door. “Why don’t you go help Bonnie?”
Layla giggles in the corner as she forms hamburger meat into burgers. “Bonnie is outside.” She motions with her head as I leave the kitchen. Hopefully, cooking won’t be one of the duties I need to fulfill because I suck at it. I don’t really have any skills to bring to the pack, other than my bloodline. From what I’ve learned so far, I think that’s enough.
I find Bonnie laying out pieces of white cloth on one of the picnic tables. She shakes out each one before placing it on top of the growing stack. “Are those shorts?” I point to one of the piles.
“Yep, those are for the boys,” she says. “These are for the girls.” Bonnie holds up a plain cotton dress that barely reaches my knees. The fabric is cut like a long t-shirt, with capped sleeves and a wide neck.
“Kind of short, don’t you think?”
Bonnie laughs and places it back on the pile. “They aren’t a fashion statement, honey. You put these on when it’s time to phase. When you phase, whatever clothes you’re wearing will be ripped to shreds. We can’t have you kids running around here naked like they did in the old days.”
“Oh yeah,” I say quietly.
“All of this must be overwhelming for you. I told Layla she should have brought you back two years ago and given you time to adjust. You’ve never even met any of the boys.” Bonnie shakes her head. “You know your mom, she’s so damn stubborn.”
I love the fact that she knows my mother in a way that I don’t. Layla had boyfriends, but she never had any female friends. She said it was because women were intimidated by her. “There’s no way I would’ve let her bring me back while I was still in school.” Not when I was told I had until eighteen before fulfilling my destiny. “Maybe if I was raised in the pack, like Krystal and Sophie Ann, I would feel differently.”
“Krystal is boy crazy; she could care less about Lunam. She just wants to fall in love. Sophie Ann is a purest. She believes in all the old ideals, like being naked at Lunam and reverting back to old traditions.”
I think of what Sophie Ann said about raising cattle, and it makes more sense now, although, I can’t imagine her wanting to hunt cows. “How much have we moved away from tradition?”
Bonnie hesitates a bit before she answers. “Over the years there are certain things we had to adapt to. I think our core values have remained intact. Family and prosperity in the sense of living rich and fulfilling lives have always been our main focus. Nobody expected our businesses to be so successful. As the pack grew, so did our business. We had to make sure everyone is taken care of. It might seem like money is what drives us, but really it is the wellbeing of our kind.” She reaches down and opens another bin. She pulls out another pile of dresses. I fold them while she talks. “Some see the success as a curse. They think the elder council, the pack bank, the selection of leaders, is all about power. It isn’t. We have to make sure our legacy is protected. In this world it’s through money. Three hundred years ago we hunted game; the one with the largest kill was revered. It’s the same core value.”
“Who is on the council? What do they do?”
“The elder council rotates members every eighteen years. This year, the parents of the Lunam children will join the council. The members that no longer have blood ties to the new Lunam leaders will retire.”
“So, my mother will join this year,” I clarify.
“Yes. We will finally have a voice on the council.” Bonnie goes to collect another bin from the SUV while I wait at the table, wondering if my mother is using me.
Layla doesn’t give a shit about money, but power is another thing. She loves being in control. Mom says she brought me back so I can fulfill my destiny. I’m starting to think I’m here to fulfill hers. She wants on the council, and the only way is through me. I sigh at the thought and catch Bonnie’s attention as she returns to the table. “Are you sure you’re ok?” She pulls a pair of shorts from my grip. “Why don’t you go for a walk or something?”
I want to ask Bonnie what kind of power the council has. Do they control the pack leaders? Money? My destiny? I want to ask her if Layla is the kind of woman that would use her daughter to gain power. I already know the answer to that. My mother wants the best for me. I have to believe that. If I don’t, then my entire life has been a lie.
“No, I’m fine. Just taking it all in.” I grab a pair of shorts from the bin and lay them on the stack. I think about the boy that will wear these. Will he be my soulmate? The man I’ll be with for the rest of my life? The father of my children? I think I’m going to vomit. “Were you nervous the day of your Lunam?” I ask Bonnie.
“Oh God, yes, and I was prepared. I can’t imagine what you’re going through.” Bonnie pats my hand. “But, you’ll be fine,” she adds quickly.
“Did you know the boy that became your mate, I mean before Lunam?”
“I did know him. But, he wasn’t the boy I thought I would match with. There was another one that I sort of had a crush on. We grew up together and I always thought he would be the one, but nature had another plan for me.” She looks across the clearing like she is seeing her Lunam played out before her. She finally looks back at me and says, “It all worked out for the better. Kyle was the love of my life. I wouldn’t give up the four years we had together for the leader of the pack.”
“We have no control in who we match with?” I question. “I mean, what if he’s shorter than me or has really bad teeth?”
“We don’t have a choice.” Bonnie emphasizes the we in her statement, and I feel my blood boil.
“By we, you mean females?” I catch on. Bonnie nods. “So, the males choose us, and it has nothing to do with nature?” Bonnie sort of shrugs and nods her head. I want to murder Layla for allowing me to believe I had a destiny, when really my destiny is in the hands of some horny alpha male.
I find Layla in the kitchen, peeling potatoes. When she sees the look on my face, she puts down the peeler and leads me out the back door. “What’s up?”
“Bonnie said the males choose their mates.” I get right to the point. “It has nothing to do with my destiny, my feelings. It’s all about the males.”
Layla puts her hands on my shoulders; they are cool and feel good on my warm skin. Without wanting to, I start to calm down. “Kalysia, do you really think I would bring you back here if I thought you didn’t have a choice?”
“I don’t know, maybe.” I don’t know what to believe anymore.
“Bonnie is not a pureblood. She didn’t have a choice in her match, but I did. I knew I wanted your father from the moment I saw him. When we phased, the pull was even stronger. For Bonnie, it was different. She told me she felt lost and confused after she phased. When she made the connection with her mate, it felt desperate. I told you, only purebloods have a destiny. Tonight you will match with a pureblood. You will be a leader, and so will your children.”
I’ve never heard Layla sound surer of anything in my entire life. If all of that is true, then why didn’t she lead? “Why did you leave your pack?”
Layla steps back, as if my question pushed her away.
“Where is my father? Will he be here tonight?”
“Yes, your father will be here,” she says, as she strains to keep her cheeks from flaring up. It doesn’t work.
“You want to see him?” I gesture to her outfit. “Do you still care about him?”
Layla fidgets with the string on her apron and looks away.
“How can you tell me to believe in my destiny when you turned your back on yours?” This is the last day I will share with my mother, and we’re fighting.
