The Lunam Ceremony (Book One), page 4
In the distance I hear car horns honking. More people are arriving. Jessie said there will be close to two hundred people here tonight. Layla and I turn in the direction of the voices growing louder and closer. “We can talk later,” she says. “I promise I will explain everything.” She pulls me in for a hug then hurries back to the kitchen.
I stay in the woods. I’m not ready to face anyone, especially a father I’ve never met. I close my eyes and listen to the birds rustling in the trees. Wind flows through my hair, tinted with the smell of frying oil from the kitchen. For the first time in my life, the smell of something human feels wrong to me. I move deeper into the woods where the air is cooler and darker. I close my eyes again and feel the world around me. The smell of eucalyptus and moss fills my nose. I’m not scared anymore. In fact, it feels peaceful, quiet. I walk deeper in, until I can’t see the sky, only the hazy rays of light that halo the branches above me. I lean against a large tree, feel its bark scratch my back. Even from here, deep in the woods, I hear voices. There must be a lot more people arriving. I don’t want to go back. Can’t I just stay out here until midnight? I will phase, and if there is a mate for me, he will find me, right?
By the time I walk back to the clearing, poles have been erected, the canopy is up, and lights are being strung throughout the clearing. It’s past noon, and the sun has moved to the west. In a few hours it will set, and the ceremony area will be illuminated by the moon. A moon that will determine my fate.
Layla is surrounded by people; her old pack I assume. She is glowing in her black and white sundress. I look at the older men and wonder which one is my father. Will I know him when I see him? Will he know me?
“Kalysia?” says a voice from behind me. “Are you Layla’s daughter?”
I turn around and find a girl in a blue strapless maxi dress. “Yes,” I say and hold out my hand.
“I’m Cassie, from Dunsmuir, I mean, Shasta,” she corrects and shakes my hand. “I think we’re sort of cousins.” She laughs shyly.
I wonder why she thinks we’re cousins. I don’t have time to ask because I am bombarded with faces I’ve never seen before. They all know my name. They give me hugs and say we’re related in some way or another. I try to be polite to everyone, but it’s so overwhelming.
“Kalysia, do you think you can help me in the bathroom really quick?” Cassie grabs my hand and pulls me through the crowd. “Girl stuff, you know.” Her warm smile softens the hard looks she’s getting as we ease out of the circle of strangers.
“Thank you,” I say and loop my arm with hers. “I have no idea who any of those people are.”
“They are mostly cousins and aunts on your mom’s side.” Cassie seems pretty knowledgeable of my family tree. I wonder if she knows my father?
A group of girls shoot dirty looks our way as we walk into the bathroom. It’s really more like a locker room with a line of shower stalls and open cubbies in addition to the bathroom stalls and sinks. It’s only slightly cooler in here, but at least we’re out of the sun.
“Nice shorts. Is that what human girls are sporting these days?” one of them says, and the others fall over themselves laughing. I am slightly underdressed. Most of the girls are in sundresses while I’m in ripped jean shorts and a white tank. I practically lived in this outfit back home. I already feel out of place, I at least want to be comfortable in my own clothes.
Cassie says the girls are jealous because I was raised out of the pack.
“How do they know where I was raised?”
“Everyone knows who you are, Kalysia. You’re famous.”
I tell her my life wasn’t as glamorous as they all think.
“Well, at least you got to go to school. Most of us were homeschooled, and the only socializing we get to do is with each other. Everyone is so freaked out we’ll get knocked up by a human we barely leave our compound.”
Hearing words like homeschool and compound make me wince. “Ever heard of birth control?”
“What do you mean?” Cassie asks while she splashes cold water on her arms and neck.
“You know, condoms, the pill? Layla put me on it after—”
“What!” Cassie shrieks. She pulls me into a shower stall for privacy. “You were on the pill?” She whispers like it’s top secret information. Pack life must be a lot more sheltered than I even thought. No wonder Layla took me away. This is what she meant by me being stronger, smarter than she was.
“Cassie, chillax. A lot of girls take it.”
“Human girls, not us,” she says.
“Maybe if more of us took it, we could solve the teen pregnancy issue.”
Cassie doesn’t find my offhanded comment funny. “Kalysia, never tell anyone, not even your match, that you were on the pill.”
“What difference does it make now? I stopped taking it last month.” Apparently, I won’t need it after Lunam since I can only get knocked up during mating season, and only by a pureblood.
“Some believe the pill makes us sterile. There have been instances where females that took it were unable to conceive, ever.” Cassie’s tone is serious. She really believes this, even though modern science says otherwise. Even if modern science doesn’t apply to us, I know Layla would never jeopardize my ability to have children. It’s basically the reason for my existence.
“It doesn’t always happen the first time,” I tell her.
“It’s likely, especially if you are a healthy pureblood.” Cassie opens the stall door. “Just don’t tell anyone about the pill, ok?”
I salute her the way I do Layla when I’m being a smart ass, except Cassie laughs.
We step out of the shower and Cassie fights for a spot at the wall of mirrors. She pulls out a tube of red goo and dabs some on her lips. “Do you want some?”
“No, thanks,” I tell her. “Let’s get out of here. I’m melting.” I’ve never missed air conditioning so much in my life. I pull her away from the mirror and out the door. The humid air actually feels refreshing after being inside. Cassie has her hair twisted into a bun, and I notice a tattoo between her shoulder blades. It’s a small paw print; Layla has the same one on her ankle. “Nice, tat, is that a wolf thing?” I saw a bunch of the girls in the bathroom with the same tattoo.
“No, it’s a Shasta thing,” Cassie says. “All the females have them.”
“A Shasta thing? But, my mom has one and she is from Sierra.”
Cassie stops walking and takes my arm. “Your mother was born a Shasta, not Sierra.”
“She was born what?”
Cassie looks worried, like she’s just spilled an important secret. “I just assumed you would know your lineage since you’re practically royalty.”
“What are you talking about?” I’m starting to think Cassie is the one believing fairy tales now.
Cassie takes my hand and pulls me away from the clearing; there are too many people around now. “Don’t you know anything about your family? Who you are?”
“I guess not.”
“You carry the blood of two original lines. Layla was born an Orrin. Your father is a Tallac. When the pack split, the Orrins went to Shasta as their leader.”
“How does that make me royalty? Aren’t we all really the same pack?”
“We are the same pack in theory. But time, politics, and money have created a wedge between the two sides. Someone like you, with blood on both sides, could be the link that brings us back together. You have pureblood from both Sierra and Shasta. That means you and your children can lead either pack or both.”
I feel like someone just dropped a ton of bricks on my shoulders. Is this why Layla brought me back? So I can lead both packs? One was bad enough, but two?
Another group of girls saunters by, eyeballing me and Cassie. It’s obvious the girls stay in cliques from their packs, branches even. Cassie explains that the Dunsmuir branch controls Shasta. They have the most alphas and control their industry, beer. “The Sierra pack is run by two families, one controls the business, and the other controls the pack and its branches. They think it keeps things fair, but my father says it will rip them apart.”
I wonder what side my father comes from, what drives him—power or money. Where would I be if Layla raised me in the pack? Would I even be speaking to Cassie right now? My stomach turns at the thought. Although I’ve only known Cassie a few hours, we are connected. I can feel it. “Why don’t you hate me?”
“I told you, we’re family.” She smiles and pulls me in for hug. “I may be small, but if any of those bitches try anything, I got your back.” Cassie puts her fists up. I know she means it. Cassie is a petite version of my mother. Her hair is wavy like Layla’s, and she has the same sapphire blue eyes, only she’s about four inches shorter. “Now, let’s go fall in love!” she says and pulls me back towards the clearing.
Cassie insists we sit on top of a table where everyone can see us. It’s a power play, she says. After our talk, I’m feeling stronger, bolder. I even put on some of Cassie’s lip gloss. Jessie’s beer is being consumed by the barrel. There are kegs of it in enormous ice bins on both sides of the makeshift dance floor. A few females are dancing. Cassie calls them low alphas.
I’ve learned that a “low alpha” is someone with a parent who has never phased, either by accident, illness, or childbirth. Cassie says most low alphas don’t even go to Lunam. I don’t blame them. Why be part of a community that looks down on you? I think about Tandy and her son. Tandy was a pureblood and now she is a beta. Her son is a low alpha that probably won’t go to Lunam either. For some reason I start to feel sad for Tandy and Warner. I don’t know why. It’s horrible to think of people in this way, but it’s the way the pack operates. We can’t all be leaders. I want to ask Cassie about her lineage, but it feels intrusive. I don’t know if she is the daughter of purebloods. I suspect she is if she’s making comments about a low alpha. Cassie takes a loose piece of ratted hair from my face and tucks it behind my ear. Her smile is so genuine, so loving, I don’t give a shit about her lineage. I like her, and that’s all that matters.
Just before sundown, Layla asks me to help her get something from the car. I haven’t seen her all day. When I went to the kitchen earlier to sneak some food with Cassie, she wasn’t there. Bonnie told me she was in negotiations. Whatever that means.
“I really like Cassie,” I tell my mom as we walk to the parking lot. It’s filled with cars now, and people walk around in small groups. Everyone is having a great time, including me. I don’t want to ruin it by fighting with my mom, but I really have to know more about who I am before I lose myself to destiny. “I guess it’s sort of inevitable, seeing how we’re cousins and she’s from Shasta.” The three beers I’ve consumed are making me brave, or maybe it’s because I’m on the verge of womanhood. “Why didn’t you tell me you were Shasta? I feel like an idiot.”
“Because some things you need to learn on your own, Kalysia.”
I’m frustrated when she doesn’t offer any more of an explanation. Layla lets me pout until we reach the convertible. She pops the trunk and pulls a tiny box out of her purse. “This is for you.” She hands me a Tiffany Blue Box, complete with a white bow.
My anger subsides while I tear into the gift. I flip open the small blue box and find a paw pendant inside. “It’s the Shasta paw, isn’t it?”
“Yes. Here, let’s put it on. Don’t forget to take it off before tonight, ok?” She takes the necklace from me and puts it around my neck. The paw sits in the middle of my chest, over my heart. “There is so much I wanted to tell you, but I never had the courage. I didn’t want to overwhelm you. So, I focused on what I knew was important, your destiny.” Layla takes me by the shoulders and looks me in the eye. “You feel it; I know you do. You belong here.”
I nod my head once. She’s right. I do feel comfortable here, more myself. I just have doubts about my role and who I am meant to be. I still can’t imagine myself partnering with a male tonight and becoming his sidekick. There are so many questions I have for my mother, but there is only one I am brave enough to ask. “Why did you leave?”
“I left for you.”
I roll my eyes. This is the answer she’s given me my whole life. I want the truth now. “You had a destiny. You had a pack, and a mate, and you walked away from it all. Now you want me to embrace this life, a life I know nothing about. A life you ran away from.” Layla’s eyes meet mine. “You got me to Lunam, Mom. I’m not going anywhere, so please tell me the truth.”
She nods, and I actually feel scared for her. For what she’s about to say. “I’m assuming Cassie told you I’m from Shasta and that I matched with a Sierra. What she doesn’t know, what nobody knows, is that I chose him. Everyone believes the male is the dominate one, but I felt in control. I had feelings for Conall, the son of the Shasta pack leader. I adored him my whole life, but when I saw Monte, I felt his strength, his power, and I wanted it.”
“Did you love him?”
“I did, in my own way. I respected him,” she admits. “He’s a good man, but even purebloods have to answer to others.” Layla pauses when a group of boys walk past us. I feel all of their eyes on me and Layla. “Hello boys.” Layla’s sultry greeting causes a few of them to stumble. I can’t help but laugh.
“When will I meet him?” I never realized how much it meant to me until now. Just having Layla was enough, too much at times. I can’t imagine how my life would have been if my father were around. “Do you think he wants to meet me?”
“I know he does. He thinks you’re beautiful,” she says and strokes my hair.
“You saw him?” I realize she’s spoken to him by the wistful expression on her face.
“We had a chat about you.” She can’t hide the grin any longer. I’ve never seen my mother smile this way. She’s practically blushing. “I wanted to make sure we were both on the same page when it comes to your match and your future.”
“What do you mean my match? I thought it was up to the moon?” I ask sarcastically. “Or will I really have a choice?”
“You, my love, will have pick of the litter,” Layla jokes and slams the trunk closed.
Guitar riffs and bass from the enormous speakers echoes into the woods. Laughter and loud conversations fill the gaps in the music as Layla escorts me into the farmhouse. We go up the stairs and down a dark hallway and stop at a door at the end of the hall. She knocks on the door softly and turns the knob. A burst of cool air hits me in the face. The familiar chill of air-conditioning is refreshing. I see two men sitting on opposite sides of a desk. They are Layla’s age, and one of them has my eyes.
“Kalysia.” Monte, my father, rises from his seat and walks around the desk to greet me. He pulls me into his arms and hugs me. This is the first hug I’ve ever received from a man. Miles was more of a hi-fiver or a fist bump. In the three years I knew him, he never once gave me a hug. “Thank you, Layla,” Monte says from over my head.
“For what?” she scoffs.
“For doing such a wonderful job raising our daughter.” He reaches for her hand. “And for bringing her back.” We stand, the three of us, my family, together for the first time. The moment is interrupted by the other man in the room.
“I’ll leave you three,” he says and stands.
“No, Conall, you stay. I didn’t want to disturb you.” Layla pulls her hand back from Monte’s. “You two continue your meeting. We’ll go.”
Conall is the pureblood from Shasta’s pack. The male my mother should have matched with. Conall and Monte are strikingly handsome men for their age. Both stand over six feet tall, with broad shoulders and fit physiques. Monte’s hair is jet black and his eyes are blue-gray, like mine. Conall and Layla both have sapphire blue eyes and wavy brown hair. I see these are traits of the packs. I wonder why nature would allow them to evolve into two separate species, or if they carried these traits before the split.
We leave the air-conditioned room, and Layla insists I change into the sundress she bought me. She follows me into the locker room to change. The dress is a black, flowy material with a large red hibiscus printed on the side. It sits just above my knee and feels so much better than the cutoff jeans and tank top I had on. I let Layla fuss with my hair and even add some makeup powder to my shiny face. The sun is almost set; I know this will be the last mother-daughter moment we share before Lunam. Even though I’ll see her tomorrow, I won’t be the same, and neither will she.
“Your father was right,” Layla says as she pins loose strands of my hair into a bun. “You are beautiful.” I blush, even though it’s just us. We sit in silence a few minutes; I feel like I should say something. All the questions I have escape me. It’s nice just being here with her. When we’re done, Layla returns to the kitchen with the other adults, and I set out to find Cassie.
“There you are!” she yells when she sees me. I hear the alcohol in her voice. “All the boys are here, and I want you to get first pick before these bitches make their move.”
I laugh and take the half-empty cup from her hand. We both know what happens before Lunam is irrelevant. I down the warm beer in one big gulp and toss it over my head. “Let’s go fall in love!”
The sun has set and the twinkling lights have been turned on. After what feels like hours, Cassie and I take a break from dancing and sit on a table. “So, anyone caught your eye yet?” she whispers.
There are definitely a lot of good-looking boys here, but none that make me want to do unspeakable things. “No, what about you?”
“See the tall one with the red baseball cap?” Cassie points to a boy in ripped jeans and a white t-shirt. He looks like he just rolled out of bed. He glances in our direction, and we look away quickly, laughing like school girls.
“Cas, you could do so much better.” I scan the crowd, looking for a better choice. Unlike the girls, the boys socialize more with each other. I even saw them playing a friendly game of football earlier. Like the girls, you can still tell them apart. The Sierra boys are clean cut in stylish clothes. They all wear sunglasses, have perfectly coifed hair, and exude confidence in a way only city-raised kids do. The Shasta pack is definitely more laid back. They’re almost all in jeans and tight plaid shirts that show off the muscles they earned from manual labor. Unlike the Sierras, they are goofy and pounce around like playful puppies. There are pros and cons in both packs.
