Chapter 10

Storm

The next morning when I awoke from our night together. I was surprised that I was still wrapped safely and securely in Doyle's arms. I lay there in the quiet, content and just watching him sleep. I smiled to myself when I saw my mark on his neck. He was mine, and I was his, now and forever. I was still looking at Doyle when he opened his eyes and caught me watching him.

He smiled as he grabbed me tighter in his arms, dragging me even closer to him. His lips met mine, and he kissed me before pulling away and saying, "Good morning, love."

"Good morning, did you sleep well?" I asked.

"I slept like a baby, love," he replied, grinning. "How did you sleep?" he asked.

"Best sleep I have had in a long time," I replied.

"I'm glad to hear it," he tells me, a smile present on his face.

Laying there, my eyes once again found their way to my mark on his neck. Reaching up, I traced my fingers over it. I looked back at his face and caught him watching me.

"You know, the girl's mother never marked me. It is not uncommon. I mean, from what I understand of werewolves and our traditions, most females do not tend to mark their mates. It is usually only the male who marks his mate. So, when you bit me last night, you took me by surprise. It was a pleasurable surprise though, I might add," he said, laughing while watching me as I tried to hide my blush.

It was a while later, after we had had our showers and had finished our morning routine, that we made our way downstairs to breakfast. I saw the girls were already seated at the table waiting for us. When they saw Doyle's mark on my neck, the three of them grinned at each other. But when they saw my mark on Doyle's neck, they became even more excited, whispering and giggling among themselves.

Doyle saw them grinning at us and he smiled back at them as he took his seat at the table. I sat in my seat beside Doyle. It was the same seat I had sat in during every meal I had had since I had first arrived here. I lowered my eyes to avoid the girls knowing looks and grins, hoping they would not say anything to embarrass me. Whatever shit stirring the girls might have planned for this morning, I didn't want any part of it.

I was suddenly feeling as though anything they said to me, even just in a teasing manner would tarnish what had happened between Doyle and me last night. I didn't want anything to ruin what we had begun. I was hoping the girls would not say anything about it, when Lilly piped up and said, "So dad, did Lena keep you nice and warm last night?"

"She sure did," he replied, smiling at her while placing his hand lightly on my thigh.

"So, her wolf let you cuddle up to her all night long. Is her fur as soft as it looks?" Lilly asked.

My head shot up and my eyes locked on Lilly's, "What do you mean love?" Doyle asked Lilly.

"Lena has slept in her wolf form every night since she arrived at the university," Lilly blurted out, as I glared at her.

Doyle leaned in closer to me, and whispered in my ear, "I had been meaning to ask you, why were you sleeping in wolf form?"

"I had never felt safe, and I figured that sleeping in my wolf form would provide me with a better opportunity to defend myself, should the need arise. I have been sleeping in my wolf form for years. Last night was the first time in nine years that I have felt safe enough to sleep in human form," I replied.

"Well, I am glad you felt safe enough to sleep in human form last night," he whispered, kissing the top of my head.

Lilly

The moment the words had left my mouth, and I saw the look on Lena's face, I regretted it. Looking around the table, I saw Leah and Julie watching me, a look of disapproval on their faces as they began a conversation with me through the mind link.

"Lilly, that big mouth of yours will one day be the death of you," Julie said to me in her usual disapproving tone.

"I wasn't trying to cause problems, I was just curious," I replied.

"Well, from the look that Lena just gave you, I wouldn't be expecting her to be warm and cuddly towards you for a while," Leah said.

"I don't see what the problem is, seriously. Dad had a right to know she was sleeping in her wolf form," I replied.

"I think dad was already aware of it, it was just a case of, unlike you, he could keep his mouth shut," Julie said.

"And even if he wasn't aware of it, I am sure Lena would have told him why she was sleeping in her wolf form when she was ready. You didn't need to ambush her in front of everyone like that. My god, hasn't she been through enough already?" Leah asked, looking at me as if she wanted to shake me until my teeth rattled out of my head.

"Meaning what?" I asked.

"Lilly, if you can't see that that girl has been through hell, then clearly there is no hope for you," Leah snapped at me through the mind link, before she excused herself and got up and left the table.

"You guys are overreacting big time," I muttered as I began eating my breakfast once more.

"Lilly, if you think we are overreacting then I hope that if something awful ever happens to me, that you are not my only option of getting help. You are so oblivious. One day you might be in trouble and I hope for your sake the people who are around you at that time are not as oblivious as you are. Besides, I remember when you were hiding behind Lena from a certain group of boys not so long ago. Lena didn't make you feel crummy about that though, did she? She allowed you to use her as a shield. Nice way you have of paying her back for that," Julie said, before she too got up and left the table, going to find Leah.

After Julie had left, I thought over what she had said, and I felt guilty. I had used Lena as a shield, and then I had turned around and thrown her under the bus. I needed to apologize to her. But given how angry she was with me now, how did I go about doing that?

Storm

I was told that on the upcoming Saturday, which was a couple of days away, there would be a ceremony to induct me into the pack as the pack's new Luna.

Upon hearing this, the three girls got excited and began discussing outfits, makeup, shoes, hair, and accessories. They were obviously looking forward to having an excuse to dress up and celebrate at the party that was being held after the ceremony. Any other day, their excitement would have been contagious, but not this time. I was still annoyed at Lilly for blabbing about my sleeping habits, and to be honest, the mere thought of the upcoming Luna ceremony terrified me.

This news panicked me for many reasons. Becoming a pack's Luna was a big deal, the responsibilities associated with being a Luna were the equivalent to those of an Alpha. Was I up to the task? Also, apart from my mate, his three daughters and the pack Beta, I did not know anyone else within this pack. And now, my job was to help Doyle rule over them. I think anyone that found themselves in the position that I was now in, who claimed they weren't scared, was full of shit.

I looked up and saw that Doyle was watching me. With this announcement of my induction ceremony, my appetite had fled. Doyle made a point of looking at my plate which had barely been touched, and then looking back at me.

"You need to eat love," he whispered.

"I'm not hungry," I replied, pushing the food around on my plate.

"What's on your mind, love?" he asked, looking at me concerned.

"What if your pack members don't want me for a Luna?" I asked, looking at him.

"They will love you," he whispered, trying to reassure me.

"How can you be sure? They haven't even met me, and tomorrow I am going to be introduced to them as their new Luna with no warning. No pack member is going to want a rogue as their Luna," I whispered, the anxiety creeping through into my voice.

I glanced away, not wanting to appear weak. A Luna was meant to be someone who was fierce and strong. She was meant to be her Alphas equal. A strong Alpha needed a strong Luna who had his back in any situation he might find himself in. Not a weak Luna that he had to worry over, on top of everything else an Alpha had to handle. What kind of Luna was I going to be if a simple pack ceremony turned me into a nervous wreck?

"I know my pack, love, they will welcome you with open arms. They loved their previous Luna, and they will love you too. I know you are nervous, but you have nothing to worry about. Now, the girls are going to help you get organised for your induction ceremony. I want you to feel like a princess for your special night," he said, placing a gentle kiss on my temple.

"We didn't bring any clothes for special occasions," I whispered as he linked his fingers with mine.

"Well, I'm sure my daughters would never pass up a shopping trip, I know them well enough, any excuse to spend my money and they are there," he said laughing.

"I can't do that. I can't let you buy me a dress that I will only wear once. Besides, I can buy my own clothes, you don't need to waste your money on me," I replied.

Upon hearing this, he did not look happy, but before he could say anything we were interrupted.

"So, what are you planning to do then?" Leah asked, jumping into our discussion so suddenly, it made me jump in fright. I was sure I almost jumped out of my skin. To be honest, I am surprised that I didn't fall out of my chair.

"Yes, you need something nice to wear, it will be your first time meeting the pack. Dad will present you as his Luna and mate, and we need to make you look stunning!" Lilly said, grinning at me. When she saw I wasn't returning her grin, she dropped her eyes back to her plate.

"Not that you aren't stunning as it is," Leah assured me, giving me a smile.

"Well, I am sure you girls have gowns here. Couldn't I just borrow one of those for the night?" I asked. "I mean, it would be such a waste traipsing all over town hoping to buy the perfect gown for one night. There are plenty of lovely dresses in the world, and I only require the use of one."

"That's a good idea Lena, we will look through our wardrobes after lunch and see if we can find something for you to wear for the ceremony," Julie said.

I nodded to her, grateful that she was letting me get out of a shopping trip. With my nerves already at breaking point, a stressful shopping trip was the last thing I needed right now. After lunch, we went through the girls' wardrobes one by one. As we went through them, I chose dresses I liked. After we had chosen my favourites out of each wardrobe. I made my way into mine and Doyle's bedroom to begin the tedious task of trying them all on, until I found the dress I wanted to wear for the ceremony. After having gone through the three girls' wardrobes, I had narrowed it down to six gowns that I had liked the look of.

Going to Doyle's room had been an attempt for me to try the gowns on alone, but the girls soon made it clear they would not let me escape them that easily. They followed me into the room and waited, making it obvious they intended to watch as I did my unwanted fashion show for them.

So, to outdo them, I moved myself and the gowns into the bathroom, grateful they did not follow. It might sound bitchy, but the mere thought of getting changed in front of them and having them ask questions... well... I honestly just couldn't do it.

Maybe I was a coward, just like my previous pack had claimed. One gown I had liked the look of was an elegant black formal gown with silver beading around the neckline. It was a pretty dress, but standing there wearing it, I had to admit, it just wasn't the dress for me. It showed far too much skin which meant my scars were visible.

Looking at the second dress I had chosen, which was a rich forest green A-line V neck gown with sequined beading across the top of the bodice. The gown itself was perfectly designed, but unfortunately, I found out, as I stood there wearing it, that green was not my color.

The third dress I had chosen was a red A-line backless dress, but it was the same as with the black gown, it just wasn't me and just like with the black dress, if I wore it, the exorbitant amount of foundation I would need to use to cover the scars on my back didn't bear thinking about.

The fourth gown was by far, one of the most elegant gowns I had ever seen in my life. It was a long sleeve beaded satin and lace white evening gown. When I put it on, I fell in love with it immediately. It was marvelous. Hell, it was perfect if I was being honest! But I knew I could not wear it to the Luna ceremony. For this occasion, it just wasn't 'the one,' but I smiled when I realized that for another special occasion, it definitely was 'the one'.

As I was looking at it in the mirror, Leah opened the door without knocking, and she along with the other girls came into the bathroom. When they saw me in the gown their jaws nearly hit the floor.

"Wow, you have to wear that dress to the ceremony," Lilly said, looking at the dress in admiration.

"No, I can't," I replied.

"What? Why not? It is a stunning dress, and you look stunning in it," Julie said, appearing confused by my response.

"It looks like a wedding dress, and honestly, if I were getting married, this would be the dress I would wear for sure. But for an initiation and induction ceremony. This isn't the gown for such an occasion," I replied, looking in the mirror at the pretty gown in longing. It was truly the dress I would love to get married in one day.

Taking off the pretty white gown, I was pulling on the fifth gown which was a dark smoke grey A-line V-neck floor-length chiffon lace evening dress when I saw the girls' eyes glued to me. I knew that they were looking at my scars. I pretended their stares didn't bother me. But truthfully, they did. I finished pulling the dress on and once again found that while the dress was an exquisite gown. I did not like how the dress looked on me. Frustrated, I took the dress off and tried on the last gown I had chosen, which was a one-strap gown that rested on the right shoulder, it was black on top and the color gradually lightened to a light shade of royal blue as you got to the bottom of the gown. The gown also had diamantes on the shoulder strap and diamante design on the left side of the bodice. I looked at the girls and smiled.

"This is the dress for the ceremony," I said.

The girls looked at me and smiled and Julie said, "Nice choice, now we can get to work on choosing accessories for you to wear with it."

The girls picked up the other discarded gowns, leaving the white one where I had left it, "Put that one in the closet," Julie said when she noticed me looking at it.

"What? Why?" I asked. She didn't answer my question, so I asked again, "Julie, why am I putting that gown in your dads' closet?"

"Not in dad's closet silly, in your closet. This is your room too now," she said looking at me with a bright smile on her face.

"Okay, but why are you giving me your beautiful dress?" I asked.

"For your wedding," she replied, smiling.

"What? Wait… I'm getting married now?" I asked, confused by her response.

"You will be soon enough," Julie replied, smiling at me. Now it was my turn for my jaw to nearly hit the floor. Seeing my reaction, the girls started giggling and then turned and left the room, leaving me alone in Doyle's room to ponder on what Julie had just said.

Julie

We had been waiting in my dad's room for Lena to put on the gowns and model them so we could help her choose one for the ceremony. When she had been in the bathroom for quite a while without a word, we went in to see how she was doing. Leah opened the bathroom door and Lilly, and I followed her inside.

When we entered the bathroom, we saw Lena dressed in a gorgeous white gown and gazing at her reflection in the mirror. Seeing her there, we were stunned. She looked gorgeous.

"Wow, you have to wear that dress to the ceremony," Lilly said, looking at Lena.

"No, I can't," she replied.

"What? Why not? It is a beautiful dress, and you look stunning in it," I told her, confused by her response to what Lilly had said.

"It looks like a wedding dress, and in all honesty, if I were getting married, this would be the dress I would wear for sure. But for an initiation and induction ceremony. This isn't the gown for such an occasion," Lena replied, looking in the mirror at the beautiful gown in longing. Seeing the look on her face, I could see it really was the dress Lena would like to get married in one day.

Lena removed the gown and pulled on a dark smoke grey A-line V-neck floor-length chiffon lace evening dress. It was while she was getting the gown on that we saw the scars which covered her body. Lena noticed our stares but ignored them. She finished pulling the dress on and looked at her reflection in the mirror for a moment before tearing the dress off in obvious frustration.

She grabbed another gown and pulled it on, the gown was a one-strap gown that rested on the right shoulder, it was black on top and the colour lightened to a light shade of royal blue as you got to the bottom of the gown. The gown had diamantes on the shoulder strap and a diamante design on the left side of the bodice. Lena gazed at her reflection in the mirror before she looked at the three of us and smiled as she said, "This is the dress for the ceremony."

We smiled at her and I said, "Nice choice, now we can get to work on choosing accessories for you to wear with it."

After Lena removed the gown and put her clothes back on, we picked up the gowns, but we left the white one where Lena had left it when she had removed it.

"Put that one in the closet," I told her when I noticed Lena looking at it.

"What? Why?" she asked, confused by what I had just said. When I didn't answer her question, she asked again, "Julie, why am I putting that gown in your dads' closet?"

"Not in dad's closet silly, in your closet, this is your room too now," I said looking at her and giving her a bright smile.

"Okay, but why are you giving me your beautiful dress?" she asked, still confused.

"For your wedding," I replied, smiling at the blush that crept into her cheeks.

"What? Wait… I'm getting married now?" she asked, confused by my response.

"You will be soon enough," I replied, smiling at her. Lena looked gobsmacked by what I had just said. Seeing her reaction, the three of us started giggling as we turned and left the room.