NINETEEN: Luna

POV - Lillia

Present

I watch Danni as she takes another sip of her tea. She makes a face and pulls the cup away from her, and I notice she’s gotten to the bottom of the cup with the tea leaves.

Danni pours herself another cup and offers to top mine up, but I refuse.

“What do you mean by the shit hit the fan?” I ask.

“Well. Your dad came back. Our pack always puts on a Farewell Banquet for General Birch and Major Greystone, but Major Greystone had left suddenly and couldn’t attend. I’m not sure why,” Danni shrugs.

“One day, I was called to Alpha Brent’s office and asked about the excursion your mum had gone on. Remember, I had been grounded for telling lies and hadn’t seen her. I thought she was dead,” Danni says, tears pouring down her face.

I walk over and give Danni a hug. I stand like that, my back aching from arching over until Danni nods and thanks me.

“I remember Alpha Brent’s face going red when I told Major Greystone, your dad, about Hailey beating Aviary up. He believed the sun shone from Hailey’s… butt. You’d think an Alpha would know females don’t get their periods every couple of weeks, but no.

Major Dorian insisted on seeing Aviary’s room. We walked up there, and I ran back to my room to get Avairy’s diary. I would make your mum write down all the incidences where Hailey would hurt her, and she kept it at my place. When I returned to the Alpha’s wing and saw Aviary’s room… oh goddess!” Danni cries, her voice cracking as she gasps for breath. I run back over to her and kneel between her legs, my arms wrapping around her shoulders as she cries into my neck.

“I’m fine. I’m fine,” Danni says. I don’t move from my spot on the floor. Instead, I sit at her feet.

“Aviary’s room was glowing blue. General Birch had sprayed luminal in the room. The blue was traces of Aviary’s blood,” Danni pauses, looking down at her hands.

“I don’t know what happened to Luna Hailey after that. I know Alpha Brent tried to attack her, but other than that….” Danni shrugs.

“I honestly thought she was dead. I never heard from your mum again until a few days ago when she appeared in the emergency room. I’m sorry, Lillia, I wasn’t there for your mum. I should have supported her more.”

“It sounds like you tried. You did support Mum. When people didn’t believe what was happening to her, you were the only one on her side,” I say, grabbing her hand in mine.

“I could have done more. It’s always been my biggest regret.”

//\\///\\\//\\

I stayed with Danni for another hour, both of us upset and crying. Danni found me a plastic bag to put the book she had given me in, making me promise her that I would read it, and I finally said goodbye and left her.

I spent the next half hour back in the main pack building, wandering around the communal areas, taking it all in and thinking. The man in the expensive suit could be my father, and although I want to see my mum, if that mum is my father, I feel nervous and scared to meet him.

When I asked my mum about her family and my dad, she always told me they weren’t around and refused to elaborate. I always thought it was a sensitive subject, and after a while, I stopped asking. I wish Mum had told me something... anything, so what I’m going through now wouldn’t be so hard. I should hear from her about my family. Not others.

I find myself in the pack library, staring at the shelves upon shelves that go from floor to ceiling up the walls. I skim over the titles of the books, sometimes touching them with my fingers as I walk past. I find an armchair in a corner and settle down into it. I pull the book on land sprites from the bag and settle it onto my lap. I immerse myself in the contents of the book, learning about the different types of land sprites, ogres, goblins, elves, leprechauns, imps, gnomes, trolls, water fairies and fairies. From my understanding, only water fairies and fairies live in this realm; the rest tried but couldn’t breathe the oxygen here. The water fay and the fairies are the only supernatural in this realm with contact with their original realms.

I then begin to read the Elven section of the book, as it’s the first chapter. This section talks about their anatomy, powers, personalities and clans. Most elves are woodland elves, but some are ice elves. From these groups are the royal elves and the light elves. Dark elves are like our rogue wolves, outcasts who have lost their soul.

“Hello! You must be new!” a voice interrupts me. I look up at her, she has a smile on her face, but it doesn’t reach her eyes or voice. I nod.

“I’m Olivia, the Luna,” she says, looking at me. I give her a slight nod.

“Have you heard about me yet?” she asks.

“No, Luna. I was unaware Alpha Brent had another mate,” I answer honestly. Olivia’s friends twitter in laughter behind me.

“Ew, yuck. No, I’m Alpha Elijah’s mate. When he ascends his position, I’ll be the next Luna of this pack,” Olivia states proudly.

“My apologies, Luna,” I say. I know all about power and how to appease them. Olivia reminds me of Alpha Marcus’s mate, Cheryl, in this way.

“So, you’re new to this pack?” Olivia asks again.

“Yes, I’ve been here a few days now,” I reply.

“Oh, good. We could always use some more omegas around the place. Goddess knows it’s big,” Olivia says, flicking her hand out to demonstrate her point. I nod. It’s the final term of school, and exams are looming. Unless I talk to Mum or Alpha Brent, I’ll miss taking them altogether.

“What is your name, omega?” Olivia asks.

“Lillia Grey,” I reply softly.

“Well, Lillia, I’ll write your name down. Play your cards right, and I’ll get you a job working under me when I become Luna. That would be nice, wouldn’t it?” she asks.

“Yes, Luna,” I reply. Olivia smiles at her friends, who look back at her with evil grins, before walking away.

The air seems fresher once they’ve gone, and I feel like I can breathe again. I skip the rest of the chapter on elves and move on to fairies instead. If I’m really part fairy, I should learn something about this.

My stomach rumbles, and I realise I’ve missed lunch, having only biscuits and tea with Danni, and that I should go and get something to eat. I should also go back and check on Mum. I’m an awful daughter for leaving her.

I leave the library, going down corridors toward where I know the dining hall is. I never thought I’d pick it up so quickly; this place is so large. I’m pretty proud of myself for knowing where to go to get to places.

Again, I walk through the dining hall without tapping my card on the screen, but because I’m not with Nubia, I don’t make it through without being stopped.

“Excuse me, ma’am, you need to swipe your card in first before you can eat here,” the lady at the door tells me. I stop and look at her, then scan the room for Nubia, hoping she can help me.

“I don’t have one yet,” I explain to the woman, who looks at me with contempt.

“I’m sorry, only the Alpha and Beta family don’t need to tap in,” the woman tells me. I open my mouth to say Alpha Brent is my grandfather, but I close it again.

“Okay,” I reply.

I turn around and walk in the other direction. It makes sense. I don’t have a card, and I’m not really family. Mum might be the Alpha’s daughter, but I’m a nobody in this place. I walk past Olivia, who is heading for the dining room with her friends.

“Oh. New girl. Lorraine?” Olivia calls out as I walk away.

“Luna,” I greet.

“Whenever you see me, you should nod or bow. Why are you here?” Olivia asks, smirking.

“I was hungry, but I don’t have a card to get food,” I explain.

“Oh,” she smiles. Olivia looks over at the woman standing at the door, who nods to her, making her smile.

“Okay then, carry on,” she states, ignoring me and tapping her own card on the screen. I sighed and turned back toward the direction I was heading. Olivia is just like Cheryl. That must be a trait of a Luna, I guess.

I walk back to the hospital to check on Mum. Two guards are posted at the door, but I recognise one from before. He looks at me and nods, opening the door to let me in.

Mum and the man look up at me, smiling.

“Bubba, you just disappeared,” Mum says as I approach her.

“Yeah. Sorry,” I reply, walking to the other side of the bed and holding her hand.

“Bubba, I want you to meet your dad, Dorian. Dorian, this is Lillia,” Mum says with a smile. I look over to the man who is watching me. I look like him. I have his hair, his eyes and his nose.

“Hello,” I say shyly.

“Hello, Lillia. It’s good to meet you,” he replies. I nod. He doesn’t say anything for a bit.

“How are…” he begins.

“Are you…” I go to ask. The man, who I don’t want to call Dad, chuckles.

“You go first,” he tells me. I feel stupid now. My question is lame, small talk.

“Are you really a fairy?” I ask.

“Yes, I am,” he smiles. I just nod.

“How are you feeling?” I ask Mum.

“Better today. Your father helped,” Mum says, smiling. I look at him, and he nods.

“I just cleansed her of toxins and have given her some fairy medicine to help,” he acknowledges.

“Alpha Marcus wouldn’t give her any. Do you think it would help?” I ask.

“Why wouldn’t the Alpha give your mum any?” Dorian asks.

“We’re omegas. We’re not valuable enough,” I explain.

“You both are far from omegas,” Dorian sighs.

~

Edited with Grammarly