I nod. “I am sure you heard the big news already. Come, we’ll talk to everyone who wants to listen.”
“Really?” one of the female pack members asks.
“Of course, come with us.”
Once at the dining hall, Forest dramatically opens the door for me and bows slightly, making me laugh. He can be such a dork sometimes. His eyes light up, and he pulls me into his arms, kissing the side of my head, before walking further into the dining hall.
There is a lot of chatter around us, as the pack members in the hall are whispering, until Forest claps his hands. “Everyone! We won’t beat around the bush. You probably heard the news already.”
“So, it’s true,” one warrior asks, curiously. He is one of the elites; I recognize him instantly. “The luna is from Alpha Jordan’s old pack?”
I nod. “It’s true,” I say. “I apologize for not being more open, but my life was in danger.”
“Truth is that Rose was half dead when I met her,” Forest says. We decided to go with a watered-down version of what happened, but stick to the truth as much as possible. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Martin, who nods at me and smiles.
“Did Alpha Jordan really try to kill you, Luna?” The she-wolf we’d met in front of the dining hall asks.
“Well, let’s say he wasn’t too unhappy to get rid of me,” I say. I have no proof that he wanted to kill me, so I’ll leave it to their imagination.
“But why would he try to get rid of his luna?” one of the men asks. “Isn’t that weird?”
“Maybe he fell in love,” one woman says.
Some of the warriors just laugh. “Jordan, in love?” the elite warrior who spoke out earlier sneers. “The guy has a new girlfriend every week.”
“More like every day,” another one says. “I always heard he had a luna, but that he kept her hidden. Now it makes sense; he obviously didn’t want Luna Rose to leave the pack and find out what he was into.”
I see movement ahead of me, noticing that Donna stands up from her breakfast table and walks towards us. She uses a tissue to dab at the edge of her eyes, as if she is in tears. Her movement startles Martin, and he begins to move towards us as well.
“Forest,” Donna whines. “I am so sorry you’ve had to go through such a betrayal.”
“Why are you sorry?” Forest blinks.
“Your luna was with a man before she was with you.”
“Yes, Mother, and I had girlfriends before her,” he says. “Besides, you wanted me to mate with Lissa. How’s that better?” he grimaces. “Just imagine if Lissa were by my side now, and luna of this pack,” he shudders visibly.
The people around us don’t seem to like this idea either. “Imagine what she would have done in such a high position,” another of the elites mutters.
Forest nods. “Exactly.”
“But, Alpha Jordan… something had to be off for him to kick his luna out of his pack, chosen or not. And why did she leave in the first place? She should have stayed for the sake of her pack.”
“Did you miss the part where I said she was half dead when I met her?” Forest asks. “There was no way I’d have sent her back to a hellhole of a pack that mistreats its own luna. Besides, Rose was only nineteen when she was pushed into marrying Jordan.”
That’s true. Jordan pushed for an early marriage and mating, and frankly, my father did, too. I loved my dad dearly, but that was a huge mistake he made. He thought when I was marked, I’d be safe and that Jordan was genuine.
However, he should have waited.Ishould have waited.
But that’s not the issue right now. I have Donna to worry about.
“To be honest, Donna,” I try to sound polite, but firm. “I stayed all those yearsforthe pack and my father’s legacy, to make sure the pack wouldn’t fall apart after his sudden death. There was no love between Jordan and me, but a sense of responsibility. Now, however, Jordan found someone he loves and did not have any use for me anymore.” The way I am phrasing it makes him look even worse. Mates, even chosen mates, are sacred in our world. To toss someone aside just like that is highly frowned upon. Jordan and his allies might not care, but Leonard and some of the other older alphas do; they pointed it out last night. “And I found my mate,” I say. “I don’t know what else you wanted Forest and me to do. Reject our fated mates?”
“No, of course not! But this… For a luna… A luna has to make big sacrifices for her pack. She needs to—”
“Mother,” Forest straightens his back, a frown on his face now. “Shut up, would you!”
Her mouth drops open. “What…”
