Peaches

X

After taking a cold shower to ease the painful burning sensation, I change into the dress the Luna had sent and put on the jewellery and some light makeup but I leave my hair naturally wild and curly as I like it this way.

I grab a pain of heels I had hidden in my cupboard from the days my mother used to force me to dress up to go to pack socials. I walk down the stairs and stare at myself in the mirror. My usual round cheekbones were now square and triangular and the purple tinge of my under eye still could be seen under my concealer. My beautiful hair, my pride and joy was stringy and flat and the ends felt like straw. I felt like the worst version of myself, not even pretty anymore and I always thought I was.

A ring of the doorbell sounds and I slip on my heels, opening up the door to see a smartly dressed man with a cap and gloves. "I am here to pick up Miss Montgomery," he says with impressive enunciation.
"I am her," I say flashing a slight side smile.
"Follow me miss," he says holding out his gloved hand to help me down the steps of my house and into the back of a black Bentley with blacked out windows.

The journey to the Luna's house was short. On a regular day I would walk, even in the past I walked the short journey through the woods to their house. I walked it in the evenings after sneaking out Adams window and in the days after spending the day in their pool. The woods were peaceful and quiet, green and lush and incredibly beautiful. They were my favourite place to be.

We quickly arrived and the driver once again helped me out of the car and through the back gates into the Luna's massive, beautiful garden for tea. It kind of reminded me of Clarice's garden from Princess Diaries. Even the furniture was designed the same except that afternoon tea was set up over a larger table under a gazebo. Tiered stands of finger sandwiches and scones with jam and cream, champagne flutes and ice buckets, a butler with white gloves and a penguin tail standing behind the Luna who rises when she spots me. She's gorgeous. She wears a beautiful white, body dress with a pink and yellow floral pattern and a matching ascot hat and white lace gloves. She's the epitome of grace and poise. Her smile large and inviting.
"Oh dear, you look stunning." She saunters over to me and meets me in the gazebo entrance.
"Luna Maria, it's lovely to see you," I say bowing my head slightly.
"No need for the formalities dear, I know it's been a while but we're still family, now more than ever." She cups her two hands around my face and says "Let me look at you." I let her lift up my face as she inspects, her smile faltering slightly. She sighs and smiles once again. "Beautiful as always." She releases my face and I blush, a compliment from a Luna is one of the highest honours. "Come dear." She gestures for me to follow her and we walk back up to the gazebo, taking our seats which the butler kindly pulls out for us. "Champagne dear?" She asks.
"Yes please." I say, knowing that I need to be careful as alcohol had the potential to make this situation a lot worse. The last thing I need is to drunkenly confess my wrongdoings to my future mother in law and be shunned from the pack.
"So how have you been? You're studies have been keeping you busy i presume?" She asks.
"Yes mostly. It was nice to spend time focusing on philosophy, away from..." I stop myself before I say something absolutely, mind-numbingly stupid that not only insults the pack in front of its Luna but also her son who I'm mated to.
"Don't worry dear I understand. Distance is good, it gives clarity. You came back didn't you?"
I smile, I never thought about it in that way. I came back, there's a reason I came back.
"I admire you dear, i wish I'd gotten some time away from a pack instead of going straight from my old pack to this one. I had to find myself while juggling the responsibilities of being a Luna and while establishing a new identity as part of a couple and that is not easy." She says smiling and taking a sip of her champagne. "Eat something dear, you'll need your strength for everything that comes next."
My mother always taught me that you should never be the first to help yourself at a lunch meeting. She always said that in some instances it's even rude because you're there to discuss matters with your companion and not stuff your face however the Luna's eyes were ones that I couldn't refuse.
"Thank you," I say. "This all looks lovely." It's still early so I grab a scone and fill it with jam, it's too early for clotted cream, it's too sweet.
The Luna watches me as I eat the jam covered scone. She doesn't say anything until after I've finished the scone, waiting for me to finish my food.
"We still have our family dinners every Friday and I'd like you to join. After all you're family now. I'd also like you to participate in some obligations with me. Some are absolutely awful to have to sit through alone and I shall be overjoyed to have a companion such as yourself joining me."
"That sounds great," I say, hoping she didn't notice my hesitation.
She reached for my hand which was placed on my thigh and lifts it up to the table where she holds it tightly.
"I know things are hard right now, Adam told me that he thought you might be feeling... unsettled. We can take things slow Reine. Adam's already pushed the ceremony so you can have all the time you need to adjust. We're all here for you Reine." She looks into my eyes. Damn those eyes of hers, they never fail to make me feel better. I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

Footsteps become louder and closer to us as the. Luna and I break eye contact and look towards the noises to see the Alpha walking towards us and finally standing in the gazebo, peering down on us while we're sat at the table. I begin to rise out of respect but the Luna presses my shoulder down signally me to not move.
"Ladies." He says, staring intensely at his wife, barely acknowledging my presence.
"Alpha Jonathan," she says, her eyes and head tilted away from him.
I sense tension.
"What are you up to on this fine summers day?"
"Tea," she answers flatly. "Just wanted to spend some more time with the packs future Luna and my new daughter."
His eyes continue to bore into hers like words of unspoken rage are being communicated. She stares back, her eyes cold and strong like she's shouting back.
"Isn't there someone missing?" He says.
Now I'm confused.
"I don't think so," she says coldly. They exchange looks for a little longer before he says "Excuse me." He turns to leave and she coldly says
"You're excused."
His back tenses and he hesitates for a second before leaving us behind and walking away, tension clearly lifted from the air.

Once he's far enough away, she looks back at me and says "Sorry you had to be here for that dear, just a little disagreement between the Alpha and I.
"It's not a problem, really," I say shaking my head.
She takes a deep breath and sighs. "There's another reason why I brought you here, there's something I'd like to show you.