Virago

2. Hesper Lowe

The banquet was going in a full swing. As much as I should have been standing there, with Devon right in the middle, I was hovering in the corner with a champagne flute.

The moon showed a pale smile as if she was done with everything. Usually, the full moon was always bright in my pack land. Especially in my pack. That was from where we got our pack name, MoonLight. No matter how gloomy that night was, the moon did her best to grace us all. But not tonight. As if she was ashamed about something, she hid behind thick curtains of clouds and did not even let her army of stars appear.

"In another hour," a familiar voice said softly to me. "You would have exchanged your vows. By tonight, you will be Marked," she said touching her neck where I knew there was a faded Mark. "And yet here you are in the shadows as if you want to strike this pack."

I coughed lightly. "Grandma..."

She shook her head, her silver hair bounced lightly. Sometimes, I truly wondered if this female before me was Moon Goddess reincarnate. Some stuff she said was confusing and others with deeply hidden meanings. Even the current Oracle feared talking to her and that was something. Not to mention, she was the oldest wolf in my pack.

As much as werewolves healed faster, we had quite a devastating end. Some said that since we became harder to kill and had so many children, nature had its own way to keep our population in check. After the age of ninety, cancer and autoimmune disease rates shot up sharply and many had aggressive tumours. With no chance to save them, and due to the pain, many wolves chose to die.

"I don't have to be your best friend to know that something is bothering you," she said, sitting next to where I stood. "What could be bothering you?"

If there was one person whom I could confide in without the fear of them judging me, it would be my grandma. As much as my mother grew me up, I often ran to my grandmother's place when I was young. This old female might be mysterious, but I knew how downright playful she was.

If I had the ceremony done my way, my officiant of choice would have been my grandmother. But Devon's family were against it. I could guess where they came from, but still. Usually, the oldest female in the pack who still had her mate would be the officiate. My grandpa died six years ago and that disqualified my grandma.

"I don't know," I whispered, my voice wobbling. I could be a little girl before her. "I don't know."

She pulled another chair closer to her and patted it. "Sit now, Hes. You're shaking."

Without another word, I sat down and only then I realised how much I had been shaking. It could be the heels. It must have been the heels.

She pulled the flute from me and gave it to the waiter who looked at us weirdly. One of the two main stars of the banquet was sitting in the corner with a pale face, just seconds from freaking out. He did not have to be a genius to know what was happening. But thankfully, taking the flute, he left us. Perhaps, my grandma would have glared at him, or perhaps, he was just understanding.

When my small world had just me and my grandma, I leaned against her shoulder and whimpered. "Am I doing this right, grandma?"

She flicked my forehead. "Nothing is right, nothing is wrong. Everything has a meaning of its own. Everything may make sense one day. So, instead of asking yourself if this is right, ask yourself if this is what you want."

"Did Iliara spend too much time with you?" I asked.

She laughed. "That girl has potential."

I wrinkled my nose. "Seriously, grandma. I don't know. Suddenly I am freaking out and..."