Eclipse Child |✔|

|49|

part I-

for the first time in her life,

she has given herself permission

to unpack her wings...

***

The next morning holds both joy and sorrow.

Alpha Theon signs the last of the paperwork, his eyes shining with undiluted happiness as he looks to his new found mate.

Sandra cannot stop grinning. They both cannot stop grinning.

A bitterness of jealousy twists in my soul at the sight, but at the same time, I cannot help but smile with them. My heart feels like another weight is added, the coming event of knowing Sandra was leaving the pack making a new heaviness crawl and rest in me.

"Just a second," Sandra squeezes Alpha Theon's hand, not rising from the chair.

"Don't be too long," his voice already speaks of an untold agony at having to let go of her. He bows deeply to me, "thank you Alpha Soraya."

I nod to him, at a loss for words.

He steps out, eyes trailing upon Sandra until the last second when he closes the door to grant us privacy.

She moves closer, her grin of the sun still smothered upon her face.

"Soraya, thank you."

I don't know what they are thanking me for. The Goddess worked in mysterious ways it seemed. I was just a tool used to make her string of fate happen.

Sandra pauses, something in hesitating before she faces me fully.

"I'm a Luna now."

I frown at her words. I want to point out her naivety in saying just because she had found her mate to be an Alpha, did not make her a Luna by default. Like with all things- titles had to be earned.

But she sits up straighter, the words of her power giving her courage she never had to move on.

"Soraya. You...you are a great leader."

My heart swells at her words, my bitterness slowing dissolving until-,

"But you do not make a great leader here."

A barrier shuts down in my mind.

"As your former Alpha, I still deserve your respect."

"You never had it."

It's like a punch to the stomach. Sweet Sandra. Loving Sandra. Sandra that had always held her hand out to me when I was small and lost. Who took me into her kitchen when both mom and dad did not know what else to do with me.

"Do not speak so freely," even I can hear the hurt in my words.

Sandra's smile of radiance slowly morphs into one of sadness.

"I have to say this before I leave Soraya. I have to say this to know that I at least didn't leave without trying to help you."

"I don't need-,"

"Soraya...I felt like you were my own child. It was painful to watch you struggle and scrap your way to this place- only to see how miserable you are now."

"The goal was never my happiness."

"It can be though."

Sandra moves in closer.