Oracle Of The Moon

No one -Lucy's POV

Lucy's POV-

When my mate gently placed me in front of his body to introduce me to my new pack, my heart went haywire. There were too many people looking at me, and I felt like I had no business being there. I truly looked pathetic compared to all of them. Everyone was wearing nice dresses and button up shirts, even Kale was wearing nicer clothes which I hadn't noticed before that moment. There I was, wearing too large shorts and an oversized sweatshirt.

I hadn't even thought about my clothes choice- the only time that I had ever thought about clothes before was when I literally didn't have any to wear. I had finally built up a small stash of things over the years, but none of the clothes that I had were anywhere near nice. In fact, I was pretty sure that the sweatshirt that I was wearing was just about the only shirt that I had with no holes or visible bloodstains on it. Not to mention that I actually hated wearing the garment because of the painful memories attached to it. I was suddenly realizing how completely out of depths that I was.

I felt like a total idiot. Who was I to think that I could ever belong in that place, in any place- in any pack. Everyone was too good for me. Kale was too good for me. I was no one, and I always would be no one. Fleming and his pack taught me that.

Just as my heart was hammering to new extremes due to my inner war and anxiety, Kale placed his hand on my shoulder and left it there. That instantly calmed me down. It was crazy how effectively the mate-bond worked.

He introduced me and said that I was an important part of the pack. I couldn't believe it! Me important! It was a completely foreign concept to me.

Soon enough, I felt Kale's hand trail down my shoulder and back leaving a hot, simmering trail as he moved it along to usher me back to the kitchen. As we began walking away, I heard all of the murmurs start. Suddenly, I felt extremely self-conscious again.

Why hadn't I thought about all the people that I was going to be introduced to? Why hadn't I realized that I should've looked nice? Why wouldn't have Kale told me the dress code? Why did I have to be the way that I was?

I felt overwhelmed by the mutterings of the pack that I could still hear from the kitchen. I felt so stupid and a bit shallow to be honest. I knew that it shouldn't have bothered me so much. It's not supposed to be about looks or clothes, but my conditioning from Fleming's pack also made me insecure about what I could actually bring to the table aside from those things as well. So I was just feeling completely insecure in every aspect of myself.

I hadn't meant to be disrespectful when I chastised Kale for not telling me the dress code. I knew that he felt disrespected though- even if I was justified in being annoyed about being under dressed. I was just panicking because it already felt like no one liked me- like I didn't belong.

I was so lost in my own insecurities and anxiousness that when he asked whose shirt that I was wearing, I was completely dumbfounded. I didn't understand the question. Obviously, it was mine since I was wearing the thing.

And it was. It really was mine... now. Since I had went through so much to be able to keep it. It was all mine.

Right then was when it hit me what was going on and why he was suddenly growling at me and acting like I was guilty... it smelled like Fleming and Harrow. Everything of mine smelled like those two. They had completely ruled and ruined my life for years.

I was ruined by them.

I couldn't stop myself from thinking of the horrible things that they had done to me. It started me down a dark path that always led me somewhere horrible. I didn't want the memories to haunt me, but the always did.