The Beaten Path.

chapter 7: Welcoming

Saturday: The Day of the Party

Today is the day I will be officially accepted into the Blood Night pack. The backyard and pool area have been transformed into a party venue, with colorful lights strung throughout. Tables and chairs are set up around the yard, and music fills the air. Both the outdoor and indoor kitchens are fully stocked with drinks, and delicious food has been prepared.

I'm currently in our room, putting the final touches on my outfit. I wear a knee-length black dress that is strapless with a heart-shaped neckline. My makeup is light and natural, and my hair is styled in a side braid. As I pull on my black heels, Dom walks in.

"Wow, baby, you look stunning," he says, his eyes filled with admiration as they roam over my body.

"Thank you, baby," I reply, feeling my cheeks flush from the blood rushing to them.

We make our way downstairs and out the back door to the grassy area where a stage, microphone, and stand have been set up. Alpha Mark, his beta, Luna, and Kyle are already there waiting. The pack is seated throughout the yard, buzzing with excitement.

"Hello, my fellow pack members! I want to thank you all for coming out to celebrate the welcoming of my son's mate and your future Luna, Kelly Dixie, a former member of the Skylight pack," Alpha Mark's voice booms.

The pack cheers loudly, welcoming their future Luna and a new pack member.

"Please welcome to the stage, Kelly Dixie, future Luna of the Blood Night pack!"

As I walk across the stage to stand by Alpha Mark, everyone cheers and howls with excitement. I turn to face the crowd to address them properly.

"Good evening, my fellow pack members," I say, a genuine smile spreading across my face as I scan the crowd. "I just want to say thank you all so much for coming and welcoming me into this amazing pack. As your future Luna, I promise to act in the pack's best interest. I vow to protect this pack and every one of you with my life. I will do my best to guide us all down the right path. I promise to stand by my mate and your future Alpha, Dominic, regardless of how tough things get. I will be here for any of you. I look forward to what the future holds for us all and can't wait to get to know each one of you."

I speak with a confidence that surprises me; I'm usually a nervous wreck when addressing a crowd. After my speech, everyone howls and cheers for me again.

"Thank you, Kelly, for your speech. We look forward to seeing how you can help this pack grow even stronger," Alpha Mark says to me with a smile.

He then turns back to the pack and addresses them once more.

"We will now add Kelly to our pack."

You may wonder how this is done. It involves using a special pocket knife to slice our hands. The Alpha does the same, and then we connect our hands, allowing our blood to mix. When it does, the connection between the pack and the new member is formed. This means I will smell like the territory—pumpkin in this case—and I will be able to mind link with anyone in the pack, as they can now mind link with me. Once our blood mixes, I can feel the connection to the pack. As a future Luna, I gain some of the Alpha's strength during this formation.

As soon as it's completed, the Alpha turns back to the crowd and addresses them again. Now I'm nervous because he's about to share my secret. I grab hold of Dom's hand and lean in closer. He leans down towards my ear and whispers,

"It's going to be okay; we can trust everyone here."

I nod in reply and turn my attention back to Alpha.

"Now, what I'm about to share with you all is only for our pack's ears. Does everyone understand?" Alpha asks.

"Yes, Alpha," everyone replies in unison.