Chosen

4

"Well, there she is! The queen of White Moon! Finally graced us with your presence, then, have you?"

Mrs. Reed was in a mood. I was a tad late but is morning because Travis had spilled his coffee on the floor after finding one of his study bugs had escaped, and I'd panicked at the thought of some bug running wild in the shack while we were eating. Travis had found the thing and crawled into his study, leaving me with the mess.

"Please, Mrs. Reed, I've had a rather long morning."

"Well, I hope you're ready for an even longer day. It seems Black Moon has decided to come today without any warning whatsoever! And they expect me to make some sort of feast for these...ungrateful Lycans...slaving all day over a hot stove...no thanks..." Mrs. Reed started grumbling under her breath. She instructed me to started making some desserts for the feast tonight while she got started on the dinner. I baked up a storm, eager for the distraction from my less-than-exciting mating. By three, Mrs. Reed decided we had done enough cooking and asked me to help set the table. There was a big hall dedicated to hosting visitors toward the back of the pack house. It was a lovely room, but we only ever used it when prestigious Lycans were visiting for pack meetings, or if a neighboring pack requested a Gathering.

The room was wide enough to fit our entire pack comfortably. Along the far wall were French doors and porthole windows, showing peeks of the beautifully manicured lawns of the pack estate. Two crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, along with candles hanging on the walls every few feet. The floor was a beautiful mosaic depicting the sun and the moon together. In the center of the room was a large table, already outfitted with a white cloth for the occasion. I placed all the dinning ware where it needed to go, rolling the trolley filled with all the utensils with my until every place was set. Mrs. Reed came in and nodded at my work before telling me to rush back to the shack and change for the gathering.

Travis was still in his office when I got back. I decided to let him be for a while. The event didn't start for another hour, anyway.

I dressed in a long green dress that floated in waves to my ankles. The bodice was tight but it flared out at my waist and the bell sleeves were only slightly opaque. I loved the way the dress moved when I danced, and had been told a band would play at the gathering. I was excited, to say the least. My long red hair was straightened and pulled back into a braided bun. Some soft tendrils fell out and framed my face, but the bobby pins I'd tried to use hurt too much and I decided they would just have to stay free. Brown strap-y heels adorned my feet.

When I finally emerged from the bedroom, the party had already started. Travis was still locked in his office and I hesitated to knock.

I know he said not to bother him but...maybe he lost track if time? Surely he wouldn't want to miss the gathering. I'll just poke my head in really quickly...

Hundreds of warming lamps littered the room, illuminating Travis's form. He was peering into a rather large tank with something that resembled a green octopus inside. I cleared my throat to get his attention. It took a couple tries, but eventually his eyes flashed to mine, I tried to ignore the irritation I saw in them.

"The gathering has started. I was waiting for you to get ready before heading over."

"You go. I'm busy."

I was taken aback by his abrupt tone. "But, but...don't you want to go?"

Travis made an annoyed noise in the back of his throat. "Lily, I said, I'm busy. Please, just leave me alone."

I nodded and quickly excited the room. Shaking off the feeling of rejection, I decided that it wouldn't be so bad to attend alone. I mean, there would be other Lycans going solo.