The same resounding thump echoed the room. I looked around at the wolves, wondering how so many people were willing to fight for a cause that didn’t even affect them. Then the wolves lowered their heads and bent down on their right knee.
Theo tilted his head to whisper in my ear. “They cross their hearts for me, but they bow for you, Margo.”
My heart swelled, and I wanted to thank them individually and promise them I wouldn’t let them down. The wolves lifted their heads but didn’t stand, looking to us for direction.
“Then let’s get to work.”
The Way We Are Built
The wolves split into separate groups of Alphas, Lunas, Betas, and Warriors. Theo and I walked around to the different groups and observed the conversations.
The Alphas were predominantly concerned with strategies that would lead to the least casualties. Alpha wolves are protective of their pack members, and they didn’t want to lose anyone if they had the choice. They were seated around a large circular table in one room while the Beta’s met in an adjoining room.
The Beta’s main job is to monitor security around the pack, along with supporting their Alpha. Their discussions focused mainly on how they would keep their borders secure. They had gone as far as using figurines to demonstrate their border formations. The wolves who guarded the territory, or Border Patrol as many called them, were the first line of defense against an intruder.
Warriors, as you can imagine, are constantly preparing and training for battle. The warriors that came to the gathering with their Alpha and Beta were predominantly Head Warriors who controlled the group of warriors. They had taken their place outside on the grass, sparring, and sharing tips and tricks they had learned in combat. Although the wolves looked fierce while fighting when they were done, they patted each other on the back and complimented each other.
The Lunas of each pack gathered in the main room where we had originally stood. They were all dressed similarly to me in dresses and classy shoes. Theo left me to speak to Gabriel when we came back inside, kissing my cheek as I stared at the group of women. I limped over the outer circle the women had formed. Although there were female Alphas, many still preferred to take the classic role of caring for the children of the pack.
As I approached, one wolf stepped back and let out a small gasp.
“Luna Regina, you shouldn’t have to walk around on that leg of yours, it’s simply dreadful. Let’s get her a chair, shall we?” She waved her hands, and two other women looked around frantically.
“Don’t worry about me.” I gave them a small smile. “In fact, I’d rather like to stand, Theo has me sitting all day long. And please, call me Margo.”
They chuckled strangely, probably perturbed by me referring to their Enforcer by his first name.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt you all,” I apologized quickly, seeing that their conversations stopped.
“You didn’t,” the woman with blonde hair next to me said kindly. “We couldn’t be happier to have you with us.”
“What were you all discussing?”
“Healing,” the blonde woman smiled at me kindly.
“What do you mean?” I asked curiously.
“As a human, you may not know this, but when we become Lunas, things are passed down to us the same as Alphas. Some are tangible things like jewelry and dresses, but there are a few things that are given to us that you cannot see.”
“Our mates are so concerned with our packs safety, sometimes they are too preoccupied to know how much power our bodies have,” another woman stepped forward. She had red hair, braided, and pulled to the back of her head. She was older than me by some five years or so. “As leaders, our bodies were built to rule those around us.”
“Our ancestors believe that our bodies were formed out of magic,” the woman next to the red-haired woman came close to me and held out her wrist. “There are certain things our bodies can do that your human body cannot, apart from shifting.”
I could see the veins on her wrist grow darker and darker as she spoke. She closed her small eyes and began to concentrate. I watched as the veins underneath her skin all became visible and dark purple. My wide eyes amused the Lunas around me, they giggled and came to circle around me.
“Our bodies can promote faster healing, our hands can heal a broken heart, our voices can soothe a child to stop crying. There’s a reason most of us don’t take Alpha positions. Our bodies were not built to protect, they were built to heal.”
“In fact,” the red-haired woman smirked coyly. The women around her smiled mischievously and gathered around me. I staggered back, and their smiles grew. “It usually takes a few of us to heal a wound this large, especially since you’re human, but there are a lot of us here now.”
“Do you trust us, Luna?”
I glanced at each of their faces, maybe fifty of them around me. I nodded sincerely, feeling my heart clench as their eyes filled with happiness. One woman gently took my crutches from me, and my arms shot out to grab onto something.
Two women held my arms up, and the other woman moved a small table over. They helped me onto the table, lifting my legs so that my back was flat. The red-haired woman and the brunette with small eyes stood on either
