The woman behind them began placing their arms on the other’s shoulders, forming a web of arms. I began wondering what they were doing, and while I was lost in thought, my injured leg began to tingle. I gasped and lifted my head, someone pushed it back gently. The tingles in my leg grew, it was now buzzing like it was numb.
I closed my eyes and tried to relax. One of the other Lunas took the cast off my leg and placed the pieces on the ground. My skin felt like it was moving, but it wasn’t painful. A few moments later, the feeling stopped, and I opened my eyes. The Lunas lifted their heads and nodded their heads proudly.
I sat up and looked down where my scarred, mutilated, fleshy wound once lived. In its place was smooth skin. I ran my fingers over it, barely grazing my fingertips over it and yelped. It was as if the wound was never there.
I looked at the red-haired woman in awe. She looked at the other Lunas, nodding her head softly.
“How?” was the only word that left my mouth.
“Our bodies were built to heal, Luna,” she said firmly, strongly, pleading with her eyes. “Please, please, do not forget this fact.”
They helped me sit up, and I gradually put pressure on my legs. The bone was healed as well as the flesh, and I yipped in surprise.
I heard Theo’s heavy footprints as he approached. The Lunas parted the crowd, and he made his way straight to me.
“I heard you yell, are you okay?” His face was stone, as it always was in public.
“Theo, look.” I lifted the hem of my dress and showed him the pale skin that replaced the injury. He dropped to his knees and lifted his hand up to touch my leg. As he did, he had to hold in a gasp. His face was sad but joyful in a way. He was happy that his mistake wasn’t causing me any more pain.
He stood up, and as he rose, he grabbed me around the waist and lifted me to his height. He kissed me twice, quickly, and turned with me in his arms. I laughed and threw my arms around him.
He looked around at the women. “Thank you,” he said gratuitously.
“We may not always be on the front lines of battle, Enforcer, but we are useful.”
“Absolutely,” Theo said back with meaning. He set me on the ground and lowered his head slightly to thank the other Lunas. He began to lead me off, but I yanked my hand out of his and turned back.
The Lunas were watching us leave. I thanked them, trying to find each one of their eyes. Just as before, the Lunas sunk to one knee, bowing their heads to me. It was still such a strange feeling, but Theo pulled me along before I had time to comprehend.
I turned one more time as they raised their heads. Their eyes held fire behind them, the kindness still in their faces, but they were ready for this battle. Not every fight is physical.
Noose
The gathering continued for two more days after the first. The last day was more of a celebration than a meeting, and all of Gabriel’s pack was invited. Familiar faces flashed in the crowd, Emily, Sloane, Eli, Albia.
The red-haired woman came and introduced herself to me formally. Joella and her mate, Felix, were from the Audacia Pack. They lived around ten hours to the south of us, high up in the mountains. They liked the solitude.
Many other Alphas, Lunas, Betas, and Warriors came and introduced themselves to me. They had met Theo when he visited their packs previously but were eager to make a good second impression. They shared stories of their pack, the landscapes around them, and past battles. A few of them had made it a game to see who could make me laugh first.
Theo smiled proudly as I met each one of the Alphas he oversaw. I stayed close to his side, although I felt comfortable being around these wolves.
Caddy and Bodhi found us after we met with another Alpha. I smiled widely as they approached, ignoring the scowl on Bodhi’s face.
“Look at you, back on your feet and ready for some action,” Caddy hollered. I gave him a twirl and showed him the spot where my bite used to be.
“Fully functional and everything.” I smirked happily. Caddy clapped his hands dramatically and then placed them back around Bodhi’s waist.
At the end of the day, the other packs left, and we returned home with Caddy and Bodhi. Caddy’s Beta, Finn, insisted on leaving the same night instead of staying one more day like Caddy. Finn was strict and quiet, the opposite of Caddy.
We had a small dinner and careful conversation before bed. In the morning, Caddy was set to return to his pack with Bodhi and her fourteen other wolves in tow. They had agreed, on a trial basis, to integrate their packs and mutually oversee the wellbeing of all the wolves.
As Caddy said his goodbyes, I got emotional and held his hug longer than I should have. I sniffled and wiped my nose before I ruined his shirt.
“Margo, I’ll probably see you in a few weeks,” Caddy said, ruffling my hair. I nodded sullenly and shrank back to Theo’s side. Each time Caddy left, I felt empty, like my past was gone with him.
Bodhi and I gave each other a polite smile and a short nod of our heads. We had tried to mend our differences, but it was only something time could heal.
Theo and I settled back into our lives; he was busy with work most of the day, and I read most of the time. I yearned for something to give me a purpose, some sort of work or hobby but I hadn’t found it
