The Mates of Monsters

Chapter 11

I wish something would take me away. I'll stick my feet out from under the blanket and hope that something grabs onto them. I hope this thing whisks me off, takes me under my bed, through a secret door and into a world where everything is... is—well, easier than this. But David wouldn't be there. Is it really easier then—without him?

I stare out at the forest just beyond the back porch with my hands holding the railing tightly. My eyes survey the brush for two beasts moving so quickly that I may have already missed them by blinking too hard. They must be running the borders by now.

"You must be the Luna," a feminine voice announces as the handle of the backdoor makes the slightest noise. I turn, leaving my post to instead pick at small sandwiches and cookies and sip coffee and tea. Of course, it is Alpha Nicodra's Luna arriving for our lunch—the frail brunette I saw yesterday morning and not since.

"Call me Brigette," I say with a smile and look to our set-up.

Helena has placed a table big enough for the two of us on the porch, outside so we can eat to the songs of birds or the rustle of leaves like in a period drama. She has covered the table in a white tablecloth and has placed each plate delicately on top of it.

"And you can call me Aurora," she says as we take our seats. "I heard that you're as new as a fresh-hatched chick. How do you like it—being a Luna, I mean."

"It's been alright, considering it's only been about a week."

Aurora smiles as if she knows something I do not. "Just you wait."

I feel like a recruit to the not-so-secret, secret society of Lunas. By the way she talks and the way she carries herself, I can tell Aurora is no stranger to pleasant lunches or strategic dinner parties. "Maybe you can give me a heads up on how this all works because I feel like I'm just blindly doing whatever anyone tells me."

"Oh, you seem like you're already on the right track then. The smartest thing a Luna can do is whatever she's told, but it's not so much the most fun. If you ask me, there are two types of Lunas. The first is the obedient, and the second is the brave. The obedient is loyal, predictable—she's the girl that pops into your head when you think of a Luna. But the brave, she's the one who's not afraid to put her authority to use."

"And you're the brave?" I ask.

She shrugs. "I try to be."

"How nontraditional of you. And Alpha Nicodra doesn't care?"

"The Alpha and I used to be closer than we are, not because of my bravery, but because he can be, well—"

"Unpredictable?"

Aurora grabs a little sandwich and takes a bite. "Did your Alpha tell you that?"

"He did."

There is a moment of silence where the two of us show hints of relief. It is always nice when you meet someone that is easy to talk to. No awkward pauses. No need to be someone we are not.

"Alpha Amin is a good Alpha," she murmurs. "Some Alphas are bad at what they do or are reckless with the power, but so far he's been one of the good ones. I was waiting to see who his mate would be. I pictured an obedient one, but not you."

"How do you know I won't be an obedient one?"

She shakes her head. "I have an inkling. I feel that you and I are similar."

I question, "Just after a few minutes?"

"Trust me, I've been to quite a few Luna lunches. Wait until you have to dine with one of the older ones. They'll drone on about their kids until you think about tying your tubes—which for us is the same as our Alpha starving the pack to death."