Feral Attachments

Chapter 22

Isla

2 Weeks Later...

"I look ridiculous." I snap, tilting my head back and refusing to let moisture develop in my eyes as Ysabel continues to fidget with the grey flowing fabric adorning my body. 

"No you don't. You look gorgeous. And regal as fuck." she says, pushing the strap back up on my shoulder and tightening it so it doesn't fall again. 

I sigh and look towards the window, feeling the crisp breeze blow across my face. The familiar scent of nature fills the room and I fight the urge to flee into the forest. 

'Everything will be fine, little wolf.' I hear Atlas' voice fill my mind. 

'What if I ruin everything?' I ask him. He chuckles warmly before he responds. 

'You couldn't if you tried, sweet girl. I will be with you. Every step of the way.' 

I smile at his words and take a deep breath, trying to calm my frazzled nerves. Tonight is the first full moon since my marking, which means I will officially become a Luna tonight. Atlas and I will stand under the stars and swear our allegiance to protect the pack before we shift and run the territory with them. After the ceremony, I will be connected to all of them the way Atlas already is. Part of me is terrified. Since I had always refused an attachment, becoming a Luna had never crossed my mind. I'm not even sure what a Luna really does in a pack. Most of the ones I had been in, a Luna was for show. Only used to breed Alpha's. I know it won't be like that with Atlas, but finding a place where I belong, where I can be of use will be a completely new concept that we create on our own. 

"You ready?" Ysabel asks, motioning back towards the window where the sun is lowering. I nod and look at myself in the mirror one last time. 

"I suppose this will have to do." I say, swaying slightly to make the material flow around me. Ysabel scoffs and pinches my arm. "Ow!" I exclaim. 

"Stop thinking like that. You're beautiful. And intelligent and kind and talented and you're going to make an amazing fucking Luna!" she shouts. My eyes widen at her outburst and I stare at her for a moment before I smile. 

"Thank you, Ys. For everything." I murmur, opening my arms for a hug. 

"You're welcome." she says stepping into me and wrapping me in an embrace. We stay like that for a long moment. I take a deep breath and pull away, giving Ys a warm smile. 

"Let's do this." I say with as much confidence as I can muster. She returns my smile and nods before leading from the room. 

We walk down the stairs of mine and Atlas' house towards a small clearing near the edge of the pack. It's not a long walk and the sun finishes it's descent into the night, the sparkling stars becoming visible in the clear sky. It's getting cooler, this time of year, so there's a bite to the air that makes me shiver as Atlas comes into view. He must sense me because he turns to look at me, grinning as his eyes meet mine. He doesn't look at what I'm wearing, the intricate braid Ysabel did in my hair or the beautiful necklace adorning my neck that he bought me just for this occasion. 

He keeps his eyes on mine as he moves towards me, clearly impatient to be near me after spending the whole day apart. 

"You look amazing." he says quietly as he reaches for me, curling his arms around me and pulling me tightly into his chest. I let out a nervous giggle, relaxing in his hold as his familiar scent calms my anxious mind. 

"Not as good as you." I respond, pulling away to look at him in his suit. I've never seen him dressed so formally and could easily get used seeing him this way. Indecent thoughts of getting him undressed begin to fill my mind and he laughs softly before nudging me to gain my attention. Since our marking, both of us have left our minds open to each other. I thought I would hate it, but having Atlas' constant presence in my mind has been nothing but a comfort to me. His never ending encouragement and nearly overwhelming love has helped me to adjust to this new life in a way I never imagined possible.