Chapter 11
Third person
Mira appeared calm, unruffled by Tessa’s accusations.
“This was not my fault,” Mira said. “I was just there to help.”
“Help?” Tessa responded. “If you weren’t there Dominic would have been focused, and they would’ve come out unharmed! Instead, one of our best warriors is at death’s door!”
“Tessa, you know that’s not true!” Mira shouted back.
An older couple made their way through the others, and came to confront Mira.
“Where is our son?” the man asked. “Darius has been on many missions with Dominic, and has never come back with more than a scratch. And one outing with you and he comes back maimed?”
Mira was visibly shaken. “I promise you,” she said, using her calming bedside voice, “I did all I could for him in the field, and he came home in stable condition.”
“I heard they might have to amputate his leg,” Tessa said loudly.
The crowd was outraged, and many angry faces turned towards Mira. The injured solider’s mother was pale and shaking.
“Is this true? My boy, crippled?”
“No!” Mira was furious at this manipulation. She took a breath, and reached out to touch the woman’s arm. “No, I will do everything in my power to prevent that.”
“How could you let this happen to him?” the mother screamed, tears bursting from her eyes.
Mira’s frustration got the best of her.
“This was not my fault! It was an accident!”
That only sent the crowd into more of a frenzy.
“Don’t be absurd, Doctor!” a woman’s voice cut through the noise. The crowd quieted and parted as a tall woman walked towards Mira, confidence radiating off of her.
The Lune had arrived.
“Doctor,” Irene said in a hardened tone, “this is not the behavior we’d expect in such a stressful time. Especially not coming from a woman who is proposed to be a future Luna.”
Even the farthest person in the crowd could see the red coming into Mira’s cheeks.
“It is the job of a leader to look after her people,” Irene said as if speaking to a child, “and to take responsibility when she has erred in doing so.”
“But I didn’t—“
“Do not interrupt a Luna when she is speaking!” Irene blared at her. She turned to the distraught couple next to her. “Nerissa, Walter, we will do all we can for your family.”
“So disrespectful,” Tessa added from behind her mother’s shoulder.
“I—“ Mira felt the fight go out of her. “I am trained to save lives, not endanger them.”
Irene wrapped an elegant arm around Nerissa, pulling her away from Mira.
“She doesn’t need to apologize,” a man said, entering the crowd. “I owe Mira my life.”
It was Darius, the wounded soldier from the woods. He was in a wheelchair with his injured leg propped up. Dominic pushed him from behind.
“Darius!” Nerissa shouted as she ran to greet her son, her husband close behind. “We were so worried, they said—“
“Don’t listen to anything Tessa has to say about this,” Dominic cut her off. “My step-sister has a flare for drama.”
Tessa fumed silently, knowing she couldn’t go up against an Alpha in public.
“Darius fought bravely in the field, and his injuries were inflicted by a trap set by our enemies,” Dominic continued, “and without Mira’s quick intervention he might not have survived.”
The Alpha looked to the Doctor, and one would have to be blind to miss the admiration he showed her. Mira nodded, never breaking eye-contact with him.
“Thank you, Mira,” Walter, the father, said. “I’m sorry we doubted you, we ere just so overcome with worry for our son.”
“No need, sir,” Mira said. “I did what any doctor would do in my position, and I would do it again for anyone in this Pack.”
Murmurs of approval rose up among the watchers, and a few came to Mira offer praise for her service.
Irene watched with an icy stare, her body rigid as being outshone by this new woman.
“It is wonderful news,” she said without conviction. “And I, too, should offer a sincere apology to our gifted doctor here.”
It didn’t take a genius to notice that she never actually said she was sorry, talking around it instead. Pride wins over humility every time.
As the tension eased, it was decided among Pack members that another council meeting should be held to discuss Mira’s candidacy for Luna. The groups began to disperse, and Dominic and Mira left together, his arm around her shoulders as they walked home.
Only one person was left outside, leaning against the building, the eerie light from a cell phone showing the scowl on her face.
Tessa waited for a reply from the messages she’d sent, her eyes glazed over as she came up with her schemed.
A minute later another woman approached from around the corner, looking over her shoulder to be sure no one was watching their conference.
“So, what’s your plan?” Lila asked.
“First, I have to ask you,” Tessa began, “do you still have feelings for my stepbrother?”
Lila’s mouth dropped open slightly, and she closed it quickly, averting her eyes.
“You don’t have to be embarrassed,” Tessa assured her, “I only want to help.”
“Well, yes,” Lila confessed. “Ever since we were younger, growing up together, I always thought we should be together. For a while I thought he felt the same. But now, with Mira…”
“Don’t worry about her,” Tessa snapped. “He only just met her, and I find it hard to believe she could bewitch him that fast.”
Lila nodded, starting to see where Tessa was going with this.
“If you’ll help me,” Tessa continued, “I’m sure we can ruin her reputation and keep her from ever coming near the seat of the Luna.
Lila’s eyes lit up, and a grotesque smile spread across her face.
“I’m in.”
Mira
I’d never been so exhausted in my life, not even in medical school. My body, my brain, and my heart had been worn down so much in the past few days, so I was happy to get a few hours to rest and clean myself up before the next council meeting.
I would need all my wits about me to convince the Pack I was worthy to be their Luna.
As the meeting began, soldiers made a point to say hello to me on their way to their seats, some arriving specially for this meeting when they otherwise might not attend.
“We are once again meeting to discuss the future of our Pack,” Dominic’s father called out. “At this time we will hear from members who wish to offer their opinions, and then we will discuss the voting process.”
Darius spoke first. He rose, shakily from his wheelchair, two of his comrades providing him support to stand. I knew how painful it must’ve been for him, and let him see the sincere care in my eyes.
“I would like to speak on behalf of my unit,” Darius said with a clear voice, “I have the utmost faith in Mira being our next Luna, and Dominic’s mate. She has our trust, loyalty, and assurance that we would follow her into battle anywhere.”
Roars of allegiance went up among the soldiers, and some civilian members as well. For the first time, I felt I might be accepted into the Pack.
That feeling didn’t last long, as another member stood up to speak. I recognized her as one who was often whispering with Irene on the sidelines.
“I speak for a group of us who cast doubt upon her suitability,” she said. “This woman was born without a wolf, abandoned by her Pack— how can we trust that she’ll know how to lead ours?”
More spoke up to cast doubt on me, and my heart began to sink.
When the Alpha finally quieted, he set the ultimatum for my place in the Pack: either to become Luna, or to be exiled.
“We will have a traditional fourteen-day period of spiritual voting,” the Alpha said, “during which time all members may discuss the options, and can change their vote at any time. In a fortnight, we will tally the votes and have our final decision. Mira, do you accept these terms?”
I knew this was just a formality. I took a step forward, but Dominic put a hand out to stop me.
“This is absurd, Father,” he voice was strong above the rest. “How much more must you all hear before you respect my choice of Mate and believe in her value as Luna?”
“Dominic, please” I put my hand on his, stopping him. “I cannot win their love by force, they must choose me on their own terms.”
Dominic squeezed my fingers, and nodded in obedience. This softer side of him still made my heart flutter.
I looked back to the Alpha.
“Sir, I accept.”
“Very good, we will settle this matter in two weeks' time.”
The chamber emptied, and Dominic and I were alone again.
“I appreciate you standing up for me,” Mira said to her Mate, “but there will be times when I cannot rely on you, and I need to prove to the Pack that I can stand on my own.”
“I understand,” Dominic said softly, “and I hope you understand that you are my Luna, and you can trust me in anything.”
I was speechless in the face of his sincerity, seeing the cracks in his hard exterior. He linked his arm in mine and led me from the room towards home.
On the walk back I was quiet, realizing that Mira the Orphan hadn’t felt this safe in a long, long time.
