Chapter 168

Aria

I sat on the edge of my bed, my fingers fidgeting with the soft material of my nightgown as Wendy bustled around the room, gathering various items from the dresser. My shoulder still ached, the wound healing but tender beneath the fresh bandages Dr. Edward had applied earlier. The pain was manageable now, but my discomfort had little to do with my wound.

“Hold still,” Bella instructed, her fingers working deftly through my hair. She sectioned off another piece, adding it to the intricate braid she was weaving down the center of my back. “You’re worse than you were at sixteen.”

I tried to steady myself, taking a deep breath. “Sorry.”

“Nervous?” Wendy asked, placing a wooden box on the bed beside me. She grinned as she opened it, revealing an assortment of silver and moonstone jewelry.

“Terrified,” I admitted. “I can’t believe this is happening. Now, of all times.”

Bella’s fingers paused briefly in my hair. “If any two people deserve happiness in the middle of all this chaos, it’s you and Darren.”

“She’s right,” Wendy agreed, selecting a delicate silver chain with a crescent moon pendant from the box. “Sometimes the universe has its own timing.”

I swallowed hard, blinking back the tears that were threatening to spill from my eyes. “I just never imagined it would be like this. After everything that’s happened…”

“Life doesn’t wait for perfect moments,” Wendy said, clasping the necklace around my throat. “We make them out of what we’re given.”

Bella resumed her braiding. “Remember when we used to do each other’s hair in the youth home? Before those awful dances they made us attend?”

A laugh bubbled up from my chest, momentarily making my nerves dissipate. “God, those were terrible. You cried for an hour when Tommy Peterson stepped on your toes.”

“Because he ruined my new shoes!” Bella protested, tugging playfully at a strand of my hair. “They were the only pair I’d gotten that year that weren’t hand-me-downs. I had to work my ass off mowing lawns to afford them.”

“And now look at you both,” Wendy said softly. “Strong women. Leaders.” She winked at Bella. “Mothers.”

Bella blushed. I reached up with my good arm, squeezing Bella’s hand where it rested on my shoulder. “I never thought I’d have this,” I confessed, my voice barely above a whisper. “A real family.”

The admission hung in the air between us. Bella knew better than anyone what my childhood had been like. The youth home hadn’t been great, but in many ways it was far better than what had come before.

“You were always meant for more than what they gave you,” Bella said, securing a section of the braid with a small clip. “Anyone with eyes could see that.”

“I just feel so…” I paused, searching for the right word. “Blessed. After years of being stuck with people who saw me as a burden, I found where I belong.”

Wendy knelt in front of me, taking my hands in hers. Her eyes searched my face. “And we found you. This pack needed you, Aria. More than anyone realized.”

I ducked my head, overwhelmed by her words, but Wendy gently lifted my chin.

“I want you to know something,” she said. “I may not be your blood, but I couldn’t be prouder if you were my own granddaughter.”

A tear escaped then, sliding down my cheek before I could stop it. “I’ve thought of you that way for a while now,” I admitted. “Like the grandmother I never had.”

Wendy’s eyes glistened as she squeezed my hands. “Emilia would have loved you. Darren’s sister had the same fire, the same heart.”

“You think so?” I asked.

“I know so.” Wendy nodded firmly. “She was a fighter too, in her own way. And she would be so proud of what you’re doing for this pack, for her son.” She touched the pendant at my throat. “Tonight, her spirit will be with you. This necklace belonged to her.”

Heat rushed to my face, spreading from my cheeks down my neck. I touched the pendant with a trembling finger. Bella noticed and laughed, reaching around to pinch my reddened cheek.

“Look at you, blushing like a teenager,” she teased. “The fierce Luna Queen, brought down by a few sweet words.”

I swatted her hand away, fighting a smile. “Shut up and finish my hair, peasant.”

“Almost done, Your Majesty,” Bella said, weaving the final strands together. “You’ve got so much more of it than when we were kids, by the way.”

“Yeah, because you used to cut it yourself with kitchen scissors,” I recalled, wincing at the memory. “I looked like I’d been attacked by a lawnmower.”

“It wasn’t that bad!”

“It was worse,” I deadpanned, making Wendy chuckle.

Bella secured the end of the braid with a ribbon, then stepped back to admire her work. “Perfect.”

Wendy moved to the wardrobe in the corner, carefully removing a garment wrapped in protective cloth.

My pulse quickened as she unwrapped the traditional pack robes, the fabric shimmering in the soft lamplight. The white material seemed to glow with an inner light, almost luminescent, like the moon itself. Delicate embroidery adorned the edges—blue moons and stars, the symbols of Moonglow Pack, stitched with painstaking care.

I stood on shaky legs, allowing my nightgown to slip to the floor and revealing the effort Wendy had put in earlier to adorn my bare body. With Bella and Wendy’s help, I stepped into the robes, careful not to disturb Wendy’s hard work. Wendy fastened the closures.

“The white represents the purity of the moon’s light,” she murmured as she worked. “The color that guides us through darkness.”

As the final clasp was secured, I turned to face the mirror. The woman who stared back was almost unrecognizable—regal, ethereal, her dark hair elaborately braided and adorned with tiny moonstone pins that caught the light. The white robes draped perfectly, making my skin glow and my eyes seem deeper, more intense.

Somehow, the robe’s silhouette was effortlessly elegant, cascading down my slender waist and hips and pooling at the floor around my feet.

“Oh,” I breathed, unable to form more coherent words.

I couldn’t believe it. Just months ago, I’d only ever seen myself as the bland human woman that could never find love. I’d seen myself as lanky and awkward, plain and mousey.

But now… I looked like a werewolf woman. Tall, elegant, curves in all the right places, and… confident. Poised.

Like a queen.

Just then, a soft knock at the door interrupted the moment. Wendy moved to answer it, opening it just enough to peek out. A moment later, she stepped back with a smile.

“Someone has a delivery for the Luna Queen,” she announced.

The door pushed open wider, revealing Lucas standing there. He was tugging at the collar of a little suit, and he was holding something behind his back with his other hand. His eyes widened when he saw me.

“You look like a princess,” he declared, blushing.

A laugh burst from my lips. “And you look like a little prince. What do you have behind your back?”

Lucas hesitated, his blush deepening. Then, he pulled a haphazard bouquet of wildflowers from behind his back and thrust it toward me. “I picked these for you. Daddy helped me find the prettiest ones in the garden.”

Gasping, I accepted the flowers, bringing them to my nose. Black-eyed Susans, Queen Anne’s lace, and tiny purple violets all bundled together with a ribbon. They smelled divine.

“They’re beautiful,” I told him, ruffling his chestnut hair. “The most perfect bouquet I’ve ever seen.”

Lucas beamed up at me. Really?”

“Really.” I crouched, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “Thank you.”

He straightened his little shoulders, suddenly all business. “Grandpa said I’m supposed to escort you. He said it’s a very important job.”

I nodded. “I can’t think of anyone else who’s better suited.”

Wendy adjusted the drape of my robes one final time, while Bella wiped a stray tear from her cheek.

My heart lurched, fear and joy tangling together in my chest. I clutched the wildflower bouquet in one hand, and reached for Lucas with the other. His small fingers wrapped around mine.

“Ready?” he asked, looking up at me with Darren’s eyes.

I took a deep breath and nodded. “Ready.”

Bella moved ahead to open the door, and Wendy followed, leaving Lucas and me to walk behind them. We made our way down the corridor, then downstairs, my legs trembling the whole way.

As we approached the ceremonial hall, the sound of soft music and voices drifted through the air. Lucas squeezed my hand.

“Don’t be scared,” he whispered. “Daddy loves you more than anybody.”

I blinked, taken aback by Lucas’s childlike wisdom. But I smiled and said, “I know. I love him too.”

We paused before the massive wooden doors of the ceremonial hall. Bella and Wendy took positions on either side, each placing a hand on the handles. They looked at me, waiting for my signal.

I nodded, my heart thundering in my ears.

The doors swung open, revealing a candlelit room beyond.