Chapter 10: Luna

This morning my aunt woke me up to prepare myself for the Sunday meeting. I had to wash, put new clothes on- completely new. My aunt bought me a Sunday dress, it wasn’t a church she said. Well, I had to wear a dress. Women wore dresses to church, but this wasn’t a church. I looked at it. It wasn’t horrible, just not my taste. The dress was white, just fell over my knees with lace covering my arms and the seams. Like I said not horrible, but not my taste.

      Then we rode to " as my aunt said- the town hall, where we were separated from the rest. My aunt said that the reason was because we were on the ‘agenda’. With us sat Arren, the store clerk, an old lady, whose age I couldn’t guess, and a young boy who was trembling. I sat next to the boy to comfort him.

      “It wasn’t my fault,” he repeatedly said. “It wasn’t!”

      “It’s okay, I’m sure you weren’t. Just calm down.”  I calmed him

      “What did you do?” he asked me.

      “I have no idea, but I think it has to do with the Alpha,” I said. His body shook. He took up his chair and moved it a few centimeters away from me. Okay,…?

      “Stay away. I don’t want to talk to you anymore,” he said. He wouldn’t look at my direction again.

      The old woman and Arren also didn’t look at me, only my aunt.

      “What’s their deal?” I whispered.

      “Just ignore them. They’re afraid that their punishment will worsen if they socialize with you.” My aunt shrugged.

      “Why would it worsen?”

      “You have a conflict with the Alpha. People are afraid to get on his bad side, and believe me, you don’t want that.”

      But I was! Wasn’t I?

      A man stood up, looked at the crowd, smiled and began to speak.

      “As you know we have a few conflicts to handle. We’ll start at that and then we’ll proceed with Pack matters. Arren Derrick Stanford, come to the stand.”

      Arren stood up, walked to a table with a microphone and remained mute.

      The man continued, “You are charged with theft, how do you plead?”

      “Guilty” Arren spoke through the mic.

      “Pleaded guilty, defendant is charged with four weeks of no pay, double Pack duty” the man announced. “You may sit”

      Arren walked away, somewhat relieved.

      “Denise Lang come to the stand.” The man continued.

      My aunt squeezed my hand, stood up and walked to the table.

      “You are charged with disobedience. How do you plead?”

      “Guilty” my aunt pleaded.

      “Pleaded guilty, by the order of the Alpha, no punishment.” My aunt remained still, but people around us started whispering in shock.

      “Silence! Denise Lang, you can sit down.” My aunt left the stand and returned to sit next to me. She smiled encouraging, but her smile didn’t reach her eyes.

      “Anne Forn, come to the stand.” The man said.

      The old woman stood up and walked to the stand.

      “Mrs. Forn, you have an announcement to make. Please.” The man motioned Mrs. Forn to proceed. She waited a few moments and cleared her throat.

      “I plead for a reduced sentence on Denise’s niece Luna Roosveld.” That made people whisper more. People started to get uncomfortable, looking at the Alpha who was sitting on a high chair. Beside him, a petite woman was stroking his hair. Next to the woman stood Kai. I felt my cheeks turn red.

      “Outrages!” yelled a man in the crowd.

      “Silence!” said the man. “Remain calm” he yelled over the commotion.  

      “Silence!” roared the Alpha. Everybody turned their head to him, lowering their gaze. I on the other hand, didn’t. His face turned red but Kai, seemed proud.

      “Luna Roosveld, to the stand!” yelled the Alpha. He stood up and switched places with the man.

      “Anne Forn, why do you plead for this child?” the Alpha asked in a mocking way.

      “This child is human, not a member of the Pack. She shouldn’t be here. Yet she is. Only because of your pride!” Mrs. Forn said offended.

      “My pride is my concern. I already discussed this with your Mate.” Alpha dismissed.

      I remained silence. I couldn’t mingle in this conversation as I couldn’t follow. Pack? Mate? What were those words?

      “What was the sentence?” Mrs. Forn dared to ask.

      “Two weeks of Pack duty at Elder Forn’s Diner.”

      “You mean MY diner?” scoffed Mrs Forn.

      The Alpha’s head turned redder in anger. I knew he couldn’t hold his temper any more.

      “I accept the punishment,” I shouted.

      Eyes turned to me as if they forgot I was there.

      It seemed right to do, but other looked at me like it wasn’t. especially my aunt didn’t looked like she had approved my outburst.

      “No she doesn’t. On Pack Law, I call the right of apprenticeship!” Elder Forn yelled.

      “You can do no such thing!” Alpha roared in anger.

      “Yes I can” Elder Forn simply said.

      “You dare to defy me?!” Alpha roared again.

      “To my knowledge, I still outrank your wolf, so I think you should watch your tone if I was you!” Elder Forn roared at the Alpha. The crowd stayed uncomfortable, some even started crying. Some tried to walk out of the room, but where stopped by big guys who were stationed at the exits.

      Alpha looked stunned as he let everything sink in. His face turned a red shade darker but remained in silence.

      Elder Forn tried to regain his posture, straightened his jack and walked to stand beside his wife and me. He raised his arm and let them rest on my shoulders.

      He looked at the Alpha and his wife. Cleared his throat and remained silence for a few seconds. Whispers filled my ears, I started to look around me. My aunt held her hand in front of her mouth, shielding a lowered jaw. I saw fear and intrigue in her eyes. But also awe and jealousy.

      “This child will fall under my protection.” Elder Forn announced.

      “Our protection” Mrs. Forn joined in the gesture. She walked passed Elder Forn, flanked my free side and let her arm rest on my shoulder.

      No gasps or whispers. Nothing.

      I looked at the two persons flanking me. I didn’t know what was happening, but what I did know was that it was big. Really big.

      I didn’t know how I should stand, should I say something? Or do something? Should I walk away, or remain still? I was never someone who needed protection, I could fend for myself. I knew how to land a few punches or get out of harm’s way. But here, I had the feeling I shouldn’t do that. Just accepting Elder Forn’s and Mrs. Forn’s protection, seemed right. But somewhere a voice in my head said not to. No protection, at least not from them. I just needed to be my own protection, my own voice who should say something. And so I did.

      I took a few breaths to relieve my nervousness. I took a step forward, Elder Forn’s and Mrs. Forn’s arms slipped from my shoulders and I turned myself around to face the whispering uncomfortable crowd. I looked around in the hall, locking eyes with a few people. They were scared and didn’t know what to do. Even I didn’t know was the hell I was doing. I turned my back to them again and face the red headed Alpha.

      “I don’t need protection or apprenticeship,” I said clearly. I smiled at Elder Forn who also didn’t seem happy with my action, but returned my smile. “I am Luna Roosveld, daughter of Ellen Lang who’s married to my unknown father. Niece of Denise Lang who I met just two days ago. In that time, a man named Allen marched into my aunt’s house, injuring my aunt and me. Then Alpha showed up, making things worse by fighting a girl like me. A girl who knows nothing of the way of this community.” I turned around again and stayed quiet as my voice reached the end of the hall. People remained silenced.

      “Now, I receive a punishment because I defended my aunt by ‘attacking’ Alpha,” I made quotation marks and pointed at the Alpha. “I did it because I thought it was the right thing to do, but in this community it clearly wasn’t. Therefore I did something wrong in the eyes of the community. If that’s the case I accept the punishment, but if the punishment is because of a man’s pride for losing to a girl? Well, a punishment isn’t fair.” I said as I crossed my arms in front of my chest. I looked that crowd as the message sank in, I saw people nodding, and others still showed no emotion.

      “You dare to say, my punishment is not grounded?” Alpha nearly growled.

      “Your punishment? It seems the situation is the latter people! His own proud is harmed. Why don’t you see?” I mocked. I opened my arms and turned a circle ending to face Alpha.

      I heard Elder Forn sniff, my aunt gasping. A tap on my shoulder told me to move on. “Do you believe I should receive punishment for hurting a man’s pride? A man’s pride is only hurt by doing something he himself doesn’t like what happend and wants to punish others to make him feel better. It that someone fit to be a ruler?” I asked the crowd. Some whispered “Aye”, others disapproved.

      “My Pack, I am the Alpha. My say is Law. Who’s defying me?” Alpha growled, locking eyes with me. A chill ran up to my spine, but I refused to butch. I refused to lose to this man.

      Alpha turned his eyes away, slummed a bit and sat down. He took a few breaths and looked at the woman. They exchanged some words and the woman walked from the stand to where we were standing.

      She looked at me, taking me in. Her eyes stopped at my face, she smiled. Not a mean one, but genuine one.

      She spoke quietly. “Is this her?” she asked Elder Forn, without losing eye contact.

      “Yes, she the one,” he answered.

      “Well, then there’s nothing we can do . The matter is settled” she broke eye contact and walk up to the stand. Kai walked to stand beside her, looking nervous.

      “My dear Pack mates, you know you wellbeing is my only concern. My only reason to live. But there’s also another, raising my only son. Your future Alpha. It came to my attention his mate is under us.

      People became excited.

      “And who that is,” she continued, “My son will walk to her and take her hand. My Mate, do you agree to approve anyone your son has Chosen?” she directed the question to Alpha.

      “I accept” he said without spirit.

      “Then my son, go get her.” The woman said as she pointed to the whole crowd. Girls started screaming, calling his name.

      Kai walked down the stand, to girls the farthest from me. He took no hand. One girl fainted as he nearly stopped, but he kept sneaking glances somewhere my direction. I looked around and there were many girls behind me, screaming, hoping to get that hand.

      Kai walked further in my direction, but just before he walked past me, he turned on his heels and stopped before me. “My Luna, be my Moon, be my other half, be whatever I am not. I’ll be yours, your friend, your protector and your love,” he said as he took my hand. He never stopped looking into my eyes, I couldn’t look away as I only saw rays of colors mixed with gold. they sucked me in before everything turned dark. The last thing I saw, were his eyes, his fear-filled eyes, before they disappeared behind the black curtains of my eyes.