"Keira," Lorraine's voice echoed across the room, "we, your pack, want to formally welcome you to the Crystal Mountain pack as our Luna!"
A chorus of cheers erupted, echoing through the hall. Keira was speechless. Who could have imagined the pack would throw her a welcome party? She slowly turned to Donovan.
"You knew," she accused.
Donovan shrugged, not bothering to hide his smile. "Come on, let's eat."
Donovan steered her towards a long table laden with a dizzying array of food. Plates piled high with roasted meats, vibrant salads, and sweet pastries seemed to materialize from nowhere. They grabbed a few items, finding a quiet corner to observe the celebration that had instantly erupted.
No sooner had Keira taken a bite of a savory chicken leg than the procession began. A shy young man with a crooked smile introduced himself as Finn. He was part of the security detail in the pack.
"It's good to finally have you, Luna," he mumbled, his cheeks flushing.
Then came a boisterous woman named Patricia, part of the kitchen staff.
"We've got a lot to show you, Luna," she declared, her eyes twinkling with mischievous warmth.
Each person offered their name, their role, and a simple, heartfelt welcome. Keira, overwhelmed but touched, offered a genuine smile and a grateful nod to each one. Their welcome was different than any she had experienced before.
'Everyone is happy you're here,' Sabelina commented. 'This feels nice.'
'Yes, it does,' Keira agreed.
Amidst the stream of introductions, Keira suddenly realized Donovan was gone. She scanned the crowd, hoping to find him. He had been right beside her. Now, she was alone, a beacon for an endless line of smiling, hopeful faces.
"We've been waiting for a Luna for a very long time, Keira," a wise-faced elder with silver braids whispered, taking her hand gently. "A very long time indeed. And we are so happy you are here."
"I'm happy to be here," Keira replied, smiling at her.
The sentiment echoed through every greeting. From the youngest children who gazed at her with wide, adoring eyes, to the oldest members who offered solemn, grateful bows, the message was clear. Keira wasn't just being welcomed; she was being embraced, wanted, and desperately needed.
By the time Keira had greeted everyone, her food had gone cold.
'Just eat it,' Sabelina suggested. 'It doesn't look like they are bringing out any more food.'
Keira ate her cold chicken leg along with her pasta and whatever else she had gotten. Donovan was nowhere in sight.
'He was probably needed somewhere else,' Sabelina said. 'He's a busy Alpha. There's a lot to do now that the construction is underway.'
Keira nodded and went to grab some more food. Or whatever was left on the table.
"Good evening, Luna," Avalynn said as she, too, grabbed a few more pastries.
"Avalynn," Keira greeted in return.
"Has Alpha Donovan spoken to you?" Avalynn asked cryptically.
"He's spoken to me about a lot of things," Keira replied. "What exactly are you referring to?"
Avalynn smiled but didn't answer.
"You are very cryptic," Keira informed her. "Why don't you just say what you mean?"
"I'll talk to you later," Avalynn said. "Don't worry, it's good news."
'She is a strange one,' Sabelina stated.
Keira agreed.
As the hours went by, the pack members slowly dispersed. By the time midnight was coming around, Keira, along with Lorriane and Lucy, were the only ones left.
"Luna, you should head to bed," Lorraine was saying as she cleaned up the empty dishes. "Lucy and I can take care of cleaning up."
"I'm waiting for Donovan," Keira replied, grabbing a few empty dishes herself.
"Alpha Donovan stepped out a few hours ago," Lucy interjected as she hummed around the room cleaning.
Instead of wondering where he went, Keira used the bond they shared to ask him.
"Donovan," Keira called out.
"Keira," Donovan answered. "Is the celebration over?"
"Yes," she replied. "I'm going to be heading to bed. Are you coming back to the pack house any time soon?"
"The transport for Victoria arrived a few hours ago," Donovan said. "They needed me to authorize the transfer. I'm on my way back."
"Avalynn said you had some good news for me," Keira hinted. "Do you want to tell me what that good news is?"
"I'll meet you in the bedroom," he said.
"See you soon," Keira replied.
"We'll take care of everything here," Lorriane repeated. "Go to bed, Luna."
Keira bid them goodnight and headed back to the bedroom.
'At least Victoria is no longer in the pack,' Sabelina commented. 'To think we considered her our friend and family at some point.'
'I know,' Keira agreed. 'I can't believe things turned out like this. I do wonder where Jason could be. How could he let Victoria be bonded to someone else?
'This makes me believe that Victoria being in the pack was not an accident. I feel as though there is a bigger plan in place.'
'It is strange,' Sabelina agreed. 'Things just don't add up.'
'We need to figure out what's going on,' Keira continued as she opened the door to the bedroom. 'I haven't forgotten about Nikolai. He's on my list to investigate as well.'
Keira grabbed some clothes and quickly went to the shower. 'There is a lot that needs to get done.'
By the time Keira was stepping out of the shower, Donovan was sitting in one of the chairs waiting for her.
"Are you ok?" Keira asked, seeing Donovan not looking like himself.
"I'm conflicted," Donovan admitted, rubbing his neck. "I feel as if there are forces working against us. Things just don't add up."
"I was thinking the same thing," Keria said, sitting down on the empty seat. "Right now we just need to focus on getting the pack situated, and then we can worry about what's going on with Victoria."
Donovan nodded. Keira waited for him to speak.
"I don't know how to say this," Donovan began. "Do you remember when you said you wanted to leave?"
"I remember," Keira said slowly. "What about it?"
"I have something to tell you," he began, his voice barely a whisper. "Something…unbelievable."
Keira's breath hitched. Her mind immediately leaped to their pack, to potential dangers or crises. "Is it about the borders? A rogue?"
He shook his head slowly, his gaze locked with hers. "It's about your cousin, Nico."
"Nico? What about him?" Keira asked.
Donovan took a deep breath. "Keira…Nico isn't dead."
The words hung in the air. Keira stared at him, her mind struggling to process the impossible news.
"What are you talking about?" Her voice low, laced with disbelief and a hint of anger. "I buried him, Donovan. We all did. I saw his body." The memories of the funeral surfaced.
Donovan nodded. "I know, love. I know what you saw. But Avalynn…she can't find his spirit."
Avalynn. The strange women that Keira couldn't get a read on.
"Avalynn is the pack's shaman," Donovan explained. "Her connection to the spiritual realm is undeniable, absolute. If anyone could sense a lingering spirit, it is she.
"I told Avalynn you wanted to leave, and she took it upon herself to seek out Nico's spirit. She didn't find him."
"She's been trying for a few days," Donovan continued, his voice softening, "searching, trying to guide him. But there's nothing. No echo, no whisper, no trace of his essence. It's as if…as if his spirit was never released from his body, or it's been contained somewhere else entirely.
"She says it's unheard of. A body, yes, but no spirit. She believes he's still…here. Somewhere."
Keira leaned back in her seat, her eyes wide with a mixture of terror and lingering hope. Nico. Not dead? Her cousin, the one she'd wept for, mourned for, truly gone…was he not gone at all?
Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic drumbeat of disbelief/
"But...how?" Keira choked out, her voice barely audible. "Where could he be? If he is alive, why did he fake his own death?"
Donovan's eyes, filled with a shared confusion and determination, met hers. "That, my love, is what we need to figure out."