The Mates of Monsters
Chapter 14

David wouldn't be there. Is it really easier then-without him?

I wish something would take me away. I'll stick my feet out from under the blanket and hope that something grabs onto them. I hope this thing whisks me off, takes me under my bed, through a secret door and into a world where everything is... is-well, easier than this. But I stare out at the forest just beyond the back porch with my hands holding the railing tightly. My eyes survey the brush for two beasts moving so quickly that I may have already missed them by blinking too hard. They must be running the borders by now.

"You must be the Luna," a feminine voice announces as the handle of the backdoor makes the slightest noise. I turn, leaving my post to instead pick at small sandwiches and cookies and sip coffee and tea. Of course, it is Alpha Nicodra's Luna arriving for our lunch-the frail brunette I saw yesterday morning and not since.

"Call me Brigette," I say with a smile and look to our set-up.

Helena has placed a table big enough for the two of us on the porch, outside so we can eat to the songs of birds or the rustle of leaves like in a period drama. She has covered the table in a white tablecloth and has placed each plate delicately on top of it. "And you can call me Aurora," she says as we take our seats. "I heard that you're as new as a fresh-hatched chick. How do you like it being a Luna, I mean."

"It's been alright, considering it's only been about a week."

Aurora smiles as if she knows something I do not. "Just you wait."

I feel like a recruit to the not-so-secret, secret society of Lunas. By the way she talks and the way she carries herself, I can tell Aurora is no stranger to pleasant lunches or strategic dinner parties. "Maybe you can give me a heads up on how this all works because I feel like I'm just blindly doing whatever anyone tells me."

"Oh, you seem like you're already on the right track then. The smartest thing a Luna can do is whatever she's told, but it's not so much the most fun. If you ask me, there are two types of Lunas. The first is the obedient, and the second is the brave. The obedient is loyal, predictable-she's the girl that pops into your head when you think of a Luna. But the brave, she's the one who's not afraid to put her authority to use."

"And you're the brave?" I ask.

She shrugs. "I try to be."

"How nontraditional of you. And Alpha Nicodra doesn't care?"

"The Alpha and I used to be closer than we are, not because of my bravery, but because he can be, well-"

"Unpredictable?"

Aurora grabs a little sandwich and takes a bite. "Did your Alpha tell you that?"

"He did."

There is a moment of silence where the two of us show hints of relief. It is always nice when you meet someone that is easy to talk to. No awkward pauses. No need to be someone we are not.

"Alpha Amin is a good Alpha," she murmurs. "Some Alphas are bad at what they do or are reckless with the power, but so far he's been one of the good ones. I was waiting to see who his mate would be. I pictured an obedient one, but not you." "How do you know I won't be an obedient one?"

She shakes her head. "I have an inkling. I feel that you and I are similar."

I question, "Just after a few minutes?"

"Trust me, I've been to quite a few Luna lunches. Wait until you have to dine with one of the older ones. They'll drone on about their kids until you think about tying your tubes-which for us is the same as our Alpha starving the pack to death." "You don't have any children?"

Aurora takes a cookie, one of the ones with a dollop of jam in the center. She bites and chews and swallows and says, "Not yet, no. What about you? Are you carrying?"

She asks me as if I have a concealed gun and not a growing person inside of me. "No. Not for a very long time."

"It's all fun and games until your Alpha's mother starts hanging around, asking and asking."

"Alpha Amin hasn't told me about his parents or I suppose his family in general. I don't think they live in the pack. I feel like I would have met them already." "Probably not, then. Alpha Nicodra's mother died during childbirth. I just hear that the mothers can be a pain. Looks like we both got lucky," she says.

I sit back and cross my arms casually. "So are you wearing a fancy dress tonight too? Or is my advisor just dressing me up like a doll?"

"You'll get used to the events. Sorry I missed last night's dinner. The trip here just took all my energy, I had none left to sit pretty and smile." "What happened to being brave?"

"Not here. Tonight we have to be obedient. The Amin pack and the Nicodra pack are walking on eggshells around each other. They have been for decades."

I sigh. "So I've heard. But I sat in on the discussion this morning. It doesn't sound like anyone is going to war anytime soon."

"These days war isn't like it used to be. They have their discussion, agreeing to keep the peace, but if provoked, Alphas strike in more cunning ways," Aurora explains. "They play dirty, and the last thing I want to put up with is a mess."

I peer down and take a finger sandwich. Jeremy is always formal with the information he gives-which tends to dance around the actual truth of it all-so I appreciate Aurora's straightforwardness. If she didn't live at another pack, I could see us being close friends. It would have been nice to have her company around; I think she could understand me.

"So are you and the Alpha getting along?"

"It seems everyone wants to know that," I say with my hand over my mouth, concealing my bite of sandwich. I quickly swallow and tell her, "We get along fine."

"Just curious. Not a lot of Luna's like to talk about their mate-related issues. We're all expected to have perfect relationships, utterly in love. Most people don't consider the differences between a normal mate dynamic and an Alpha and Luna's. More stressors on us. More pressure."

I nod slowly. "It is different, but so far Alpha Amin and I are doing pretty well. My father was an Alpha's Beta; I'm no stranger to the demands leadership must fulfill."

Aurora's lips stretch into a flat smile. "Of course. You two make a beautiful pairing."

"You know what they say the goddess makes no mistakes. I'm sure whatever problems you have with Alpha Nicodra can be resolved. I'm sure you can be as close as you once were."

"I hope so," she says carefully. She observes me, maybe understanding that I am not simply obedient or brave. With strangers, I am whoever I have to be. And if she thinks I was going to cry about my mate-related issues, then she must not think we are very similar at all. "So," I ask, "what color is the dress you're wearing tonight?"

I may not be the best choice for Luna, but I know better than to make David and I look vulnerable.