Chapter 6 Slava - Part l

• Ciro's gorgeous face flashes a small satisfied smile as his hand yanks open the passenger side door of his car. He offers his hand and a pale hand of a petit female grasps lightly onto his. Her lengthy legs are the first to exit the car and land on the soft earth, followed by the rest of her body. My breath caught in my throat as I took in the female. Her vulcanite-black hair cascades over her shoulders. She has a slender body with a shapely figure. Her waist is wasp-waisted, and her complexion is a gleaming pale. A pair of rapture-blue eyes sits beneath her slender brows. Through her velvety eyelashes, she gazes up at Ciro tentatively. Ciro's eyes gleamed with love and at that moment I knew. I knew my reality and my wretched fate.
• Ciro with the female by his side turns around towards the foyer of the packhouse. Luna Croía and Alpha Lain smile as they step out of the packhouse to greet Ciro. The immediate expression of surprise on their faces, however, reveals to me that none of them was aware of Ciro's females arrival. Luna Croía’s eyes find me, where I stand on the path with my mother, and a look of sorrow and pity crosses her face and I wished to puke. I swallow the pity and straightened myself with a fake grin covering my face. Luna Croía’s eyes are then drawn to the female by Ciro's side, and they welcome the new couple inside with charming, broad smiles.
• For a few moments, I am struck speechless on the spot, my mouth slightly agape. My visions grow blurry as the gravity of the situation begins to sink in. My fingers dig into the palm of my hand, and the other hand clutch the fabric of my dress. I could feel my mother walking closer to me. I glance at her as she softly loops her arm over my shoulder. I could see her heart sink as she stared into my gleaming eyes.
• "Let's go," Mother says, motioning me ahead.
• "We must be present as we welcome our future Luna," Mother says once again in a soft low voice and I wipe my eyes with the back of my hand. I gulp and slowly nod my head as we begin walking towards the packhouse.
• As I walk with my mother towards the packhouse, I could feel all the pitiful gazes of the wolves present there. I couldn’t keep looking up as their pitiful gazes started to sicken me and I look down. I climb up the stairs of the packhouse, with my mother at my toes. The packhouse is full of light banter, but as soon as I along with mother reach the living room, the chatter dies down. I glanced up to find Luna Croía, a few of the females of our pack and Ciro's female. Luna Croía walks toward me as soon as she sees me, and Ciro's female turns around with curious eyes and a frown. Luna Coria comes to a halt in front of me and smiles softly.
• "Are you alright, dear?" I smile as she asks.
• "I am, indeed. Luna, thank you for your concern." I say as politely as I can and Luna Croía smiles.
• "Come, let me introduce you to Ciro's female." I nod as she says in a reverent tone. Croía glances around, and Ciro's female stands straight.
• "This is Bertha, Beta Hanniel’s female," Luna Croía introduces mother first and then glances at me. "And this is Nesta, his daughter." I lower my head slightly in reverence, and I could sense Ciro's female gazing down at me with gleaming eyes. I look up with a soft smile and Luna Croía turns to Ciro's female.
• "Please meet Ciro's female, Milena."
• Mother and I bow our heads and say in unison.
• "Welcome home, dar naše alfe." As I glance up, I find Milena smiling brightly. "Thank you, and it's a pleasure to meet you." I smile up at her as she says in a tentative tone. (gift of our alpha)
• "Nesta is Ciro's childhood friend. And I'm hoping you two will form a friendship as well." Luna Croía says and I glance up at her. I look back at Milena and she flashes me a beaming smile. Alpha Lain, Ciro and Hanniel walk into the living room our heads turn toward the entrance. While our heads are lowered showing our respect, Luna Croía walks toward her male. Father comes and stands beside mother and I hear him whisper something to her.
• I could see Ciro walking towards me from beneath my lashes, As my parents engage in hushed conversation. But Ciro marches straight up to Milena and asks softly, “You must be tired from all the journey,”
• Milena shakes her head, and with her eyes downcast, she meekly says, "Not that much."
• Ciro gently smiles down at his female and suggests, "Let's go, I'll take you to my room and you shall rest there." At his words, I could see the crimson hue adorning her face as Milena looks down. She timidly nods her head and turns toward the stairs. When Ciro casts a glance at me before proceeding to the stairs, I immediately avert my gaze. Not for a moment, he stops as he climbs up the stairs carrying his female's luggage and leads her towards his room. The room I had decorated with my own hands.
• "Please excuse me." I bow my head to my Alpha and walk out of the packhouse without another glance back.
• After passing through the little iron gate in front of my house, I enter the stunning verdant garden in front of my house. I stroll over the lush grass to the foyer of my house and walk inside. Through the stair, I find myself inside my room. As I close the door to my room, I find myself slowly breaking into tears in the corner of my room next to my bed. Mourning the loss of someone who was never mine. But it hurt, it hurt so terribly. I never knew losing someone who wasn't even mine could ever hurt this bad.
• The next morning, I find myself in the kitchen of the packhouse. I'm preparing a wheat cake with the other females in my pack. While the others prepare fresh loaves of bread and other items for Slava, I methodically prepare the better for the cake. Slava is the tradition of our pack for welcoming a new pack member, and it was highly significant to us to withhold this tradition of our ancestors. It was especially poignant now that we are making preparations to welcome our future Luna.
• "Dama Milena is such a beautiful female. Gospode Ciro is truly blessed." I look up to see the other females nodding as one of the mated females says. (lady, lord.)
• "She is, indeed, stunning." Another female adds and I hear baka Ruza scoff
• "She may be endowed with beauty and elegance, but it does not qualify her to be a Luna. She has to prove herself to be worthy of the responsibility the Goddess has bestowed upon her." Ruza curtly states.
• "I'm sure she'll grow used to her duty, baka." When the younger female says, the older female becomes agitated. (Granny)
• "She must immediately adapt to her new role! She will be the Luna, and our entire pack will rely on her! Boginja! Why did you have to bless us with such awfully young female!" (Goddess!)
• "Don't say like that, baka!"
• "Don't use such a tone with me!"
• "Now now, please calm down, Natalija. You shouldn't speak to Baka that way." I tenderly say, knowing that this quarrel would not end well, and Natalija glances down, nodding her head. Natalija is one of the warriors' mate, and she was younger than me.
• "Also, Dama Milena may be young and a little timid, but we don't know her yet. And we don’t know what she is capable of, let us give her a chance to prove herself. Also, I am certain that the Goddess paired them as they are compatible and they will help our pack grow to prosperity just like Luna Croía and Alpha Lain did.” As I put the wheat cake in the oven and rinse my hands, I smile. I glance at the females, smile, and walk out of the kitchen.
• "Jadno dete, my heart breaks for her." Ruza, the elderly female coos, and the others nod their heads. (poor little child)
• "She would have made an excellent Luna. Ali Boginja ponekad može biti tako okrutna." She continues and shakes her head. (But the Goddess can be so cruel at times.)
• I hear them speak as they assume I am out of earshot, and my posture quivers, but I keep on walking. The packhouse and everyone are in a festive mood as they decorate our pack grounds and prepare to visit the shrine of the Moon Goddess. As I walk towards the entrance, a couple pups rush by me, and I smile.
• "Nesta!" I turn around as I hear a cheerful female voice shout out my name. I could tell who it was just by the sound of her voice.