Before I Rise
The Celebration

Em’s POV

I couldn’t stop smiling no matter how hard I tried. My heart was filled with so much love for the man walking beside me. I could hear laughter and music getting closer and closer as we approached the pack celebrating the newly formed alliance.

This whole night had been magical, from the ritual to the intimate moment with Marcus. I don’t think I have ever cried so much in my entire life. I was very relieved that Alicia had insisted that I wear waterproof mascara tonight.

Just as Marcus and I broke the clearing into the area that the pack was celebrating in, I was nearly knocked to the ground by Jules and Alicia.

“I AM SO HAPPY!” Alicia screamed, as she squeezed her arms around me.

“Me too! I feel like I could almost cry!” Jules let go of me and stepped back, allowing Alicia to fully wrap her arms around me and squeeze me even more.

“I… can’t… breathe…” I choked out. Alicia was definitely stronger than she looked.

“Goddess Alicia, she’s turning blue! Let her go!” Marcus practically pulled Alicia off me and wrapped his arms around me, sending a deadly glare toward her direction.

Alicia rolled her eyes in response. “Sorry Em, I’m just so excited that he finally got his head out of his ass and asked you to be his Luna. Well, we already see you as Luna of the pack, but now it will be more official! Oh, we should all get together first thing tomorrow and start planning the Luna ceremony. It’s going to be epic!”

Julie and I both locked eyes and grimaced at the same time. Planning this celebration with Alicia was painful enough, I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like planning my own.

“Can’t wait.” Jules and I both sarcastically said at the same time, causing Marcus to let out a small chuckle.

“Well this has been nice, but I’m starving and want to get to the food before it’s all gone. Are you hungry?” Marcus asked me.

I nodded my head and allowed him to lead me to where the tables that held the food were located. We both piled our plates full of food before sitting at our designated table. At the table was Alpha Jensen, some of his elite warriors, and Beta Jacoby. Alicia and Jules were also assigned to sit at this table. There were other tables surrounding us filled with pack members, all celebrating the night away.

Marcus sat next to Alpha Jensen and I sat down on the other side of Marcus. I was thankful that I wasn’t able to see Jensen, I didn’t want to engage in conversation with him for the rest of the night. It took everything in me not to say anything before the ceremony to Marcus. The only reason I didn’t was because I was hoping that I would feel much better about Jensen after the ceremony was completed. Turns out, I feel worse about him. Something in me was telling me that Jensen wasn’t who he says he is.

We ate, drank, and laughed with the people surrounding us. The pack’s celebratory mood was infectious. No matter how I felt about Jensen, I couldn’t help feeling elated about the events of the night.

After I finished my dinner, I felt the need to get up and stretch my legs and meet some of the pack members that I haven’t yet gotten to know.

I gently squeezed Marcus’s arm to grab his attention from his conversation with Jensen. He turned and looked at me. “Hey, I think I’m going to go stretch my legs for a few minutes.” I told him.

“Ok, do you want me to come with you?” He asked me.

I shook my head, “No, you stay and finish up your meal. I’ll just be a few minutes.”

I gave him a small smile and kissed his cheek before getting up and heading off into whatever direction my feet carried me. After a few minutes of walking alone away from the party, a gentle hand grabbed my right elbow, stopping me in my tracks.

I turned around and was met with piercing grey eyes. Elder Morgan held a soft smile on her heart shaped face, her light brown hair laid gently on top of her black ceremonial robes. She looked to be in her early thirties, which surprised me when I first locked eyes on her. When Marcus explained to me that the pack Elder would be performing the ceremony, I was picturing someone much older than her.

“I’m sorry for stopping you Luna, I just wanted to formally introduce myself and tell you how joyful I am that our Alpha has finally found you.”

I sent a smile in her direction. “Actually, I’m glad you did. I was just on my way to replace you, Elder Morgan.”

She lightly blushed at what I said. “Oh please Luna, call me Morgan.”

“Alright, as long as you just call me Em.”

She chuckled and nodded her head. “Very well then.”

“Will you walk with me?” I asked her. She nodded her head and we continued in the direction I was walking in.

After a few minutes Morgan broke the silence between us. “What did you think of the ceremony Em?”

I thought for a few seconds before answering. “It was absolutely magical. I don’t think I have ever witnessed something like that. I especially loved the words you spoke.”

Morgan took a few seconds in responding to me. “The words?” She asked me.

I nodded my head. “Yes, I loved what you said about connection and forgiveness and the prayer part to the Moon Goddess. That was definitely my favorite part. It felt as thought you were having a direct conversation with her.”

Morgan stopped mid step, causing me to stop walking and look at her. Confusion ripped across her face as she looked at me. “You… You understood what I said? After the vows with Alpha Jensen and Alpha Marucs?”

I was beginning to get confused as well. “...Yes.” I hesitantly said.

The confusion on her face turned into pure shock. I didn’t understand what was so shocking about this.

Just as I was going to ask her, we were interrupted by the person I had been avoiding all night.

“Sorry to interrupt ladies. I was wondering if I could steal the Luna away from you, Elder Morgan?” Alpha Jensen asked.

It took everything in me to not say no and walk away from him. I was half hoping Morgan would decline his request, but all she did was bow her head in his direction and walk away leaving the two of us alone and away from everyone.

As soon as Morgan was far away enough, Alpha Jensen turned and fully faced me. Every nerve ending in my body was on fire with anticipation on what would happen next. I may have stopped my snarky attitude towards him when other people were around, but all bets were off now that we were alone. I’ve successfully avoided being alone with him the entire time he was here. I guess my luck had run out.

“Where’s Marcus?” I asked him.

Alpha Jensen stared at me for a few minutes. “He went to talk to a few of his elite warriors that were at Alpha Alexis’s pack, so I decided to take this opportunity and talk to you privately since you have been avoiding me the past few days.”

I crossed my arms against my chest and thought about how to respond to him. After a few seconds of debating, I decided to be direct and honest with him.

“Yes, I have been avoiding you because I really don’t like you.” I spoke honestly to him.

Bewilderment danced across his face but was quickly replaced with a smug smirk, almost as if he found humor in what I said. “Oh, and why is that?” He asked me.

I rolled my eyes at him. “First off, I don’t like the look that you give me every time we make eye contact and nobody is paying attention.”

Alpha Jensen threw back his head and laughed. “Oh really, and what kind of look do I give you Luna?” He deepened his smirk towards me. It took everything in me not to wipe it off his stupid face. I can not believe this was a man that Marcus looked up too.

“You know exactly what kind of look you give me, Alpha. Lets not play stupid. You look at me like you know me or know something about me. So whatever it is, now’s the time to spit it out.”

He cocked his left eyebrow and simply stated, "No.”

Now he was really testing my patience. “What do you mean no?”

“I mean, perhaps I do or don’t know you. That’s for me to know and for you, well I guess you’ll just have to figure it out yourself.” He shrugged before continuing. “Anyways, I was hoping we could make amends or at least leave things in a civil way before I leave tonight, guess that won’t be happening.”

He turned around and began to walk away from me. I reached my hand out, grabbed his arm hard, and pulled him around to face me. Anger was rushing through my veins, no way was I letting him leave before I said all that I could say to him.

He looked surprised at me. “Yes?”

I took a deep breath, attempting to get some of my anger under control. “Just so I’m clear, if you do anything to betray or harm Marcus and this pack, I will come for you. I will hunt you down to the ends of the earth until I catch you. I don’t trust you and I have a gut feeling this whole charade of you really caring for Marcus’s and this pack’s well being is a cover up. For what? I’m not sure yet, but I am determined to replace out.”

Alpha Jensen took a step closer to me, only a few inches separated us. “Tell me Luna, how do you plan on doing that? May I remind you that I am an Alpha and you’re just a weak human girl. If your plan is to turn Marcus against me and fight your battles for you, good luck with that. He wouldn’t dare.”

I let out a dark chuckle and closed the gap between us. “Let me make myself even clearer to you. I don’t need anybody to fight my own battles, I can do that myself. I especially don’t need my mate too. I’ll be watching you Jensen, one wrong step and I’ll be there, ready to take you out.”

His signature smug look returned to his face. “I guess time will tell if you’re all talk or if you actually can live up to your threats.” He took a step back, creating distance between us.

“Enjoy the rest of the evening Luna.” He turned around and walked off, leaving me with even more questions than I had before and with murder on my mind.