The Mark of Betrayal (by Cooper) novel Chapter 83

Sloane

“We’ve put all of you on the Alpha floor. I hope that’s acceptable. We’re very excited to have you here to celebrate Judith officially taking her place as the pack’s Luna,” Alpha Waylon says.

“We’re very happy to be here,” Aunt Samara says. “How are you feeling, Judith?”

“I’m nervous, but the pack seems accepting of me,” she says, then smiles at me. “I’m still hoping you’ll help me get ready tonight.”

“Can Aunt Samara come too?” I ask. I’m not sure I’m ready to be alone with this woman. I barely know her but I’m pretty sure she and Alpha Waylon think I’m their granddaughter.

I watch the smile falter briefly before she smiles even larger. “Of course your Aunt Samara can come. The more the merrier!” she says.

“Why don’t we show you to your rooms,” Alpha Waylon says.

“Yes, I’d like Samara to be able to rest for a few minutes and maybe you and I can have a private word, Alpha Waylon,” Uncle Roman says.

I watch Aunt Samara’s eyes go unfocused and Uncle Roman’s go unfocused immediately afterward. Then I hear Aunt Samara sigh. I’m guessing she doesn’t feel the need to rest, but I’ve already noticed that Uncle Roman is very protective of her and their unborn pup.

As we follow Alpha Waylon and Luna Judith inside, she turns to me. “If you’d like, Sloane, I can give you a tour of the packhouse while your aunt rests.”

I look up at Uncle Roman, unsure if I should go with her alone.

“How about we all go together,” he says smoothly. “I’ve never seen your pack lands and neither has Samara. I always like to see how other packs run and if you have or do something in your pack that I might want to implement in mine.”

“What time does the ceremony start tonight?” Aunt Samara asks.

“We’re going to start at five o’clock. This pack isn’t as big as yours, so the ceremony won’t take as long,” Alpha Waylon says as he leads us up the stairs.

They lead us to our rooms in the middle of the Alpha hallway.

“This room is for you, Sloane. I took the liberty of setting it up for a young girl. I hope you like it. I never had a daughter, so I wasn’t exactly sure what to put in here. But I asked some of the pack members and went with their ideas,” Luna Judith says.

“It’s very nice, but you shouldn’t have. I’m only going to be here one night,” I say.

She shrugs. “Who knows. Maybe you’ll like it here enough that you’ll want to come back and visit us,” she says. “I understand that you might be visiting Alpha William from time to time. We’re an easy stop-over on your way there and your way home. If so, I’d love for you to feel comfortable staying here.”

“Sloane, why don’t you get settled. I’m going to speak with Alpha Waylon and then we can go on a tour of the packhouse and pack lands,” Uncle Roman says.

“Okay.”

I step into the room and close the door. It is a nice room. I can see she put a lot of effort into making it nice. It’s a bit more to Scarlet’s liking than mine, but it’s nice.

I hang up my dress for tonight and then listen at the door. When I don’t hear anyone, I go across the hall to knock on Aunt Samara’s door.

“Come on in. Is everything okay?” she asks when she opens the door.

“Yeah. I just wanted to check on you,” I say, looking around. This room, while set up for visitors, is obviously not a room that Alpha Waylon or Luna Judith spent any time on. It could be any room in any packhouse that is available for visitors.

“What’s on your mind, Sloane?” Aunt Samara asks me.

“Luna Judith and Alpha Waylon made a room for me here,” I say, looking at her.

“I saw that. Do you like it?” she asks.

I shrug. “Scarlet would love it.”

She smiles. “Well, if you ever decide to visit here, maybe Scarlet can stay in your room with you.”

She waits, watching me.

“They think I’m their granddaughter, don’t they?” I finally ask.

“They know there is a possibility that you could be,” she says carefully. A bit too carefully. “Are you feeling pressured, sweetheart? We can leave if you’re uncomfortable,” she says.

“It actually makes me feel better knowing that they’re trying so hard because they think I’m their granddaughter. Otherwise, it would be weird.”

“Roman and I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”

“It’s just odd, you know. Even Grandpa William and Grandma Jasmine didn’t try this hard.”

It's definitely not something I am willing to risk.

That night, after sitting with Luna Judith while she got ready, I stand with my aunt and uncle and watch her takes her place as Luna of the pack. Then we watch as the pack members go forward and swear their loyalty to her. I can feel the difference in the pack after the ceremony is over, It's as if having a Luna again makes them feel safe and whole.

I can tell that whatever Uncle Roman said impacted Alpha Waylon and Luna Judith. They are very careful about what they say to me after that and I stop feeling self-conscious as the night goes on.

The next morning after breakfast, we say our goodbyes.

“I do hope that we’ll see you again, Sloane,” Luna Judith says. She sounds so sad, like me leaving is hurting her, so I give in just a little.

“I’m sure that when I go visit Grandpa William that I can stop by here. I don’t know how often that will be, but if that’s okay ...”

“We would love that,” Alpha Waylon says quickly.

“You’re always welcome here and we’ll keep that room available just for you. We won’t let anyone else stay there, so if there’s anything you want to change, just let us know,” Luna Judith says.

“Thank you,” I say.

I don’t know if they’re my grandparents, my real grandparents. But they seem to hope that they are. Because of that, I give them both a hug before I leave, and I swear I feel Luna Judith hold back a sob.

“We’ll see you soon, hopefully,” she says as I step back.

“I’ll let you know when I have plans to come south again,” I say.

“You're welcome anytime. Anytime at all,” Alpha Waylon says.

When we get in the car, they wave, and I wave back. I turn as we start to drive away and I see Alpha Waylon holding Luna Judith. She lost the battle of her tears.

I turn back, leaning my head against the seat. Somehow, I know that they've figured out that Derrick is my father. They believe without a doubt that I’m their granddaughter.

I’m just not ready to accept that, or to get the proof that he was my father. And I don't know if I ever will be.