Chapitre 32

THURSDAY OF THE 9TH MOON COUNT:

I opened my eyes. It was completely still.

Today was the day.

Everything around me was dark, so I could only see dark blue outlines. I exhaled. It was weird waking up alone in bed.

Yesterday Eros explained everything about the course of the ceremony to me. We weren't allowed to see each other until the beginning. Then I had to make the oath that would be sealed with our blood.

I sat up.

The dress I had to wear lay over the sofa. The thin fabric was white, fitted at the top with sheer straps and airy at the bottom. I swallowed. There were still a few hours until the ceremony.

Eros first wanted to get all the pack members to the waterfall before Pollux and I would show ourselves. So the surprise was guaranteed. I pulled the sheets aside and planted my feet on the floor.

I grabbed the dress and padded to the bathroom as quietly as I could. Everything seemed still asleep. I turned on the tap and immediately the water splashed into the tub. Steam rose towards me.

Foam formed on the surface as I took off my clothes. I climbed into the liquid, clear lava and immediately goosebumps ran all over my body.

I closed my eyes and held my breath before shoving my whole head under the water. Everything around me fell silent. I could only feel my heart bouncing excitedly between my ribs.

No clear thought stirred in my head. I only felt the hot environment against my skin, making me weightless, at least until I ran out of oxygen.

I surfaced and took a fresh breath. Time passed before my eyes as I sat motionless, staring at the white tiles across from me.

It was time I got up and got ready.

With every passing minute, the water lost more of its comfortable temperature. My hair was plastered to my shoulders and I washed it out with my sodden, wrinkled fingers.

I dried my strands. They had darkened over the winter, almost brown. They fell wavy to my elbows. I looked in the mirror.

I wasn't the same person. Everything about me had changed. I was no longer the little girl who lived in the small village and dreamed of the big world.

My whole life had changed through the journey with Eros. I had grown up, at least sometimes. I knew what I wanted and what not. My eyes shone with responsibility where before there had only been fun.

The whole adventure, all the dangers, had hardened me. Eros had given me strength and I knew that together we could overcome anything. I would not allow the primeval wolf to further abuse the pack.

I knew what to do.

I gave my reflection a determined nod before carefully taking the dress. Every Luna before me, including Ero's mother, had worn it. The fabric was smooth and sheer.

I put it on and it fit perfectly. It was snug on my chest at the top while the straps held it in place. The fabric on the legs was almost transparent and consisted of different layers.

I felt fresh and ready.

I left the bathroom and walked over to the table where my treasures were lying: the cookbook, the bottle, the bracelet and the golden dagger from Sonni. I wasn't allowed to carry anything with me during the ceremony. So I had to find another way to smuggle them to the waterfall.

I already had a solution for the dagger.

I took a white ribbon and pushed the dress up to my thigh and tied the cool metal tightly to my skin. Then I let the layers of fabric fall again.

I moved a few steps to see if it would slip, but the knot held up. The gun didn't show in the mirror and a small smile tugged at the corners of my mouth.

The primeval wolf could come.

I was ready.

Suddenly, a knock snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Come in," I said, breaking my morning silence. A second later a head poked through the door and I was relieved to see Pollux's scar.

His features slipped for a moment when he saw me in the dress before he caught himself and looked away in embarrassment.

"It's about time," he said simply, before closing the door behind him. I sighed and looked back at my other treasures.

I would take all three of them just in case, including the cookbook. With the things in my hands I pushed the door open.

"You can't carry anything with you to the ceremony," he said, and I nodded.

"That's right. That's why I want you to take it and hide it in a nearby tree," I replied.

The expected contradiction didn't materialize and we made our way out of the pack house together. The rising sun was at an angle in the sky, while small clouds kept passing by.

A fresh breeze conjured up goosebumps on my bare arms and shoulders.

"Damn it's cold," I murmured as we headed far north.

Our disappearance was the sign of Eros. He would summon all pack members to the pack house and from there lead them to the waterfall. Then Pollux and I would join.

"How is he?" I asked, arms folded. The frost bit into my skin, shrinking the cells.

"He's tense."

Then we both feel the same.

It was uphill at first before I got to the top that led into the valley of the far north. It had been half an eternity since Eros and I had started our journey to the end of the world right here.

I thought of all the people I had met on my adventure:

To Gamma Johnson, who slammed the door in my face when I tried to bring him something to eat. Despite his harsh manner, I had taken him to my heart.

To Eros, who surprised me in the tree and saved me from the precarious situation in the dungeon. And we've been almost inseparable ever since. He was there for me in his own quiet and calm way.

About Lucia and how we scared each other on my first day.

To Julien, who was always up for a joke, as long as it wasn't about his holy sleep.

To Castor, who had always been a shadow on my heels and had lost his life, and to Pollux, who had saved me from the lake and now had to live with the pain.

Of Demetrius and his tree house full of inventions, of the nomads in the far north with Ilja as their leader, who was more Viking than werewolf. And I also had to think of Karen and how she had welcomed me into the kitchen in my grief... even if her tea was poisonous.

And I wouldn't forget the hunters either. Especially not Sonni, who had lost her father and was now wandering the far north.

My heart contracted painfully. All the memories of the last few weeks played in my head and formed my lips into a sad smile. Even though I wasn't a wolf, I knew one thing for sure:

This was my pack.

Suddenly snowflakes began to float to the ground with the wind. The freezing breeze blew my strands and dress back, but I stayed rooted to the rock. The mountains lay close together in front of me, forming a gray chain with white peaks.

There was so much injustice and suffering and pain in the world, but I was here. I was alive and I could put all my energy into making the primeval wolf finally a legend, forever. That's what I had learned from Eros: do one thing at a time with a cool head and a clear mind.

The wind was blowing towards me, but I stared into the distance with my head held high. Not only would we defeat the primeval wolf today, but Eros would make me his Luna. The thought of standing next to him filled me with pride.

"We should go," Pollux said, interrupting my train of thought. So Eros had already led the pack to the waterfall. I took one last look at the vast mountains before turning to the werewolf and nodding.

Together we trudged through the snow on the way to the lake.

Our steps were quick and we followed the hundreds of footprints that lined the whole white path, small, normal and huge. An agitated mist kept escaping my mouth as I breathed in the fresh northern air.

Liquid excitement gushed through my veins as we neared the chasm that led below. A babble of voices made the icy breeze vibrate.

We passed the last trees and I stopped immediately.

I took my treasures that Pollux had been wearing and hid them in a fir tree with a huge hole. I put the book in first, then the vial of holy water, and finally the silver bracelet.

Pollux was waiting for me on the descent. I stood next to him and looked down. Hundreds of shocks of hair in all sorts of colors were waiting by the lake. They formed a passage, at the end of which stood only one wolf.

Eros.

A touch of relief mingled with excitement, but my heart pounded forward like a tarantula. It wouldn't settle down until all of this was over.

I felt Ero's gaze on me and, as if on cue, all heads turned and stared at me. Astonished whispers vibrated through the air. I gathered my courage and ignored the looks.

With Pollux at my side, I strode down the slope towards the wide passage. With every step I took, more fear grew in my throat. Only Eros, standing at the end of the aisle, gave me the will to go on.

He was wearing an elegant shirt. His broad frame awaited me while his hands were clasped in a military manner. The wind had loosened some of his black strands from the severe haircut so that they lay on his forehead.

His eyes were wide awake and fixed on me. They seemed to be communicating with me as if trying to reassure me.

It had become completely quiet around us. The pure excitement could be felt in the air. The first part of the plan had worked. The dagger on my thigh had warmed up so that I hardly felt it anymore.

With every meter that I approached Eros, the expectation of an attack increased. Would the primeval wolf just jump at us over the crowds and try to maul us?

Would he emerge from the trees behind us?

My senses were fully focused and listened to every movement. Every little thing stirred my attention. Then the front row came into view with Demetrius at the front.

He winked at me encouragingly, his expression losing little of its wisdom. Pollux stayed with the old man and let me walk the rest of the way to Eros.

I took a deep breath and stood in front of him.

It was so far.

It stayed silent. The primeval wolf made no attempt to show his face. Barely perceptible, Eros gave me an encouraging nod, as if to remind me of the plan. Then he turned his gaze behind me to the masses of pack members.

"Welcome everyone! The elders already know why we have come together here! Today, on the day of the full moon, we celebrate the admission of our new Luna!"

Eros turned back to me, his eyes wary. I raised my hand in sign of the three vows I was about to make.

"Do you swear, Ephilia, to defend the pack and carry out the will of the moon goddess?"

"I swear!" I replied.

One.

"Do you swear to protect the members from any danger?"

"I swear!"

Two.

"And do you swear your eternal allegiance to me, the Alpha of the Ice Claw Pack?"

My heart warmed at the words and I nodded the slightest bit.

Three.

"I swear!"

I waited, but nothing moved. The crowd seemed frozen with admiration and joy. The primeval wolf dared not reveal himself. What was he waiting for?

"So be it!" cried Eros, drawing out a gleaming blade. That was the part I was least looking forward to. The joining of our blood.

Eros rubbed his own palm first. I could hardly watch him hurt himself. The knife made a clean, thin cut. Red started leaking out. Still, I put my hand in his without hesitation and he looked at me quizzically, as if to make sure I was ready.

"The union of our blood seals it!" he yelled, beginning.

"NO!"

The crowd lost their composure and Eros immediately dropped the knife. His eyes widened as he stared at something behind me.

On somebody.