Moving Forward

I'm not unaccustomed to struggle. I've heard all the shouldn't, won't, can't from other people. Then, I turn to my inner voice and it helps me overcome.I have also found out that having an angel (most times) of a child is both a blessing and a curse. It's a blessing that she understands me and wants to help me, and that she acts more mature than her years, but it is a curse that I don't understand anyone else's kids. What I do understand, however, is bacon cheeseburgers, hot dogs with sauce and chili cheese fries. 'We should bonk their heads together,' advises the ever-present Tia. 'We'll try this first,' I reply. 'Besides, how long has it been since they have had private showers?' 'Ugh. I can already smell them,' Tia grimaces before she backs out of my forebrain.

"Hi there!" I singsong to my unsuspecting future pack mates. "I'm Brianna Sanderson, future Luna to the Adhara Hill pack, and one of the people you were sent to kill." I let that sink in a moment and push the cartload of food forward. I turn four plastic cups upright and open a 2-liter of pop. "Who's hungry?" I put some ice into the cups and pour, taking one for myself. "By the way, did you hear that you were wrong when someone told you that I was human? Well," I corrected myself, waving the cup for emphasis, "half wrong."

I now had the attention of all three of the young people who had been incarcerated since the attack. I put the cart by a joint in the two cells, so any of them could reach any of the treats that they had been smelling since I had entered the jail area. I couldn't bring myself to call it "dungeons," since it had been painted and updated and well, cleaned. The girl, "Anna," she calls herself, steps forward. Her hunger is stronger than her fear. I get myself a hot dog, add sauce, melted cheese and onion and offer it to her. When she shakes her head, I shrug my shoulders and take a healthy bite. 'How unladylike,' grumbles Tia. When Anna does mustard instead of the onions, 'But it worked,' I sass back.

Now the boys all but lunge forward in order to get at the food before them. I hand each of them a plate and they load up. "You hain't gonna poison us?" quips the tall one who calls himself "Seth."

"What good would that do? It would only weaken werewolves and causes mistrust. That seems to be counter-productive to survival of our race, don't you agree?" I'm encouraged by their nodding heads.

"We hain't too smart, being kicked out of packs before schoolin'" Anna speaks up.

"Education is by no means a measure of intelligence. There are some people who are book smart, yet have no usable skills on a farm. There are some who have seen the sites of the world, yet have no idea how to speak to you and me. We can find you a place with us and teach you to write, read and balance a bank account. Perhaps you can teach us, even me, something as well."

"How do we know we kin trust ya?" Josh finally says something to any female other than Anna, with a mouth full of cheeseburger.

"I didn't poison ya, did I?" I'm rewarded with shocked looks on Josh's and Seth's faces and peals of laughter from Anna. "Now, who wants a shower?"

....

After settling our new guests in the ground floor of the pack house, we gave them a guide - Marilyn Herman, who refused to attack her own pack. That way, they could speak to someone who understood the reasons behind the attack. I asked Marilyn to help them get clothes, school supplies and help them to find what they needed to learn. Even if they didn't need a GED, it might work better for them to have a certificate to point to and say, "I did that!"

Natalie had them sign up online with classes for reading and writing and simple math, with more advanced courses according to their individual pace. However, the three grew closer as they helped each other so that they could advance together. I knew then that they would be valuable to the pack and defend it as family.

....

"Alright. Your last fitting. How are you feeling?" Claudia searched my face.

"Excited, nervous, ready to get this over with!" I had never been married and didn't realize how much goes into this elaborate production.

We were in the room adjoining the bedroom I share with Edward. We had made it a comfortable sitting area instead of a lady's bedroom.

Claudia laughed. "You're not just a Luna, you're a Luna for an old, established family, AND an Heir to a Magical Council. Plus, you're a curiosity for having lived with humans most of your life. Everybody who's anybody is going to want to take a gander."

"Not helping..."

Claudia laughs as she looks for adjustments needed. She meets my eyes in the mirror. "You are gorgeous and will have a wedding fit for a queen."

My eyes start to tear. I try to hide it by saying, "and we'll do it again in about three-and-a-half years for Madison and Natalie!"

Natalie, ever having perfect timing, enters the room. "And I will want to wear THAT DRESS! Oh. My. God. Mom, you look perfect!!!"

I laugh. "You will want it just like this?" I turn around and hold out my lace and pearl covered arms.

"Okay, no sleeves," she laughs back.

Claudia outdid herself with this chiffon dream. A-line with a deep vee collar, covered shoulders, lace sleeves with beading and just enough tulle under the full-length skirt to peep out while dancing. Simple, elegant, and just what I wanted.

"Mom, the menu is all set. The tables and chairs are where they are supposed to be. We have three weeks to pull them out and set them up. We got this! I know you will love the cake. I'm making it!"

"Okay. I will stop worrying and leave it in your hands."

We talk about nothing for the next 30 minutes, then Natalie leaves.

"So, how did this all get done? I know you have a lot on your plate, acting as a stand-in to the Luna position and teaching me all the pack dynamics. Did you also plan the party?" I ask Claudia.

"Oh GOD, no!" she quickly replies. "That was all Blaire! I told her that she needed to talk to you, but she SAID that she didn't want to impose."

"She's the Gamma, not Andrew." I stated, rather than asked.

"Yeah," Claudia laughed. "He's too much of an Archive Geek. A lovable one, but still a geek. He makes her happy. He was her rock when Leona....."

"She was that close to Leona." Again I state the obvious. "Was she there when she was attacked?"

"No. Blaire had just found out that she was having twins and Leona was so excited that she went out and bought a second of everything that Andrew and Blaire had for the one child. Different colors, of course. Leona said that, 'Even twins need individuality.'"

Claudia sat down on a chaise. "It was like an emotional bomb went off when Edward and Keith brought her back, beaten and bloody. She had lost a lot of blood. She demanded that the baby be taken if she became to weak to continue living. She asked Dr. Clyde privately to watch over her son and his father."

"We couldn't tell if it was humans or werewolves or something else that attacked her. There were teenagers across the street, laughing and drinking, but there was no scent. It was as if the scent was washed off her, leaving only her own. When asked about it, she said that she didn't want to start a war. I have no idea who could have done this to her. We're still looking. Or rather, Blaire is still looking."

"She doesn't want to get too close to me because she doesn't want to disrespect her friend and Luna, nor does she want to lose another." I told you, I'm good at stating the obvious.

"That's not for me to say. You have to ask her." With her arms folded, Claudia lets me know that the subject is closed, for now.