Henry returned in the evening, somewhat frustrated. He told my dad that Gamma Francis had kidnapped me, but because I was his Luna, the Gamma's loyal wolf would not hurt me. So he got his men to throw me in an old store house on the other side of the property while he tried to think of another way to get rid of me. He wanted to make a way for Charbear to be Luna.
Charbear turned out completely innocent of the matter. She was rather shocked at what her Dad did. She had been reflecting on her behaviour since last night when her life was spared and realised that she didn't really love Henry afterall. She was just told by her dad since she could remember that she was going to be the next Luna, she couldn't accept that she wasn't. She couldn't accept it when they turned 18 and she found her mate was someone else. She couldn't accept it when she met me, and her wolf recognized me as the rightful Luna.
Now the problem was with removing Gamma Francis, the pack would have no Gamma since Charbear, was the only child.
"Why can't Charbear be gamma? She's a warrior right?" I asked.
Henry looked at me like I had grown another head. And then he answered as if talking to a small child, "She's a girl. Her mate is someone from another pack."
"So?" I challenged, "Did you ask her what she wanted to do?"
"Well, I suppose it would just be an empty title anyway." Henry smirked, "Most of the duties had been distributed out among the deltas since Gamma Francis' retirement."
That's how I found out that Henry really didn't think much of girls... I mean, Lycan communities in general were traditionally male dominated.
Not that I was in the position to prove girl power. I wished I was but scardy cat normal human girls who were not particularly athletic or academically inclined weren't in the best position to champion things like girl power.
I bet if Henry met someone like Sam, he might see girls differently though.
Anyway, even if I can't fight kidnappers (I hadn't even seen them) or solve world hunger issues, I could get out of bed.
"What are you doing? Christa. Stay." Henry commanded.
I shook my head and got it of bed. I was still in my jeans and T-shirt from this morning.
"I want to go on a date!" I told Henry, "I've already picked my dress and everything."
"Christa, it's late. You just recovered from shock. Stay in bed." Henry growled.
I shook my head again, "No. What's a little shock?"
"Humans can die from shock." Henry reminded me gravely.
"Well, I'm alive and I'm going on a date, with or without you."
I can't really explain what came over me. Maybe it was really the shock. Maybe it was my frustration at always being timid and obliging. Maybe it was just the smell of Autumn leaves making my whole heart swell with happiness that Henry was near.
"I'm fine." I smiled at Henry. Then I leaned over and patted him on the cheek, the way I've always seen Mum do to Dad.
Tingles! I nearly wanted to touch his hair too, but I withdrew my hand, "I'm a lot tougher than I look."
And then I sashayed a la Charbear out of his room.
I had to admit. That felt pretty good. It was fun pretending to be a strong confident woman. It almost made me feel that even a crybaby could maybe be a strong person too.
Pete drove my parents and I from Henry's family home back to the packhouse and escorted us to our penthouse apartment.
"Alpha Henry will be here to pick you up in an hour." Pete promised with a gentle smile before excusing himself.
I beamed at my parents, "I've got a date. Don't wait up!"
I totally expected Mum and Dad to be like, "Oh no you don't. Be home by 10.30. Where are you going?" Like how they would usually would, but this time they were more like, "Have a good time, honey." And "Our baby girl has found her mate." The way they had said, "Our baby girl is going to college."
"He is not my mate." I said firmly, "It's just a date."
Yeah. Because I've known him for like what? Three days? Normal people didn't fall in love and get married in three days. Normal people didn't have mating bonds. But three days was way too fast. This was just a date.
I got on the peach coloured confection that my mum bought as a dress. It was really pretty. I pulled on a cream cardigan and a pair of heels. Henry rang the doorbell exactly an hour later.
He was stunning. Full tux and all.
"I was thinking we could go to the theatre." He said.
Who wore a tux to watch a movie? Apparently not Henry, he meant a live theatre performance, in Green Packlands' Golden Arena, from the VIP box seats.
It was the kind of going to the theatre where one had to walk down a red carpet just to be the audience.
It started off with music and lights and these gorgeous costumes and sets that made me feel like painting, even though I've never painted people before, just leaves and flowers and things...
But the people looked like flowers on the stage. And then it got pretty dark and scary. The bad guy was so bad and so loud I was honestly terrified. I hid behind the program everytime he appeared. Henry chuckled and put his arm around me. Real smooth.
"How many beautiful women have you used this move on?" I asked somewhat peevishly.
"I wasn't..." And then Henry smirked, "Are you jealous?"
"I am not." I snapped.
"If you must know, none." Henry said, "None of the women I've been with would have been scared of a opera performer in a mask."
I crossed my arms and sulked, but it only made Henry laugh softy. Henry's laugh. It was a beautiful sound. More beautiful than the strains of violin that were playing...
After the show Henry brought me to the Henry Park in the Princess Town. There were Christmas Trees lit up in rows and rows and a lot of couples walking through the display. I definitely didn't see this last summer.
Henry put my hand in the crook of his arm. I sort of put the two and two together, "Henry, is this park yours?"
Henry laughed again, "Only in name."
He brought me to a gazebo named "Gamma Jonah"
"The entire Princess Town was named after the people who paid for it." Henry told me. We watched from the gazebo as couples walked by. This must be the best view of all the Christmas trees.
Then Henry picked me up and sat me on the wide ledge of the gazebo, and then he knelt down on one knee and produced a small red box from his jacket.
He opened it, "Christa Laurel, will you marry me?"
I gasped. OMG.
And then I was off the ledge and in his arms. Crying silent happy tears. OMG.
Henry smirked and stood up, picking me up as he did around my waist and placing me back on the gazebo's ledge.
"Say yes, Christa." Henry ordered. My mate was really bossy.
"Yes." I said. OMG.
I said yes.
We were going way to fast. I only just met the guy 3 days ago. And I said yes.
Mate bond VS Christa... 100 to 0.
What the hell was I doing? I had to be still dreaming because there was no freakin way this was happening to me.
And the Henry kissed me. The tingling on my lips didn't even surprised me. In fact I totally expected it.
I even kissed him back. He tasted like wine and I don't know... I've been kissed before but this was the first time I kissed back.
If I died tonight. I would have died happy.
Luckily I didn't though.
Henry broke the kiss after the world stopped spinning. He growled low over the purring rumbling from somewhere deep in his chest. I kept breathing in the autumn leaves.
"Someone troublesome is here." Henry informed me.
For a moment, I thought it would be something bad, but I recognized the "someone" immediately.
"Sam?"
"Christa?" Sam smiled widely at me, "What are you doing here?"
"Date." I said, pointing at Henry.
"Sorry, were we interupting?" Ki smiled sanguinely from his Alpha's side.
"F***ing yes." Henry growled, but he had started to smirk.
And then he asked me, "So you know this troublesome person?"
I nodded, "Sam is my campus roommate."
"So you're the lucky bastard." Ki commented.
"You knew?" Henry asked surprised.
"We were her advisors." Ki boasted, "You're welcome."
"What advice?" Henry asked.
"Lace." Ki winked.
Henry whipped his head over to stare at me. Then he started purring.
Sam turned to go suddenly, "Come on Ki, let's go."
Then she turned back from a distance and shouted, "You look really beautiful Christa. Make sure you make Henry treat you well!"
I looked back at Henry now that we were alone again. He kept staring at me, and then he said, "I dare not ask, but what other advice did they give you?"
I giggled at Henry's perplexed brow. So my mate could make this kind of expression too. Soothing his brow gently with one hand I smiled, "I didn't just follow their advice. I also borrowed a bit from dog training books and werewolf romances on webnovel."
Henry's brow furrowed again, "What the F***."
I just giggled again, I was that happy. And then I tiptoed and kissed his jaw. That was as high as I could reach, "Thank you, Henry."
"What for?" Henry asked.
"I'm happy." I smiled and looked out at the Christmas trees lining the entire Henry Park.
The smell of Autumn leaves enveloped me as Henry wrapped himself around me from behind, "Me too." He said.
I didn't have to turn around to know what expression he had on. It was a that small smile, the real one that Henry kept hidden most of the time.
This had to the the start of my happily ever after!
THE END