The rest of the night was rather uneventful for a wedding. After the three tiered chocolate cake had been cut, and the DJ had stopped playing his music, Esmee was so exhausted that she wondered if she would be able to walk to the car. Thankfully Hunter carried her out to his black Rolls Royce like she was a Kumari goddess, her feet forbidden from touching the ground.
I am so glad that I was able to get to my notebook, Claudia thought as Alec drove her and Savannah back to their parent's house. If I didn't I'm not sure I would have remembered every detail of that little fiasco. The drive home was silent, the pair exhausted from the day's events and already missing their sister.
"It's going to be so weird, being the only one in this room that all three of us have spent so much time in." She commented as she and Savannah came back to their bedroom.
"I know." Savannah replied. "It's already weird not having Esmee's clutter everywhere. We should probably get ready for bed. Do you want the first shower?"
"No, thank you. You go get clean." Claudia replied, going over to her nightstand and opening it. Savannah collected her pyjamas and went into the ensuite, as she pulled out a stack of notecards and a handful of pens and started transferring her notes into her famous notecard system of organising thoughts.
"Shower's free." Savannah said as she reentered the room five minutes later.
"Cool, I will go for one in a moment." Claudia replied, straightening her cards and putting them in the false bottom of her nightstand with her notebook and locking it.
This is so nice, She thought in a half-asleep dream zone while the warm water of the shower made its way down in her back. Perfect way to finish this exhausting day. Turning off the water, she got out of the shower and into her pyjamas.
"I was thinking," Savannah said as Claudia went back into the bedroom. "Maybe we should get a whiteboard, like the ones seen in those police dramas."
"I think that is a good idea, only on the condition that you take the board with you when you go." Claudia replied as she pulled the covers back and slipped into her bed.
"It's a deal." Savannah replied as she reached for her phone, fiddling with it, and putting it back on her nightstand. "Good night, Claudia."
"Good night Savannah."
"We're home!" Hunter said as he and Esmee entered the cabin.
"Welcome home!" Shilo replied, putting a stack of plates on the dinner table. "And Esmee, welcome to your new home. Now, we are assuming that you didn't get a chance to eat much at the reception, given how many guests you had to greet so Valentina has made us all dinner."
"Where are Jason and Liera?" Hunter asked in response.
"Who knows, and at the moment I am too tired to care." Valentina replied, putting a large bowl of salad on the table. "Come on, up the table before it gets cold."
"Yes ma'am." Shilo gave her a mock salute.
"Oi you." Valentina replied, lightly smacking him on the back of the head. "Less of that disrespect, especially in front of the new Luna."
Dinner was a rather relaxing meal of Lasagna, bread rolls and salad.
"This is very good, Valentina." Esmee broke the peaceful quiet. "Where did you learn to cook?"
"My mother taught me many of her family recipes." She replied. "Do you know how to cook, Esmee?"
"Valentina," Hunter growled in warning.
"It's okay, Hunter. I don't mind answering." Esmee replied, placing a hand on Hunter's arm. "I was forced to learn at school, and my stepmother forced me and my sisters to make every meal they ever ate."
"Yikes." Valentina responded. "Well, now that you are the Luna, you don't have to cook if you don't want to."
"Why?" Esmee asked, taking another bite of her dinner roll.
"Because you are too important to the pack to have to work." Valentina replied. "Your main job as Luna is to give birth to the Alpha's first child. When you become pregnant for the first time, then you allow every other female of our generation that wants to have a child to either get pregnant or adopt."
"What? Why?" Esmee asked, stunned. "How does that work? And how is it policed?"
"Magic is much more prevalent in everyday life than you humans realise." Shilo replied. "For us, it is an everyday occurrence."
"And if I had a baby while I was human?"
"You wouldn't survive the pregnancy." Hunter stated. "Humans are too weak to survive a werewolf pregnancy, they simply aren't strong enough."
"And I probably need to stay human for the Pair of Triplets prophecy to come into effect." Esmee replied.
"Good thing it is illegal for someone to turn a human against their will." Valentina said, putting her knife and fork down. "Punishable by death."
"Good to know." Esmee responded, picking up her glass of water. "Are there many 'initiated' members of the pack?"
"A few," Shilo replied. "Most of them are unmated, and all live in the village."
"Why are most of them unmated?" Esmee asked. "Why not all of them?"
"Because those who mated did so during Jason's tenure." Hunter explained. "Once I took over from my brother, the fact that I didn't have a mate meant that people couldn't get mated until I had found my Luna."
"Wait, you are the brother of the last Alpha?" She asked. "What, is this a feudal society?"
"I will explain the laws of succession at a later time." He replied. "I think that it is getting too late to explain all of the mysteries of the universe."
"I agree." Esmee replied. "Thank you for such a lovely meal, Valentina. May I please be excused?"
"Yes you may." Hunter replied as she got up from the table.
"You can just leave the plate on the bench in the kitchen." Valentina said as Esmee started to fill the sink.
"Sorry, old habits." She replied, rinsing the plate and leaving it on the bench. "Right, where can I get cleaned up?"
"Follow me." Hunter said as he got up from the table. "Here you are." He said as he stopped in front of a heavy metal door. "Normally, this is reserved for those initiated into the pack because it can be locked, both from the inside and the outside." He opened the door to the bedroom. "Here is the ensuite, and all of your clothes have been put in this closet." He said, motioning to a pair of barn doors. "Welcome home, my beautiful Esmee."
"Thank you." Esmee blushed. "Good night, Hunter."
"Good night." He said as he kissed her on the cheek. "Sleep well, and I will see you in the morning." He left the room as Esmee spotted her phone on the nightstand. She picked it up and opened the group chat.
So, apparently my main job as Luna is to mate with the Alpha (Hunter), and give birth to his children. Once I am mated, I then 'open' the opportunity to those who were inducted into the pack after Hunter gained control of the pack. She texted. I can only mate with Hunter after I have become a Werewolf, which can only be done if I give my consent. Hunter will not let me consent to being bitten until after the Pair of Triplets prophecy is fulfilled. She sent the text.
"Come on." Jeremy grunted as he half dragged half carried a drunk Peia into her mansion. That's weird, he thought as he closed the door behind them. Where's Penelope? I would have thought that she would have been at the wedding, but she isn't even home to take care of her talent.
"Can I help you, sir?" One of the maids squeaked as she emerged from the shadows.
"Can you help me get her ready for bed?" He asked.
"Yes, sir." she replied. "Her bedroom is this way."
"I can assure you, Mistress Peia will be taken care of to the most exceptional degree." The maid said as Jeremy placed her on the bed. "You should go home."
"Thank you for your concern, but I insist on staying." He replied. "I don't like that Penelope isn't here, and after what I have just seen I don't want her staying on her own. Not that I think she would be alone," He said, backtracking. "I just would feel better if either myself or Penelope was staying with her."
"But sir, she will be just fine." She replied.
"Still, I will stay."
"Okay, sir." The maid conceded. "I will go and make a room for you." She left the room.
As the maid left the room, Jeremy spied a door that he hadn't noticed before. It wasn't very big, about the size of a single door, and appeared to be hidden behind a series of portraits. He went over and peered inside. The room on the other side of the door wasn't all that much different from Peia's bedroom, all except for the desk. It was a plain and simple desk, it could have been from IKEA. But on the desk was something more interesting than a secret chamber; A pile of tattered papers.
Taking out his phone, Jeremy approached the desk. The papers looked old, even centuries old. He turned the torch function on his phone on.
Aeleolopei, He thought. Isn't that Peia's Siren name? What is this line? He traced the thick black line up and across the page. Who is Parsiphe? And why are their two names joined like so? Wait, is this a family tree?! I guess I should take a photo. He opened the camera up on his phone and took a picture. Hearing the creaking of footsteps along the corridor, he darted back out of the room and closed the door behind him.
"Your room is ready, sir." The maid said as she reentered the bedroom.
"Thank you." Jeremy replied.
"Are you okay?" Joshua asked Genifer as he drove her home. "You seem deep in thought."
"There are more parties involved in the Pairs of Triplets prophecy than I had initially thought." She replied, looking distractedly out the window.
"How so?" He asked.
"I can't really explain until I have done more research." She explained. "When can we meet with your siblings again?"
"I don't know, soon I expect." He replied. "Here we are." He said as he pulled into the long driveway that led to Genifer's home. "Good night, Genifer." He said as the pair stood on the front porch. He kissed her hand.
"Good night, Joshua."
We need to have another family meeting, He texted into the group chat as he sat in the black Rolls Royce that he borrowed from Joshua. When can we meet?
Savannah's phone dinged for the third time.
"Oh for the love of everything that is good and holy, can you please put it on silent?!" Claudia complained as Savannah looked at it.
"Not possible for our siblings, given everything that is going on." She replied. "Can you get your notebook out? It's Esmee and Joshua." Claudia opened her nightstand.
"What does Esmee have to say for herself?" She asked as she got her notebook.
"'So, apparently my main job as Luna is to mate with the Alpha (Hunter), and give birth to his children.'" Savannah dictated. "'Once I am mated, I then 'open' the opportunity to those who were inducted into the pack after Hunter gained control of the pack. I can only mate with Hunter after I have become a Werewolf, which can only be done if I give my consent. Hunter will not let me consent to being bitten until after the Pair of Triplets prophecy is fulfilled.'"
"And what about Joshua?"
"Joshua is asking when we can have another family meeting." Savannah replied as Claudia put her notebook away.
"Are you okay?" Claudia asked, as a tear rolled down Savannah's cheek.
"I am getting married to a vampire in a week." She replied. "How do you think I am?"
"Oh my dear, sweet sister." Claudia said as she came over to Savannah's bed. "How about we share a bed together, just like we did when we were kids?"
"I'd like that."