Clara’s POV
After training, I headed straight to the shower.
Stepping out of the bathroom, I made my way over to my bag. From it, I pulled out a long gold chain. Attached to it was a capsule, like a locket but larger.
As I opened the golden casing, my eyes settled upon the stone that emitted a soft green, glowing aura.
There was a secret that I kept close to myself. The reason for the wars that broke out and killed so many people.
Three stones of power.
Each one was entrusted to a different pack, for a purpose. My pack retrieved the healing stone.
Green for the life we received from the earth.
A sigh left me as I held the healing stone within my hands and closed my eyes. I didn’t like to use it if I didn’t have to, but I was sore from the match with Sonny—I hadn’t trained like that in a long time—and I didn’t want him to see how the training affected me.
I refused to be seen as weak.
A knock on my door had me scrambling to put the stone back in its place.
“Clara.” Sonny’s voice called out from the other side.
“Just a moment…” I quickly pulled my black leggings on and my white t-shirt over my head.
When I opened the door, I noticed I wasn’t the only one who was freshly cleaned. Sonny was still dripping water from the shower he must have taken, and the intoxicating smell that came off of him was delicious.
“Hey… everything okay?” I asked, trying to act casual.
“Yeah…” He said hesitantly with a smile. “The pack is actually having a lunar festival pre-party tonight, and I was hoping you would like to come with me. There are some people I want to introduce to you.”
“Pre-party?” I had never heard of a lunar festival pre-party before.
Sonny chuckled, nodding his head. “It isn’t really a party. More like an open feast—everyone brings a dish. Tomorrow, we’ll have a bonfire to celebrate. It’s as festive as it gets around here… nothing super special.”
I wasn’t sure if this was something I needed to go to. However, meeting more of the pack would be beneficial. This was something their Alpha should be at…
“Do I finally get to meet your Alpha?” I asked.
I watched as Sonny’s expression fell.
“No…” Sonny began to say hesitantly. “He isn’t going to be there… I’m sorry.”
Disappointment filled me. How was the Alpha not going to attend his pack’s festival?
Something wasn’t adding up.
“Oh… okay, then…” I replied. “Let me grab my sweater.”
As we walked down the stairs of the packhouse, I noticed how much busier it was than before. We stepped outside, and I was taken back by how amazing things looked.
When the heck did they do all of this?
“Was this here this morning?” I asked Sonny.
He chuckled, shaking his head. “No, but the ladies of this pack are quick when it comes to celebrations. Like I said… We don’t do it often.”
I nodded, not knowing what to say. I was still envious of their wealth, but also amazed at how quickly they worked.
“Sonny!”
A young red-haired girl called out with a smile as she came walking towards us. My eyes went to her immediately; I was certain I hadn’t met her yet, and yet something about her felt familiar, homey.
“Claudia.” Sonny said with a smile as he hugged her. “Claudia, this is Clara. She is new here. Clara, this is my younger sister, Claudia.”
The girl's blue eyes scanned over me, and she smiled again. “Oh, she’s pretty.”
“Um… Thank you.” I replied and looked at Sonny, unsure of what to say.
Still, I couldn’t deny it was a relief to meet someone here who didn’t automatically see me as scum.
“Come on, let's get you to my mother,” he said. “She wants to meet you.”
Sonny grabbed my hand, shocking me with his touch, and pulled me along towards a group of people setting up a buffet table.
I wasn’t sure why he wanted me to meet his mother so quickly. Even as mates, I wasn’t ready for that.
Distractions... Nothing but distractions.
“Mom, this is Clara.”
The older, dark-haired woman turned around, her eyes wide.
“Oh, hello, dear. It’s lovely to meet you.” She was a bit distracted, monitoring the others’ work.
I couldn’t help but wonder about all this, since Sonny had told me the Luna didn’t like parties anymore. Maybe that was why his mother seemed to be the one in charge—she seemed happy to do so.
The party was lively and fun. People still kept their distance from me at first. But as good food, music, and alcohol put them in a cheery mood, I felt them relax. Or maybe they just forgot who I was. Either way, after a few hours, I managed to have a couple conversations with the pack members.
Yet, every time I asked about the Alpha, they stopped talking.
Was he so cruel that his own pack was afraid of him?
Perhaps killing him would be a blessing for them.
After all… Even if they didn’t trust me yet, these people didn’t seem bloodthirsty or cruel. Maybe it was not the pack that was the problem, but simply just their Alpha. When I made my move I had to make sure not everyone was punished.
My thoughts drifted back to Sonny, and I sighed.
There was something about him that was eating away at me. The things he had been telling me just didn’t add up.
I have to get to the bottom of it.
Perhaps this party was an opportunity to snoop around—find out what he was hiding.
“Sonny...”
“Yeah?” He turned around from where he was talking to Vincent and smiled at me.
“I think I am going to head back. I’m pretty tired.”
It was a lie, but he didn’t need to know that.
“Oh, are you sure?” His expression turned concerned, “Do you want me to see you back?”
“No, no...” I chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”
Sonny stepped closer to me and smiled. “Thank you for coming.”
I felt my heart begin to race again. His gorgeous blue eyes stared back at me, and a hint of something hiding beneath their depths captivated me.
I wanted more than anything to have him kiss me. To feel his lips on my own.
But I couldn’t.
No matter how much his cedar and sage aroma filled my nostrils, making me want more, I couldn’t let it sweep me away. Not yet.
I had to stay focused.
Turning, I made my way towards the front of the pack house. As soon as I turned the corner, I caught sight of the girl from this morning.
Her eyes locked onto mine, and a sneer crossed her face before she turned to her friends and said something. Her short dark hair was perfectly styled upon her head, and her chocolate eyes staring daggers.
It didn’t take but a moment for her and her groupies to make their way towards me.
“Oh, look girls!” She stated with a loud sarcastic tone. “If it isn’t the rogue slut!”
Slut? Who was she calling a slut?
“Excuse me?” I said.
I hoped that she wasn’t this stupid—I had taken out wolves in my past over far less.
“You heard me, wh*re. You dumb rogues don’t know the first thing about pack life. You thought you could come here and trick Sonny into loving you?”
Oh, so that was what this was about.
“Why does Sonny matter to you?” He was just a warrior. “Are you jealous or something?”
She froze for a moment, giving me a perplex look. Then she gathered herself and backed me against the packhouse.
“He is mine!” She screamed.
In reality I found the whole thing amusing. She had no idea who I was and what I could do to her—and, if she wasn’t careful, she was going to find out.
“Sounds like you’re the only one with a problem here.” I replied, squaring my shoulders. “I don’t have time to play pity party with you.”
“Says the wh*re shameless enough to try to seduce a man like Sonny. He would never stoop so low as to be with trash like you. I’m the only person here worthy of him—I have beta blood in my veins!”
“What’s going on here, Emily?”
The voice was Sonny’s.
I looked past the girl to see him seething with anger. His stance was rigid, and his eyes narrowed.
He was pissed.
“Sonny!” She squealed, and her personality flipped again. “I was just telling the new girl about how the pack works.”
“Oh, really...? Because I heard the conversation, and you need to watch your mouth.”
He was defending me, and the fact that he was touched a part of me I tried to shut out.
“It was nothing... We were just having fun girl time,” Emily replied, and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.
“I heard you, and I will warn you—if you do anything to hurt her, I will see to it that you are banished.”
Emily gaped, mouth opening and closing like a fish.
“Over a rogue?” she hissed in disbelief.
Sonny just glared at her in silence.
He didn’t seem to notice her words. Despite her apparent bloodline—Sonny didn’t care.
His gaze was enough to make the girls quickly leave, Emily following them reluctantly.
Are you okay?” He asked, turning towards me.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Girls like that I don’t let get to me.”
I was touched by his concern for me. Perhaps, getting close to him wouldn’t be a bad thing.
Especially if I could use him to get what I wanted.