After Luz ran out of the garden, she went to look for Aliana. At first she was scared and a wave of strange sensations ran through her body, but after running around in circles for an hour to get away from the Alpha, she finally got bored and wanted to distract herself to forget her problems.
She went to Aliana's room, assuming she would find her there.
The quinceañera took her to explore the house in more depth. Later, they could take a walk through the herd, see the market, or visit a tavern. Aliana thought they would enjoy the outing since during the Moon Festival many had seen Luz and no one had tried to hurt her for not being a wolf. Besides, the more shape-shifters saw her with the Alpha's sister, the less likely they would act suspiciously, thinking she was a spy in front of the creature.
While the two girls were walking, they headed to the kitchen. Luz was introduced to the Omegas of the place. They were all very kind. They already had an idea of what the creature looked like because word had spread about this mysterious woman. The two young women sat down and enjoyed lunch.
"It would be great if I could always come here to eat instead of in my room," said Luz as she chewed on something that tasted like an apple. "I don't like being alone and locked up. It brings back bad memories."
All the Omegas looked at the Alpha's sister for approval. She nodded positively.
"Of course," said Serem, the Omega in charge. 'You can come here as often as you like. We'll be happy to serve you and keep you company."
As they chatted, ate, and laughed, some of the more daring and curious Omegas asked the creature about her life and customs. She had no problem explaining and satisfying the wolves' curiosity.
What caught the Omegas' attention the most were the young woman's green eyes. They had never seen this color in anyone on this planet. They also compared the color of her skin by placing their arms next to Luz's and occasionally asked if they could touch one of the curls in her thick hair. They looked like little girls full of interest and wonder. Luz was just as curious and didn't mind the wolves' curiosity at all.
While they were doing this, Roxi entered the kitchen, greeting Luz with surprise.
"Good afternoon. How's the food?"
"Good," Luz said, taking pleasant bites of her food. "Everything is delicious. I've never tried these dishes before. I'm not sure what they are, but you'll explain each one to me, and if I'm lucky, you'll teach me how to make them."
"I heard you were attacked by an Anthrax. You didn't come to me, so I assume you weren't hurt," said the healer as she took the food off the stove.
"I wasn't hurt, I was just in emotional shock. I want to go back home, but that thing attacked us and forced us to return."
"Was the expedition to the forest to return to your planet?"
"Yes."
"My child, do you think it will be as easy as going to the forest and coming back? Let me explain something to you. Beyond our safety limits lies the dangerous territory of witches and monsters. I don't think you come from there, considering how you got here. I assume it was through a magical portal that opened and brought you to our world. I think it will be impossible to return the way you want. We will have to ask the wise men for help in guiding us on how to get you out of here.
Then Roxi thought to herself, "The Goddess of the Moon sent you here for a special purpose. I don't think it was just a coincidence." Of course, this was just a thought, so no one heard her.
Luz's spirits sank, but when they noticed her sadness, they all offered words of encouragement. While she was in this world, they would take care of her and help her settle into the life of the herd to make her stay more pleasant.
Aliana's sweet voice was heard. "Luz, don't be sad. It's not so bad. You can think of it as a vacation. We'll find a way to get you back to your world. Just be patient."
After finishing their meal and satisfying all the wolves' curiosity, the two girls headed aimlessly into the cargo house.
Aliana was just walking around and showing her every corner, so that Luz could familiarize herself with the place and not get lost. She also introduced her to each guard stationed in the hallways.
"Aliana, I have a question," Luz stopped in front of her with a serious face, looking into the young wolf's two-colored eyes.
"Ask, I'll see if I can answer."
"Are you the Alpha's sister?"
"Yes, I am."
"Was he the one who attacked me? I assume it was him, because I heard his voice during his speech at the party. I'm sure it was his voice."
Aliana was silent for a few minutes. She knew it was inevitable to hide this fact any longer, so she decided to be completely honest.
"Luz, I know that your arrival has been marked by pain. Yes, the Alpha is my brother. Everything that happened to you was partly my fault. I told Xioma, who is our Beta, that you were following me, but I didn't specify that it was to help me. The warriors assumed that you attacked me, and without my knowledge, they took you to the dungeon. My brother was informed that some kind of witch attacked me. You were covered in thick, foul-smelling mud, and your body looked like a shapeless mass because of the clothes you were wearing. My brother's most logical reaction was to attack you, thinking that you had attacked me. He wanted to know what your intentions were. In our world, many beasts recover very quickly from their wounds. No one knew that you were from another world and that each wound would take so long to heal.
When I found out that you were in the dungeon being beaten, I immediately went to find you. My brother told me to stay away from you because he thought you were dangerous. Witches are very dangerous if they manage to cast a spell on you. That's when I realized the misunderstanding. I threw myself on top of you so he wouldn't keep beating you. I explained to my brother that you weren't a threat. It took him a few minutes to understand what I was saying because he was still full of rage, but when he calmed down, he understood the mistake and allowed me to take care of you. Since then, I've felt very guilty. I wasn't clear in explaining to the warriors what your role was in the forest, and I almost got you killed for not clarifying it. Aliana began to cry, taking Luz's hands as she apologized for everything she had made her endure.
Aliana wiped her tears from her cheeks with the back of her hands and cleaned her nose with the hem of her dress. She closed her eyes and spoke in a defeated voice. "Luz, my brother is a good man and an excellent Alpha. I'm sure he's sorry. I demanded that he not bother you, and that's why he never came to apologize. Everything that happened was my fault. You don't have to worry about him. He won't hurt you anymore."
Luz was silent for the rest of the way. Everything was very confusing for her, and she needed to clear her mind.
As they walked through the different places, they came across a stable, which surprised Luz. "You have horses?"
"Yes, we have 500 horses, and two of the females are pregnant, so we'll have two new lives in the coming months."
Luz approached excitedly. She loved these majestic animals. To her, they were much taller and wider than the horses on her planet, but it made sense that these animals should be able to carry other huge beasts on their backs.
The green-eyed creature approached a mare, stroked her back, and then her belly. "How wonderful, to feel that she is carrying a new life."
The mare showed no signs of being pregnant, and the two mares that were pregnant had been moved to another stable to keep them calm and better nourished.
Aliana was aware that humans had powers, but she wasn't sure which ones, and it seemed that not even Luz knew what they were. However, the she-wolf took advantage of the opportunity to test her theory about the mare.
Before leaving the stables, Aliana discreetly asked an Omega to fetch the healer and ask her to examine the mare that Luz had been stroking. She needed to know if the animal was really pregnant or not.
The girls didn't stay to wait for Roxi. Aliana preferred to quickly take Luz away, promising her that they would return tomorrow and go out for a ride.