I walked over to the garden as I was instructed by Melanie. Selene would be there.
To be honest, I had no idea this house had one, but it made perfect sense. A house this beautiful ought to have a garden, and Selene looked like someone who knew how to take care of one.
I was led to the back of the house through an entrance I'd never seen before, and just beyond it was a little garden filled with fruits and vegetables. Selene was standing there in one of her long, flowy sundresses, simply staring at it all.
"Hey," I said, coming over.
"Hello." She turned around, her belly now more noticeable than before.
I smiled, admiring the space. "I had no idea this place had a garden."
"Well, neither did I until Callum told me," she smiled. "Turns out, he gardens when he's stressed."
I stifled a laugh. God, he is such an old man.
"I thought this was your garden," I admitted.
"Oh no, never. I have the opposite of a green thumb," she blushed.
I guessed she really was one of those people who want you to feel at home.
"You wanted to talk to me?" I asked, changing the subject.
"Yeah, actually. I wanted to talk to you about organizing the celebration."
I nodded. "I assume Harlan told you about it?"
She nodded back. "Good."
"How does this usually go?" I asked.
"It's normally a little less formal. We do a small gathering and invite members of every pack, but none ever come. Usually, the only time we're all reunited is when Damien calls an alpha meeting." She twirled a strand of her hair. "It's just a formality, but all members of the immediate and extended pack must know they have a beta female now."
I understood why it could be important. I supposed I was now in a position of power, and even though I didn't plan on giving any orders, they should know the person who was to be their beta female.
"I don't know how to plan this," I admitted.
Selene gave me a small smile. "That's why I'm here."
I was about to thank her when I was hit with a familiar, wood-like scent. Selene looked beyond me with a worried expression.
I didn't need to turn around to know who it was.
"Maya, can we talk?" Blaze said.
Before I could respond, Selene said, "I'll leave you two alone."
I slowly turned around and saw Blaze. He had no injuries. He was wearing the same clothes from the last time we talked. His hair was messy, and he looked tired. His eyes were hollow and empty.
I couldn't help but think this was all my fault.
"Hey," I said softly, offering a smile.
He looked away.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
I nodded.
He took a deep breath and smiled sincerely. "I'm glad."
I moved to step closer, but he stopped me by raising his hand.
"Harlan will know if we get any closer. It's not a good idea for you to come near me.. at least for the next few months," he said, still looking away but smiling faintly.
"Are you okay?" I asked again.
"Hey.." He looked down and scratched the back of his head. "At least I tried."
His smile was genuine then. It did seem like him to try and look at things in a positive light. But I could tell he was suffering. I could see it in his eyes.
"I'm sorry," I said, unsure of what else to say.
"Don't be. You're happy and you're safe. That's all I wanted for you." He looked behind him at something I couldn't see and shook his head slightly. The smile never left his face. "I have to go." He gave me a small nod and turned around.
"I hope you'll always be this happy," he said before running toward a figure wearing a black cloak.
I hope you're happy too.
It took us two weeks to plan the goddamn party. Selene had underestimated how many people would RSVP. Apparently, most were curious to meet the new beta. And I was practically shitting my pants as I got ready for the stupid thing.
"I should have never agreed to this," I muttered while rummaging through Harlan's closet. Well.. our closet now, I guess. As soon as Harlan noticed I had put some of my clothes there, he got so excited he moved them all in.
"It'll be fine," Harlan said as he finished buttoning up his dress shirt. "Most people here are our friends."
"You have a lot of friends," I said, pacing nervously while waiting for Melody to bring my dress.
Selene said we had to invite every alpha in our pack, but that none would come. She lied. They all came. And they brought their gammas and betas too. Suddenly, this wasn't casual anymore. It had turned into a full-blown black-tie event.
"Don't worry, they aren't here to judge you," Harlan said, clearly reading my mind. "They're here to talk to Damien about the rebels and to see Selene. They all love Selene." He rolled his eyes.
Yes, everyone loved Selene, because she was a great Luna. And I was the Luna's right-hand woman. That meant I had to be a great beta.. which I wasn't sure I could be. But everything would be fine. I was sure of it.
I opened the door for Melody, who walked in holding the dress she'd made herself. It was dark blue, with fabric that shimmered from within. The glitter was concentrated around the neckline, fading as it flowed downward. It was an A-line gown with a halter strap neckline and reached the floor.
Its beauty made me gasp.
"You made this?" I asked, feeling the material.
"Yes. Do you like it?" she asked shyly.
"Of course. It's beautiful!" I beamed, and she blushed, glancing away.
"I'll leave you to it then," she said, nodding slightly at Harlan before leaving.
I stared at the dress in awe and excitement. It was exactly what I would have picked. I wondered how she knew.
"It's very pretty," Harlan said from behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist.
I smiled and sighed. "Everything will be okay.. because you'll be by my side all night, right?"
"Right."
As we descended the grand staircase into the ballroom, all eyes turned to us.
I saw so many young faces, I was stunned. I supposed they all looked young, even though they were older than me. Callum was the prime example. But even with their youthful appearances, many bore the kinds of scars I had, evidence of the wars they'd survived.
Selene stood at the bottom of the stairs in a silver glittery gown beside Damien, who was dressed to the nines.
I scanned the room and spotted Elowen and Arden in black and red dresses, respectively. Gemma was wearing a high-fashion dress with sheer fabric and butterfly sleeves, with a bodysuit sewn inside that barely covered anything.
Callum wore a floral suit. Blaze had on a normal one.
I couldn't spot Violette anywhere, and I had a feeling that was intentional. I'd heard a lot of people here weren't happy we were cooperating with a vampire no matter how nice she might be.
I also saw Coraline with her mate, giving us a warm smile as we descended the stairs.
My nerves kicked in again as I saw how beautifully everything was decorated.
But as Selene introduced us around and I saw how welcoming everyone was, the tension slowly melted away.
That was until she appeared.