16. NEPHELINE

16

NEPHELINE

By the time we enter the diner, I'm not ready for the chaos that invites us in. Pack members that I've seen briefly are chattering away and sharing memories that have brought them together. It reminds me of the festivities I took part in while in the heart of the Redstone pack, dancing the night away with various wolves I had grown up next to.

The parties stopped once I reached fifteen or sixteen, I can't quite remember but they were always a time I looked forward to. A time I could let loose. A time when the world saw more than just Nepheline, Omega, and future Luna.

"One more dance!" I giggle, throwing my hands out for someone to take. Silver eyes meet mine and then a sloppy smile that tells me Darius is far more drunk than he lets on. "One more dance, Dari. Then we'll go. I promise."

"I can never refuse those pretty eyes and that pout, Bambi."

The memory disappears as fast as it came but I realize that I've lost all the memories where Darius is concerned. I thought he might have been taken from me when I was a kid. It would explain why I didn't remember him. But in that memory, I am clearly a teenager, old enough to meet my Alpha mate and join the Redstone and Nightshade packs.

But that never happened.

Darius was ripped from me and neither one of us remembered the other until that memory two days ago, even though I had been having dreams of him for a while. I don't understand why my father or Locke never said anything. Why no one in our entire pack mentioned Darius or the lack of his presence. I fight hard for more memories, my face scrunching up in determination until lips meet the bridge of my nose.

"Relax, sunshine. What's going on in that pretty head of yours?" I stare up into Remi's ocean-gray eyes before sporting a small smile to ease his concern. We've stopped just inside, my Alphas peering down at me, waiting for me to be ready.

"I remember Dari—Darius. We were… he was my Beta. He came to our pack and-" I pause, chewing on my bottom lip as the realization that there's a whole life I've lived where I've fallen in love and can't remember. I used to think those feelings were for Flynn. It's one of many reasons why I didn't ditch his ass sooner after he carried me out of the forest. I thought that he had been my first love. "I lost him, Remi. Someone took him."

Remi gathers me against his chest as the chatter of the diner dies down. Everyone is watching us but I don't care. I need them to understand that I didn't lose Darius when I was five.

I lost him when I was fifteen.

"How did I not know he was gone?" I mumble into Remi's chest. It feels like the world is slowly closing in on me with every new revelation. Part of me wants to run home and wrap my arms around Darius and the other wants to rip apart everyone who's brought me to this point. How could I not remember my own first love?

Remi's purr starts up as he rocks me side to side, calming my erratic emotions until I lightly push against his chest. "We'll figure this out. Let's get through dinner and then we'll talk to Darius, okay? I promise you that he's not going anywhere again."

My Alpha can't promise that but I trust him anyway as we finally make our way to the very same booth I caught them at over a week ago. River and Remi slide in first and then Asani as I stand beside Mateo, waiting for my moment to address the pack. There can't be more than fifteen or twenty people here, Alphas, Betas, and Omegas perched on different seats and resting against the booths along the back wall.

The council is obviously absent. I wouldn't expect any of them to be here after Mateo fired them and especially not Kylan when he wants Mateo's position. It must be where the rest of the Nightshade pack is.

Many smiles are staring back at me, hope and excitement in their expressions. Mateo clears his throat to grab everyone's attention, even the few working behind the counter and in the kitchen pausing to listen.

It's then that I realize that even though this diner is part of this little city, wolves of the Nightshade pack are also employed here.

The surge of power when Mateo begins speaking is stronger than anything else I've ever felt before but it's the start of a new Nightshade pack Alpha. "The council briefly announced the change of leadership over a week ago. The torch was passed from Calista to myself and my Omega, your Luna, Nepheline. We are the next leaders of the Nightshade pack and will carry on the Awang name." I try to keep a neutral expression because I hope he has no funny ideas for trying to get me pregnant. One day. Not now. "I'm proud to serve after my fathers, Ilsa and Gael."

Silence follows his words and I realize he's waiting for someone from the pack to mention the lack of Calista's name. We don't have to wait long. "What about your mother?" An adorable little Omega asks before his eyes widen and then he shuffles into his Alpha's chest.

I snort and then cover it up with a cough, Mateo grabbing my hand to silently tell me to behave. "Unfortunately, it has come to my attention that the woman who helped birth me had a hand in my mate's pack's death as well as my father's. She has been behind many of the mishaps in our pack since Silas was exiled." He blows out a deep breath and I squeeze his hand to give him the courage to continue. "Calista is also the cause of Gael's decline in health. I only found out this morning but it seems that she rejected my father over a week ago, maybe longer."

Gasps can be heard through the diner, echoing off the walls as the members slowly rise to offer their condolences. No one approaches Mateo but the sorrow in their eyes is enough. Everyone here loved their previous Luno.

The same Omega that asked the question looks horrified. It's the same way I felt. Being rejected by a mate after bonding is the worst form of torture. Very few Omegas find a happy ending after that. Gael never will. His peace will come in death.

"She has rejected her claim on my father for reasons beyond my understanding. She didn't bring this to the council nor the pack Alpha." A growl vibrates through his chest as he fights back his wolf. "As such, because she renounced my father, I have renounced her as my mother. I will not tolerate such disrespect in this pack for my family or for yours. I suspect that everyone here today stands with me and the pack that Ilsa built. If you would rather stand with Calista and any others that wish our pack harm, know that you are not safe here on these lands."

No one moves. I didn't expect them to.

Mateo continues. "To cleanse our pack of those who would seek to harm it, I have removed the current council from power. It may be a few days before the power of transfer is complete and even longer before I am able to refill those seats. I know that as a pack we have always had elders on the council and working with us to stay true to the old traditions. Unfortunately, those same elders are also the cause of our suffering and will be removed." Many of the members are in shock at his words. It isn't every day that an entire council is overturned. "River and Remi will remain your guards; Asani your doctor." His head turns to the booth and Asani stands before bowing his head.

"My loyalty is with the Nightshades regardless of what pack I was born into. My pack Alpha is Mateo Awang and no one else." They share a firm glance before Asani returns to his seat.

"Nepheline will be your Luna and her two other mates will reveal themselves when they are ready."

Mateo squeezes my hand, leaning down to press a kiss to my head. Is that my cue? Because I'm not ready. Everyone is staring at me, hesitant and yet confident that I am the right woman for the job. I plaster on a smile, trying to lean into my Omega as I accept my role.

I don't get that far as one of the older women towards the back of the diner stands up. An Alpha with her Omega beside her and children surrounding them by the looks of it. "Luna, your mates wouldn't happen to be male? All six of them?" I nod. "You are the one bringing back the magic. We can all feel it. The energy that was here when Alpha Mateo's father—Ilsa—was young, it's here again. Shifting is easier and faster. We are one with our wolves where there used to be a disconnect."

I hadn't noticed those differences but I've felt the power every time Mateo's emotions shift. "Yes, I am your Luna." My voice squeaks and I silently curse my lack of confidence. Being the center of attention has been something I've known since I was born. The daughter of the pack Alpha, an Omega shifter, and the one who would join two packs together. However, being a leader of this pack while also representing mine isn't something I prepared for.

I'm not sure what I expected. Everyone is still waiting for me to say more as I try to put something together that will show them I'm more than just Mateo's Omega. "I noticed the magic returning when I brought Flynn to the heart, the Beta who had betrayed me. Since then, it has grown stronger as I've grown closer with my mates and I know that it will help us rid of the poison that has infected our pack as well as take down those who would tear us apart." I clear my throat, Mateo smiling down at me as I grab onto the confidence trickling through the bond. "I will not be perfect. I haven't been a good Omega for a long time, not since…" My breath catches in my throat but I shake away that nightmare. "I will be the best leader I can be and I have the strongest pack of mates surrounding me to do it. I will stand by Mateo as he leads and take the lead where I'm needed but I'm not going to be perfect. I just ask that you give me a little grace." A chorus of laughter meets me when I hold up my thumb and pointer finger less than an inch apart.

I look from Mateo to Asani to River and then Remi, all of them with heat in their eyes and proud smiles on their faces.

Someone starts clapping and then another until it's a mass of applause and howling in human form. The air feels supercharged as Mateo scoots me into the booth and then cases me in, a waitress coming to take our order. I recognize her as she smiles and says how happy she is that we are the new pack leaders but I can barely hear anything over my heart beating in my ears.

I'm a Luna.

Princess isn't so much a nickname anymore and yet, no one from my own pack is here to see me take the position I was born into. An arm winds around my shoulder and I look up to see River dangling a piece of steak off a fork against my lips. I open and he places it on my tongue, waiting for me to bite down and chew.

His gleeful expression grows every time I oblige his antics, my Omega preening at the idea of being taken care of. I open my mouth for another bite, enjoying the medium rare steak when a sharp pain hits me in the chest. My brows furrow as I rub at it and then dismiss it, chewing away as I try to soak in the happiness running around the diner.

Unfortunately, the growing pain in my chest overshadows the elated emotions as I start to wiggle in the booth. A hiss slips through clenched teeth as I try to weather the sharp pangs in my chest but when it doesn't stop, Mateo places a hand on my thigh only to comment on how I'm burning up. My cheeks warm as I slowly push him out of the way to exit the booth. Not soon enough, I'm rushing to the bathroom and splashing my face with water to relieve the sensation.

"It's not going away!" I cry out when Remi bursts inside. He turns me to face him as I frantically scratch at my chest, whining for relief and finding none. My Alpha helps me out of my shirt as I cling to him for support, panting for air when the pain nearly becomes unbearable. For several seconds, I hiss out my anguish until I'm only left with a tingling sensation on my skin.

Remi isn't even looking at me when I open my eyes, his gaze firmly on my chest. "Nepheline…" Slowly, he turns me toward the sinks, guiding me closer until I see what he's seeing. A crest. But it isn't just any crest. It's the Awang family crest but much larger than Mateo's. The crow's wings span nearly my entire shoulder length, riding on top of a wolf's head. A dark crimson color is woven through the wolf's fur and the raven's feathers. As I lean closer, I catch wisps of blue to signify the Sapphire wolves and touches that remind me of Asani's original mark.

I reach forward to touch it through the mirror, my skin red and angry from the magic now seared into my flesh. River pushes inside the bathroom, glancing around before frowning at the same image we're staring at. "There hasn't been an emblem like that since before… I'm not even sure when. Fuck, you're gorgeous." I glare at River through the reflection in the mirror. It's not exactly where I would have put a tattoo but it definitely makes a statement. "Does it hurt?"

"It did. I thought I was burning up from the inside but I'm not now. I just feel connected with everything. Don't ask me to explain it. I don't know what it means. Just… I can feel the energy now. It's everywhere, almost like there's truly a heart in the pack lands and it's come back to life." I memorize the different curves and colors now etched into my chest before Remi helps me back into my shirt. "I'm not sure the pack should know just yet, not before Mateo and Asani."

River shrugs as he leads me out of the bathroom with Remi on the other side. "Fine with me but it seems that a few of the older ladies think you might be pregnant. Thought you had to go throw up your dinner and you were inside with us for a week."

"I'm not pregnant." Omegas—especially shifters—usually know. There's something in their biology that changes that makes it extremely obvious. If I was pregnant, every last Omega in here would be shooting me giddy smiles, commenting on how I'm glowing, even if I look a hot mess right now. Despite all that, I make a mental note to clear out an entire drugstore and pee on every goddamn stick to double-check.

The last thing I need is a child.

We slip back into the booth as I wave my Alphas' worried stares off and assure everyone that I'm fine. It doesn't go over well as I try to settle back in until I blurt out something that is most likely nothing they've ever heard from leadership before.

"My period started, okay? I needed to… settle it." That doesn't explain why River and Remi entered the woman's bathroom but I'm hoping they don't question it. Asani chokes on his food as my other Alphas try to hide their giggles. Everyone bursts out laughing before continuing to enjoy our first dinner as a full pack.

Then someone says ‘god, it's refreshing to have a woman in power that isn't Calista' and everyone starts laughing again. It doesn't cover up the somber feelings lurking in the back of my head but there's hope for our future.