Chapter CHAPTER 26
The leader’s pack with Selena entered the brick house after their usual morning routine with running and resistance training. The
whole house was filled with a lot of unfamiliar faces, all hustling and bustling around, making preparations for the full moon night
as Zaden has announced it to be a special full moon. Selena has already started feeling nervous. Orion sensed her
“Relax abit, would you?” he bumped his shoulder to her’s. She managed to come up with a smile. All the other trainings have
been postponed for today.
“Selena, dear, I need your help...”it was Mother Ruth. She held Selena wrist and guided her to the yard. Orion followed her while
others had their own division to be taken care of. Selena followed and stepped out of the side door. Zoomed out, she saw a
whole yard filled with kids of different ages. Some crying, some fighting, some laughing, some jumping from table to ground and
a boy pulling a girl’s hair.
“Could you please watch after them, dear” Mother Ruth requested politely
“No no no no no...I’m not good with kids” she said as fast as her tongue could move
“I am and I can help” she turned around to see Orion, standing like a savior behind her.
“Thank you dear” with that Mother Ruth left them and Selena didn’t waste any time to pinch Orion on his stomach
“Why did you do that for? Look at them, it’s a nightmare” Selena turned to look out.
“Oh come on, it’s not that bad” he held her shoulder and pushed her into the yard. As soon as the kids saw them, they all
shouted “Orion!!!” and ran towards them, crashing Selena to Orion. Orion had to hold her waist to prevent her from falling down.
With her in one hand, he picked up a girl from ground.
“Prewty girl!!!” It was the same girl Selena meet the day she came here and she still calls her preety girl with a slang. Selena
gave a sheepish smile
“Selena, this is Sophie. Sophie, this is Selena, the pretty girl” he totally forgot about his hand around Selena and she got pushed
closer to Orion by a group of boys. Sophie was busy pulling her wavy curls, like a spring. Selena gently pinched the chubby
cheeks of Sophie. Within the next 10 minutes, Selena got used to them and they got comfortable with her. She ended up playing
catch and hide& seek with them. Later, she read stories for them. It’s not that she is not good with kids, she is one of them. Orion
had to get between Selena and another boy, to resolve their fight.
“Orion, he is stubborn” she sticked out her tongue to that boy and he returned her the same, making Selena raise her palm to hit
him and Orion held down her palm. The boy escaped
“Wow, easy there little fox, calm down.” he pulled Selena closer to him.
“Orion, you are teaching them a wrong concept. You didn’t know what he did, if...” Selena rambled on
“Ok fine fine. Nap time” Orion shouted and all the kids wore a long face. He let out a laugh and pulled Selena behind him when
an omega she-wolf helped usher all the kids to their living room. A row of beds laid down next to each other, forming a super big
bed and the kids crashed on them. Selena and Orion sat next to each other on a fluffy couch at a corner. None of the kids looked
tired or calm, the omega wolf struggled hard to keep them in line when Sophie ran to Selena and sat on her lap
“Can I sleep with you?” she asked
“Oh dear, I’m not going to sleep...” Selena said with her innocent Bambi eye to her
“Oh...then can you sing a lullaby for me, please...” she struggled with the words. Selena nodded and hugged her closer to her
chest.
“You are my sunshine...you are my rain drop...” Selena begin to sing the only lullaby that she remembers. Her voice became
deep and soothing, even for adult as Orion’s eyes felt heavy and he started rubbing them. When the lullaby was finished, she
hummed the song again and again until she fell asleep with Sophie in her arms, Orion hugging her from behind and his chin on
top of her head. He too, fell asleep. Zaden walked by that area and saw the 3 sleeping on the couch. He felt a sudden pang on
his chest, a dangerous venom called jealousy surged through him. He moved slowly towards them with a hand in his pocket. He
gently grabbed Orion’s hand and removed it from her waist, placing it back on his thigh. He than walked away. Not long after
that, Mother Ruth came. She gently woke up Orion and the other kids. Orion blinked awake.
“Let’s leave her alone. She needs as much rest as she could get, it’s an important night for her” She whispered to Orion and
other omega wolfs. It wasn’t until 7pm when Makeala came to wake her up. She then took her to her room for a shower
“Here, alpha wanted you to use this” she handed over a tube of hair color remover. Selena huffed out a breath of annoyance
after being busted. She did as told by Makeala. She walked out of the bathroom, a towel around her chest and head down.
Lumps of silver hair from root to tip framed her face, giving her a bad girl vibe. She put on a white, knee length cotton dress with
a zipper at back, just in case she needed to take off her dress for shifting. She wore a sneaker and packed some necessities like
blanket, water and aspirin that the pack doctor gave her. It might not be able to knock her off but can at least calm her down.
She walked downstairs and before she reached the last step, Zaden in a black cotton shirt and blue jeans, followed by Orion,
Sitka, Oliver and Xavier came striding in. They gasped at Selena. The silver hair falling right at the front, framing her face made
her eye stand out.
“Look at you girl!!!” Sitka exclaimed
“It’s premature graying...” she said with doubt
“You mean scientifically” Zaden was mocking her with a faint smile. He fiddled with his sleeve, making sure it sits in its folds
before he starts talking to Makeala and Selena. They took this really serious as they went through the plan again and again
“Selena, it will take around 5 minutes for me to make the announcement and then we would need to flee. There is a wood
nearby, I will shift into wolf and you would have to climb on me.” Zaden explained
“Shift? Can’t we just run?” Selena eyes widened since she is intimidated with Zaden’s wolf
“We won’t have enough time, any delay could be dangerous.”
“Where are you going?” Makeala asked
“Lake Khalifa. Everyone would be focused on running furthest to the third lake, so that they can hear Elder Village howl, none will
be nearby here. And Khalifa lake faces just inhabited mountain, so there should be no one there.” they all nodded but Selena
kept quiet, looking at the floor
“Hey...don’t worry. We will get through it...” Zaden said and she smiled. Then Makeala guided her to buffet. They all ate and
talked more about their precautions when it hits midnight. Apparently, a group of fighters will always be ready at the brick house
and surrounding the packs members so that no unwanted incident can take place.
Werewolves scattered around are now gathering up at the yard. Selena’s heartbeat rose, bit by bit and she felt a chill creeping
up her neck. She doesn’t need to see the time, its 11.30pm, her panic attack had just kick started. Zaden pulled her up to stand
on a rock, where everyone can see Zaden.
“Dear Mountain Manuka pack, it is my honor to have you all gathered up today, at another full moon night” the crowd cheered.
“We will all shift and run free today, to third lake so that we can greet the Elder Village but before that, I would like to invite a new
member to our pack, Selena Brook” Selena grabbed Zaden’s palm really tight. The crowd cheered even louder and immediately,
a glint of flash crossed Selena’s eye and she felt a surge of new found energy, filling her from within. She felt lighter and she felt
every member of the pack, individually in her heart.
“That’s it. Welcome, baby girl” Zaden whispered over her shoulder with a smile on his face. Selena looked up and returned his
smile.
“Oh he is so cute”
“Damn his smile...Why don’t he smile more often”
“Our fierce alpha melting like ice-cream to a girl...” she heard multiple voices in her head and winced
“Don’t worry, you will learn to control or ignore them” Zaden assured before pulling her behind him.
“Enjoy!!!” he said to the crowd just before surpassing them with Selena on his tail. She can clearly see some girls scowling at
her. Zaden mind-linked Orion
“Take care” and Orion nodded. A few meters ahead and Zaden speed up to a run, unbuttoning his shirt in the process. He then
took off his shoes and pants before shifting to a wolf, with in a second, right in time when they reached the woods. Selena
stopped abruptly, when she suddenly felt a choke, facing a black alpha wolf in front of her, under the moonshine. Zaden took a
step forward and Selena fell on her butt to the ground, fear consumed her. Her eye focused on his now golden eye. Something
calming about that eye.
Zaden walked closer to her, and snuggled his head in the curve of her throat, making Selena hold her breath. He then laid down,
flat belly for her to ride on him. She stretched her arm, struggled to pull herself together before climbing onto the wolf and
hugged its neck tightly. Zaden stood on 4 legs and sprinted off into the woods. The moon shone bright showing the path they
needed to take, although Selena squeeze shut her eye.