Page 46 of Her Second-Hand Mate

“I guess I should have checked the laundry symbols before throwing it in with the rest of the clothes,” I said, knowing Dominic would smell no lie. I really hadn't checked the washing instructions on the tie.

Then again, everyone knew silk was mostly meant to be dry clean only. Oh, well. He really didn’t seem to care. And he never wore ties anyway.

Things were... nice between us lately. Ever since my birthday, Dominic seemed warmer somehow, less guarded. He spent the entire holidays glued to my side. Even in front of everyone at the party, he’d kept his hand on me in some capacity the entire time – be it on the small of my back as we walked, around mywaist as we stood talking to the pack members, or his fingers brushing mine whenever he’d handed me a glass or a plate.

We held a big pack party to celebrate the holidays, and it was such a warm and loving occasion. We also went from door to door and handed out the gingerbread cookie gift baskets that I had ordered from Marley’s friend, who owns a bakery. Even the basket was edible! Don’t ask me how she did it. All I know is it looked and tasted great.

Louisa (that’s the friend’s name) was really competent and helpful throughout the whole process of planning and making the gift baskets, and I arranged to have lunch with her and Marley after the holidays.

I thought I’d go crazy missing Isaac or my friends, but I didn’t. I forgot to tell you that Charlotte went to stay with Anthony over the holidays, hoping to meet her mate at the New Jersey pack. I hope she comes back with good news. I get the sense that, for her, it’s less about having a mate and more about building a family because she has none left. It must be hard to exist like that.

Anyway, I’m going to see them all soon – they’ll all be back by the second week of January, and then we’ll exchange presents. I’m really proud of some of the presents I made and bought!

Like the embroidered leather camera strap I ordered for Anthony – you know better than anyone how difficult embroidering leather is,and I didn’t want to risk ruining it, so I relied on a professional. I made a beautiful set of newborn clothes for Grace’s pup, and I knit him a blanket and many warm, tiny hats – he’ll need them since he’s due mid-January!She’s absolutely glowing with happiness and new life. Whenever I see her these days, I think of my upcoming heat, and I’m equal parts scared and excited.

I sometimes wondered whether I’d be a good mother, seeing as I wasn’t really familiar with the job. I only had one for seven years, and I couldn’t really remember the first half of that period.

Was it wrong to want to have a pup to love me? Was it wrong to want to right a childhood wrong by becoming the mother I’d wished to have? Was this just my upcoming heat messing with my mind, making me want it so bad that I could almost taste it?

???

Nana,

I’m writing this part of the letter from an actual airplane! It’s my first time flying, and I didn’t even get a chance to be scared since it all happened so fast.

By the time you get this letter, you’ll have heard what happened – I’m sure Father is driving over into Colorado as I’m writing this.

My heat had just finished, and I was in the bath when someone started pounding on our door – it was Elliot. The first thing I thought was that Grace had gone into labor early, but I heard him tell Dominic that a call from the Royal Court had come in! And you know that no one calls unless something has gone horribly wrong.

Turns out, the Spruce Mountain Luna killed her mate.

I cannot even comprehend this sentence as I’m writing it. I didn’t know such a thing was possible, just physically speaking. I don’t even want to go into the mental and emotional aspects of it.

There’s a lot about it that’s murky and confusing, apparently all kinds of things went wrong there, but I guess we’ll learn all about what happened during the trial.

It’s my first trial ever, and I’ll be voting as Luna, and I’m terrified of basically holding someone’s destiny in the palm of my hand. I know I’m being over-dramatic since there are 49 other packs in the country, and their leadership will be voting alongside me (well, not the Spruce Mountain pack, clearly, but you know what I mean), so the pressure will not be on me alone. Still, it’s nerve-racking.

Elliot wasn’t keen on leaving Grace while she was so close to labor, so he deputized Theo (the Gamma) to come with us and vote in his stead. Our pack has a private plane available for emergencies such as this one, and currently, the three of us are on board, headed toward the Royal Pack. I’ll update you on the trial as it happens, and since this letter will not be mailed until it's over, I’m sure I will not be breaking any rules. I’ll check with Dominic, to be sure.

I wonder what the West Virginian Luna is like.

???

Day one of the trial is over. I think it will go on for three days in total. Oh, Nana. The whole thing is such a mess. I’m writing this primarily to gather my thoughts and impressions in order to be better equipped to vote when the time comes.

The courtroom is huge. And there were so many of usin there! Like I said yesterday, the leaders of 48 packs are attending the trial, plus the Alpha King who is conducting it.

I saw Father and Eden briefly yesterday, as well as Beta Aaron. Dominic also introduced me to the new King when we arrived; he’s an imposing male, huge. My wolf immediately made me bare my neck to him. The power just radiates from him, it’s unsettling.

Dominic seemed unaffected, and I was surprised when the King hugged him. They seem to have known each other for a long time.

I briefly remembered the King’s smell – it was both briny and refreshing and reminded me of the Great Salt Lake that I’d visited many times as a child. His blue eyes were a good match for his scent somehow.

He was accompanied by a cheerful male who was his opposite in coloring – blond with dark eyes, almost equally tall, yet not as... swollen with muscle as the King was. One was like a bear, huge and strong, and the other one was more of a panther, seemingly lazing on a tree branch but ready to pounce at any moment. He smelled like juniper and was wearing a doctor’s coat, even though his wolf was an Alpha.

“You remember my friend, Dominic?” the King asked him.

“Ah, the Alpha of the Massachusetts pack,” the doctor said, somehow managing to sound disapproving despite the relaxed smile on his face, and shook Dominic’s hand.

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