Grandma smiles and hugs me close to her suddenly. “You are the light,” she whispers into my hair. “I hope it will lead you well.”
Elden and I visit Jace on Saturday. Elden is in a good mood, and all smiles. “Mom had breakfast with me today,” he explains while we drive to Emerald Moon. “She hasn't joined me forbreakfast in so long. But today, she did! She also asked me about school and about you. She wanted to know everything.”
I haven’t seen him smile yet, so this is a first. He has a beautiful smile, so genuine. “That’s good,” I say. “Grandma says that the luna is such a kind and beautiful person.”
“Really?” he asks, looking happy. “They are friends, aren’t they?”
“Yes,” I beam. “I bet they are best friends! Grandma told me so much about her, but I bet you have the best stories.”
Elden nods and keeps telling me more about his mom, how she was always quiet but not always as sad as she is now, and how he tries to make her happy, and be good so that she will smile again. He asks me about my mom, too, but I don’t know her, so I can’t tell him anything, but I can talk about my grandma.
We spend the time chatting, before I start asking our driver questions about Jace’s pack. The driver is a kind man, who answers all of my questions and even laughs sometimes.
When we arrive at Emerald Moon pack, Jace is already waiting for us at the huge porch that surrounds the packhouse. Emerald Moon’s pack house looks older than ours, but it’s cool. I bet it holds many secrets. There is a tall woman standing next to Jace. She looks beautiful, but not as beautiful as Luna Carolina, and not as nice. She smiles at us, though. “I am happy to meet you, Flora,” she says. “And Elden, you already know you are a welcome guest anytime,” she pauses. “I am Dorothy, Jace’s mother.”
I step forward, reaching out my hand to shake hers. She looks surprised but accepts it and shakes it. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Luna,” I exclaim. “Thank you for inviting me to your pack, and thank you to the alpha too, who I haven’t seen yet, but I am sure he is nice, because Jace is nice, too.” Grandma told mewhat to say. I don’t remember all of it, but think I did quite well, because Luna Dorothy nods her head and smiles at me.
“Alpha Caelum told me you are a special young woman,” she says.
“I am not a woman,” I tell her, twirling around. “I am a princess.”
“Well,” she says, and I could swear she chuckles. “You are a peculiar princess. I always wanted a little princess too, but-” her voice trails off and she doesn’t finish her sentence. Instead, she turns to Jace. “There is cake and tea for you, whenever you want it. Be a good host.”
Jace nods. He looks so serious all of a sudden. “Of course, Mother.”
With that she bids us goodbye. Well, she certainly isn’t the warmest, but maybe she just has a bad day. Jace looks relieved when we are alone, only the beta of the pack stays behind to accompany us. But he looks fun and is all smiles. Jace seems to like him, too.
Now that we are alone, I can finally look around and check on everything, especially the interesting pack house. While I follow Jace and Elden, I keep telling them about the many secrets I think we will find here.
The beta turns around slightly, smiling at us.
“See, he agrees!” I say.
“Of course I do,” he winks at us. “I think you three should go on an adventure today.”
“Yes!” I exclaim. “I bet there is an evil dragon down in the basement. He will try to catch me, because I am the beautiful princess, and then you, Elden, have to come to save me.”
“And what am I going to do?” Jace asks.
“You can help Elden save me,” I say. “And then-”
“We kill the dragon?” Elden asks.
“No,” I shake my head. “We will become friends with the dragon, and it will become our pet. And we will become the magic warriors of the dragon.”
“Okay…” Jace says. “And then?”
“Then, we will save everyone and make them happy.”
“I want to fight something,” Elden says.
“You can fight the shadow,” I suggest. “It’s dangerous and going to wrap itself around everyone and steal them away.”
“How does one fight a shadow?” Jace wants to know.
“With magic, of course! And then-” I pause, “then, Elden and I will marry!”
“What?” Elden blinks at me. “Why do we marry?”