It was now the next evening, the night of the full moon ceremony. We had helped Onyx get tonight’s dinner warmed up and loaded up on the trucks to take them into the woods where our pack meeting would take place. Every full moon the Alpha and Luna praise the moon goddess for her many gifts, announcing the births of new pups, newly mated couples, and newly expecting parents. Today there was another agenda that’s going to be discussed. There were several bonfires around the woods, there was a stage set up for the ceremony where they would give their offerings to the moon goddess. We arrived at the station that was set up for the food and there were a few submissive wolves preparing the tables and getting out the paper bowls and plastic spoons, getting them ready to add the dinner to them. We help unload the big pots of the chili and set them on top of the tables that were set up.

We were pulled to a tent that was set up behind the stage area and we looked and saw that there was a dress laid out, looking similar to a kimono-style dress as well as a hairpiece that looked like a moonflower. I helped Onyx get dressed in the traditional dress for the Luna, Ella helped her get the hairpiece on correctly. Raven was doing her makeup hurriedly, trying to beat the clock. We had been running late due to a few people not showing up to help. Usually on nights like this wolves tend to stay with their mates, and their families.

Onyx’s friends ended up not showing up this afternoon to help us heat up the food because something had happened with one of them. I thought it was kind of rude for them to not support their friend in such a dire time. She’s going to be tested in front of our pack of around 12,000 people. Ella was messing with Onyx's curls trying to make sure they were perfectly tamed. I tied up the dress from the back making sure to leave her some breathing room. Once the three of us were done we stepped back and admired the work we had completed on our future Luna.

“You look like a queen Onyx.” I curtsy to her.

“Why thank you, young prince.” She curtsies back to me. She starts shaking her hands, trying to shake the nerves.

“Now let’s knock ‘em dead woman,” Ella said playing with one of her red locks. “Tonight begins your monthly preparations to be our Luna.” This made Onyx take a deep breath.

“Tonight begins the rest of my life.” She exhaled, her eyes were also wide in fear. I could hear uneasiness in her voice like she was unsure of this life. I quickly shook off the thought and we escorted her out of the tent. As soon as we were out of the tent, Alexandre was standing outside waiting for her. He only wore pants, his chest was exposed, making me pause for a second. I couldn’t help but stare at the fresh tattoo that had covered his shoulder, the intricate design of mountains with trees and a full moon over the mountains, the tattoo ended at his elbow. I knew later on in his years that more tattoos would litter his body from experiences much like Alpha Kent’s had. The skin was slightly swollen and red as if it were irritated, it was as if he had just gotten the tattoo today. “Alex, darling did you just get a tattoo done today?” She questions, gingerly running her fingertips over the sensitive skin.

“Tradition, I have to get it done.” He responded smiling at her, showing all of his perfectly straight teeth. He looked at her lovingly and pulled her to his chest and gave her a hug. They were the ideal couple. “Little Omega’s would it be alright to ask you to leave so I can talk to Onyx?” He asked us as if we had a say so.

All three of us nodded at him and made our way back to the tent cleaning the mess that we had made helping Onyx get ready for tonight. By the time we had completed putting everything away, Onyx entered the tent, her cheeks were red as a ripe tomato. “Alexandre gave me a promise ring.” She squeals, flailing her arms in excitement.

“Let me see.” Raven held his hand out for hers. In the time we had spent with Onyx, he seemed to be warming up to her. It was really nice to see him be comfortable with someone other than Ella and me.

Onyx puts her hand in Raven’s and on her right hand, a wooden ring rested on her ring finger. “That looks nice, almost hand-made,” I stated, looking at the small imperfections. It was no cookie-cutter ring that was for sure.

“It is, it’s another tradition for this pack that the Alpha to make his future Luna a ring to show his love. I think it’s super sweet.” She twirls the ring around her finger with her thumb. “Anyways the ceremony is about to start. I honestly can’t thank y’all enough for helping me.” She hugs us individually. “Enjoy the ceremony, I hope to talk to y’all later.”

“What would happen if she weren’t to be our Luna…” Ella piped up first, silence fell over us. The council and Alexandre’s parents were pretty sure that she would be the next Luna due to their closeness. It was much like Alpha Kent and Luna Graciella’s story, they met when they were young and they were presuming that she was going to be Luna with that hunch.

We exit the tent and gather around the stage. Soon the woods were filled with an abundance of wolves, gathering around the stage ready for the ceremony to begin. Music filled the air, a hushed roar of the crowd talking to one another filled the open air. The luminescent shine of the moon covered the woods, the feeling of our Goddess being here with us now buzzed through our bodies. The Alpha’s family piled on the stage, prompting silence from the crowd. Only the Alpha’s and Luna’s were dressed in formal wear for the goddess. Onyx and Graciella dropped to their knees together on the sides of their Alpha’s, Alexandre and Alpha Kent stood tall with their chins pointed upwards to the moon.

“Tonight our goddess is with us.” They say in unison. “We ask you, goddess, to lend us your strength, wisdom, and love.” They both ball their hands up into fists and cross them over their chests. Both Luna’s bowed down, placing both of their hands at their sides and touching their noses to the stage, showing submission to the moon goddess. Both Alexandre and Kent let their wolves take over their bodies and let out a howl that filled the night. Soon after the pack also howled with the Alpha. I pretended to join in, knowing if I even attempted to fake a howl someone around me would notice, but the roar of thousands of wolves covered me.

Soon the howls died down, Alpha Kent held his hand up in the air, making the crowd go silent. Both Onyx and Graciella sat up putting their hands in their laps. Alpha Kent grabbed the microphone from the stand and brought it towards his mouth. “I would like to thank you all for being here on this blessed night. Tonight we’re going through a trial run of our future Alpha and our future Luna to guarantee success when he takes over the pack in January.” Alpha Kent says, handing the mic to him.

“What a good blessed night,” Alexandre says looking around the crowd. “I think congratulations are in order.” He smiles as he makes his way through the list of newly mated couples. There were whoops and hollers for the pairs. Once he’s done giving congratulations to expecting parents, he takes a deep breath.

“On a final note tonight as future Alpha I need to speak with my pack about something that has been going around in nearby packs.” He breathes nervously. His face held its composure but his eyes held anxiety. This was the first time I really had gotten a good look at Alexandre, he had a strong jawline as if it were chiseled by a god. His eyes were a striking blue as if it were the color of lightning, contrasting his black hair. His nose had a little crook in it as if it had been broken once or twice, which I had no doubt about that seeing as he had gotten in more tussles with a rogue than anyone else in the pack. His lips were a full cupid's bow, they looked so kissable. I immediately knock that thought out of my head, blinking a few times and turning away to look at my neighbors. I didn’t need to have those types of thoughts.

“Omega’s have been disappearing without a trace, there are no scents to track them with. We need to be on high alert as a pack and look after our own. As of right now all of our Omega’s have been accounted for and are still safe within our packs border.” Soon there was a roar from the crowd as questions hung in the air. Alexandre puts his hand in the air, prompting silence from the crowd once more. “I’ll be answering questions at the end of this discussion. It has been brought to my attention that we should vote on making our Omega’s taking a self-defense class during school, but that does not cover Omega’s that are not in school and younger Omega’s who cannot put up much of a fight. As future Alpha, I ask all Dominant wolves to protect our Omega’s.”

“I don’t see why we need to protect them, I mean they’re the lowest rank in the world. They’re no better than humans!” Someone near the stage exclaims.

“As time progresses, we should too, Omega’s may be weak but they also have their great qualities, they’re nurturing and loving creatures. Comparing them to humans is a backhanded comment that should be kept to yourself. They are family just as the rest of this pack is. Unless you’re wanting to challenge my father or me.” He quirked his eyebrow at the wolf who spoke out of turn. The man cowered back, shrinking under Alexandre’s gaze. “If anyone else has anything negative to say about protecting our family, our pack, you can come my way and we’ll resolve the issue.” He stared into the crowd with an intense gaze, all traces of anxiety had left his eyes. “We’ll conclude our ceremony with the feast our future Luna has prepared for us. If you phase into your wolf form tonight please don’t go near the borders where there have been rogues spotted the past few nights. I bid you adieu.”

Alexandre puts the mic on its stand and turns to Onyx who’s still on her knees and he drops on his knees in front of her and he tilts her head upward to make her look in his eyes. He gives her a kiss on the lips and pulls away, Alpha Kent had done the same to his wife. Alexandre grabbed both of Onyx’s hands and held them upwards only bending their arms at their elbows. Both Alpha’s and Luna’s look upwards toward the moon. “Thank you for blessing us with a full moon Goddess, and bless us with more nights and days.” All four of them recite.

Every ceremony I’ve gone to makes me feel whole inside, my heart swells with love, knowing that the goddess was here for me. A roar from the crowd erupts once more with all of the wolves howling at the moon.