I needed a nap.

After a full day, filled with training with Fallon and babysitting with Cristina, I had just enough time to get home to make myself dinner before Norah came over that evening to help me get ready for the induction ceremony.

She had Hanna and Aubrey in tow, who immediately went into the pantry for snacks.

"You couldn't at least say 'hi' first?" Norah asked them, pointing to me.

I just laughed.

"Where's Torrey?" I asked.

Norah rolled her eyes.

"Still up Nathan's ass... or, rather, he's up hers," she laughed.

Luca, who was sitting on the couch with his iPad, gave her a perturbed look, putting his hands over his ears.

"I didn't want to hear that," he said sternly. "She's my sister."

"She's mine too," Norah argued. "You just need to come to terms with reality."

He just shook his head and got up to scroll on the tablet elsewhere.

"So," Norah said, turning back to me. "Where's the dress?"

I led her into our bedroom where the mint green dress was hanging on the back of the closet door in its dust cover.

"I forgot to get a strapless bra while we were out the other day," I said, seeing the thin straps.

"What did you wear with the dress you wore to the twins' birthday party?" She asked, eyebrows furrowed.

I grimaced and she shook her head, causing both of us to laugh.

"Okay, let's get this on you and we'll see how bad it is," she said, taking the hanger down.

I changed into the dress, Norah zipping it all the way up for me in the back.

We both looked at the dress in the mirror.

The draped fabric in the front hid the fact I was braless well, but I knew as soon as I was hit with a cool gust of wind, it would be obvious.

Just as I was about to point this out, Aubrey and Hanna walked into the bedroom with a shared bag of chips.

"Are you not wearing a bra?" Aubrey asked.

I laughed.

"So it's noticeable?"

Hanna nodded.

"You should probably wear pasties," she suggested.

"How do you know what pasties are?! You're fourteen!" I heard Luca shout from somewhere in the house.

Hanna just shook her head, rolling her eyes.

"Men," she said in an exasperated tone, making us all laugh.

"You're probably right," I told Hanna, my attention returning to the dress.

"I've got a pair at home," Norah said. "I'll go and get them later. For now, we should probably steam the wrinkles out."

I nodded in agreement, looking down to see how the dress had wrinkled at the bottom where it had been stuffed in the dust cover.

I heard a whistle behind me, turning just in time to see Hanna pushing Luca out of the room.

"You perv," she said, slamming the door in his face.

I laughed as she shook her head, her hand diving aggressively into the bag of Doritos that Aubrey held.

I went into the closet to change back into my clothes, Norah following me so she could help me unzip the back.

I heard her gasp dramatically behind me and turned around quickly, expecting a spider or snake.

"What the hell?" I asked.

"Your back," she said shortly, her fingers poking at the bruises left on my skin by Luca's teeth.

I shushed her quickly.

"I didn't want them to see it," I whispered, pointing into the bedroom where her teenage sisters were.

"What is that from?" She asked.

"Luca," I said as if it were obvious.

Norah's eyes narrowed in on me.

"You guys had sex?" She asked.

I nodded.

"And rough sex at that," she added, her gaze falling back to the bruises.

"I'm not sure you want the details," I laughed, stepping out of the dress to change back into my t-shirt and shorts.

Norah just shook her head.

"Can I do your hair?" Aubrey asked me as I walked out of the closet with the dress over my shoulder.

I warily eyed her bright orange fingers that were stained from the chips.

"As long as you wash your hands first."

"Duh," she laughed.

After two hours of pampering, the sun had set behind the mountains off in the distance and the full moon took its place on the opposite side of the sky.

As Aubrey straightened the last strand of hair, I stood up from the stool that I sat on in the bathroom to see Hanna passed out in a food coma on Luca's bed.

Norah just laughed silently as she walked out of the closet and saw her.

She held up the dress for me to take.

"I steamed it," she said. "It should be cool enough now for you to change into."

"Thank you," I said smiling, taking the dress from her.

"I'm going to get my dress out of the car to change," Aubrey said, walking around me to the bedroom door.

"Can you get mine too?" Norah asked her.

Aubrey nodded as Norah walked over to wake Hanna up.

"We've gotta get ready," Norah said to her, tapping her nose.

Hanna's eyes opened and she groaned, rolling over on the bed.

Norah just shrugged, grabbing a pillow to smack her with.

"Wake up," she said. "You're going to make us late."

I laughed at the two of them before I noticed my suitcase sitting on the floor in the closet.

"What are you doing with that?" I asked Norah, nodding in the direction of the closet.

Her eyes widened before she pushed me into the closet.

"You can't tell Luca you saw it," she whispered harshly. "He'd kill me."

My eyebrows furrowed.

"What are you talking about?"

Norah sighed.

"He's taking you on a trip. You guys are leaving after the ceremony."

My eyes widened.

"What?!"

She held a finger to her lips.

"You can't tell him you know; it was supposed to be a surprise," she whispered.

"Where are we going?" I asked her.

"I'm not telling you," she said stubbornly. "He told me to pack the bag so I did and you better not open it."

I stared at her, blank-faced.

"I did pack your lingerie," she said teasingly. "I couldn't help but notice it was still wrapped up in the box."

Norah pulled me out into the bedroom as Aubrey came back with their dresses, each of them taking a turn changing in the closet.

I heard Luca walking down the hallway, stopping at the bedroom door.

"Amore, we've got–"

He stopped mid-sentence when he saw me, his jaw going slack as he stared at the dress.

"–to go," he finished slowly.

"Get out, you choad!" Hanna yelled at him. "You're not supposed to see her until later."

His jaw dropped as he turned to her.

"Child, where are you learning these words?!" He asked.

Norah and I both laughed.

Shaking his head at his sister, Luca held out a hand for me to take.

"We're going to go ahead and go," he told Norah. "You guys can meet us there when you're ready."

Norah nodded, giving me a wink as he pulled me from the bedroom.

I just shook my head.

She better pack me real clothes for this trip and not just lingerie, I thought.

Luca led me out to the driveway where his truck was parked and opened the door for me to get inside.

"Okay, I think I need to prepare you," Luca said as he started the engine.

"You're waiting until the car ride there to do that?" I asked.

"This is going to be weird," he warned me. "They pulled out a script they've used for generations to induct Lunas. It all sounds old as dirt, but just repeat it back to them and it'll be over quickly."

"So it's an oath?" I asked. "Like I'm being sworn in?"

He nodded.

I shrugged.

"Doesn't sound that bad."

"It's a blood oath," he said.

I looked at him in horror.

"What do you mean a blood oath?"

"They'll cut the tip of your index finger on your right hand," he said. "They'll swear you in while the blood mixes with the dirt and then they'll let you bandage it up after it's over."

"Why?" I asked.

He held out his right hand for me to inspect it, showing me the small scar on his index finger.

"Blood shed on pack land is considered a sign of loyalty," he explained. "Like I said, it's weird."

"How deep do they cut?" I asked, surprised at the scar he had.

"It hurts like a bitch, I won't lie."

"What if blood makes me squeamish?" I asked.

Luca let out an airy laugh.

"I'd advise you to try not to pass out," he said. "There will be quite a few people watching."

"Wonderful."

We drove for a while before turning down a random road in the middle of the forest. Surrounded by nothing but trees that blocked the moonlight, Luca drove slowly down the road before reaching a dead end where a number of other cars were parked.

I looked over as I got out of the truck to see Norah and the girls loading out of her car.

"Slow poke," she said to Luca, laughing.

He rolled his eyes.

"I took the long way. I needed some time to prepare her."

We all walked over to a gravel path that extended further into the tree line, beyond the parked cars.

Norah turned her phone flashlight on to guide us through the dark forest as I followed Luca down the path, his sisters close behind us.

She turned off her flashlight as we reached a clearing, multiple people standing in the dark, holding lit candles.

"So odd," I commented, my voice only loud enough for Luca to hear me.

He nodded in response, tugging me through the crowd of people who whispered around us.

We walked up to Blaine and Bates and I immediately resisted the urge to take the candlestick from Bates.

Who gave that boy fire?!

"Are you nervous?" Blaine asked me, laughing at the look on my face.

"I'm in a dark forest at midnight, surrounded by people I don't know who are all holding candles," I said.

Bates nodded in agreement.

"This is all very weird to me too, and I was raised in a cult," he reminded me.

I was glad I wasn't the only one who thought so.

I heard someone clear their throat and I turned to Luca, panicking as he pulled me forward.

There was a large group of men standing at the head of the gathering, Luca's stepfather amongst them.

Philip smiled as soon as we made eye contact.

'It'll be over soon,' he mouthed.

Not soon enough.

An older man stepped forward, eyes narrowing on Luca.

"Alpha Ronan," he said, his deep voice bellowing. "Would you mind explaining to your Elders why this woman carries your scent, despite her not being a part of this pack?"

I spoke before Luca could.

"It's my fault," I admitted.

The man's hardened gaze shifted to me.

"Then why should we consider you for the position as Luna when you've shown your ineptitude for following directions?" He asked.

Luca stepped forward.

"Because if you don't, I'll disband this council and elect a new one with those who will," Luca threatened. "And I'll be sure that the cushiony house you're living in within my gates will be handed over to the wolf who takes your place."

I saw the Elder's jaw tighten as he considered Luca's words.

Checkmate.

"Let's get this over with," he said finally.

When he turned, I saw a tree stump behind him that a large book and leather wrap were perched on.

He took the leather in his hand and unwrapped it to reveal a dagger, its steel blade glinted in the moonlight.

I immediately withdrew, but Luca held my hand to prevent me from moving away further.

Luca reached out to take the blade from the Elder.

"I'll do it," he said firmly.

Not wishing to argue further, the Elder handed the dagger to Luca.

Luca turned to me and I stared at him with apprehension.

I looked over his shoulder to see Bates and Blaine each holding up their own index finger for me to see. Feeling somewhat more assured that this was something everyone did, I told myself to suck it up as my attention returned to Luca.

He turned my hand over in his, my palm facing up to lay in his grasp.

"Deep breath in," he whispered.

I let in a shaky inhale, closing my eyes tight.

"And out."

As soon as I breathed out, I felt the sharp sting of the blade across my fingertip. I instinctively yanked my hand from Luca's grasp.

Opening my eyes, I looked down to see the blood dripping from the cut.

"Caroline Blair," the elder said, earning my attention.

I turned to him as Luca took my hand back in his, letting the blood drip over the ground between us. I tried to concentrate, but my finger was throbbing.

The Elder pulled out the large, thickly-paged book and thumbed through it to find his desired page before clearing his throat.

"Do you, Caroline Blair, hereby declare, on oath, that you absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any pack which you have heretofore been a member?" He asked, reading from the book.

"Yes," I answered.

"Do you, Caroline Blair, so solemnly swear that you will uphold the codes of Pack Possente Lupo set forth by this council, its Alpha, its Beta, and its Gamma?"

"Yes."

"Do you, Caroline Blair, so solemnly wear that you will support and defend Pack Possente Lupo against all enemies; that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same?" He continued.

"Yes."

"Do you, Caroline Blair, so solemnly swear that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the position of which you are about to fill as Luna of Pack Possente Lupo; that your leadership and advisory will be free from manipulation and distortion and that your leadership and advisory, will therefore, be presented with intents only for the benefit of Pack Possente Lupo?"

"Yes."

"Do you, Caroline Blair, so solemnly swear and affirm, on oath, that you take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion?"

"Yes."

"Do you, Alpha Luca Ronan, accept the terms of this Agreement as fair and cogitable; and do you recognize and accept the oath Caroline Blair as made as credible?"

"Yes," Luca answered next to me, giving my hand a gentle squeeze as he did.

"Do you, Beta Bates Thompson, accept the terms of this Agreement as fair and cogitable; and do you recognize and accept the oath Caroline Blair as made as credible?"

He hummed, tilting his head playfully as he pretended to consider his answer.

Blaine prompted him with an elbow to the rib cage.

"Yes," Bates coughed out.

"Do you, Gamma Blaine Reynolds, accept the terms of this Agreement as fair and cogitable; and do you recognize and accept the oath Caroline Blair as made as credible?"

"Yes."

"Does this council accept the terms of this Agreement as fair and cogitable; and does it recognize and accept the oath Caroline Blair as made as credible?" He asked.

"Yes," the group behind him said in unison.

The Elder closed the book, looking up at me.

"Let it be known that Caroline Blair is a member of this pack, Possente Lupo, and shall be recognized in this moment, and in those future, by the distinguished bodies of this council and its leaders as Luna of Pack Possente Lupo."

The people around me let out howls into the night air, sending a jolt of surprise through me. Their shouts echoed throughout the trees, splitting the serene silence around us.

Luca turned to me and leaned down to whisper in my ear.

"Congratulations, Luna Caroline."

- - -

I would have shit myself with that many people watching me, ngl... also, let somebody try to intentionally cut my finger with a knife. They gunna regret it. I'm a BABY lol

Y'all let me know what you thought of the chapter! Only six left ;)

Next one will be posted tomorrow EVENING at 8:30pm EST (New York time)

Later, gators!

MaybeManhattan .x