The Lunam Ceremony (Book One) Read Free Page B

answering questions about the future.”
    “That’s her.” Tandy points to a picture on the wall. “That’s Gaia.”
    The picture depicts a beautiful woman in a long gown perched on a cliff, watching a wolf howl at the full moon. The sky is painted black and white, the only color coming from the raven hair of Gaia and the soft pale glow of her gown. I stand and walk to the picture. “I’ve never seen her before. I mean, I’ve never seen a photo or anything really. I know the story of how she lost her tribe to sickness and turned a pack of wolves to human because she was lonely. But it feels like just a story. I’ve seen my mom phase, but Lunam, Gaia, it just doesn’t seem real. Is that weird?”
    “No, not at all, considering you’ve been gone all these years. You’re disconnected from the pack.”
    I make a grunting sound and return to the couch. I’ve been an outcast my entire life. I thought coming here would be different. That I’d be accepted for who I am. I guess I was wrong. “We’re not all that different,” I tell her. “Obviously you’ve gone rogue, having your son before Lunam. You’re not following tradition.”
    “I didn’t do this on purpose. I ruined my chance to go to Lunam. Some people will see me as a failure.”
    I don’t want to ask why she can’t go to Lunam. She’s already looking at me like I’m an outsider.
    “Do you even know why I’ll miss Lunam?” She can tell I have no clue.
    I shrug and shake my head.
    “Whenever your body has to regenerate cells from major injury, blood loss, sickness, it diminishes your ability to phase. I still carry the gene, and I can pass it to my children, but I’ll never be wolf.”
    “I always thought it was something we were born with that couldn’t be changed.” I can’t believe what I’m hearing.
    “We aren’t that lucky. Broken bones or serious illness like measles or chicken pox will affect your ability to turn.” She picks up her glass and drinks the last of her rum and coke. “I’ll never turn because I had a baby.” She doesn’t deliver this news with a heavy heart or regret. Just fact.
    “You didn’t care that you would miss Lunam? That you won’t be part of the new pack?” Joining a pack is sort of like joining the army. The pack provides everything we need. Food, shelter, jobs. We all contribute to the greater good of the pack and our kind. I wonder how Tandy will support herself, her child. I guess I know the answer to that. She’ll do it on her own. The same way Layla raised me.
    “I have a good job and someone that loves me regardless of whether I phase or not,” Tandy says with a huge smile that looks painful. I raise my eyebrow at her and she tosses the pillow at me. “Ok, I admit it! It does suck that I won’t go to Lunam. That we won’t be pack sisters.” She makes a pouty face then forces a smile. Tandy was raised in this life and now she’s leaving it behind. We have more in common that I thought. I would trade places with her in a second. Minus the kid.
    “You are going to have a great life, Tandy. I know you will.”
    She rolls her eyes and sips her drink. I don’t know if Jessie is supportive of her situation. She didn’t seem upset when she was bragging about her grandson earlier, but it could’ve been for our benefit. I take Tandy by the shoulders and look in her eyes. “You are smart and beautiful. I know you’ll be an amazing mother. You’re not a failure.” I smile into her big blue eyes, and she leans her head on my shoulder. I hear her sniffle into my hair and realize she’s putting up a really brave front. Missing Lunam is probably a bigger deal to her than she’s willing to admit.
    “You’re going to be an awesome leader, Kalysia.”
    I want to scoff at her remark, and fight the urge say something degrading about myself. But I don’t because I hope she’s right. I have no tangible trait that makes me better than Tandy or any other female. I won the genetic lottery. It’s