Lily sat perfectly still on the small wooden stool in her bedroom as Martha’s nimble fingers worked through her hair, weaving it into an intricate braid. The room was a far cry from the dark, damp shack she’d once called ho not so long ago.
“You’re awfully quiet today,” Martha comnted, her weathered hands moving with practiced precision. “More so than usual, I an. Sothing on your mind, child?”
Lily shrugged, her eyes fixed on a small crack in the floorboard. Her thoughts kept drifting back to the infirmary, to Zayn’s touch, his warm kisses down her neck.
“Hmm.” Martha’s lips curved into a knowing smile. “I heard sothing interesting from one of the kitchen maids this morning.”
Lily glanced up, raising an eyebrow in question.
“Apparently,” Martha continued, her voice dropping to a soft whisper, “a poor, unsuspecting servant walked into the infirmary the other day and found our Alpha and a certain soone—” she gave Lily a pointed look, “—completely naked in bed together, doing—”
Lily’s eyes widened in horror.
She spun around and pressed her hand over Martha’s mouth, her cheeks burning with embarrassnt. The sudden movent made her wince slightly as the healing wound on her abdon pulled.
Martha could not help but smile. When Lily finally removed her hand in defeat, the older woman burst into laughter.
“Oh, the look on your face! I guess it’s true then!” Martha chuckled, resuming her work on Lily’s hair. “No need to be embarrassed, child. It’s natural between mates.”
Lily turned away, unable to hide the small smile on her lips. The mory of Zayn’s touch, his voice in her ear, the way he’d heard her thoughts, it ward her heart.
“There,” Martha said, securing the end of the braid with a small leather tie. “All done. You look beautiful.”
Lily stood and examined herself in the mirror on the wall. She carefully lifted her dress to examine the wound on her abdon. All that was left was a faint pink line. Even Talia was impressed by her recovery.
She spun around, examining the old scars that marred her body. Even those seed to have faded a little.
She turned to Martha and signed, asking if there was more she could do for Zayn as his Luna. Now that she had recovered, it was ti for her to resu her Luna duties.
Martha squinted, concentration etched on her face. “Slow down a bit, dear. I’m still learning these signs.”
Lily nodded apologetically and repeated her question more slowly.
“Ah,” Martha nodded in understanding. “You could return to the infirmary to help. They’re still tending to those injured in the attack.”
Lily nodded eagerly. She wanted to do more, to prove herself worthy of the position she now held. But it was a start.
Together, they left the room and made their way through the pack grounds. As they walked, Lily noticed the mixed reactions to her presence. So pack mbers nodded respectfully, while others purposely averted their gaze. So even crossed to the other side of the path to avoid her.
When they reached the infirmary, Talia and Kael were busy sorting through dicinal herbs. Both looked up as Lily and Martha entered.
“Lily!” Talia’s face brightened. “It’s wonderful to see you up and about. You look so much better.”
Kael nodded in agreent. “How are you feeling?”
Martha spoke up when Lily began to sign. “She says she’s feeling much stronger and wants to help in the infirmary.”
Talia and Kael exchanged glances.
“That’s very kind of you, Lily,” Talia said gently, “but you’ve only just recovered yourself. Perhaps you should take things slowly.”
Kael nodded. “Why not take advantage of this beautiful day? A walk in the forest might do you good—fresh air, sunshine.”
Lily’s shoulders slumped slightly. She hung her head low as they exited the infirmary. Though she enjoyed a stroll around the forest, it wasn’t the sa.
Noticing her disappointnt, Martha spoke up, “Don’t take it to heart, they an well. There’s a place I’ve been aning to show you, perhaps now is a good ti.”
Lily tilted her head questioningly.
“It’s your mother’s grave,” Martha said softly.
Lily’s eyes widened. She had never visited her mother’s grave before. She wasn’t even allowed to know its location. Her father had forbidden it, claiming she didn’t deserve to know. Lily nodded eagerly, grabbing onto Martha’s arm tightly.
Martha smiled. “Co, I’ll show you.”
They ventured into the forest, following a narrow path that grew increasingly overgrown the further they went. The trees grew denser, but all they had to do was follow the path in front of them.
After walking for so ti, they ca to a small clearing. Unlike the well-maintained pack cetery she’d seen before, this spot was isolated and neglected.
A lone grave sat beneath an ancient oak tree, its headstone was cracked and weathered. There was no na engraved on it either, just a broken piece of stone, partially reclaid by moss and lichen.
“I’m so sorry, Lily. I didn’t realize...” Martha’s voice trailed off.
Lily slowly approached the grave, her heart heavy. She knelt down, her fingers gently tracing the rough surface of the broken headstone. This was all that remained of the mother she never knew, the woman who had given her life to save her daughter.
Tears welled in Lily’s eyes, but there was determination there too. She stood up and turned to Martha, her hands moving decisively as she signed.
“What do you want to do?” Martha asked, trying to follow Lily’s signs.
Lily mid digging and moving, then pointed back toward the pack grounds.
“You want to move the grave?”
Lily nodded firmly. Her mother deserved better than this forgotten corner of the forest. She deserved a proper resting place where Lily could visit her, honor her.
Together, they headed back to the pack grounds. Lily looked for Bianca. She quickly found her overseeing so workers in the fields. When Bianca noticed Lily approaching, she straightened up respectfully.
“Luna,” she greeted, still finding the title strange on her tongue when addressing Lily.
With Martha’s help in translating, Lily explained what she wanted: help moving her mother’s grave to a more suitable location.
Bianca’s eyes widened. “That’s... quite a request. I can ask around, see if anyone is willing to help.”
Lily followed Bianca as she approached different people for help. But as the day wore on, Lily’s hope diminished. Every person Bianca approached declined. Most made excuses, though their true reason was clear: they didn’t want to help the daughter of their enemy.
Even if she was their Luna.
“I’m sorry,” Bianca said eventually, genuine regret in her voice. “No one seems to be available to help.”
Lily placed her hand on Bianca’s shoulder and tapped gently. She understood why no one was willing to lend a hand. She tried to put on a brave smile, but the disappointnt was evident in her slumped shoulders and downcast eyes.
Across the grounds, Zayn watched the exchange, brows furrowed. He’d been on patrol with Ezra, discussing new security asures they wanted to implent on the borders, when he spotted Lily.
“Sothing’s wrong,” He murmured to Ezra as he changed directions mid-stride.
Ezra followed along silently, wondering what might have happened.
“Shouldn’t she be resting still?” He asked.
Zayn didn’t answer. He sped up when he noticed her turning away, looking dejected.
“What’s going on here?” He asked, his voice carrying the natural authority of an Alpha. But his eyes were fixed on Lily’s face with unexpected gentleness.
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