Chapter 52
Astrid’s POV
The last of the guests had finally departed, leaving a comfortable silence in their wake. The remnants of the party, scattered decorations and lingering scents of grilled food, served as a testant to the warm welco I had received.
Throughout the evening, I couldn’t help but notice how everyone had gone out of their way to make feel included. Each conversation, each gesture, was imbued with a genuine desire to make feel like I belonged. It was a stark contrast to my experiences in the Moonshade pack, where I had always felt like an outsider, a stranger in a foreign land.
Even Shadow, who had helped escape from the Moonshade pack, had approached at so point, albeit with a sulky expression. It was still surreal to think that this was the sa "woman" who had expertly navigated through the Moonshade compound, his disguise so convincing that I hadn’t suspected a thing until we were safely on the plane.
"Welco to the pack," he had mumbled, his eyes avoiding mine.
"Thank you," I had replied, a smile tugging at my lips. "Is everything alright? You seem a bit... grumpy."
Before Shadow could answer, Rebecca had burst into laughter, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Oh, he’s just upset because he lost the bet," she had said, her voice teasing.
"Bet?" I had asked, my brow furrowing in confusion.
Rebecca had then proceeded to explain the ridiculous prank that Shadow had orchestrated with the other pack mbers, a competition to see who would be the first person to et . He had never anticipated that Rebecca, or anyone else for that matter, would join the fray, and his carefully laid plans had been hilariously foiled.
"He thought he had it in the bag," Rebecca had said, her voice dripping with amusent. "He never expected that I would get involved, especially since he was the one who helped you escape."
I had chuckled, finding the whole situation incredibly amusing.
"It wasn’t even my idea to join the bet," Rebecca had added, turning to Shadow with a mischievous grin. "It was all Alex’s idea."
I turned to her in shock. "Alex?"
Rebecca nodded. "It seems so out of character for him right?" She asked with a grin tugging at her lips.
Was I so obvious? "I an, Alex doesn’t look like soone who would enjoy this sort of thing." I had replied to her.
Rebecca laughed. "Next ti, put in mind that Alex is Kaeleen’s best friend."
I chuckled at that. It seed Kaeleen had influenced Alex after all.
I had been involved in all the gas they played, I was constantly reassured of their desire for to stay in the pack with them, and they constantly reiterated that they were going to ensure that I had a nice ti there. All these nice words that they were used to shooting my way. I was a bit overwheld by how nice everybody in the pack was, playing and how they were all approaching without malicious thoughts. It was all a bit too good to be true.
After the party ended, I made my way back to the room where I had woken up that morning, a sense of gratitude washing over . I had been so apprehensive about joining this pack, fearing that I would be t with the sa hostility and rejection that I had experienced in the Moonshade pack. But I had been proven wrong. These people, these strangers, had welcod with open arms, treating with kindness and respect.
Rebecca was right next to as we walked slowly. She said she and Alex had a house in the compound so they were going to stay there for the night.
"Hey," I said, my voice soft. "Thanks for everything. I beer even thought I’d needed a party like this one. It helps to feel welcod."
Rebecca smiled, her eyes sparkling with warmth. "You deserved it," she said. "We’re all really glad to have you here, Astrid."
"But why?" I asked her, the question had been nagging all day.
Why were they so eager to welco into the pack without reservations?
"Kaeleen is a good judge of character. He’s the best and every mber of the pack has seen it." She said to .
"Okay?"
"We feel or rather try all feel that he wouldn’t be mated to soone annoying. Soone who doesn’t deserve it and to be sincere, if Kaeleen had noticed sothing from the beginning, sothing he didn’t like, he would not have brought you here." She said to .
"But that’s not enough guarantee that will make them all like ." I said to her.
"Who said they all like you?" She asked .
"Did you see the way I was welcod and accepted?"
"Doesn’t an they like you. And besides, you didnt et the hostile pack mbers yet. When you beco Luna you’d have to battle them." She ssid to with a laugh.
"Battle?" I laughed.
"They are a bit hard headed. I don’t an real battle but they’ll test you. And rest your patience and also annoy you to no end but I’m sure you can take it." Rebecca said to .
"Hmmm." I said in thought.
"No need to overthink anything. Just go with the flow and put them in their seats. I may not be readily available everyday like today though but if you need my help at all, I’m right here." She said to .
I gave her an appreciative smile. "Likewise you."
"What?" She asked in shock.
"Do t look at like I’ve just committed an offence. If you need soone to talk with, then you can talk with ." I told her.
She nodded. "Thanks."
She turned to leave when a thought suddenly occurred to , a nagging worry that had been lingering in the back of my mind since the party began.
"Rebecca," I said, my brow furrowing. "What about Serena? Why wasn’t she here tonight?"
Was she part of that small percentage that Rebecca referred to as hard headed? But when we spoke this morning she seed perfectly okay and even curious to et but I hadn’t seen her at all throughout the party which although I did t want to say but I found it weird.
Rebecca hesitated for a mont, her smile faltering slightly. "She had sothing to do," she said, her voice a little too casual. "She couldn’t make it."
"Oh. Ieas hoping to get to know her better too." I told her with a laugh.
Rebecca released a sigh. "Yeah, too."
I suspected there was sothing she wasn’t telling . To be sincere, I wasn’t really close to Rebecca, this was a new friendship and one I didn’t want to destroy. I liked Rebecca so I was going to give her space. I wasn’t going to push her but instead let her trust .
"Maybe I’ll see her tomorrow or the next ti we et."
Rebecca gave a sad smile. "I hope so. Well, goodnight, I’ll see you tomorrow."
"Goodnight." I said as I walked into my room and she went her way.
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