The Big Sky Alpha novel Chapter 23

FREYA POV

Jessi and Levi, thankfully, were through their haze when we began stepping out of the waterfall. It was a magical experience, the sun shining through the waterfall danced against our bodies and the rock all around us. It was the perfect spot.

“We need to get back. That haze was much more harsh than the last. The other women from the packs hopefully got here in time.” Colt said concern written on his face, Levi agreed.

“We should go back to the pack house Jessi, we have to get ready for the battle tonight.” I winked at her.

“Oh yes, Levi was telling me a member of our new pack is going to be battling tonight!” she said in excitement.

On the way back I asked Colt if any specific attire is customary for his pack on battle nights. For our pack it was just dressing nicely, for some packs they wear certain colors or certain jewelry.

“War paint.” both Colt and Levi said.

“Oh, um any colors or pattern in particular?” Jessi asked. I’m glad she did because I was wondering the same thing.

“I will send Lila. She’s a gamma of Big Sky. She can teach you how our pack women do it.” Colt said. “She will teach you how to do the Luna war paint.” he said looking at me.

Every time someone mentions me as the Luna my stomach drops. That’s such a huge job and I’m not sure I’m ready for it.

When we got back to the pack house Lila was already there waiting to greet us. The women from the other packs showed up before the haze hit earl er so there were no horrible instances Colt had to handle, so we all began getting ready. Lila had a box with her. We went up to mine and Colt’s room to get our lessons in war paint.

Jessi was shown how to do pack marks on her face. She had a single white line down the front of her nose. A white line under each eye that had a red line directly under it with three white dots under the red line. Then on her chin she has a white line with a red line on each side of it.

Jessi has long straight brown hair. Lila told her it’s customary for the women to wear trinkets in their hair. She has a case with many options. There were beads, feathers, charms, wire, sticks and all kinds of things. Jessi opted to have beads in hers so Lila showed her how to place them appropriately.

She brought Jessi a short black dress that ended just before her knees with slits that went all the way up her thigh. Lila said she could wear tight shorts under if she wanted, but Jess declined. The dress had of the shoulder short sleeves and chains that connected like a tank top. The chest was a low cut V neck, showing off her cleavage. Lila gave her a necklace that had a wolf claw hanging off it that laid perfectly just above the dress v in her cleavage.

“Levi is going to have a hard time keeping his hands off of you tonight!” I said giving her a cat call whistle.

Lila showed me the way to do the Luna paint. She could tell I was nervous about it.

“Alpha Colt’s mom used to have my mother come and do her war paint before all battles and during war. You might not be Luna yet, but you’re his mate so we will do the Luna paint and you can have me do your paint before battles and war too.” she told me in a very calming manor.

My paint was a little more intricate. I had a thick black line down each side of my face from my hairline on my forehead, through my eye lids and down under my chin. My eye lids were painted black with a thick line under my eyes curving up to meet the top with a little tail on it to look like lashes. From my hairline there’s a black line that goes down to the bridge of my nose where it splits and goes down each side of my nostrils. My chin has 6 lines that go from the bottom of my bottom lip down to where my chin ends.

I thought that was it until she took a brush and streaked 4 red lines across my face diagonally from the top left of my face to the bottom right of my face. She said this represents our wolves.

She gave me a black spaghetti strap romper that hugged tightly to my skin and cut off at the top of my thigh, then a long see through black long sleeve dress to put over it. The top dress had black jewels on it every few inches or so and the sleeves were like bat wings, very loose. It had a large slit that went from the top of my hips and slightly curved over so when I walked it flowed out like a cape behind me.

She sewed several feathers in my hair and then placed a head dress on me. For the Luna it is customary to wear a head dress. It looked a lot like something I would expect to see in a Native American tribe, just a little different.

It wrapped around where my hairline and forehead meet with a thick black band that has very beautiful brown jewels forming a paw print on it. Then a net looking band that had four wolf claws sewn onto it. Then where a Native American headdress would have feathers, this one had several layers of beads. It reminded me of dread locks, but with beads.

My wild red curly hair almost seemed like it was made to be in this. My body filled the outfit perfectly. Between the 2 of us I wasn’t sure how anyone was supposed to be able to watch the battles.

This is what we’re to wear for each one of these. Part of me couldn’t wait to see Colt’s reaction to me in this. Though, there was part of me still very concerned that I was wearing the traditional attire for the pack Luna.

I stuck with my gladiator sandals I’ve been wearing and Jessi wore some black strap sandals that were cute and simple. We thanked Lila and headed down to the lounge of the pack house to meet Colt and Levi. They got ready in Levi’s room to allow us the freedom of getting ready without interruption.

My mouth about dropped when I saw Colt. He was of course, shirtless. He wore a similar head dress as me but his had black feathers where mine has beads. His face has red and black paint looking like blood was gushing from under his head dress. His lips were black. He has a tattoo on each peck of his chest that’s wolf prints and each one has paint around it looking like blood. He wore black pants and no shoes. He looked like a bad a** warrior heading into battle. It made me wet instantly.

His eyes landed on me and the feeling of pride rushed through me, he was proud? Was it because I dressed as a Luna? He placed his hand possessively on the small of my back and whispered in my ear.

“You’re not taking this off tonight. A fantasy I didn’t know I had just came to me.” A shiver creeped up my spine, frankly I wanted him to act out that fantasy right here and now, but we had to get to the dinner and the battle.