The Pack's Luna: The Pack Series Book 4 novel Chapter 393

Zach

Today is the day! Graduation is finally here. Today we all find out if we’ve made an elite squad and, if so, which one.

Everyone is pretty confident that Yorick is going to get the spot on the C-Squad and new that Piper pulled herself out of the running for Alpha Squad, I’m feeling good about earning one of the two positions on that squad. Chase and Megan are my competition, but since there is also a spot on the Beta Squad, I feel like all of us will get a spot somewhere.

Most of us stayed up all night, wanting to spend our last night together. It’s been a crazy year with so many things happening that it just feels like the year raced by. I never thought when I started here that I’d end up making the close friendships that I have. I know that our friendships will extend beyond graduation.

I was thrilled that Alpha Henry didn’t argue about Piper and I continuing our friendship. Of course, I never gave him a reason to think that I was competing with him, because I wasn’t. I love Piper, as a friend, but that’s all. She wanted her mate as much as I want mine. She just got lucky and found hers. Maybe in my new position, ‘ll find my mate. One can hope.

And even though Landon took the Gamma position in Yorick and Cyra’s pack, it didn’t impact our friendship. To me, Landon is still ‘Just Landon’ or as I still call him,Hercules. Yorick and Cyra being mated changed our dynamics slightly, but that was mostly because they have a pup now and have been working to combine their two packs into one with Cyra taking over as lead Alpha of their pack while Yorick continues to work on making the C-squad.

Like most everyone else, I have a group of family members who are here to see me graduate. My parents and my brother, the Alpha, and his mate have come to see me. No one has as many people as Yorick, since his family is huge and all the Hills and the Harris group are coming.

Piper’s brothers are coming as well as Henry and know the Hills and Harris’s will be cheering for her too. Cyra’s aunt, uncle, and two cousins will be coming and Chase’s

“family is coming as well. I think the only person who doesn’t have anyone coming to see her graduate is Megan. She’s come a long way this year and it’s a shame that no one is here to celebrate with her. But our little group of friends agreed that we would be her cheering squad when she walks up to get her diploma.

When it’s time to get ready, we all go our separate ways to get showered and dressed. When I feel my family’s minds connect to mine, i go out to search for them so 1 can say hello before graduation begins.

As I hug my family, I feel Merric stand up in my head. I’m distracted, talking to my family and letting them know that I’ll find out after graduation which squad I made.

By the time I finish telling them what to expect, its timefor them to find their seats and for me to get in line for the graduation processional. Because there are only nineteen of us graduating, since Yorick killed Jory early in the year, it’s a small line.

As we get in line, Merric begins pacing in my head.

‘Buddy, what’s up?’

He doesn’t answer, just keeps looking through my eyes and sniffing the air around us.

Merric?’ I ask again, just as Alpha Nevaeh calls us to enter the auditorium.

The moment we step inside, I smell her exotic scent of berries and tonka beans. Merric snarls and the entire room gets quiet.

He pushes forward and Megan, who is in line ahead of me, turns to look at me.

“Zach?”

I don’t look at her. My eyes are looking around the room, trying to find her, but there are so many people here, I can’t decipher which one is my mate.

I’ve just taken a step forward, when she stands, a look of shock on her face.

“Mate,” Merric growls.

I hear a gasp behind me, but I don’t turn away from theexotic looking woman in front of me.

“Mate,” she says, her voice thick with an accent I’ve never heard before.

“Zach,” Cyra says, walking up to me from where she was standing in line with Yorick. “This is my cousin, Sadique Teymoori. Sadique, this is my friend and fellow Academy cadet, Zach.”

“Sadique,” Merric purrs loudly.

“Alpha Zach, I understand that you want to meet you mate, but perhaps you could wait to get to know her until after graduation?” Alpha Nevaeh says quietly.

– I pull my gaze away from the beautiful woman to look at Alpha Nevaeh.

“One moment,” I say, and quickly jog over to the row where my mate is seated with her family. I make my way down the row until I’m standing in front of her.

“It’s nice to meet you, Sadique. Perhaps we can spend time together after the ceremony?” I say, my voice deep with Merric’s presence.

“Yes,” she says. Her lilting voice feels like a wave of warmth spreading over my heart and soul.

I growl, then Merric takes control, pulling her into our arms and kissing her, letting her know without a doubt that we intend to claim her.There’s a lot of muffled chuckles and throat clearing around us, but because Sadique leans into me and accepts my kiss, l ignore them. When I finally pull away, I brush my knuckles over her cheek.

“After?”

She nods. “After.”

growl, kissing her again quickly before going back to the line. The rest of graduation goes by much too slowly because now, all I want to do is spend time with my mate.

When it’s my turn to cross the stage and get my diploma, l turn, finding her in the crowd and winking at her. She bites her lip and blushes. Damn, I really, REALLY need to make her mine.

There’s only one thing that would keep me from her at this moment.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, esteemed guests and families, it is my honor to announce this year’s Academy cadets who have worked hard to achieve a place on the elite fighting squads.

…” Alpha Michael says and as one, we all hold our

breath waiting to hear if we made it.

Vivienne POV

I’m running late for Piper’s graduation, just like I was for her Luna ceremony. And just like her Luna ceremony, I refuse to miss it.

“Drive faster, Clarissa,” I grumble from the backseat whereI’m quickly putting on the outfit I brought with me for today. I knew I wouldn’t make it back to Alpha Quirin’s pack beforehand, so | left the pantsuit in the trunk. It’s wrinkled, but Piper will understand.

I’m running on no sleep and all I really want to do is lay down, let Sigrid heal the fresh set of bruises I have from fighting last night, and sleep for maybe a week. I’m exhausted, but I know that these women I’m helping aren’t getting any sleep, so I refuse to sleep either.

“I’m not going to cause an accident to get you there, Vivienne. Piper would kick my ass if you ended up in the pack hospital or worse, dead because I was driving too fast.”

We’d found a spicket and that, along with a bar of soap that was so dry it practically took my skin off, was my only option for a shower. But at least it got the blood and the smell of cheap sex and sweat off me. I wish I could get the scent out of my nose. I feel like the longer I’m back on the street, the more the scent of degradation and hopelessness lingers. As happy as l am that I’m getting some women off the street, it’s not enough. And now, it seems, the ones who are leading this ring are on to us.

Women have started to go missing at an alarming rate.

Most of them are refusing to talk to me anymore, terrified that they will be next if someone finds out.

Once I’m dressed, Clarissa hands me some deodorant, a toothbrush and toothpaste. “Figured you’d want those too.””Yeah, thanks,” I say, quickly brushing my teeth while running my fingers through my short hair, brushing the Longer hair from the top of my head out of my face.

I move to the front passenger seat and check myself in the mirror, quickly brushing makeup over the bruise on my cheek. Fucking bastard just had to punch me. I’m still wearing the heavy eye makeup that helps me blend on the street, but that can’t be helped.

I swipe my underarms with deodorant as I see Piper and the graduates lining up outside the auditorium.

“Can you pull around the back?” I ask.

As soon as she stops the car, I hop out, looking back at her.

“How do I look?”

“Like someone who is here to cheer on her sister at her graduation,” she says.

“Thanks, Clarissa. Go get something to eat and Ill see you in a couple of hours.”

“You don’t smell like a rogue. You smell like …” his eyes roll back in his head. “You smell fucking fantastic.”

“Is there a problem, Alpha Arman?” I hear Alpha Quirin growl from behind him. When I didn’t come in, he must have come looking for me.

Arman looks back and releases me. “There is no problem.”

“Vivienne?” he asks, watching me carefully.

“No. No problem, Alpha.”

“Alpha Quirin is your Alpha?” he asks me.

“You know Alpha Quirin?” I ask him.

“We met in court,” Arman says.

“Vivienne is Luna Piper’s half-sister,” Alpha Quirin tells him, still watching me with the intensity that only Alpha Quirin possesses.

What’s going on, Vivienne?’ he asks in the mind link.

‘He’s my mate, Alpha.’

‘Do you want me to leave?’ he asks.”No, I need to come inside. I need to see Piper graduate.

“Alpha Arman, you may want to come inside. Your sister found her mate,” Alpha Quirin says, not giving away that he knows we’re mates.

“How fortunate for her,” Arman says, watching me.

“Vivenne, you don’t want to miss Piper’s graduation,” Alpha Quirin says, holding out his arm for me. It’s a gesture of safety as well as support.

Arman watches as I walk past him.

“Vivienne,” he calls.

I turn and look at him.

“Are you going to Alpha Yorick and Alpha Cyra’s graduation weekend?” he asks.

“No, Alpha. I have work to do.”

“Work?” he asks and I can tell he’s wondering if my work’ means I’m still selling my body.

“Vivienne is doing work for The Council,” Alpha Quirin says, putting a steadying hand on my back.

“I see. Then, can you make time to speak with me after graduation?” he asks.

I nod. We need to complete the rejection. Sigrid will hate it, but if we don’t severe the bond, she’ll struggle not being around him.

“Yes. We can talk after graduation.”

“I’ll see you then.”

I turn and walk inside the auditorium. I force myself to focus on Piper, clapping when she walks across the stage to get her diploma and forcing myself to ignore that pain in my heart at what’s to come after graduation.