The Lunam Legacy (The Lunam Series Book 3)

by Nicole Loufas

  “Dude, chill.” I start eating. “How are you going to make it until tonight?”

  “There’s ceremonial beer. Lots of it. I plan to consume copious amounts of said libation.”

  The beer is made of an ancient recipe containing herbs that help trigger the gene, like sprinkling salt on your food to enhance the flavor.

  “Jay said the pack used to make beer at the camp.”

  “Jay said, uh?” He tries to smolder. “What’s the latest on you and sexy surfer boy?”

  I shrug. “I haven’t seen him yet. Is he here?” I bite off a chunk of sausage. As hard as I try to play cool, Trevor sees right through me.

  “He doesn’t know you’re here?” His eyes bulge. “Holy shit on a stick. Good for you, Abbi.” He socks my shoulder. “You’re finally going for it. How did Kalysia take it?”

  “So, what about you? Any love connections?” I change the subject to his libido. A subject he is happy to discuss.

  “Sadly, no.” He sighs dramatically. “I’m hoping Ozzy falls into a rainbow and realizes it’s been me all along.”

  “You and everyone else in the house.”

  “Raine is freaked out Ozzy is going to ditch her.” He steals a piece of bacon and folds it into his mouth. “I’ll tell you what, if Oz does make another love connection, I don’t want to be around for the aftermath.”

  “I thought this wasn’t about matching?”

  “Yeah, well, some people didn’t get that memo.”

  After breakfast, I take a walk around the property to clear my head. Everyone, Raine included, has only one thing on their minds. History is destined to repeat itself, no matter how determined we are to change. We don’t know how the mutated gene will affect the matching process. For those of us who are trueborn, matching is in our nature. Breeding was the only way to insure the survival of our kind. Breeding wasn’t a necessity after R-49. All you needed was a single dose to create a stronger, more loyal wolf. We don’t even know what will happen once we pass through the smoke. Will matching even be a priority? Will males fight for dominance? I hope we’re prepared for the aftermath.

  It’s mid-October, but the trees are still lush with leaves. Sun streaks through the foliage, lighting the ground around me. This is the same place my mother had her Lunam. She walked these woods as human and wolf. By this time tomorrow, my life will be altered in ways I never imagined. My hands are abnormally warm, my muscles tense. The hum of an underground beehive vibrates the soles of my feet. I catch the musty smell of a deer running north. We used to joke—Trevor, Raine, and me—about being extra.

  Extra smart.

  Extra sexy.

  Extra sassy.

  Extra strong.

  Being wolf is more than heightened senses and strength. There is also a responsibility to our kind. It is our job to protect our people, our secret. Lives depend on the data Monte will collect. The Lunam Ceremony is bigger than me or Jay, but that doesn’t mean I can’t use it to get what I want.

  I go back to my room with the intention on calling Jay. When I hear Raine laughing, followed by a loud moan. I decide to text him from downstairs.

  “You’re Abbi, right?” A tall redheaded girl hurries to catch me as I leave my room. “I’m Daisy. My mom is a hostess at Tallac’s on the Bay. I met you once at a holiday party when were we like nine.”

  I have no clue who she is, but I pretend otherwise. “Yeah, hi. How are you?”

  “Bored, but I think the DJ is here, want to check it out?”

  Females in sundresses and heels parade past males positioned around the makeshift dancefloor. Today, everything goes. I see one male walk up behind a girl and toss her over his shoulder. He yells, “This one’s mine!” And the crowd cheers him on. It’s a horrific sight.

  “That was major.” Daisy moves quickly to the opposite side of the clearing. I follow, pretending not to look for Jay.

  “It’s beautiful here. I sniff the air. “Can you smell that? Is that cotton candy?”

  Daisy laughs. “They have a machine over there.”

  In the distance is a cotton candy cart next to a popcorn vendor and someone offering shaved ice. Tables line a makeshift dancefloor. Lights are being strung in the trees. A row of kegs are lined up next to an empty buffet table. Imagine country wedding meets hillbilly sweet sixteen.

  “Are you working the… event?”

  “Uh, no,” she snaps. “I’m here for the ceremony.”

  Shit. “Oh, uh, I didn’t realize you were….”

  Daisy grabs a red plastic cup and fills it with beer. “Can I get you something to drink?” She offers with a screw-you smile.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you. I didn’t know you were—”

  “Like you?” She hands me a full cup. “Yup.” She fills another one and raises it to me. “Cheers.”

  “Cheers.” I sip. It’s not bad for beer.

  “When I was a kid, my mom read Little Red Riding Hood to me. At the end she told me some people are human and others are wolves.”

  I’ve heard chatter in the house, people telling their stories. I don’t have an origin story. I was told by a boy, the one who made this possible. “I found out from a friend.”

  “A male friend?” Her green eyes light up when I nod “Do you think you’ll match? I still haven’t met anyone. I thought there’d be more boys here, since this an Altum Lunam. Everyone who participates in this ceremony is considered alpha.”

  “Really?” I play dumb so I can hear her version of the ceremony.

  “Yep. Even though people are saying the ceremony doesn’t count, Mom says it’s worth a shot.” She shrugs. “I got nothin’ else going on. It isn’t like I’m getting into college. The best I can hope for is washing dishes in one of your family’s restaurants.”

  It’s clear Daisy and I had different upbringings and opportunities, yet here we are, standing in this clearing and wondering what comes next. This is about as level a playing field as you can get.

  “Did your parents meet at Lunam?” I ask.

  “Mom is human. My dad is R-49. He was turned during the uprising.”

  She’s referring to the uprising started by Lowell Duke. He was trying to create an army to defeat Monte. Lowell didn’t need soldiers to win, he needed loyalty. Once the pack found out about the serum, they abandoned him.

  Daisy, and others like her, are the reason Monte created the preservative. At least she knows about the gene, unlike the kids in the videos. If Daisy knows what she is, that means others do too. Educating those with the gene seems like a no-brainer, only we don’t know who has it and who doesn’t. Secrecy is still the pack’s number one priority. Seeking out the humans turned during the uprising has been fruitless. Most of the records were destroyed in the fire.

  “I know this isn’t about matching or whatever. If I match with a natural born wolf, it would give me some legitimacy.” She rolls her eyes. “I’ve already phased. I just want to find a man.”

  “You already phased?”

  She sits on the table. “Like a month ago on my birthday. It was so weird.”

  I causally sit on the table and sip my beer, but inside I’m firing off a million questions.

  Did it hurt?

  Is there fur everywhere?

  How did you use the bathroom?

  “Weird bad or weird good?”

  Daisy rocks her hand back and forth. “Not bad, but not good either. It was hazy and confusing. Since Mom isn’t wolf, I’ve had nobody to talk to who understands. That’s another reason I’m here—to meet others like me.” She smiles. “And to get laid. Which one is yours? I don’t want to scope anyone else’s man.”

  The clearing is filled with faces, none I know or want. “He’s not here.” And he’s not mine. Not yet.

  “When he shows up, point him out, just in case.” She winks and hops off the table. “I’m gonna cruise. See ya.”

  I remain at the table, watching the day play out. Old friends reunited, new friends in the making.
Some of these people will leave here in a few days with a partner, and some will be alone. I can’t decide which scenario I’m hoping for. Both make me want to vomit.

  Trevor is flirting with the guy setting up the DJ booth when I return to the keg for a refill. I wave him over.

  “There you are.” He steals my cup and takes a swig. “The DJ is mine.” He hands the cup back. “Why are you alone?”

  An unsent text to Jay sits in my phone. I’m hoping Jay will find me. I know it’s lame. I’m a girl, I can be lame when it comes to romance.

  “Trev, what are my grandparents doing here?” Layla and Monte are entering the house with overnight bags.

  “As reigning pack leader, Monte is obligated to oversee the ceremony. It’s like you don’t even know who you are, Abs.” He skips back to the six-foot hottie behind the turntables, who seems as enamored with Trevor as Trevor is with him.

  “At least Trev found someone,” I say into my cup.

  “What about you?” someone with a deep, male voice asks.

  His tone is familiar, his smell is not. Probably one of the douchey dudes trolling for fresh meat. “Are you excited about tonight?”

  I shrug and drink.

  “It looks like the weather is going to stay nice.”

  I continue shrugging and sipping, and he continues chatting me up.

  “Are your parents here yet?”

  “Are yours?” I ask sharply.

  He sort of laughs. “No. They aren’t coming.”

  I sense sadness and loss. “I’m sorry, that was rude. I’m….” I turn to introduce myself and realize the dude is Jay’s father, Dillan.

  “Holy shit.” Now I’m cursing at Jay’s father. “I’m, uh… sorry, I didn’t realize it was you.”

  Dillan is tall, taller than me, and I’m sitting on a table. His dark hair and light eyes mirror those of Rory and Raine. Even my father has similar coloring. We all look related. Our parents too. I wonder if this is a wolf thing.

  “I’m so sorry, Mr.—”

  “Call me Dillan.” He uncrosses his arms and points at the table next to us. “Your mom was sitting right there the first time she saw me. I’d noticed her before that, of course, but she’d never noticed me. Not until that moment.” His wistful expression makes my heart hurt for him. “Just before the ceremony began, I considered running. I slipped away from the group, walked around the back of the house, and ran into Kalysia. She was about to run too. We had the same idea.”

  Mom was going to run. No freaking way.

  “She tripped, and I offered to help her up. When we touched it was… I just knew.”

  He isn’t telling this story in retrospect, like a kid recalls a girl he hooked up with in high school. It is evident to me, and anyone who witnesses the way he still looks at her, that he loves her.

  “You believe in Lunam soulmates. That’s why Jay—”

  “He never quite bought into the soulmate part, not until he went to camp. Not until he met you.”

  “Even though you didn’t end up with my mom, you still believe she’s your perfect match?”

  “I would’ve loved Kalysia without the ceremony. If we had run away that night, I believe we’d still be together.” He chuckles. “Of course that means you and Jay wouldn’t exist. Not like this.” He gestures across the dancefloor, where Jay is watching us. My body goes numb. “Give him a chance, Abbi. He has a good heart, it deserves a good home.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Jay

  Abbi is here.

  I’d heard whispers in the dining room, then confirmed it with Ozzy. She arrived this morning and didn’t seek me out. I didn’t even get a text or call. That can only mean one thing: she isn’t here for me.

  “Dude, your pop’s been talking to Abbi for like ten minutes.” Rory slaps my back. “He’s totally moving in on your girl.”

  “Knock it off.” Ozzy shoves him. They grew up together, so a shove from Oz isn’t a threat. Unlike a shove from me.

  “She’s coming this way.” Rory pretends to tie his shoe.

  Ozzy pats my shoulder. “Don’t blow it this time.”

  “Nice pep talk.” I exhale and try to remember how to speak, breathe, exist. Just when my anxiety level is peaking, Raine walks out of the house and intercepts Abbi.

  Fuck.

  “Ooh, cock-blocked by the bestie,” Rory smirks.

  I ignore him and plead with Ozzy to distract Raine. “Can you summons your girl, please”

  He laughs. “Like she’ll listen to me.”

  Raine nearly tore my head off earlier when I knocked on their door to confirm the rumor about Abbi. They’d still be upstairs if Raine’s mother hadn’t shown up.

  “Hey, Oz, I can ask some of your fans to join us.” Rory points to the groupies a few yards away. “That will get Raine’s attention.”

  “I’ll kill you if she doesn’t,” Ozzy threatens. “Let’s finish setting up. The sooner we finish, the more time you’ll have to win her back.” Ozzy taps my shoulder. I reluctantly follow him into the woods.

  We set up a bright orange mesh perimeter fence, like you see at a ski resort. It’s just strong enough to keep new wolves from running into populated areas or worse, the highway.

  “In the old days, they used to camp out here after the phase. I wish that was still a thing.” Rory tosses tools into the back of my dad’s truck.

  “We still can.” I lift a tarp and show him three boxed tents. “Dad picked them up in case we needed extra sleeping areas.”

  “Hell yeah!” Rory pulls out the largest one.

  “None of the females are going to sleep in that thing.” Ozzy helps Rory get the box off the truck.

  “Then I’ll just be a man and his tent.” Rory drags it into the woods.

  “You need help with that?” I ask, anything to keep me busy and stop me from seeking out Abbi.

  “I’ve got two hands.” Rory waves and almost drops the box.

  “And you’ll need them,” Ozzy sneers. Once Rory is out of earshot, he says, “I think he has a girl back home. He let it slip about being tied down once. She must be human, otherwise she’d be here.”

  The Lunam Ceremony is supposed to bring people together, not break them apart. “Rory’s parents aren’t exactly supportive of his choice to be here, so why even come?”

  “FOMO.” Ozzy turns back to camp. “Come on, I’m starving.”

  When we return to the clearing, the party is raging. The crowd has doubled in size. Empty beer kegs are being swapped out for full ones.

  Ozzy says, “I’m going to get a beer.”

  “I’m gonna hit the shower. Bring one up for me.” I take the porch steps two at time past Ozzy’s groupies.

  “Who’s the alpha here anyway?” Ozzy jokes. One of the girls yells his name. He may downplay it in front of Raine, but Ozzy loves the attention.

  I shake my head. No matter how many times I say this isn’t about matching, I can’t fight the inevitable. The idea is less daunting now that Abbi is here. She may be avoiding me—hell, she may even hate me—but she can’t fight fate.

  Chapter Thirty

  I allowed Raine to highjack me to avoid confronting Jay.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Raine shrieks when Patsy pulls out the ceremonial garments. “Mom, these are horrible!”

  “They’re just to keep you covered before the phase. It isn’t a fashion statement.” Patsy continues to unpack white frocks resembling potato sacks. “We didn’t have time to sew proper dresses for you girls.”

  I pull a white garment from the box marked Boys. “They get to wear shorts?”

  “The boys have less to cover,” Patsy says.

  I snort-laugh.

  Raine holds a dress up to herself and examines the horror in a floor mirror. “I’d rather go naked.”

  “Be my guest.” Patsy isn’t the only mother here. Everyone has a least one parent representing their family. I never thought I’d say this, but I wish my mom was here.

&n
bsp; “Are there rules about altering the garments?” Raine rummages through a tote and pulls out a pair of scissors and a package of safety pins.

  Patsy stands behind her daughter. “Make it your own, honey.”

  Raine breaks into a smile and turns around to hug her. She catches my eye and makes a pouty face. “Have you tried to call her?” Raine sits at the table with the scissors. “I bet she’d come if you asked her.”

  Patsy makes a disagreeable sound. She knows Kalysia and her commitment to ending our kind.

  “If we cut here, we can do an off-the-shoulder thing,” I say to shift Raine’s focus.

  “The sexier the better.”

  “Oh lord,” Patsy moans and leaves the room.

  It doesn’t take long for the other girls to hear about our makeshift Project Runway. We spend most of the afternoon remaking our ceremonial garments. A few guys show up—okay, one. Trevor blings out his shorts with a rainbow drawn over the ass. Patsy gives him a disapproving look when he holds up the finished product, but she doesn’t comment. Her restraint is commendable.

  Some of the mothers bring us trays of food and pitchers of ale to snack on and drink while we work. Considering we’ve been dosed by our parents for years, nobody finds it odd that we’re encouraged to partake in an alcoholic beverage. This is probably the first time in years the serum hasn’t been added to our drinks.

  Just before sundown I return to my room to shower. I let Raine give me a Lunam makeover. We’ve opted for a natural look. Using a hot wand, she adds soft waves to my hair.

  “Jay will love this, it’s so sexy beach bunny.”

  “Who says I’m doing this for Jay?” I’m keeping my expectations in check. I want Jay, I know he wants me, but Lunam has its own agenda. Raine’s fears are rubbing off on me.

  “I don’t care what you say, Abs. I know you’re here for him. Your parents know you’re here for him. The only one who doesn’t know is Jay. Once he finds out….” She puts down the wand and makes a gyrating movement with her hips. “This isn’t the boom-boom-room, but it’ll do. You can always carve your names into the headboard.”