Rain dripped from the sky as I sat in Mike's office, watching his car drive away. He held me into the later hours of the morning, not saying anything but stroking my hair. For a while I wondered if it was my performance that made him so quiet but he seemed to have something much bigger on his mind.

Catherine hadn't left her room that day but Nicole came to me in the study. I was rereading that book from yesterday. It wasn't half as interesting as it could have been.

Nicole, having become my closest friend in the pack, sat through my story while I told her about what had happened with Mike. She looked pleased with it.

"Maybe you should have some form of an recent while he's gone. The entire pack is quite distressed."

My eyes widened. That's what she focused on?

"Mutatur Dies is coming up," she straightened from where she was leaning against a wall near me," We can invite the whole pack to celebrate."

"Bu-"

She put her hands on my shoulders and stood me up, taking the time to brush off all of the imaginary dust and straighten my black skirt and yellow tweed shirt. Her soft fingers tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and she stared into my eyes.

"Don't worry about anything," she brushed her hands over my shoulders so they were holding my arms," Feel how strong you've gotten? No wolf can touch you now. You're a Luna. Celebrate Mutatur with your pack."

I felt a small quiver at the base of my spine but shook it off as a result of the draft in the office and the rain outside and Mike leaving me again and facing the pack and frankly anything but the way Nicole's nails dug into my arm because I was too focused on the way she told me I was strong and I was capable.

A smile crossed her face as she took me out of the room and to the kitchen where there was a wolf with short black hair and bright blue eyes making lunch for the Alpha family. I wondered how Catherine was holding up and where Kian and Holly are.

"They're probably somewhere around here," Nicole said nonchalantly when I asked her.

"I think we should have someone keep an eye on Catherine. She shouldn't be alone after losing someone like that."

"Good thinking," Nicole passed out a smile my way before turning to the blue eyed cook," Go sit with Catherine."

He pulled off the apron and was about to leave when I stood up and looked at the both of them, my hair fell over my shoulder as I straightened my skirt and clasped my hands in front of me.

"No, I think I'll go," I said in a quiet voice. Catherine is my step mother. I should be the one to take care of her.

The wolf glanced at Nicole before backing away from the door to let me through.

"Ok, I'll get everything started with the plans and key you in later on."

A breath is sucked into my lungs that tastes like whatever the wolf is making. I grab a bowl of it and head out. My shoes clicked on the hard floor as I went up the stairs to sit on the bed next to a woman who was laying on her side trying to find the strength to cry again.

I picked up the whole box of tissues she had individually taken out and used up to the point where they were laying around her quivering body in a beautifully sorrowful piece of art.

The bed tilted in opposition to my body resting itself next to hers and I hug her from behind. My arms on her shoulders make her body rack with those sobs she suddenly found coursing through her. For a while I consider letting myself cry with her.

Instead I take a deep breath of her perfume and the softness of her long, creamy colored nightgown brushes against my cheek. It was a long, long time before she stopped moving. It was even longer after that until I found my way past the frog in my throat to speak.

I almost wished I'd chosen better words, though. But I can't say better ones even came to my mind.

"You really loved him?"

"More than anything."

Nicole's POV

"Hey, baby."

My mouth breaks out in a smile immediately once I hear his words. My mate. I love him. He loves me. 

"Did you get what I needed?"

"I did," I kiss him on the cheek and ruffle his wild, curly hair," And I have news as well."

"Oh?"

"Our plans are more than set in motion. The Day of the Changing will be celebrated at the pack house."

"The plan is underway."

He grabs me by the waist and kisses me harshly on the lips. His hand coming up to my bra clasp to work on it, out of the corner of  my eye I catch sight of the coven coming out of the woods.

"Again?"

"We must preform the Great Right again. The more power we collect the better chance we have at succeeding."

"Ok," I nod at his words. He needs power. I understand.

The entirety of the coven surrounds us as we make love in the middle of the Jade Forest.

More power, my wolf chants inside me, more power, more power, power, power, power...

Disclaimer: the great rite is a real thing preformed by many Pagan groups. Being Pagan myself I feel I should explain what it is.

Traditionally it is a ritual held on Ostara to celebrate the union of the goddess and god. The high priest and high priestess have sex in a circle of witches. Only extremely traditional Gardenarian and Alexandrian covens preform it this way, most use a dagger and a goblet to symbolize the union.

Obviously they aren't doing it exactly the same way in the story, Nicole isn't a high priestess and there was no preparation involved. Just outright sex in the woods.

That is all, thank you.