---- To catch up: Do work or other tasks that one should have done earlier. ----

I spent the whole Friday and Saturday morning with the people in charge of the festival, giving the final touch ups and checking everything was ready to, at least, start well. The rest depended on the attendant's behavior and our enemies' plans.

Max and Noah spent it with Gamma Josh and the warriors, going over the patrolling routes and emergency strategies they had prepared for the big day. Luckily, the nearby Red Dawn pack had agreed on helping us with the security, lending us a number of his warriors. It was a big event and it didn't come as weird when we reached for some help regarding the security of the festival. Indeed, it was not the first time we had collaborated in such way.

The frenzy of the arrangements continued until we had to leave and prepare ourselves for the festival on Saturday afternoon, leaving the rest in the hands of the people in charge.

When I finally got back home, I closed the door with a slam and bolted to room, bumping directly with into a hard body that was getting out of the kitchen. I was about to fall back when he grabbed my shoulders and pulled me to him, wrapping his arms around me.

"I didn't expect you to be so eager to see me, but I am not one to complain." I heard Maverick's voice, while he sniffed the top of my head. Soon, he separated himself from me just enough to look directly at my eyes with a wide grin splattered in his face. "It is good to see you, princess."

He leaned down to me and my body reacted on its own, turning my face so his lips landed on my cheek and not my lips. My eyes widened, realizing I had just pulled away from his kiss.

Great start.

He stepped back and loosened his grip on me, looking a bit confused and a tad offended. I forced a shy smile and tuck nervously a strand of hair behind my ear.

"It is good to see you Mav." I chuckled, just in case it wasn't obvious already my levels of nervousness were skyrocketing. I was an expert in creating uncomfortable moments, proved right there. "I'm running low on time and need to prepare for the opening of the festival. Do you mind if we catch up properly a little later?"

I winked at him and he run a hand through his perfectly set hair, nodding.

"Sure."

"I'll look for you later around the bonfire." I gave him a short hug before rushing upstairs, feeling his stare fixed on the back of my neck.

When I finally finished with making myself presentable, I let myself the time to check my phone for the first time in two days. That's how busy I had been.

The most recent messages were from Maverick, informing me of: his departing of his pack, his arrival to our pack, his decision of waiting for me in our place, him making himself at home and turning the TV on, him making himself at home and grabbing some stuff from the kitchen...

I sighed. From the messages, I could see he had been waiting for me to arrive since a little before midday. The guy had been nothing but nice and I was a total nitwit with him. I decided it was too late to answer anything and threw the phone back again on the bed.

I had a final look at my outfit and make-up and decided it was good enough. I had settled for a shiny pale blue pleated cami frock paired with white wedges. Plus, I had enhanced the green of my eyes with a slightly smoky eye make-up, combining it with a more natural peach colored lipstick.

Once I was sure everything was perfect for a good first impression, I left my room and went to find my brother. He was freaking out in his room. I chuckled and knocked at his open door to catch his attention. He turned to me, stress creasing his forehead.

"Max, relax." I laughed at my own pun, but I couldn't see the same effect on him. I walked towards him and grabbed the dark green tie he was trying at the moment. I looked at it and shook my head, going to his wardrobe and exchanging it with a light blue one. "Alpha, everything will go smoothly, we are more than prepared for this and you are not alone."

I finished tying the knot and pulled the piece of cloth, forcing him to look at me. After a few seconds staring at each other, his eyes travelled from his tie to my dress and I felt him loosening up. He brought his hand to the back of his head and scratched what it already looked like a bird's nest. I guessed it was not the first time he had done it. I rolled my eyes and grabbed a comb, ignoring the guilty smile he was offering me. After a couple of minutes, I had fixed the disaster and we were both ready to go.

"Thanks sis, I guess I am more nervous than I thought I would be." He offered me his arm and I laced mine to it, letting him guide me out of the room.

"No problem, Max." I winked at him and smirked. "I would be more worried if you hadn't lost it by now. I can't count the number of times I have freaked out these past days..."

He laughed, knowing very well what I was referring to. I answered with the deadliest glare I could muster, but the smile in his face didn't falter an inch.

"You will do great too. You look too gorgeous for people to notice if you mess up." His voice sounded amused by the thought of me goofing up in the middle of the ceremony.

"Do not try to dump your nervousness to me, you twit."

"Who? Me?!" He put a hand on his chest and gave me something remotely similar to and offended look. His over-exaggerated reaction made me roll my eyes and burst into laughter at the same time. It was impossible to stay angry at him. Soon after, we had arrived to the entrance of the manor. He opened the door and took a deep breath. "Let's get this over and done."

The opening speech and the lighting of the bonfire was a established ceremony where the alpha reminded everyone we were all children of the Moon Goddess. Everything cool up till there, but after that, Turner alphas had gone on preaching about how, among us, the alphas where the chosen ones to lead and rule the packs. Once they made that clear, they lit the bonfire and howled to the moon. When they finally finished, the rest of the high ranking male participants would join him in a second howl, followed by the high-ranking females, the rest of the males and finally, the female crowd.

Pretty snobbish, yes.

One of the many things that Max had been engaged with since he became the alpha, was tuning many processes and traditions up to date. With those news spreading among nearby packs, most of the assistants were excited to witness the new opening ceremony, and we could not deny we were worried about the reception.

When we arrived to the gathering place, I let his arm go and gave him an encouraging wink, mouthing a 'We got this' before he took his spot in the middle of the scenario, built for the occasion.

He cleared his throat and soon the crowd calmed down, expectant about what he was about to say. I saw his gaze travel around the crowd, smiling confidently to the attendants.

"Good evening everybody and welcome to the Cockcrow Pack's Moon Goddess festival."

There was a couple of timid cheers in the back of the crowd. Probably young over excited wolfs looking forward to their first festival. Max pulled the left corner of his mouth up and continued.

"As you may know already, due to a tragic incident, it has been a bit over half a year since I took possession of my title as Alpha of the pack. I have to express my gratitude to all of you for your constant support and friendship towards me and my people."

He made another pause, looking directly in the eyes of every person while he resumed his talking.

"This situation made me realize: us, the Alphas, are not chosen to rule you, but to protect and assure the well-being of every single person under our care. Also, a pack is not an isolated entity. We are all children of the Moon Goddess and thus, we are all connected through her protection and care. I believe packs are to behave between each other in the same way pack members do between them: with respect and trust. From today on, the Cockcrow pack is not an ally, but a sibling of every single pack that attends this festivity today. Be assured we will respond with warmth and loyalty whenever you need any help."

This time, people burst into clapping and cheers without holding back. Many older faces gave him doubtful looks, but most of the youngsters were on the same boat. We were all indeed all equal under the Goddess eyes, and it was mainly the egos of the Alphas that caused most of the wars and uneasiness between packs.

"Once said that, I want to shine a light on the other soul that is created exactly at the same moment as the Alpha's soul." My brother's voice beamed louder than before, making the crowd quiet down and continue paying attention. "Luna's are mostly thought as a secondary element of a functioning pack, but we must not forget a werewolf soul is never completed without its mate. Especially in the case of the Alpha, whose duties are extended to its partner. Such an important figure has to be recognized the same way Alphas are. For that, from this year on, the person in charge of lighting the bonfire and starting officially the festivity, will be the Luna."

A murmur spread through the crowd and curious gazes started to look around, hoping to find Max's mate somewhere around. I felt my heart beating its way out of my chest, suddenly insecure of what people's reactions would be. I took a deep breath of air and looked at my brother, who smiled at me and I nodded.

"Currently, I still haven't found my Luna, but I am lucky enough to have a person I trust to fill in the space until I find my own soulmate." I stepped forward and took the torch Max had picked up and was now offering me.

I went to a nearby flaming fire and lighted it, feeling hundreds of eyes staring at me. I revised my posture, glad to see I was showing a much more confident stance than what I was really feeling, and turned towards the big bonfire. I approached it with a resolute pace, focusing on my goal. I lifted the blazing torch and raised my eyes to the perfectly round moon lurking above us.

"Moon Goddess!" I made a brief stop, making sure everyone's attention was on my words, helping me to send the message. "Mother of all shifters that roam the earthly lands, hear our chant of gratitude. As you cast your circle of infinity upon us, we call to you and dance to your love and compassion. Let us all heal under your glow, uniting with your energy and light deep in our souls. May your power forever shine above and within us. Blessed be!"

I placed the torch in the bundle of dried leaves and branches, setting it into fire immediately. I kept walking around the bonfire, kindling the different designated spots until I made a whole round. Once I stood in my starting point. I elevated my arms one last time.

"With this, the festival as begun. Enjoy your evening, fellow children of the Moon Goddess!"

I waited to hear Max's howling voice soar through the night. Seconds later, the rest of the attendants joined his cry and I finally threw the torch to the top of the bonfire, creating an instant flare. It didn't take long before the noise of the excited crowd filled my ears and I felt like I could breathe again. I stood in my spot, realizing everything had gone according to plan and people were mingling with each other in a very joyous mood.

I grinned, looking around to the result of all of our efforts. When my eyes met with someone's, they would bow and smile at me, showing the respect a Luna deserved. I felt a pleasant chill run through my spine as I thought about being finally part of a community again. I was not isolated anymore. At least not as much as I had been up till that moment.

I felt a tear threatening fall down my cheek, so I brushed it before I was too late, taking another big intake of air and enjoying for the first time the boisterousness of the event.

"Aren't we getting a little too sensitive?" Noah's voice snapped me back to reality.

I felt my lips spreading in a mischievous smile and I turned to the source of the voice with an eyebrow arched.

"Always the cocky one, aren't we?" Noah laughed loudly at my snarky response and I hit his arm. "How did I do it?"

Noah place a hand under his dimpled chin and rested the elbow on his other arm, pondering his answer.

"I'm sure I would have done a much better job but, given the circumstances, you did well."

I darted towards him with my fist prepared to meet his arm once again, but he dodged me, making me stumble a bit before I regained balance again. I turned back to him and saw his nasty smirk.

"Next year I will tell Max to appoint you as the substitute Luna and we will confirm your theory." I said, patting my dress and trying to suppress the smile that was tugging the corners of my lips when I saw his horrified expression. I was enjoying the bickering with our idiotic beta, but I needed to attend other things before I forgot about them, like talking to Maverick. "I have somewhere to go, we can discuss this in our next meeting on Monday..."

"Do not believe for one second we are finished here..." I lifted my gaze and quirked my eyebrow when I saw his finger pointed at me. He was ready for a challenge. I decided to just roll my eyes and get going. I needed to find my boyfriend.

It took me a while to do a round of the place, as I was stopped and greeted many times by different guests and pack members. They all had congratulatory words and I felt a boost of confidence I hadn't felt for a long while.

I had also some time to think about what I was going to do with Maverick. He had actually done nothing wrong during these past months. It's true that I had felt he was pushy and overwhelming, but different people have different boundaries, and I was too used to handle everything practically alone. Maybe it was time to get out of my comfort zone and give him an actual chance. After all, I really liked him as a person, he was a great friend. Why not a great boyfriend?

After a while, I realized Maverick was nowhere to be seen. Instead, I caught a glimpse of Beta Harper and Gamma Brendan with his mate, Judith. I waved at them and approached them the fastest I could, jumping into Harper's open arms the moment I arrived.

"Guys!" I couldn't hide the glee in my voice. "Thanks for coming, it means a lot to us."

"I'm sorry neither Alpha Neil nor Kaito couldn't make it. They are not crowds' people and someone had to stay behind." Beta Harper's voice sounded muffled against my hair.

"Nonsense. You three coming here today is more than enough." When I finally unglued myself from Beta Harper, I turned to greet the couple with short hugs. "Welcome to your fist Moon Goddess festival Judith, I hope you enjoy it." I winked at her and she smiled shyly.

"It's good to see you are in good spirits, Rie." Once again, Gamma Brendan sporting the best comments. I snorted and shook my head, with a pliant smile. "You were fantastic."

"Of course! I would have never..." My brain stopped immediately when I saw the back of Maverick going into the woods a little further behind my group of friends. "Sorry guys, I have something to do, I'll come back in a bit!"

They gave me a confused look, but nodded as I crossed past them and headed towards the place Maverick had disappeared instants ago.

It didn't take me long until I found him again. Leaning against a tree with his back to me. I decided to sneak up on him to give him a surprise, and hid behind the trees and bushes nearby while getting closer little by little. I was not as talented as I had been once before, but I did a pretty good job seeing he did not notice my presence.

When I got close enough, I caught a soft whine and a hushing voice.

"I said stay quiet, little girl." Maverick's low whisper was followed by his figure leaning down to... To the head of a blond girl that I hadn't seen until that moment. She was so tiny his body had completely covered her.

Before I noticed what I was doing, I had stepped outside my hiding place and walked a couple of strides towards the couple.

"Maverick." The same way, my mouth had opened and talked without my brain catching up to the situation yet. "What are you doing?"

I myself cringed at my handbook reaction. I really needed my brain to start working again and help me handle the situation, but it looked like it was decided on letting this one go.

I saw Maverick turn around slowly. I expected to see some guilt or panic in his face, but what I saw reflected in his eyes gave me the final blow. He was tired. Tired and bored.

"What do you think it is?" His voice didn't hide the fact that he found his situation amusing. "I am just getting what others are willing to give me. You might have forgotten, but I am an adult male and have some needs..."

I lifted my hands and shook them, trying unsuccessfully to stop his speech, so I just interrupted him with whatever came to my mind. 

"You know what?!..." I felt my eyes itching. I knew I hadn't been what one would call the best girlfriend since we started going out, but I didn't think I deserved that treatment. "Go to hell!"

Thanks brain for not working until the very end. It was already evident nothing worth saying was going to get out of my mouth any time soon, so I took that, and his silence, as my cue to go. Stomping back to the bonfire, I blurted my last words.

"I'm through!"

A/N

Do not kill me O.o

But the update was pretty long, wasn't it?

Soon another update ;)

Do not forget to vote and comment if you liked it! (If you hate me too, why not?)

Love, Koe