7: SEVEN

K I A R A It was my first morning as a married woman, and I was dreading it. I woke up to the sound of birds chirping and the sun streaming through the curtains. I groaned and buried my face in the pillow, trying to block out the noise. "Good morning, Mrs. Salvatore," a female voice said, causing me to sit up and look around. "Who are you?" I asked, rubbing my eyes. "I'm Alice, your personal maid. The Alpha told me to take care of you," she said, smiling. "Oh, right. Of course. How could I forget?" She laughed and walked over to the window, opening the curtains. "Time to get up, Luna. You have a busy day ahead of you. The pack is preparing a celebration ceremony to officially welcome you to the pack. They’re all so excited to finally meet their new Luna," Alice said, helping me out of bed. I couldn't help but feel excited about the prospect of meeting new people. Maybe, things wouldn't be as bad as I thought. But, a feeling of fear crept into my mind when I remembered how badly I was treated at Nolan’s pack. His pack members had been filled either so much bitterness, they would constantly gang up against me, body shaming and ridiculing me. Now that I thought about it, the signs were there that Nolan and I were never going to work. That he was never really serious about being mates. And that hurt more than I wanted to admit. But, the pack was different. They were welcoming and kind, and they had welcomed me into their lives without hesitation. "Luna, are you alright?" "Hmm?" I turned and looked at Alice, who was staring at me with concern. "Yes, sorry. I was just thinking. And please, call me Kiara. Luna sounds so formal," I said, smiling. Her eyes widened and she immediately shook her head. "Alpha Damon would have my head if he ever hears me address you by your name. Alpha doesn’t allow his pack to address him or his family by their first name unless given permission. You must understand, Kiara. It's a sign of disrespect to our Alpha. As long as you are not on friendly terms with him, he will only allow you to be called by your title. Once he considers you a friend, then maybe he will let you drop the formalities." "Oh, okay. I understand." I said, feeling like an i***t for not knowing these things. In my defence, Nolan’s pack had traumatized me beyond belief, making me feel inferior. He never corrected his people when they’d address me by my name or try to be disrespectful towards me, as though he was encouraging their behavior. "Don't worry, Luna. You will get used to it in time. And I’m so excited to be your personal maid! I haven’t been one since… uhm, yeah! It’s a pleasure to finally meet you." Since what? Since who? What had she almost let slip? I wanted to ask, but something told me it was better not to. "Thank you, Alice. I think I like you already. And you’re pretty too." Alice blushed and looked away. "That's very kind of you to say, Luna. You're very beautiful yourself. So now, let’s get you ready for the big day! Alpha ordered a bunch of new clothes for you, so I brought them all in here." She opened the closet, and I gasped with the amount of new clothes that were inside. It was almost like I shouldn’t have bothered bringing a single belonging of mine, because there was a lot to select from, and it did something to me that I didn't want to admit. It made me feel like I belonged here. Like I was wanted, and not just a bargaining chip. But that was a far stretch, because Damon was only after my father's favor. I tried not to dwell on those thoughts, and instead focused on getting ready for the day. "What do you think?" Alice asked, holding up a dress. I looked at it and smiled. It was a beautiful red dress that would make my hair stand out. How did Damon figure out my size? All the clothes that were delivered were a perfect fit. Not a single one of them was too big or small. As a plus size girl, it felt amazing to be thought about when someone does the shopping for clothes. It makes me feel cared about and not reduced to my weight or shape. In just twenty four hours of moving here, Damon had ticked all the boxes that Nolan has never been able to check in the three years of us being together. I didn’t want to admit that the man I had a forced marriage with, is far better than my own mate, in such little time. "I love it. This is perfect." I finally said, smiling. Alice clapped her hands. "Yay! Now, let’s draw you a warm bubble bath. We have an hour before the ceremony begins." I nodded and followed her into the bathroom. I stepped into the bath, and relaxed as the warm water washed away all the tension in my body. "I'll come back to pick you up in an hour," Alice said, before walking out. I closed my eyes and leaned back, letting the bubbles wash over me. My thoughts drifted back to Damon, and I found myself wondering what he was like. He had this dangerous air around him, and I couldn't help but be curious. My mind kept replaying the moment I saw him. His intense gaze, and the way he'd kissed me. My heart raced just thinking about it. And I couldn't help but feel giddy at the thought of him, something I couldn't deny if I tried. But, a part of me warned me that it was a bad idea to get attached to him. He was nothing but a stranger, and I needed to remember that. No matter how handsome and intriguing he might be, I needed to protect my heart. Because I didn't think I could survive another betrayal.