MATEO’S P. O. V.
Lila looks so beautiful today. Her green eyes are vibrant in that dress. I am trying really hard not to kiss her. To pull her into my arms. Anyway that is not what today is about. Ok, at least not what it is mostly about. Today I am working to get Lila to like my pack and by extension like me.
After breakfast I take us all out. I feel like a family, finally. Callum holds Lila’s other hand while I hold hers as well. First I took her to the craft booths. Our wolves are actually very creative people, but my father only cared about the way they fought. All creativeness was limited to warfare. We have leather crafts, wood projects, pottery, paintings, drawings, short stories and so much more. Lila’s eyes widened in wonder. I don’t think she really expected this. As she collected things that she adored, Ash would run them back for her. After the booths of crafts, we came to the food. Lunch we spent together. She tried all kinds of other foods. My pack seems to like her too. They all come up giving her smiles and hellos.
After lunch the pack started to put together their bands. Music was going to start soon. Lila took Callum to some face painting while I talked with Ash for a minute. “How do you think it’s going?” I asked him.
“She seems to be really happy. She likes everything. I am running ragged, but it is worth it if we have a Luna in the end.” Ash does seem pleased.
“I need your help in the next part. I know that there will be trading partners in the dancing. Please keep men away from her. I can barely handle you around her. I don’t need any other unmated men around her.”
“If it isn’t you dancing with her, then it will be me. Or maybe Callum.”
“Alright, that works.” I take a deep breath, at least that is covered.
We waited for Lila and Callum to come back. Ash smiled at a few wolves and they smiled and waved to the two of us.
Callum came back with a star on one cheek and a moon on the other cheek. He seems pretty happy about it. To each their own. I pulled Lila over to the set up dance floor. I wanted to dance with her first. Shortly after the band started playing. I kept Lila close as we danced. She had a smile on her face as we moved together. I had her in my arms and she was enjoying it. Then someone came up to me and asked to cut in. She is another unmated female. This happens a lot during the festival. Since I am unmated they all try their hand at trying to convince me to make them Luna.
Lila danced with Callum. They were cute together. The next dance I saw a few unmated men trying to make it to her but Ash defended her perfectly. I worked my way back to her and took another dance. Before I could take another I was pulled away again. Only I noticed that this time Ash was pulled away too. Callum was sitting enjoying some ice cream so some wolf swooped in on my mate. I don’t remember his name but he was putting on the charm big time.
I was so consumed with who Lila was dancing with that I didn’t even pay attention to who I was dancing with. Until her voice grated on my nerves. “Alpha, did you hear me?”
I turned back to Alyssa. “Sorry, no. What did you want?”
“I was saying it is a shame that Callum and I didn’t get along as his nanny. I will miss seeing you everyday.”
I was only half listening. “Um huh. That’s nice.” Yeah, in no way does that respond to what she said but I noticed that the wolf dancing with Lila moved his hand lower. “Excuse me.” I left Alyssa there and hightailed it to Lila. I cut in very quickly.
He started to protest at first, but then saw it was me and backed off. I pulled Lila into my arms. “That was rather rude.” She said but she had a smile on her face.
“I couldn’t take it anymore. His hands were wandering.” I growled.
“And your hands don’t.”
“That’s different.” I pulled her around the dance floor. I had a plan, a plan to scare off these wolves.
“How so?”
“Because you are my mate. Not his.” We are dead center of the dance floor now. We were in full view of everyone.
“Mateo,” She whined. I spun her around. Then put her into a dip. In front of everyone I kissed her. I made sure that all the wolves saw that I was laying claim to her. Her hand cupped the back of my neck while I kissed her. I felt her fingers curl a little, pulling me closer to her. I purred in satisfaction. I lifted her out of the dip but didn’t let her lips go. I could hear cheering from my wolves. They knew what this meant. It meant I had found my Luna.
I pulled away from her lips and rested my forehead to hers. “Now the problem is fixed.”
“You are such a pain in the ass Mateo.” She groans.
“Yes, but I am your pain in the ass.” I pecked her cheek.
I turned to the pack to introduce them to Lila when she was ripped out of my arms. “You bitch.”
I look at who took Lila from my arms only to see Alyssa screaming in her face. That stupid bitch actually thought she was something to me. Lila pushed her back. “What the hell is your problem?”
“He was going to pick me, then your skank ass showed up.”
“I don’t give a shit what you think was going to happen, you keep your fucking hands off me.”
My anger flares, who the fuck does this bitch think she is. I start to growl at her, but I am stopped by what comes out of her mouth next. “I challenge you. I challenge you for Luna, under pack law.”
I answer for Lila. “That is an old law that we no longer use.”
She growls. “It’s still a law. You can’t deny me. I issued a challenge. She needs to answer.”
“I don’t want you Alyssa, I fired you for fucks sake, what makes you think I want you as my Luna?”
“We got along, even if it didn’t work out with me being right for Callum. I am still right for you.”
“Alyssa, you are delusional. I never cared for you at all. Stop this now.”
She growls and glares at me. “No matter what you think, I will be Luna. Now I issued a challenge. Do you contend or do you concede?” She looked right at Lila when she said that last part.
Everyone turns to Lila to wait for her answer.