MALIA’S POV
The three of us howled in excitement as we tore through the forest at great speeds. It was a surreal experience for me. I enjoyed the feeling of my paws pounding against the forest floors and even though I was running so fast, I could still see everything so clearly as though I was moving at a snail’s pace.
I didn’t know if it was possible to laugh in my wolf form but I think I did when we came across a pack of wolves and they fled for their lives, whimpering in fear.
“Malia, how do you feel?” Ryder queried. We were running side by side.
“This is the best feeling ever. This is exhilarating. Even that is too small a word to describe how I feel right now,” I replied.
We must have gone through the whole forest before Ryder suggested that we call it a day and return to the palace.
I was to start training properly the next day. But I didn’t want to leave the forest just yet. I wanted to explore the wild and even run as far as into the forest of the two neighbouring packs.
He had to promise me that I could return in the evening with Penelope and my bodyguard of course.
We returned to the river where we put our clothes back on. Ryder, thanks to yours truly who had torn his shirt during my shift, had to return to the palace shirtless.
I was surprised at how much easier it was to shift back into my human form. It was nearly as easy as breathing. When I told this to both of them, they revealed that shifting into a wolf was also very easy but I hadn’t found it to be so because it was my first time.
“It’s going to become much easier if you do it more often,” Ryder said.
One of his guards approached us as soon as we got to the palace. He gave a deep bow before speaking.
“You have guests, sir. They say they are your aunt and sister. I asked them to wait in the conference room.”
Ryder nodded and gestured for him to leave. He then turned to face me. You should go with Penelope. I’ll be with you soon.
I nodded and watched his retreating form for a moment.
“Yeah, yeah. Your man has a nice butt and muscled back that’s so hard to tear your eyes away from. But can we please go upstairs now? I need to take a bath and I’m starving.”
I gave her a look before I burst out laughing. Just then, my stomach growled in hunger.
“Yeah. Let’s go. Last to get to my room is a pineapple head,” I said before sprinting.
“It seems you’ve forgotten that you’re now a Luna. Almost. And this is so childish,” she grumbled but still sprinted after me.
The servants stared at us with a mixture of amusement and judgment in their expressions but I didn’t care.
I ran up the stairs with my newly discovered speed. I wasn’t as fast as I was in my wolf form but I was still faster than I had ever been.,
I got to my door a full minute before Penelope and I just couldn’t wipe the smug smile off my face. I wasn’t even out of breath.
“Don’t look so smug,” she murmured, slightly out of breath. “You had three seconds head start.”
I laughed out loud at her words. “You just don’t want to admit defeat.”
She rolled her eyes. “You are a Luna and I suspect you have Alpha blood as well, so you are supposed to be faster than an Omega.”
Although she said this with a small smile, I couldn’t help but hear the slight bitterness in her tone.
I gave her a small smile. “You should go in and have your bath. All my clothes have already been moved to Ryder’s chambers so I have to go in and get us something to wear.”
She nodded. I waited until she shut the door behind her before going into Ryder’s chambers where I grabbed some clothing and asked the maids to bring lunch to my own room.
Penelope was already done bathing when I entered my room and was patiently waiting with a towel wrapped around her frame.
I handed her one of the sun dresses without saying a word before making my way to the bathroom.
I took a quick shower, got dressed and made my way back to the bedroom.
Penelope was absentmindedly tracing the patterns on the bed sheet. Her countenance was dull.
I cleared my throat to alert her of my presence before I settled down beside her on the bed.
After a moment of silence, she opened her mouth to say something to me but closed it without saying anything and gave a tiny shake of her head.
I regarded her intently until she stood up abruptly. “I have to return to Damien,” she said and began to walk straight to the door without waiting for a response.
I released a frustrated sigh and got to my feet. “I forbid you to leave,” I ordered.
She stopped in her tracks and turned to look at me with an expression of hurt on her face.
She scoffed. “So you’re going to exercise your authority on me right? I thought we were best friends.
“I thought so too, Penelope,” I replied, moving slowly towards her.
“You’ve been acting quite strangely since we went to the forest last night and I wonder why. Did I say something to hurt you?” I queried.
“It’s nothing,” she replied. “Can I leave now?” she asked.
I was pissed and was ready to permit her to leave when I heard my wolf’s voice.
“You shouldn’t handle this situation based on how you feel. Be patient with her and she’s going to eventually open up to you. Now is not the time to be mad at her. She’s just acting from a place of hurt.”
“But why is she hurting?” I wondered inwardly.
“You’ll find out if you handle the situation logically instead of reacting based on your feelings,” my wolf replied.
I took a deep breath and silently prayed for patience.
“I’m sorry but you can’t leave now. I have already asked the maids to bring us something to eat. Do not worry, I am not going to bother you and you may leave once you’re done with your meal,” I said to Penelope.
She gave a small nod and we returned to the bed.
The maids brought in our meals a few minutes after and like I had promised earlier, I didn’t say a word to her throughout the meal.
“Thank you for the meal,” she murmured once we were done eating. I smiled inwardly. It was unlike Penelope to thank me after a meal.
I decided to play along though. “You’re welcome,” I replied.
She got up and made her way to the door. I resisted the urge to ask her to stay and focused on stacking the trays and plates.
I was surprised when I didn’t hear the sound of the door opening and slamming shut so I raised my head.
Penelope was still standing in front of the door but she had turned and was now facing me and staring at me with an unreadable expression on her face.
I arched an eyebrow and with a ragged sigh, she walked away from the door and came to join me on the bed.
I waited patiently for her until she was ready to speak to me.
She sighed deeply before speaking. “I’m so sorry for my recent behaviour, Malia. I guess I’m just jealous of you and I have terrible low self-esteem.”
My lips parted in surprise. “Penelope, you are the most confident person I know. And trust me there is no reason to be jealous of me because there’s nothing to be jealous of.”
She smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I’ve always been insecure about my omega status. I’m weak and undeserving of a Beta. Before you and the Alpha, I had only shifted in front of my parents because I knew they wouldn’t look down on me since they were also omegas.”
“I only agreed to shift in front of you because I felt I owed it to you as my best friend. I know you would never look down on me but a part of me feels you will. And when you shifted into your wolf today, I knew you’d eventually stop being my best friend. I’m even afraid to shift in front of Damien too for fear that it might dawn on him that I wasn’t the right woman for a man of his calibre.”
The tears fell from her eyes as she spoke and I felt my own eyes gathering with tears as well.
I had never known that she had been battling with insecurity. I had always thought of her as confident. How could I have been so blind?
I drew closer to her and wrapped my arms around her. She sobbed harder and soon afterwards, I joined her. Ryder opened the door once and left when he saw two crying women. I would have laughed at the mild horror I had seen on his face if not for the seriousness of the situation.
We cried in each other’s arms until we were spent.
I gently released her from my hug and tilted her chin.
“I know you might not believe this but Penelope, you’re the most amazing person that I have ever met. And if Damien doesn’t realize what a treasure he has then he doesn’t deserve you.”
“You do not have to see yourself as less because of your status. It is a sin against yourself. I am not better than you just because I am a Luna. No one, in truth, is better than the other. Our strength of character is what defines us and not our status, okay?”
She nodded and this time gave me a mischievous smile. “Who would have thought that you were such a good motivational speaker?” She wondered.
I giggled and playfully smacked her arm. “You’re very unserious,” I replied.
She regarded me for a moment with eyes filled with adoration and I felt humbled. “Thank you, Malia. You’re such a good friend.”
“And so are you,” I replied with a grin. “Now, let’s leave before your mate starts thinking that I have kidnapped you.”
She giggled. “I wouldn’t put it past him to come bursting in here if I stay another hour,” she replied.
“I think we should wash our faces first. We don’t want to cause the men unnecessary worry,” I suggested.
She nodded in agreement and after a few minutes of trying to get rid of the redness and swelling of our eyes, we parted ways.
Ryder was going through some files in the room when I entered. He looked up as soon as I stepped foot into the room and rose to meet me.
He wrapped his arms around me so tight that I could barely breathe.
“I…can’t…. breathe,” I managed to say and he quickly released me.
I saw the worry in his eyes and I placed both my hands on his cheek.
“Why were you two crying earlier?” He queried and I giggled.
“Trust me, it was nothing serious. Women cry over the littlest things,” I replied.
His eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion. “Are you sure?”
“Of course,” I replied, giving him a wide smile.
He looked into my eyes for a moment and then breathed a sigh of relief.
I remembered why he had not followed Pen and me upstairs earlier and I spoke. “Where are your sister and auntie?”
He led me to the bed before answering. “My aunt’s on her way back to her pack while my sister is in her room, here in the palace.”
I noticed that he seemed a bit happy about that and I commented on it.
He grinned. “It just didn’t occur to me how much I had missed her until I saw her today.”
I smirked. “Missed her? Wasn’t she just a baby when your aunt came to take her away?”
He shrugged. “I still missed her anyway. I held her in my arms and even sang to her when no one wanted her for a few days.”
I smiled and nodded in understanding. “So when am I going to meet her?”