Page 36 of Violet Moon (Pitch Mountain Pack #1)

twenty-five

By the time they finally made it out of Parisa’s room, the pack was busy preparing a celebration dinner.

It was late for some of them, but the energy in the house was electric.

The quiet tension that had gripped them for weeks had finally relinquished its hold and everything was springing back to life.

Sera tried to sneak back to her room for a moment’s peace before the festivities, but Emmaline grabbed her instead.

“I’ve got a task especially for you. Let’s go bake.” She winked and Sera found herself being dragged all the way to the Emmaline’s where some choux pastry was waiting for her.

“How come you always poke at the pastry like it’s going to bite you?” Emmaline asked with a chuckle.

“How do you know it’s not going to bite me? I just don’t like getting my hands sticky.”

“Sure it’s not anything else?” Emmaline bumped their shoulders together. When Sera said nothing, she relented. “Alright, if there’s something you don’t want to talk about, you can just say so.”

“I did talk about some things today, thank you very much,” Sera said. “With Parisa. And it was terrible. But okay, I guess.”

Emmaline smiled. “You seemed a little less tightly wound. I figured that was for more scandalous reasons.”

“Emmaline!” Sera scolded with a laugh.

“Didn’t know it was because you spilled out some of those ooey-gooey, messy parts of yourself to somebody. Always important.”

“Is it, though? Can’t I just keep closing things up in the little safe I built in my brain?”

“Did that work?”

“For a long time it did.”

“And then?”

“Then it only worked sometimes and other times it slipped out and poisoned everything.”

Emmaline’s features softened. “Things can’t stay buried forever. Heaven knows I’ve tried.”

A tiny smile crept onto Sera’s face. “Good to know I’m not alone.”

“We’re all trying to bury something, but sometimes you’ve got to unearth it so you can keep on living.”

“Why can’t things just stay buried?”

“Because that’s not how our brains work. I don’t know who’s in control up there, but it ain’t me.” Emmaline laughed.

Sera did, too, and she felt the tension drain from her shoulders.

“Whether or not you can bake, you’re still a great Beta.”

Sera stopped working the dough between her hands. There were still some things she couldn’t say out loud, couldn’t own enough to tackle them head on, but she was getting closer. She could get there.

Instead of making a joke, Sera said, “Thank you. Sometimes I need to hear that. I don’t like to need it, but I need it.”

“Sometimes we all need some validation.”

“You, too?”

“Always!”

“Well, then you’re an excellent baker. You make those cases in the front bloom with the most beautiful tarts.”

Emmaline smiled. “Now that we’re all feeling good about ourselves, these eclairs aren’t going to make themselves and I know that this particular recipe is one of Alpha Parisa’s favorites.”

“Is that supposed to make me want to bake them more?”

“Of course it is! So grab that bowl of chocolate and help me out.”

The pack closed the bakery and gathered around the old oak dining table again to celebrate.

They laughed, drank, and ate too much food and too many desserts.

Wilma had led the cooking team to victory, preparing enough dishes to be worthy of being called a feast. Billie and Lock brought tartlets from the bakery.

Sera and Emmaline’s eclairs were vastly different shapes depending on who made them, but they all tasted great.

“You outdid yourself.” Parisa smiled, putting the end of another eclair in her mouth.

Sera beamed with pride and reached over to use her thumb to wipe Parisa’s cheek. “You’ve got a little something.”

At the last second Parisa turned and gently pulled Sera’s thumb into her mouth. Sera leapt back, eyes darting around the table to see if anyone saw.

Emmaline gave them both a look.

Parisa smirked, pleased with herself.

“So what was it like? The challenge?” Jo asked, reaching for another tartlet.

Wilma elbowed them.

“It’s fine,” Parisa said to Wilma. “That’s partially what we’re here to celebrate, isn’t it? He fought well, like before, but my victory was decisive this time”

“That means she kicked his ass,” Jo said, sitting back in their chair looking smug on behalf of their Alpha.

Parisa opened her mouth, but Sera spoke first, “Since I was there, I can agree with that.”

“Awesome. I knew everything would be okay. But still, glad it’s over,” Jo said.

“As am I. Time to put that mess behind us and focus on what’s next,” Parisa added.

Emmaline turned towards Parisa with a sly grin. “So what is next for you two? Another date night? A trip somewhere? I’ve got suggestions.”

Sera rolled her eyes with a grin. “You know she was talking about the pack.”

“Yes, but I have things I want to know. The pack will grow and flourish because that’s what we do. What we all need to know is what’s happening with you two next.” She gestured between them with her drink and winked.

Ten other faces turned to look directly at them.

Sera cleared her throat and responded, “That’s for us to know and you all to place bets on, apparently.”

“Don’t worry. There’s plenty more for us to guess. For example —”

Billie interrupted, pointing with her fork. “No way. That’s interfering with the results.”

“Just letting them know won’t impact anything,” Edgar said.

Billie shook her head. “That’s just because you need it to happen sooner.”

He held up his hands. “What can I say? I’m forever a romantic optimist.”

Parisa laughed. “Now I’m curious. What other milestones are you all tracking with us?”

“I don’t think I want to know.” Sera tried to hide her grin.

“That’s for us to know and y’all to figure out naturally without interference.” Billie shot a glance at Edgar.

“I have my ways.” Edgar smirked.

After dinner, away from the carnage of the table, the pack gathered in the living room. Sera stood in the doorway with Parisa.

“We should play Monopoly,” Jo suggested.

“No!” yelled a few packmates in unison.

“Charades?” Emmaline asked the group.

Carina shook her head. “We all know such different movies, books, and shows from all sorts of decades. It never works out.”

The group continued to debate what to do with their night off while Sera tapped her foot, eager to be with her pack. But this time, she wasn’t going to be a part of the fun by herself.

“You should join in,” Sera said under her breath.

Parisa chewed her bottom lip. Her hands toyed with the sash on the waist of her dress. “I don’t want to intrude. The pack needs time together without me around.”

“They get enough of that. Come on. For me?” Sera took hold of her hand, lacing their fingers together.

Parisa made a face like she was going to protest further, but then gave in with a nervous nod.

“Mind if we join in?” Sera asked, leading Parisa into the room by her hand.

A couple of the younger wolves averted their eyes, but Emmaline and the others welcomed them both with enthusiasm.

“The more the merrier!” Jo threw their arms wide. “Apparently Monopoly is out. So is charades. I think we should all draw pictures and try to guess. Anything with drawing.”

“Why? You’re terrible at drawing,” Harry teased.

Jo laughed. “That’s half the fun! We have to make sense of each other’s nonsense. Well, except for Wil. She’ll draw masterpieces.”

“I can draw monstrosities with the best of them.” Wilma grinned.

“I’m ready to add my awful pictures.” Sera rubbed her hands together, glancing at Parisa.

Parisa smiled. “Sounds like fun.”