Our Luna, Our Mate Chapter 140

**Athena's POV**

\-Day of Birthday-

“Athena… Hey, it’s time to wake up” whispers a voice as a hand slowly begins to shake me awake. A soft moan rising at not wanting to get up just yet.

“Come on, sleepy head, it's time to get up. We have lots to do today” says the voice as they continue to pester me. The sound of giggling rising which slowly begins to draw my attention to those within the room, my mind still in a haze as I try to shift my focus to those within the room.

My mind suddenly remembering that I wasn’t the only person within the room, my eyes finally opening wide. My body bolting into a sitting position upon the bed, which earns me even more giggles.

“Finally, it’s almost 9 in the morning. We need to get you showered and ready before noon” chuckles the voice that I slowly knew as Emma, her eyes shining with amusement.

“Wha… Noon?” I asked, still half asleep. My mind still not grasping the true meaning behind their words yet.

“Ah, Hello, Birthday? Birthday girl? Birthday Party? Guest of Honor? Does any of that ring a bell to you” asks Emily, her voice teasing, but concern now clearly etched within her eyes as she watches her Luna and friend.

Scanning the room, I slowly began to take in the appearances of all my friends. Each of them dressed slightly nicer than normal while I continued to sit within my pajamas. My mind finally registering Emily’s words as I jump from the bed in a panic.

“Oh god… I’m so late” I cry, my reaction shocking each of my friends as they sat watching me silently.

“Uh, Athena… are you okay?”

Ignoring their words, I quickly rushed to the bathroom. My mind suddenly becoming trapped in the past and not what was currently going on around me at that very moment. My mind thinking we were suddenly back home.

“ATHENA” cries Emma, her hand now grabbing my wrist as she did, halting my movements. My eyes still haunted by past demons.

“Please… let go… I’m late… Any longer and I’ll be in even bigger trouble” I pleaded, hoping they would let me go.

“Athena snap out of it. It’s okay, you're safe, no one can hurt you here” whispers Emily, her hand now coming to rest upon my shoulder as she did, the others still watching my every movement.

Watching my shoulders slump slowly, those within the room carefully begin to sigh. Each of my friends worried about my sudden change in behavior. A behavior that might have suggested that I didn’t know where I was at the time.

Closing my eyes in particular embarrassment, I slowly try to shove away all my haunted memories of my past, memories of when my old family would turn each one of my birthdays into living, breathing, nightmares. A nightmare I was currently displaying for each of my friends that very minute as they all sat within my room watching it unfold before them.

Seconds later, my body slowly begins to return back to normal, my haunted memories slowly fading from view as I slowly move to look at those within the room.

“Sorry” I murmured.

“For what?” asks Elise, semi-aware of how my old pack treated me when she attended the Mating Ball, as well from all our discussions over the phone and by letters that we sent to one another as well.

“For scaring each of you. For showing you a piece of my painful past. A past that I’ll never truly be gone of” I admit openly, knowing it to be true. That as long as my family was still around, I would always be haunted by them.

“Oh honey, don’t apologize. Our pasts are our pasts for a reason. They’re what makes us stronger. They're what help us cope and become learning tools so we don’t end up making the same mistakes twice” replies Cara, her eyes showing she knew how I felt but refrained from sharing her past experiences.

A past I never got to ask her about, but figured Cara would share it with me when she felt the need to share it. Until then, I knew better than to ask her, least of all, to push her into telling me because I was Queen, because Queens weren’t bullies. Queens were people who protected their own.

“You're right… Thank you. But please, allow me to shower and then we can get ready and join up with the others” I offered, hoping that they would allow me my privacy to shower, which they all do as I go about my morning routine for the day.

A few hours later and I’m currently watching my reflection within a mirror. My eyes gazing at my reflection as I took this time to truly study my outfit. Elise having gone into my closet with Maya and together they settled on dressing me in a beautiful pink knee-high dress with a bit of a flare that managed to show off my long lean legs.

Legs that would turn heads if I wasn’t already mated to Ares and Eros. My hair now styled nice and neatly into a half up, half down style with soft curls along with smokey eyes and a pink lip all courteously of Maya.

Admiring my look, I slowly move to notice dainty jewelry as well. Everything carefully planned out with the help of all my friends as we moved to leave the house.

‘We look stunning’ I whispered to Artemis, mixed emotions still bubbling deep within the pits of my stomach, my heart and brain still trying to process the whole outcome of today's birthday.

‘That we do. But we’ll always be stunning’ purrs Artemis, her wolf form still close to the surface as she sits watching me from behind my blue eyes that were slightly rimmed by silver to show she was present.

‘Do you think Ares and Eros will like it?’ I asked her, my mind now racing over to them and only them.

‘Of course they will. They're our mates, so it's only natural that they love us’ chuckles Artemis.

‘True’ I muse, eventually drawing my focus back to those all around me.

“Are you ready, Luna?” asks Emma, a smile gracing her features as our eyes meet.

“You bet I am” I say with a smile.

Giggling, we all slowly begin making our way down towards the surprise party area. A part of me still on edge from the night before when tension ran high. The same tension that danced within the air even as we slowly made our way towards the party. My eyes slowly taking in the small details that Luna Gwen had added just to make my birthday extra special. Something that my Aunt Leah would never do for me except make my life hell by hitting or slapping me in front of everyone who dared to grace us with their presence.

“Do you like it?” asks Maya softly, her eyes noticing my slight reaction to the golds, silvers and of course the creams. Subtle yet beautiful as the colors danced along tables and chairs and throughout the table decor as members of each pack slowly began to join in on the celebrations.

“Yes. It’s very beautiful” I answered truthfully, because in all reality it was. A smile now gracing my lips as I continued to focus on those currently among us, people who would do anything for this pack, including protecting their Luna from unknown dangers, dangers that would continue to lurk from the safety of the shadows until my very last breath.