ELLE POV
Bouncing down to the dining room in my usual sweatpants and t-shirt, I pass the Alpha, Beta, and Gamma as they head into the Alpha's office to conduct pack business. Nodding to the three, I continue to the dining room to find Luna sitting in her usual spot, drinking her coffee and reading the paper. With Damon gone for the summer, we have most of our meals together. Most days, the Alpha is too busy without him around.
I know Luna Olivia misses her son, but I would be lying if I didn't say I am relieved by his absence. My summer vacation is officially ending tomorrow, and once Damon returns, along with Andrew and Matt, my regularly scheduled hell will resume. So, I am determined to make this day magical, spending my time reading by the pool, binging Bridgerton on N*****x, and eating Helena's homemade cinnamon roll ice cream.
"Good morning, dear," Luna Olivia says to me as she looks up from her paper.
"Good Morning, Luna," I say, flashing her a warm smile as I sit in my usual spot. Suddenly the dining room door opens, and the Beta Female and Gamma Female walk in and take the seats they usually sit at when they dine at the packhouse.
"Good morning, Luna and Elle," they say in unison. They are sitting down to join us for breakfast, which happens occasionally, but more often now that their boys are away at Alpha training with Damon. I know these women-only visit more because they miss their sons, but I am not missing the devil and his dancing demons.
I'd never admit it to anyone else in this pack, but the entire summer without them and school have been Goddess-sent. The worst part is that I have had such a transformative time and will have nothing to show when school starts again.
"Elle, are you excited to start school tomorrow?" the Gamma Female, Sam, asks me with a sweet smile on her lips. I never understood how all of these lovely women raised such horrible sons. Seriously, it's mind-boggling, and I still can't figure it out.
"Hmmm, honestly, I am not too excited for school to start tomorrow." I look at her when a brilliant idea pops into my head. Maybe, I could use Damon's absence to finish the summer with a bang.
"Oh, why not?" the Beta Female asks me as she slathers her scone with jelly.
"I was too busy enjoying my summer; I never took a second to realize I am no longer the tomboy who moved here five years ago. I should have focused on updating my wardrobe instead of thinking about it the day before classes start." A bashful expression plasters my face while I look at the table, ashamed, while we sit in silence.
Finally, Luna giggles, "Oh, thank the Goddess, I have been dying to throw away your clothes since your freshman year of high school."
"What?" I ask, completely perplexed. That sneaky little bastard has played Luna and me against each other without us knowing. I thought she had agreed with Damon's stupid rules.
"Elle, I love you like my daughter, but I have hated your wardrobe. You're a gorgeous girl who hides underneath these baggy clothes." Luna says, giving me a small smile while pointing to the outfit I am currently wearing.
"Why didn't you say anything before?" I ask her, my voice sounding annoyed, but it wasn't directed towards her, instead of myself for believing anything that jackass says.
"Well, I never wanted to give you complex body images at such a young age. Your comfort is more important than you having my same taste in clothes," Luna Olivia says, wrapping me in her arms for a classic bear hug. "Plus, I figured you would ask for one when you wanted a wardrobe update," Luna finishes, giving me a final squeeze and sitting back in her chair.
"Well, then I am officially asking you for a fashion makeover," I say, flashing my brightest smile to the three women sitting around me, causing them to squeal with hysteria. I already know these two will tag along because I asked Luna to take me shopping. They are best friends who do everything together and love to shop; their husbands have the wear in their black cards to prove it.
"It's decided then; we are going shopping tomorrow!" the Luna exclaims while the others clap their hands, trying to talk over each other to make plans. Their excitement is rubbing off on me until I realize the first day of class is tomorrow.
"But Luna, school starts tomorrow," I try to explain.
"Pish posh darling, you're a straight-A student, and that's in the AP classes. Your attendance is perfect. You can afford to take this one day off. Trust me; I am more than willing to let you skip school so I can finally shop with you."
"Yeah, Elle," Gamma Sam adds, "You're practically a kid genius. Who else could design the security code for the pack? You're going to get into any college you want, and skipping the first day of school once isn't going to impact that. Remember, it's okay to live, too, and have fun. You're only this age once."