Chapter 5

ARIA.

“Before we get to the pack,” Alpha Dane spoke up, ruining the blessed silence, “Let’s go over a few things. Remember that you are here as the Luna of this pack in name, but you don’t hold the power of a Luna. You will make nice with the pack members, check in with new mothers, and all of the caring shit that you’re supposed to do.”

Caring shit that I was supposed to do. Wow. What a charming Alpha.

Did he even know what Luna duties actually entailed? A Luna wasn’t a romanticized nanny. They were the heart and soul of a pack. The Alpha was responsible for physically protecting the pack. The Luna was responsible for protecting the internal parts of it—the members, the families, everyone. It was about ensuring that they thrived instead of just surviving. Pack morale often resonated with the Luna. If the Luna was good, kind, and strove to bring the pack together, then their pack would be strong.

Many people mistakenly thought that it was the Alpha and warriors that showcased how strong their pack was. It was each member that provided strength. There was truth behind the adage that a chain was only as strong as its weakest link. It was the entirety of a pack that made it weak or strong. Did he miss that part of his Alpha training?

“As stated in the contract, nobody is to know about it. Your father should’ve told you what was at stake,” he continued.

That would be my sweet little sister. I gave a curt nod.

This car was customized to have a barrier between the front seats and us, just like you’d see in limos. It must be soundproofed for him to refer to the contract, knowing that Jerome was driving.

“You will be a good Luna who is happy with her position. Fake it if necessary but see to it that my pack members don’t question that. Also, you will dress appropriately to my standards. My Gamma female will be taking you shopping tomorrow morning.”

It was a damn good thing that I was an expert at playing a part. Years of abuse had made it so.

Tomorrow I will find out what his standards were. Hopefully, it won’t be too ridiculous. I often preferred comfort over fashionable, but I had a feeling that he didn’t hold the same preference.

“Lastly, you aren’t to mention your connection to Lana Morgan. I refuse to publicize that Shadow Vale’s Luna is related to a traitor and refuse for them to wonder if their new Luna is as much of a coward as the bitch who went AWOL instead of owning up to the consequences of her betrayal.”

Oh, hell no. Anger burned right through me. How dare he talk about her like that!

“You know nothing about her. Think whatever you want, but don’t talk about her like that.”

He didn’t appreciate me challenging him like this, but I didn’t care.

I could never rationalize what had supposedly gone down. Mom was the exact opposite of the heartless traitor that she was painted to be. Something always felt off about the whole thing.

The mother that I knew was filled with light and love. She went out of her way to help anyone who needed it. She also gave all of herself to her pups, making certain that she showed us just how much she loved and appreciated us.  All of our best qualities formed because of her.

A loud snarl sent a shiver down my spine. It hinted at the danger that sat far too close to me. At the fact that he could destroy me in many different ways.

Fingers gripped my jaw hard. He forced me to look at him. If looks could kill then I wouldn’t be dead here right now.

“I DO NOT put up with disrespect from anyone. Your title, given by contract, as my mate,” his lips peeled back in disgust, “doesn’t make you any different than the rest. I have no qualms with punishing you until you get that lesson through your thick fucking skull. It’s a lesson that you might want to learn before you’re cuffed to a pole, becoming intimately familiar with just how painful it is to be whipped with silver and wolfsbane. Maybe that’ll drive the lesson through your thick fucking skull. And don’t delude yourself with fantasies about your coward of a mother. She turned on her pack. She got people killed. And I will not allow that stain to reflect on me.”

The anger inside of me immediately evaporated, fear taking its place.

I had no doubt that the whipping would actually be one punishment at his disposal. Some might see him as a strong leader or even a sexy bad boy. Me? I saw him as a wicked villain. Cold-hearted didn’t cut it. If I had to describe him then it would be black-hearted instead.

Swallowing hard, I attempted to regain my composure. Easier said than done.

“I understand,” I told him softly.

“Good.” He scoffed before continuing. “While we’re at it, you aren’t allowed to pull this shit in front of the pack. Don’t challenge me. Don’t show me attitude. You’re to present yourself as the perfect Luna who fully supports her Alpha. Make sure you appear shy and modest so that the pack doesn’t expect me to be all over you. That is definitely not something that I’m going to do.”

He pushed my face away, wiping his hand on his pants as if he couldn’t tolerate touching me as if it made him dirty.

Good because I didn’t want him anywhere near me. Even this right here was far too close for my liking.

The bond caused a part of me to hurt because my own mate was clearly disgusted by me, as witnessed by what he said and did. That part was silenced because I didn’t desire someone like him to want me if he couldn’t even treat me right.

Several hours was the length of time that I had known him, but I got a clear picture of the type of person that he was.

It was unclear what the Goddess had planned when she fated us together. We were as different as we could be. They said that opposites attract, but that was clearly not always true. I couldn’t imagine ever actually being attracted to Alpha Dane Holden.

A notification on his phone grabbed his attention, which I was thankful for.

I turned my attention back to the tinted window, watching as the scenery as we drove. It was a beautiful landscape. Not even the negative emotions that I was feeling could taint that. It was easy to imagine how it would look covered in snow. Its very own winter wonderland.

Winter was my favorite season because I loved the snow. It was Thea’s favorite as well for the same reason. She was like a little pup with how much she loved to play in the snow. Silver fur also helped her to blend in better with snow-covered surroundings whenever she hunted during that time.

My heart started beating faster as we approached the pack’s entrance.

A large, gated wall stood like an imposing feature to protect the pack while also deterring anyone wanting to sneak inside. It screamed that they were ready for any and all threats. That was reinforced by the cameras and sniper posts that it had on the top.

He was either paranoid as hell or smart.

‘Let’s go with the first option,’ Thea told me.

‘Sounds good,’ I responded, chuckling.

Goddess, I would be completely lost without the steady source of support and comfort that she provided, reassuring me that I wasn’t alone. I had always appreciated her presence before but never as much as I did now. I couldn’t do this without her.

Inside the pack was gorgeous.

My eyes traced over the brightly painted buildings that lined the busy streets. People were going about their day. Some were lugging around shopping bags. Pups were playing games as they walked with their parents. There were couples holding hands as they carried on about their day. Everyone looked happy and calm. They were the exact opposite of the way that I was feeling, which helped to ease my own discomfort some. They should be like that, and I was happy for them.

Eventually, we came to a stop outside of a large packhouse. A small crowd was gathered, waiting to greet their Alpha.

“Remember what I said,” his tone carrying a warning.

“Will do.”

Alpha Dane walked over, placing his hand on my lower back. It took restraint to not pull away. There was cheering when he introduced his Luna.

I looked around the gathered crowd as I smiled and waved at them.

The mask that would become a permanent fixture was already firmly in place and would remain that way.