FAZER LOGINI woke at 3:50 AM. Not alarm. Phone.Text from Senator Hart. My father. 3:51 AM. He never texts at night. Senate rules.> Come alone tomorrow. 9 AM. Board file. Don't bring Alpha.I stared at phone in dark. Grayson asleep next to me, one hand on my waist even sleeping. His pin inside pocket on chair, paint on his suit from last night still there. Painting '36' leaning against wall, not pinned yet.Board file. Damian file I signed as Hart Wolfe. Did I do wrong?I didn't wake Grayson. He counts at 3:50 AM for 3 years, let him sleep at 3:51.At 6 AM, I made flat bread. Flat but warm. Left note on counter: Senate, board file, back 11 AM. Don't count yet. - EDrove to Senator house at 8:30 AM. Blue dress with paint from last night, didn't change. Silver pin with one dot.Gate open. No staff. My mother at door in paint apron again, but holding cloth. Not paint cloth. Velvet cloth."Everly, you came alone?" she whispered, looking at empty car."Father said don't bring Alpha.""Good," she sai
My father, Senator Hart, called at 6 PM on Day 5. Not text. Call. Means formal."Everly, dinner tomorrow 7 PM, my house, with Grayson Wolfe. As... official. Your mother will be there."My mother Lydia, who paints 23 freckles, who sold painting '23' to Helen before I knew.Grayson was in shower when I got call. I shouted through glass, "My father wants dinner tomorrow!"He shouted back, water running, "What time?""7 PM! Formal! My mother will be there!""Does formal mean suit?""Formal means Senate house, suits, cameras possibly, because Senator's daughter now Luna!"Water stopped. He came out, towel, hair wet, counting immediately because nervous."23 freckles, but tomorrow you will have 24 because stress gives you one more?" he said, trying joke."Not funny," I said, but laughed.Senator Hart house is not like Pack House. Pack House is wood, bread, photos taped. Senator house is glass, like old tower, art framed perfectly, not taped, no extra plates.Next day, Day 6, we drove at 6:3
Day 5, first normal day after heat, I went to tower at 9 AM like list said normal now.But normal didn't last.At 10 AM, Marcus came to my small office - I have office now, next to Grayson's, with window that looks at Pack House, not city - and said "Luna, visitor. Not Pack. Says she is mother."I thought Helen. But Helen never says "mother," she says "Mama Wolfe" or "I'm here, open door."Marcus's face said not Helen.Downstairs in reception, woman in white suit, expensive, not Pack style. Pack style is warm, wood, bread. Her style is glass, cold, like old tower.Damian's mother. Mrs. Whitaker.She stood when I entered. She is beautiful in way that makes you feel cold. Like Damian when he smiled in court."Everly," she said, "thank you for seeing me. I know you are... busy now."She looked at my silver pin. One dot. She knew what it means. Pack gossip travels fast."I am Luna now," I said, voice steady. Helen taught me: when other mothers come angry, hold hands together so they don't
First day back at tower after 4 days off, I woke up at 6 AM without alarm. Grayson already gone from bed, but his side warm.Note on pillow in his handwriting: Meeting at 7 AM, but I told Marcus 9 AM. So you can sleep. Bread in kitchen. Flat but warm. - G + 23 frecklesI smiled. Went downstairs. Bread was there, flat again, but with butter already spread, like he tried.At 8:30 AM, Marcus came to pick me up. Not Grayson, because Alpha must enter tower first after Luna heat, tradition."Luna," Marcus said, opening car door, eyes not on me but on pin. I wore silver freckle pin again. One dot."Marcus, you can look," I said, laughing. "Heat done.""I know. But Alpha said I still can't stare at freckles. Only he can count," Marcus said, serious, then smiled. "Pack missed you. Tower missed you."Tower did miss. When I entered lobby at 9 AM, not through service door like before, but through main glass doors where everyone enters, security guard stood.He didn't say "Miss Hart" like before.
Day 4, I woke up at 9:02 AM like list said. Not 4 AM. No burning. No shivering. Just... hungry.Really hungry.Grayson was in kitchen already, in full Alpha suit, tie, shoes, looking like he is going to board meeting, but he was stirring stew that we made yesterday."List says 9 AM wake," he said, not looking up, but smiling. "You woke at 9:02. Two minutes late. Pack will talk.""Pack always talks," I said, voice hoarse but normal, not heat voice.He turned. Eyes brown again, not gold. Normal brown. But soft."How do you feel?" he asked, same question for 4 days.I checked. Body warm, not hot. Hands not shaking. Heart 78, not 112."Normal," I whispered. "Is heat... done?""Done," he said, coming to me, hand on forehead like ritual now. Cool hand, normal forehead. "Last night at 2 AM was last wave. You slept through. I stayed awake to count. You didn't burn."He said it like he passed exam."So today I cook?" I asked."Today you cook. And Pack comes. And after, we are done with 4 days
Day 3 heat is weird, Helen said. Not fever. Not clingy. Just... emotional. You will want to organize everything and cry if one thing is out of place.I woke up at 7 AM and Grayson was already gone from bed.For first time in 3 days, panic hit real panic, not heat panic. I sat up fast, sheets tangled, calling his name too loud."Grayson!"He appeared from closet doorway, toothbrush in mouth, wearing suit pants but no shirt. Hair wet."Here," he said fast, spitting toothpaste, coming to bed. "Here. I was just - I had to get suit for tomorrow. Because tomorrow you cook, and I need to look like Alpha who did not spend 3 days in sweatpants."He smelled like toothpaste and cedar, not rosemary now. Day 3, Helen said, scent changes back to his normal, because my body knows him now.I touched his chest. "You wore suit pants to bathroom?""I wore them to make you laugh. It worked Day 1 when you were fever," he said, sitting, letting me touch his chest like it's normal for Luna in heat to check







