Chapter 2

The door burst open and a maid braced herself against the frame, her chest heaving.

I clutched the edge of my cloak, my heart racing. "W-what... what happened?!"

She took a shaky breath before speaking, "Luna, my name is Lydia. Alpha just received an urgent battle report about a dispute at the border of our territory. A rival pack crossed the boundary, seized our supplies, and injured our troops. Alpha had to go and handle it personally, so today's bonding ceremony... has to be postponed. Although the ceremony is postponed, Alpha instructed us to treat you as Luna and respect you."

My mind went blank for a beat, then I answered on instinct, "It's okay. The territory and the pack come first. The ceremony can wait."

Lydia stepped closer, her smile cautious and apologetic. "Please don't take it to heart, Luna. Alpha had no choice. If this drags on, more of our pack members will be hurt, and it would damage the pack's authority."

I shook my head. "I really don't mind. If the conflict grows, the losses would be far worse. That would be the real problem."

When she saw that I truly wasn't angry, Lydia finally relaxed. She led me upstairs to a guest room on the second floor.

Late that night, a Warrior came by with a message. They needed to send the Alpha's spare clothes to the front lines. When I opened the wardrobe, I noticed several pieces were worn thin. One shirt even had a faint, dried, old brown stain on the shoulder that looked like blood.

My chest tightened. Kyler must have been through countless fights out there.

I hurried to the kitchen and baked several loaves of bread and a batch of muffins myself, planning to send them along with his clothes. By the time everything was ready, dawn was close. Exhaustion hit me all at once, and I fell asleep at the table, still hugging the folded clothes and meal box.

Half-awake and still groggy, I felt as if someone had been sitting beside me for a long while, then gently lifted me into his arms. The warmth and calm of his presence wrapped around me, making me feel drunk with comfort, safe, and completely at ease.

As I was laid softly onto the bed and a plush blanket pulled over me, I never woke up. I only heard the door close quietly, and his low voice speaking to the maid outside.

"Elder Luna will arrive tomorrow afternoon. She's impatient by nature. Keep a close eye on Luna and don't let her be upset."

When I woke up that morning, Lydia helped me brush my hair, and her voice was bright with laughter.

"Luna, Alpha came back late last night. He kept picking up the suit you pressed and the armor you prepared, inspecting them over and over. Also, he couldn't bring himself to eat the muffins and bread you baked."

She grinned. "Everyone around him was laughing. They said they had never seen Alpha treasure anything like that before."

Hearing that made my heart melt, and I quickly turned to Lydia. "Can you help me ask if there are any old, damaged pieces of armor or scrap cloth? Alpha's armor always has a few small nicks, and it feels like a waste to throw it away. I want to try mending it and maybe add some small pockets to hold first-aid supplies."

As I was speaking, footsteps sounded at the door.

The butler, Oscar Smith, stood there and politely asked, "Luna, Alpha asked me to check if you are settling in well at the manor. If you need anything at all, just tell me."

I pointed toward the empty courtyard. "It would be nice to plant a few fruit trees and some flowers out there."

Remembering how Kyler used to think I was troublesome, I twisted the edge of my dress and whispered, "If it's inconvenient, that's okay. It was just a suggestion..."

But Kyler was more thoughtful than I expected. That very afternoon, servants arrived carrying fruit saplings and trays of flower seedlings. Oscar came in with a fluffy kitten in his arms, saying the Alpha had chosen it himself.

The moment the kitten touched the ground, it rolled at my feet, rubbing against my skirt and leaving tufts of fur behind. The ticklish warmth made my heart ache in the sweetest way.

Before long, raised voices suddenly echoed from downstairs.

An elderly she-wolf's voice, sharp and shrill, cut through the air, "She's only just become Luna and she's already causing trouble! Why are you dragging piles of useless junk into the courtyard? This isn't just a waste of effort to clean up, it's pure chaos!"