Chapter 3

I looked down from the stairs, where Lydia was helping an elderly she-wolf steady herself. Her hair was perfectly coiffed, her hand gripped a wolf-fang cane, and her face was a mask of iron.

Lydia tried to smooth things over, saying, "Elder Luna, Luna isn't being wasteful. She's trying to give Alpha—"

"Silence!" the old she-wolf cut her off, striking the cane sharply against the floor. "Do you have any right to speak here?"

I immediately guessed that this had to be Kyler's mother. Lydia had told me she usually stayed at the old pack den. She had come specifically for the bonding ceremony, though her flight had been delayed by the weather.

I had only met Kyler's mother once when I was very young. The memory was already fuzzy. But whenever she sent Kyler homemade treats, she always included something for me. In my heart, she had always seemed kind.

I hurried down the stairs and slipped my arm through hers. "Mother! You're here!"

However, she jerked away from me and turned to the sofa with a look of pure disdain.

She sat down and scrutinized me from head to toe. "You've just become Luna, and already you're ignoring proper duties. You skip important tasks to mess with scraps no one wants. I think you're only trying to waste the pack's resources."

"No, Mother!" I said quickly, bringing forward the results of my morning's work. "Look! I patched the worn areas on the armor. It strengthens it without restricting movement. The little pouches for medicine don't leak, and they hang at the waist for easy access. All this was made from discarded scraps. It saves so many resources!"

The Elder Luna froze, her expression stiffening slightly. "Is this stuff... actually useful? Don't tell me it just looks good but falls apart in real combat."

I nodded hard. "I gave it to a Warrior to test. He said it's practical and convenient!"

The Elder Luna's gaze shifted to the courtyard. Spotting the newly planted fruit trees and flower seedlings, she let out a cold snort, pointing toward the yard.

"Even if these things save resources, I heard you had the servants plant trees and flowers. Do you even know how much effort and resources it takes to maintain a manor?" she asked.

"I just wanted to make the courtyard lively," I said softly, tugging on her sleeve. "Mother, imagine flowers and fruit all around, the breeze carrying their scent. Wouldn't that be wonderful? Did you ever make flower crowns when you were a pup? When the flowers bloom, I'll make one for you. Wearing it will make you happy."

She said nothing and just stared at the courtyard, lost in thought.

I pressed on, "If you don't like flower crowns, we could pick the fruits instead. When it ripens, we could even make honeyed dried fruit! I wonder if Alpha likes to eat it."

Lydia was standing beside us, her shoulders shaking slightly. I knew she was holding back a laugh. The Elder Luna took a deep breath, gripped her cane, and straightened up.

"How can a Luna call her mate 'Alpha'? Don't you understand the rules of the pack?" she snapped.

With that, she stormed off. Lydia and the others hurried to escort her downstairs.

I turned back to my room, leaving the door slightly ajar, and went back to tinkering with the remaining scraps of leather, turning them into bracers. Not long after, the door pushed open. A werewolf I didn't recognize poked his head inside.

When he saw me, his eyes flickered with something strange, and he quickly said, "Luna, I'm Beta Dorian Sharp. Alpha sent me to fetch something."

His tone was polite, but his eyes kept darting around the room, as if searching for something. I raised my gaze, studying his unfamiliar face with suspicion.

Beta Dorian Sharp? Something about him felt off.

I frowned. "What did Alpha tell you to fetch?"

"It's an important document in the drawer in your room. I can go get it," he said, stepping toward the inner room with quick, urgent strides.

I stood up immediately to block him. "Wait. That drawer is locked. I'll get the key. You stay here by the door."

With that, I hurried out of the room to find Oscar. I explained to him that a suspicious werewolf claiming to be Dorian was waiting outside my room, saying he had been sent by the Alpha to retrieve something.

Oscar's expression darkened immediately. He called over several skilled Warriors without a word. By the time we reached my room, the werewolf was rifling through my things, clearly searching for something.

Oscar's eyes sharpened the moment he saw him. He recognized the fake Beta at once and ordered the Warriors to subdue him and take him away under strict guard.

Later, I overheard hushed voices by the door. It was another maid, Mia, whispering to Lydia.

"Honestly, this Luna is hard to read. She ignores the respectable duties of a Luna and fusses over scraps. She seems so clumsy. But then, the way she exposed the fake Beta just now... maybe she's not so dumb after all. She's strange, really."

Lydia's voice turned icy as she replied, "Is it our place to judge our Luna? And don't think I don't know about your little schemes, Mia. I suggest you keep yourself in line."

Mia didn't respond. She only cast a quick, strange glance toward my room.

The next afternoon, Mia showed up again. This time, she was with two werewolves. One of them opened a box he was carrying, which was filled with jewelry.

He smiled. "Luna, I heard you wanted to add a few things to the manor. This is just a small token from us. There's one little favor we hope you can grant... Please release Gideon."

I froze. "Gideon? Who is that? Does Alpha know?"

Mia chimed in, "He's the one who was caught yesterday. He got confused and accidentally wandered into your room. He was afraid of getting into trouble, so he played a little joke. He didn't really do anything wrong. Alpha's busy with pack affairs and isn't at the estate right now, so there's no need to alarm him. You're clever. I'm sure you know how to handle it."

I stared at the jewelry. These pieces could be used to craft so many sets of armor. But... Gideon was such a strange werewolf.

I clutched the hem of my dress, my voice barely above a whisper as I said, "I... I can't take these. If Alpha found out, he'd be angry."