Chapter 5

Cassie Pov

I couldn't breathe for a moment.

Daisy?! Oh moon goddess, what is she doing here?

I thought I would have a break from the drama of my Pack.

Her face, a pure and unrestrained thunderstorm of anger, glared at me viciously, making her previous brow look like a gentle slap.

“You can't just make her your Luna!” Daisy screamed. Her voice broke through the joyful noise, and when all eyes turned to her, the cheering crowd fell silent, and a shock of confusion swept through the square.

Mark’s grip tightened slightly on my arm, which was a comforting squeeze or perhaps a warning shot from the bow.

Not long ago, a resilient statue of Lark turned around, and his usually calm face turned into a mask brewing threats.

There was a clear atmosphere of tension in the air; The atmosphere of celebration dissipated like morning mist.

“Daisy," Mark rumbled, its voice low and trembling in its chest.

“Pay attention to what you say,”

But Daisy seemed oblivious to reason and still stared at me closely.

“Why? She's an abandoned child, an abandoned child! What makes her worthy of our Luna? Standing beside you?" She cried out, frantically throwing her arms between the Lark and Mark. Her voice became increasingly angry.

I just stood still, humiliation, a cold wave of despair, swept over me. Her words echoed Jamie's cruel mockery, hitting a festering wound.

My cheeks turned red, and I retreated, hoping that the earth would swallow me up completely. My deepest insecurity, my past failures, have been exposed in front of these powerful Alphas and their teams.

Again I will be rejected by these Alphas

Mark walked forward, his shadow engulfing Daisy like a dangerous shroud.

“Cassie is our partner. This makes her incredibly worthy. She is ours and you have no business in it" His statement was cold, absolute, and without any objections. The undercurrent of possessiveness, although directed towards Daisy, made my spine tremble strangely and uneasily.

Daisy sneered and crossed her hands in rebellion.

“You barely know her! She might have caught you the moment she sniffed out your alpha identity. She's a wealth hunter, a desperate wanderer, searching for new prey,”

The eyes of the Lark gleamed with dangerous anger.

“Enough, Daisy! You can't say that about our partner!” The protective aura emanating from him and Mark was evident, a pure shield of alpha domination that diverted Daisy's venomous sting.

Despite feeling ashamed, an unexpected spark ignited within me. These powerful Alphas, the people I just met, were fiercely protecting me against the obviously influential individuals in their team. In stark contrast to Jamie's rapid betrayal and ruthless rejection.

“But Lark,” Daisy pleaded, her tone rapidly changing and her desperate voice becoming low.

“You know I've always liked this bag, like you. I've always dreamed of becoming…,” she said unsteadily leaving her sentence incomplete. Her eyes wandering around Lark with an undeniable desire.

The truth was gradually becoming clear. Daisy's cruelty stems not only from malice, but also from jealousy. She had feelings for Lark and may even dream of becoming his Luna.

This kind of understanding, although painful, made her hostility towards me less... vicious.

Lark's expression remained impassive.

“My fated mate has been found, Daisy. My personal feelings are irrelevant." His words were firm, final.

Mark got closer to me and put a reassuring hand on my back. It was rather unexpected to feel his touch of such gentleness – such a contrast to his previous coldness. "Welcome home, Cassie." His words, though tame as they were, flowered deep within me, as a weak seed of hope germinates in the withered wasteland of my heart.

The silent spectators in the pack, began to murmur to themselves, once more. Some stared at me with curiosity while others stared at me with suspicion but many accepted their Alphas’ statement. The connection of the twins, particularly of the Alpha ones, was obviously an overwhelming one within their society. It would be impossible for them not to accept their mate.

“Now,” Mark’s voice broke through the remaining murmurs and focused on the mass of people in front of him. "Let the celebrations continue. We have much to rejoice."

The party atmosphere started to stir, trying to recover itself, slowly and hesitantly the pack members stirred. There was the underlying undercurrent however, the palpable sense of newcomer in their midst and a challenge to at least one of their own.

Lark looked at me, his green eyes, although still very concentrated, could be seen with some gentleness now. "Are you alright, Cassie?"

I got a weak nod out and my throat remained tight. "Yes... just a little overwhelmed."

“Come,“ he said “gently leading me towards the raised stage. You have to be seen on our side.

I followed him like a loyal wolf. I stood between the twins Alphas.

“Behold, the Luna of Greyer Pack," Mark announced on the raised stage.

While I stood between the twin Alphas, the weight of their pronouncement weighed down on me.

Luna of the Greyer Pack. It was a title that I didn’t aspire to, a fate I had not dreamed.

Only a few days earlier, I was a spurned outcast, lonely and heartbroken.

Now, I was conscripted into the service of two strong Alphas and plunged into the new world abounding with unfamiliar customs and possible enemies.

Daisy found herself on the outskirt of the crowd and her eyes stony with resentment. I knew that this was going to be neither one of the last in terms of her hostility. The road up would not be easy.

However, while looking at Mark and Lark, both towering and protective on both sides of me, I felt that there was a delicate thing that had started growing in my chest – hope. Maybe, maybe, this surprise twist may be the beginning of something new. Maybe it wasn’t just a means of revenge means, but an opportunity for another kind of life, the one where I was wanted, protected… loved? It was a scary and exciting thought. Only time would tell.

For now, I would stand by them, their Luna, and take whatever the Greyer Pack, and Daisy, would throw at me. I was no longer the pretty girl who had been heartbroken and ran away from the Vale Pack. Something about my insides had changed, a kind of resolution that came from their acceptance and this irresistible pull of the mate bond. The game was different and I was now playing on a different board altogether.