Chapter 17

Arabella's POV

I paused in my tracks, feeling a mix of confusion and irritation at her remark. "Temporary Luna? What do you mean by that?" I asked, trying to maintain a polite tone despite my growing unease.

The woman's smile widened, and her eyes seemed to scrutinize me as she looked at me from top to bottom. "Oh, I apologize if I startled you. It's just that, well, Asher has never brought anyone here before. Most times it was to the pack house and they often left a few weeks later too…"

"Ava. Enough!” Rico yelled at the woman but she didn't stop.

"You see, I'm his sister, Ava," she said, walking to me and extending her hand in a friendly gesture. "Join us for breakfast."

Relieved to know her identity, I shook her hand and managed a small smile. "Nice to meet you, Ava. I'm Arabella. His mate."

Ava raised an eyebrow, her smile never fading. "I see. Well, it's just that he's never introduced any woman as his mate before. Our pack is very traditional, and we're all curious about what th