30: Mate not Luna 2

Kerris POVGareth starts to mindlink Zach, then seems to remember we're standing right here."Sorry, Your Grace."The moment Zach looks at me I know he has won the bet. Whatever Gareth was about to say, it's clear he was right and he's here to complain about the cottage."I see you two are out enjoying some fresh air," Gareth says."We can spare a few minutes," I reply before Zach can dismiss them. I tug gently on his hand and start toward the castle. The others follow.A few minutes later, we're seated in the guest lounge in the west wing.Gareth starts speaking without wasting any time."First, we want to thank you for the provisions you've made for Miss Blue." His voice is respectful, but there's something calculated underneath it. "She's recovering well."His gaze shifts briefly toward Zach."And, as you know, Caden is still recovering too. His wolf is... not quite back to himself."I study him.From everything Zach and I have gathered, Gareth still has no idea how different Cade

31: The other worries

Gareth (Third-Person POV)Gareth reminds himself that the White Wolf was Kerris Hart only a short while long ago.Joseph Hart's adorable little girl.And the naive young shewolf whose own stepsister had been sneaking behind her back to sleep with her boyfriend.It's clear the naive girl is still very much in there.She now has a mystical wolf, a crown made of all the precious stones in the realm, and enough power to make the entire kingdom bow their heads. But she still has a lot of growing up to do. It's obvious. How could she possibly think Marissa Blue is suitable to become Caden's Luna?Because of a bond?The thought almost makes Gareth laugh, but he doesn't. He's already too irritated to find anything funny about the situation.He's just grateful he managed to make her understand the situation before she started treating Miss Blue like an equal member of his household.After leaving the castle, Gareth decides he's not returning to Moon Shadow yet. And he doesn't want Linda retu

32: Suspicious mom

Gareth (Third-person POV)He considers calling off the male following Linda, but discards the idea just as fast. Riley Mars. One of the Gammas that have been with him for years. Gareth had asked him to keep an eye on Linda because of her strange behavior lately.He decides to wait for forty-eight hours before calling him off. Maybe seventy-two.Or a little longer.Once Caden receives his title, he will be a fully independent Alpha male.Linda would've more or less completed her task as a mother.And he... Gareth will have no reason to stay near Linda. No excuse to spy on her.His phone rings. It's Riley Mars.Gareth considers ignoring it. He's hardly in the mood to talk to anyone.Then he remembers it's the same male keeping watch on his son's mother.He answers through the hands-free system."Alpha.""Riley. Anything interesting?""I think that'll be for you to decide."Gareth's attention sharpens. "Tell me.""Beta Justin had tea with Gamma Linda earlier today. They met at the M

33: The florist's ranked friend

The Day of BlessingMarissa POVI'm busy making a bouquet for the high window on the left when the group crowded the wide open entrance of the grand hall. I intentionally kept my gaze on the flowers and the large pot in front of me.As the young Alpha trainees file into the grand hall, the first person I notice is the dark haired, broad-shouldered male near the rear of the line.Caden Stone.His eyes meet mine for only a second. Then he looks away. Like he doesn't know me. Maybe he didn't see me at all. What exactly do I expect him to do? Call out my name? Why? Because he said he would claim me soon?I force my attention back to the flowers in front of me. There are more than a dozen bouquets to arrange before sunset, and I'm suddenly very interested in making every single one perfect.I'm not sure what the occasion is, but Caden did mention that their trials were completed.So when I was brought here to help decorate the hall, I assumed the preparations had something to do with th

33: The florist's ranked friend 2

Marissa POVWhen I look at him again, I realize he's teasing. It's so unexpected that I almost laugh. Instead I pull out one of the roses from the half-completed bouquet and hold it out to him."Thank you for arresting and dragging me to the royal city, where I am now on house arrest and owe the Kingdom a fine I can't afford.""And getting a job in the Luna Queen's gardens," he adds."Yes. That too." He takes the rose and studies it. "You're welcome and one not-yet-blooming moon rose will not suffice."I offer him a smile."I'll see you around, Marissa." He gives a wink.The realization hits me as I watch him walk away. It dawns on me exactly who he is.A ranked Gamma. A warrior of the IronFang.And me? I'm not just an omega. I'm a convict.In River Howl, people like him don't stop to chat with people like me. Not unless the omega works in their household. Even then, the conversation is usually nothing more than an employer giving instructions to a servant.This is one of the few t

34: The Alpha Titling

Caden POVI want the rehearsal to end already. It's taking longer than I like.I also want other things. Like telling Marissa's supervisor to do her damn job. Or telling Gamma Nadia to do hers.For one, those flowers aren't Marissa's to give away. They belong to the Luna Queen. She's allowing them to decorate the hall, not hand it out to random warriors.And I'm pretty sure talking to random warriors is not part of Marissa's job either.I'd like to tell her that. Or maybe get someone else to tell her. Thank Goddess I'm more restrained than I used to be. My training is finally proving useful.With sheer force of will, I keep my eyes away from her until the rehearsal ends. Which somehow, happens at almost the exact same time they finish dolling up the hall.Marissa and the other decorators are gathering their things when me and the other graduants file out. Minutes after we come outside, they appear too, carrying the things they used.I don't mean to look, but my eyes have a mind of t