I sat on the garden bench with my hands wrapped around a steaming cup of tea. The sun finally came greeting the pack. Its rays filtered through the trees, creating beautiful golden patterns on the ground. This was one of the few places in the Ruby Hill castle where I could find peace.
However, I was also thinking about what Orla said to me a few nights earlier.
“I can’t stay here forever,” I whispered, watching the steam rise from my cup.
My wolf then joined by saying, ‘You don’t have to. You’ve given enough, Lisette. No one could blame you for walking away.’
‘They might not say it, but they’ll think it. Leaving the pack... it would be like abandoning my parents’ memory,’ I told her.
However, Orla immediately argued, ‘You can honor their memory by living the life they wanted for you. You’re not honoring them by suffering.’
I didn’t respond to my wolf’s argument. Instead, I sipped my tea, letting the warmth spread through me.
“Luna Lisette!” a cheerful voice called out, breaking my thoughts.
I turned to see Eleanor Mayfield, the pack’s head cook, who walked toward me with a basket of fresh bread. To me, she was like a second mother. Her kind face lit up with a smile. Seeing her made me couldn’t help but smile in turn.
“Good morning, Eleanor,” I greeted her, managing a small smile of my own.
The kind woman told me as she set the basket on the bench beside me, “Good morning, Luna. I thought you might like some of the new loaves. They just came out of the oven.”
“Thank you. You always know how to brighten my day,” I said sincerely, taking a piece of bread.
Eleanor smiled, sympathizing with me, before she responded, “You do so much for this pack, Luna. We see it even if ... even if others don’t show their appreciation the way they should.”
“That means more to me than you know,” I said quietly.
To my surprise, the pack’s head cook then squeezed my hands warmly as she told me, “Don’t let anyone make you feel small, Luna. Please know that we’re on your side. Do you mind if we hear you playing in the afternoon, Luna?”
I just nodded even though I couldn’t bring myself to say more. After that, Eleanor politely left me. Once again, I was alone with my thoughts.
‘Eleanor is right, Lisette. You’ve given everything to this pack. You’ve earned their respect, even if Oscar refuses to see it,’ my wolf said.
The mention of my husband’s name hurt my aching heart even more. I stood abruptly, brushing crumbs from my lap. Again, I didn’t wish to be reminded of the pain I had.
“I should check on the preparations for the hunting party,” I quietly murmured.
When I entered the castle, the pack members were bustling around the courtyard. Our members were busy preparing horses and equipment for a joint hunting event hunt between the Ruby Hill Pack and the Onyx Sky Pack to rebuild our alliance after some disputes in the past.
As a Luna, I had to make sure that everything was perfect. This event would be pivotal for the future alliance that the Ruby Hill Pack would have. So, I couldn’t make any mistakes.
“Luna Lisette,” a young warrior named Peter Eldridge greeted me politely.
The young man told me, “The archery sets are ready, but we’re short a bowstring.”
“I’ll check the storage. Thank you for letting me know,” I replied.
As I made my way to the storage shed to get some bowstring, I overheard two pack members talking nearby. Their voices were quieter, but the words were impossible to miss. What they said hurt me.
“Luna Lisette always working so hard. I don’t know how she can do all of these,” someone said.
The other person responded, “It’s because she’s a good Luna. Better than we deserve, honestly. If only Alpha Oscar-”
“Be careful. We shouldn’t say things like that,” the former interrupted the latter.
When I heard their conversation, my heart ached. Although their words were meant as praise, they only reminded me of the growing chasm between Oscar and me. No matter how hard I had worked as his Luna, the Alpha would never appreciate me.
Inside the storage shed, I found the bowstring and gave it to Peter who thanked me profusely when I gave it to him. By the time I finished making sure that the preparation was done well, the hunters were ready to depart for their mock hunting party that was done before the Onyx Sky Pack.
Oscar stood at the forefront, looking every bit the confident Alpha. However, the sight next to him really tore my heart. It was Gloria who walked beside him, laughing at something he said. Her presence was like a dark cloud to me, overshadowing everything else.
“Lisette!” Oscar called me, waving me over.
I approached hesitantly, feeling the weight of Gloria’s gaze on me.
As I kept my tone neutral, I asked the Alpha, “Yes, Alpha?”
“You’ll oversee the whole pack while we’re gone. Make sure everything is in order,” my husband ordered me curtly.
I responded quickly as I slightly bowed my head, “Yes, Alpha.”
Gloria smirked, her eyes glinting with amusement when my husband ordered me as if I were his Beta.
“Don’t work too hard, Lisette. You deserve to rest once in a while,” the woman arrogantly told me.
I forced a polite smile as I returned her arrogant words by making a sarcastic remark “Thank you for your concern, Luna Gloria. Your pack must’ve thrived since you’re here, no?”
When Gloria heard my remark, she was incensed. However, there had been lots of rumors of her not doing her Luna duties properly. So, I didn’t think it was wrong at all.
Oscar didn’t seem to notice the tension. The Alpha immediately mounted his horse, giving a signal for the group to move out. However, Gloria still won over me as she could go with my husband. As for me, I watched them go with a hollow feeling settled in my chest.
The castle felt quieter than usual after the party left. But that didn’t mean I could relax. After all, I spent the afternoon checking on the staff and handling small tasks that needed attention. It was tiring, but it kept my mind occupied.
As evening fell, I returned to the garden as I was hoping to find solace in the fading light. Instead, I found Eleanor waiting for me as she promised. She came with a small harp in her hands.
“I thought you might want us to hear you play, Luna. “Music brings you joy, doesn’t it? You deserve a little joy,” she said, holding it out to me.
When I looked at her, I couldn’t help but feel moved.
“Thank you,” I said, my voice trembling.
Eleanor smiled warmly as she said, “Please play something for our pack tomorrow, Luna.”
“I will,” I firmly told her.
After the pack’s head cook left, I sat on the garden bench with the harp resting on my lap. Not long after that, I plucked a few strings as I letting the soft notes fill the air.
My wolf hummed softly as I played the harp.
‘You were born to do this,’ Orla said, her voice filled with pride.
I told her, ‘Sometimes I wonder what life would’ve been like if I’d chosen music instead of this path.’
‘It’s never too late. You still can,’ my wolf said.
I didn’t answer, but her words stayed with me as I played until the moonlight. However, my train of thought was quickly broken by the noises from the hunting party. Without further ado, I quickly reached the gate with the other warriors.
Before the front gate, the warriors who joined the mock hunting party greeted me. However, their expressions looked worried. That made me anxious.
The moment I noticed Oscar wasn’t there, I panicked.
I quickly asked the Alpha through the mind-link, ‘Oscar, where are you?’
No response from his end, which made me panic even more.
“What’s going on?” I asked one of them.
One of the warriors, a grizzled man named Gregor Farlane, turned to me as he respectfully answered, “Luna, our hunting party encountered rogues.”
My stomach dropped when I heard him.
I asked the grizzled man again, “Were there any injuries?”
“No casualties. But it was close. The Alpha and the rest of the party are on their way back now,” Gregor said quickly, trying to reassure me.
I nodded, trying to keep my composure, as I said, “Prepare the infirmary and gather supplies. We’ll be ready to treat anyone who needs help.”
The pack members sprang into action. It was clear that they trusted my leadership. Despite the tension between me and Oscar, it gave me a small sense of purpose when they followed me.
As soon as the hunting party returned, the courtyard was busy. Several warriors had minor injuries, so I worked alongside the pack doctor to tend to them. However, my mind was still on Oscar.
‘Oscar, are you okay?’ I asked him through the mind-link again.
A few hours later, Oscar finally arrived. My husband’s clothes were torn and his face was streaked with dirt. The man looked exhausted but unharmed.
“Alpha, are you okay?” I asked as I approached him.
The man nodded curtly as he answered, “I’m fine. Focus on the others.”
Gloria appeared moments later, rushing to his side, as she said, “Oscar! Thank the Moon Goddess we’re safe because of you.”
He smiled at her, a warmth in his expression that he rarely showed me. My chest tightened, but I pushed the feeling aside and returned to my work. After all that I had done, I would never own his heart.
Orla’s voice broke the silence in me as she said, ‘Lisette, you can’t keep doing this. You’re giving everything when the Alpha gives nothing.’
Again, my wolf continued, ‘You’re stronger than you think. One day, you’ll see it.’
What my wolf had said kept being replayed in my mind. She was right. It was time for me to change.
‘I must change for myself,’ I thought to myself.
