After Lucian, John, and Uncle Xander retired to their rooms, I went back to mine, my mind replaying everything that had happened at the hospital.
Especially Luna.
How had she managed to save that patient from dying?
A faint smile appeared on my lips before quickly fading as another thought crossed my mind.
Yuan had imprisoned three of my best men.
The irritation returned instantly.
I pushed the door open and entered my room quietly. Luna was already asleep, though she looked uncomfortable. Her brows were furrowed as if she was in pain.
Her swollen ankles.
The high heels she wore earlier must have worsened the bruises.
Without a word, I walked to the drawer, took out an ointment, and sat beside her. Carefully, I applied the cream to her bruised legs.
She whimpered softly in her sleep.
For a moment, I stared at her.
Then I took her hand, allowing a little of my Alpha energy to ease her pain.
To my surprise, it worked effortlessly.
"Feeble human," I muttered quietly before letting go of her hand and lying down to sleep.
Morning came faster than expected.
I woke up looking tired, but Luna was already awake. She sat at the edge of the bed, staring at her ankles in confusion.
"They healed?" she whispered.
"That's one of the benefits of having an Alpha near you," I said while grabbing my towel.
She crossed her arms instantly.
"Rude. I didn't need your help anyway."
I scoffed.
"Is that how feeble humans say thank you? How amusing."
She lowered her gaze slightly before mumbling,
"Fine… thank you for helping me."
"Hm. You're welcome."
I walked into the bathroom before she could say anything else.
A few minutes later, I joined everyone downstairs for breakfast.
"Good morning, brother!" Mira greeted loudly with food stuffed in her mouth.
This girl truly enjoyed testing my patience.
"Good morning, everyone," I said as I took my seat.
After eating, I grabbed my phone and headed toward the door, checking my messages on the way out.
"I told you he would never change," Mira whispered dramatically. "Business mode activated already."
"Aunty and John, both of you owe us money," Lucian whispered proudly.
"What? No fair—"
"You cheated!"
The three of them began arguing in hushed voices.
I stopped walking and looked over my shoulder.
"You do realize I can hear everything you're saying, right?"
They all froze.
"You could at least wait for me to leave before gossiping about me."
"I thought you had a meeting in thirty minutes," John replied shamelessly.
"And I thought he hated being late," Luna added quietly.
Everyone turned to look at her in surprise.
She was usually silent during conversations.
"Luna is right," Uncle Xander said while walking down the stairs. "You're going to be late, Khalil."
I sighed dramatically.
"All of you are unbelievable."
The sound of their laughter followed me as I walked out of the mansion.
Luna's POV
After breakfast, everyone became busy.
Mira disappeared to do whatever it was she normally did all day. Uncle Xander went to train the troops for the coming war, while John and Lucian left to carry out Khalil's orders.
As for me, I decided to explore the mansion grounds.
The garden was breathtaking.
It stretched endlessly with green grass that reminded me of the evergreen forests back home. Roses of every color bloomed beautifully under the morning sunlight.
I smiled softly while brushing my fingers against the petals.
Then suddenly—
I heard a familiar voice.
A voice I could never forget.
My heart skipped.
Irina.
I looked up immediately and saw her talking to someone nearby.
Tears instantly filled my eyes.
"Irina!" I called shakily.
She turned around quickly, and her eyes widened.
"Oh my goodness, Luna!"
She ran toward me and pulled me into a tight hug.
"How are you? We've missed you so much! Kayla, Jake, and I were literally talking about you today!"
I laughed weakly through my tears.
"Khalil said if I refused to marry him, he would kill all of you and throw you out of the pack," I admitted quietly. "He scared me so much."
Irina sighed softly while rubbing my back.
"Luna… Alpha Khalil is our leader. We have no choice but to obey his orders."
"I know…"
"Still," she added gently, "I'm sorry things ended up like this."
I pulled away slightly.
"Where are Kayla and Jake?"
Her face brightened immediately.
"Come with me! They're going to lose their minds when they see you."
She grabbed my hand and dragged me toward one of the pack house rooms.
"Guess who I brought to see you guys!" she announced dramatically while opening the door.
Jake sat up lazily from the couch.
"Is it someone's head on a tray?"
"Jake!" Irina yelled.
He grinned.
"I was kidding. You take life too seriously."
I laughed softly before stepping fully into the room.
"Is that how you greet your old friend?"
Jake's eyes widened.
"No way!"
Kayla screamed and rushed toward me first, hugging me tightly.
"Luna! I missed you so much!"
"Move aside, she's MY friend," Jake complained while pulling Kayla away dramatically before hugging me himself.
"Why are you always possessed?" Kayla snapped.
"At least I'm lovable!"
"You're annoying!"
The two instantly started arguing while I laughed helplessly.
"Guys, calm down," I said while hugging both of them. "I missed all of you so much."
We spent hours talking and catching up until Jake eventually stood up.
"I have training," he groaned. "Apparently the great Alpha Khalil wants everyone ready for war."
Kayla rolled her eyes.
"Try not to die."
"No promises."
Later, Irina and Kayla showed me the rest of the pack grounds. We even visited their grandmother.
The old woman smiled mysteriously after seeing me.
Then she said something strange.
"Love arrives in the most unexpected shadows—silent, uninvited, like a secret the night refuses to explain.
And when it finds you… hold on to him before he becomes nothing more than a memory you can no longer reach."
I frowned slightly.
"I don't understand."
"You will," she replied softly. "When the time is right."
Her words lingered in my mind even after we left.
Eventually, the girls brought me back to the mansion.
I became bored almost immediately and wandered onto the balcony overlooking the front yard.
Jake was training below.
He was actually really good.
I smiled while watching him spar with the others, so distracted that I didn't notice Khalil arriving behind me.
"You're good," Khalil suddenly said to Jake.
Jake immediately stopped and lowered his head respectfully.
"Thank you, Alpha."
Khalil smirked slightly.
"Fight me."
Jake froze.
"What?"
"Come on," Khalil said in a vicious tone. "Show me what you've got."
Jake visibly panicked.
"A-Alpha, I don't think that's—"
I hurried downstairs before things could escalate.
"Khalil!" I called quickly.
He looked at me.
"Uncle Xander is looking for you in his room."
His eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"Fine," he muttered. "We'll continue this another time."
Jake mouthed a silent thank you to me before disappearing inside.
Khalil walked toward Uncle Xander's room only to find it empty.
A few seconds later
CRASH!
Something shattered violently.
The sound alone sent shivers down my spine.
"Barbie!" he roared.
My eyes widened.
I ran for my life.
I rushed into my room and hid inside the closet, trying desperately to control my breathing.
Then the door slammed open.
Heavy footsteps approached slowly.
"You know I can smell you, right?" he asked darkly.
My heart nearly stopped.
The closet door was ripped open instantly.
Before I could react, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me out.
He was furious.
"I wanted to train," he growled. "And you interrupted me by lying to me. Why?"
His voice echoed loudly through the room.
Tears filled my eyes immediately.
"Why are you crying, Luna? You—"
"Because you could have hurt Jake!" I interrupted through sobs.
He blinked slightly.
"And who exactly is he to you?"
"He's my childhood friend," I whispered. "We've known each other forever."
Something in his expression softened.
A little.
He exhaled heavily before letting go of my wrist.
"Fine," he muttered. "I won't kill your best friend. I only wanted to train with him."
Then, unexpectedly, he pulled me into a hug.
"Stop crying."
Later that evening, everyone gathered for dinner.
Auntie, Mira, Uncle Xander, Khalil, and I sat in the dining room quietly eating.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!" Lucian announced dramatically while entering the room.
"More importantly," John added while following behind him, "where's dinner?"
Mira rolled her eyes.
"Why are you always thinking about food?"
John looked offended.
"Because eating is living. Without food, I perish."
"You're so dramatic."
"And proud."
I laughed softly.
"Your food is on the table."
"Thank you, Luna," they said in unison before immediately attacking the food.
A while later, everyone moved into the living room.
Mira, John, and Lucian started teasing one another about not finding their mates yet.
"At this rate," Mira said smugly, "Lucian will marry a tree."
Lucian gasped dramatically.
"At least trees are loyal."
John pointed at Mira.
"You talk too much for someone who scares every man away."
"I do not scare men away!"
"You threatened one with a knife last week!"
"He deserved it!"
Their argument grew louder and louder until
"Ahem."
Everyone froze.
Khalil stood at the entrance watching all of us.
"Enough," he said calmly while sitting down. "Your voices are sharp enough to damage my eardrums."
Lucian coughed awkwardly.
"Welcome back, Alpha."
Khalil ignored him completely.
Uncle Xander's expression turned serious instantly.
"Since everyone is here," he said, "we can begin the meeting."
The atmosphere shifted immediately.
Lucian walked over and threw a large map onto the dining table.
Everyone gathered around it while discussing the attack they planned to launch.
And somehow…
A strange feeling settled in my chest.
Something big was coming.
Something big enough to take them all down.
They say love without love is like a tree without a banch of fruits. One sided love is very dangerous, what will Celine's next move be...