“You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Did something happen, Alpha?” Luna Sierra asked as soon as she saw Alpha Jake who stormed into their bedroom. It happened that Luna Sierra had also only arrived.
“I have to go somewhere,” Alpha Jake said, pacing with a conflicted look.
Luna Sierra frowned. “What’s going on?”
But Alpha Jake didn’t turn to answer, moving fast towards the large cabinet by their bed.
Frustrated, Luna Sierra walked up to him and blocked the wooden furniture. “Tell me what’s wrong, Alpha. If you don’t, I can’t help you.”
Alpha Jake looked at her, seemingly at a loss.
It was the first time for Luna Sierra to see her husband and mate appear this way. Just what shocked him to this extent?
Curious and worried, she carefully gauged, “Is this about General Argus’ report this morning? I heard he reported about the dry spring plateau.”
Alpha Jake shook his head. It seemed he realized he was being too rash with his decisions. He took deep breaths and plopped down the bed.
Luna Sierra sat next to him and gently touched his arm. “You can tell me your worries, Alpha. I’m your mate, after all. I’m also the Luna of this pack. You can rely on me.”
Even though she was curious and desperately wanted to know what was bugging Alpha Jake, Luna Sierra also deeply loved this man. Seeing him in such a hopeless state made her heart uneasy, her wolf restless.
Despite her careful and gentle words, however, Alpha Jake remained silent. He seemed to be in deep thought.
Luna Sierra sighed and just took him to her embrace, rubbing his back.
Alpha Jake slowly calmed down. It took a few minutes before he pulled away.
“Thank you, Luna,” he uttered before he stood up again.
“Where are you heading now?” Luna Sierra asked. Didn’t he have any plans of telling her about his worries?
Alpha Jake took off his coat and replaced it with another. “I will be scouting the border with General Argus. You can go to sleep first.”
Luna Sierra could only watch as Alpha Jake left.
She let out a deep sigh, feeling neglected and offended. She glanced at the mirror and couldn’t help but glare at her reflection. Even when they were already bonded, it always felt as though she was still fighting the ghost of Alpha Jake’s first Luna.
“Even when you’re gone, you still try to steal him from me,” she muttered, scoffing with bitterness, anger, and sadness.
“Alpha has been keeping too many secrets lately,” she said, clenching her hands, her eyes turning serious. “I must find them out. I’m the pack’s Luna so I deserve to know everything.”
***
Outside the main pack house, Alpha Jake walked with his beta and three other fighters. He recalled his conversation with General Argus and couldn’t help but sigh.
Light Shadow Pack.
In his mind, that pack had long been gone. He forced himself to forget after all. Even Sana Azalea, the only advisor he allowed after Prime Luna Martha, told him to forget to keep his clarity and sanity.
But as they always say, fate will always bring one back to their assigned path, no matter how much one tries to run away from it.
One way or another, you would have to face the things you kept running away from.
“How is the border?” Alpha Jake asked General Argus as soon as he reached the Southern Borders.
General Argus relayed the situation. After a while, when everybody else was far away enough from them, he opened, “The result is out, Alpha. Healer Aida said the poison that killed our hunter… It did not come from the mainland.”
Alpha Jake’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
Without humor, General Argus said, “There’s a possibility that it came from one of the packs across the Moon Seed Lake. It’s either from the White Crescent Pack or the Light Shadow Pack.”
The eyes that stared back had trembled. Alpha Jake took a sharp breath and looked away.
“Are you okay, Alpha?” General Argus asked.
“Yes… I’m fine,” Alpha Jake answered, stopping the general who wanted to help him.
“I understand it is difficult to process this right now,” General Argus said. “I want to tell you that I, Argus, will not let anything happen to the pack borders. And whoever did it to our hunter, I will make them pay.”
Alpha Jake knew General Argus was a man of his word. Even when his daughter died many years ago, this man still held on and fulfilled his position at the borders, always watching and protecting the pack from any danger.
Yet, it was also the reason why Alpha Jake knew General Argus couldn’t have this task.
When General Argus heard about it, he was surprised.
“Are you doubting my skills?” he asked.
“No,” Alpha Jake said. “It is because of the people we are going to face soon… I’m afraid they won’t be relying on skills alone.”
“Do you mean those two packs across the lake?”
Alpha Jake looked down, a painful expression etched on his face.
The Light Shadow Pack wasn’t foreign to him. In fact, he had met them – their leaders – many times in the past. Once, when he was still young, and the Light Shadow Pack’s rulers, Alpha Reid and Luna Sandra, were all still young and free of the responsibilities of being pack leaders.
“That pack must have hated everyone from the mainland… Probably even now,” Alpha Jake said quietly, his tone heavy with a mix of regret, sorrow, and guilt. “... It is best to leave them alone.”
His words hung in the air, thick with unspoken memories and shared history.
He thought of how he and the rest of the world had chosen to forget the tragedy, opting to stay away from that one pack.
It was easier to bury the past and avoid the reminders of the pain and suffering they had endured. Everyone knew the depths of their anguish, the devastating event that had led to the most painful tragedy in history.
A tragedy where almost every pack on the mainland bore some responsibility for happening.
***
Naya’s head shifted slightly as she lay on the bed, lost in unconsciousness. Once again, she found herself in a vast, unfamiliar field. The air was cool and filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers. As she took cautious steps forward, the sound of a mother humming a lullaby to her child floated to her ears, gentle and soothing.
Who was that woman? Why did she keep appearing in Naya’s dreams?
Just then, a man with a blurred, indistinct face emerged from the distance. He approached the pregnant woman, carrying a basket brimming with berries and nuts.
“I picked them earlier,” the man said, his voice warm and comforting.
The woman selected an almond, smiling softly before placing it in her mouth. The man moved closer, tenderly placing a hand on her swollen belly.
“One day, our children will also learn how to grow their own tree nuts. I will teach them,” he said with a hopeful gleam in his eyes.
“You’re not going to teach them how to fight?” the woman asked, her tone light and teasing.
Naya now understood they were probably bonded mates.
“In the future, our children won’t need to fight. I will encourage them to become healers instead,” the man replied, his voice full of conviction.
The woman chuckled, her laughter melodious and sweet, tugging at something deep within Naya. The atmosphere around the small family was serene and idyllic. Butterflies flitted around them as they leaned against each other, sharing stories and humming to their unborn child.
Naya watched from a distance, her heart heavy with mixed emotions. Suddenly, she heard a rustling sound beside her and glanced over to see her wolf. Sighing, she reached out, but the wolf ignored her, sprinting towards the small family instead.
Frozen in place, Naya watched as her wolf happily circled the family, joining them in their peaceful moment. The light around them grew brighter, forcing Naya to open her eyes. She squinted against the sunlight streaming through the open window of her bedroom. As she adjusted to her surroundings, she sat up, confusion and a strange sense of longing washing over her.
Why did that serene scene keep appearing in her dreams? And now, even her own wolf had joined the family.
Who were those people, and why did they haunt her in her sleep all the time?
“You’re awake,” came a familiar voice from the entrance.
Naya turned and saw Kael standing by the doorframe, his torso glistening with fresh water. The morning light highlighted his devilish smile, making it even more alluring. Droplets of water trailed down his chest, shimmering in the soft glow. His intense gaze held her captive as he approached.
He bent down, bringing his face inches from Naya’s, his breath warm against her skin. His eyebrow arched with curiosity as he hummed, “Were you crying just now?”