Chapter 5: Chit-chatting With Helen

Kairos

I pulled Fala out of the public eye.

“What’s your game, Fala?” I demanded, my anger flaring.

She always knew how to push my buttons. “Can’t you show some decency? She’s your Luna.”

“Decency? To her? How can I when you don’t?” Fala’s laugh was bitter, and I found myself rooted to the spot.

“Did I say something that’s not true?” She wriggled free from my grip.

Fala was my kid sister, six years my junior.

She was only sixteen, but she acted like a rebellious teenager.

I knew she was right about my feelings for Adelie. I didn’t want her.

I never asked for a second chance, and I didn’t deserve one. I wanted to believe that the Moon Goddess had made a mistake, but I knew she was infallible.

I couldn’t deny the strength of the mate bond.

I felt every twinge of her heartache. It hurt that I was the one causing it.

But there was something else.

When I focused, I could sense a constant pain in her. Her heart was aching, and I had a feeling it wasn’t all because of me.

Even now, my heart was constricting.

It was ironic that I still had a heart while I was hurting my own soulmate.

I was fed up with Fala’s tantrums.

She always managed to get under my skin.

“Why can’t you be more like Raphael? He worships her, and it seems like everyone else thinks she’s some kind of hero.” It was true, the pack adored her.

“Yeah, they thought that about the previous Luna too,” she spat back.

“She’s your Luna. Remember that,” I told her before heading back to my house.

Adelie would be there. I wanted to be near her. To touch her. But I couldn’t.

It would be so much easier if she rejected me.

If she survived her mate’s death, I was sure she could survive rejecting me. If she rejected me, I’d be the one on the brink of death while she lived her life.

I could never reject her.

Rejection was the cruelest thing I knew. How could anyone reject their destined one?

I didn’t expect her to do it, because I could see that she was kind, good-hearted.

I just didn’t know how much pain she could endure before she confronted me.

Adelie would make a great Luna, but I couldn’t give her that much power.

I’d made that mistake once, and now I was paying for it. My once large pack was now small and filled with terrible memories.

Adelie

The Beta walked me back to the house. He didn’t say much, probably understanding my feelings.

I’d embarrassed myself in front of the entire pack, and my mate’s sister had even said that Alpha Kairos didn’t want me.

I found myself dreaming again of a place where I could just be, where my heart beat slowly, where I was loved and understood. Did such a place even exist?

Now, I was alone in this huge house, cut off from everyone else.

I was used to solitude. I’d never been allowed to make friends. ‘The fewer people close to me, the less I will hurt.’

I only fully understood that when my mother died.

I’d promised myself not to get close to anyone. And I was sticking to that promise. With a mate like mine, it wouldn’t be hard.

Thinking about the dying plants, I moved towards the plants on the wall shelves.

They should have been green and vibrant, but they were yellow, their leaves brittle, begging for a drink of water.

I had to save them.

I was a forest nymph, and nothing or no one could change that. I was now the nature spirit responsible for the Night Walkers pack’s forest and the plants within.

I was born to protect the environment around me, and even if it was the one thing that drove me crazy, I would do it with all my heart and soul.

I found the kitchen after a few rounds on the first floor. It was spacious, enough for five chefs to work simultaneously. I grabbed the nearest bowl, filling it with water from the tap.

In my haste, a few droplets escaped the bowl, but I didn’t let it deter me. I had a purpose. If this was to be my new home, I needed to prove my worth to Mother Nature.

There were five plants lined up on the shelves. I watered each one, setting the bowl down at my feet. As I gently brushed my fingers over the leaves, the plants seemed to perk up, their color returning. They were breathing again, they were alive.

A smile tugged at my lips. I loved that I had the power to heal. If there was one thing I cherished about my abilities, it was this. It was in my nature as a nymph to nurture, and plants were no exception.

With the plants revived, the room seemed to come alive. I could breathe life back into this place. If Alpha would allow it, a few rose bushes in front of the house would add a welcoming touch. Red roses against the dark grey wall would be striking.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps behind me. I stiffened as I saw Alpha Kairos standing there. He had made it clear that I was to stay out of his way, but I hadn’t listened. I was in his way, yet I couldn’t bring myself to move. I was rooted to the spot.

Alpha glanced at the plants, his eyebrows furrowing, before turning his gaze to me. “What did you do?” He asked, his jaw clenched.

“I watered them, Alpha,” I explained, unsure if I had overstepped.

“My maid does that,” he replied, his suspicion evident. But he shook it off. “Tomorrow, there will be a ceremony to welcome you to the Night Walkers pack as the Luna.”

His gaze was intense, but I tried my best to avoid eye contact. His voice was as bitter as it could get, almost forced.

“The ceremony will start at ten o’clock. I will send some female omegas to help you get ready. When you are ready, you will meet me here. Am I understood?” His voice was louder, trying to sound stern, but it felt unnatural, forced.

I nodded. “Yes, Alpha.” With that, he left swiftly.

How could I be his Luna if he didn’t even want me? Maybe it was just my mind playing tricks, but it felt like my heart ached more with each passing second. If this continued, I didn’t know how much longer I could bear it.

Once I became Luna, there was no escaping this pack. Once I became Luna, I was bound to this pack with my mind, heart, and soul.

I began to think about the ceremony. In my old pack, Alpha Archibald had once told me about the Luna welcome ceremonies. He had mentioned the Night Walkers Pack quite a bit, probably because they were neighboring packs.

Once a Luna is welcomed by the pack, there is always a run with a group of the Alpha’s ‘chosen ones’. It could be family, friends, or the highest ranks.

But I couldn’t shift. I wasn’t even fast as a human. This welcome would have to be different, just like everything else about me. I still didn’t know what the pack thought about my inability to shift.

I was born to stand out, but not in a good way. But I couldn’t change that. For the sake of the pack, I would try to be as normal as possible. I would keep my secrets until the day I died, and even after if necessary. If protecting the pack was the last thing I did, I would die with honor doing so.

Even if Alpha said that I would have no duties as Luna, I still felt responsible for its safety. If only Alpha knew the threat I posed. The danger I could bring.

My heart ached more than ever. I had two mates, and neither of them wanted me.

Just as I was about to retreat to my room, the front door swung open. A woman waddled in, her plump figure causing her to move in an uneven gait. She was dressed in skirts that hung below her knees, her hair a mix of brown and gray strands.

Her eyebrows were furrowed, lips slightly pursed, and a prominent mole adorned her right cheek. She was juggling a basket and three bags, clearly struggling with the load.

“Let me help you,” I offered, reaching out to relieve her of some of the bags. But she recoiled, shaking her head vehemently.

“No,” she snapped, hastily moving away, the bags thumping against her legs.

I trailed behind her. “I don’t mind helping,” I insisted, but she remained silent, even as we reached the kitchen.

She dumped her bags and basket on the kitchen counter, hurriedly stowing away the contents in the shelves. Her movements were frantic, her mutterings barely audible. She was a whirlwind of chaos.

Despite her refusal, I still wanted to help. It seemed like no one else was coming to her aid. I reached for an item from one of the bags, but before I could even identify it, it was snatched from my grasp.

Resigned, I took a seat at the counter. “What’s your name?” I asked.

“Helen,” she replied, her tone still brusque, but at least she responded.

“Are you a cook?” I asked, though her role was obvious. I was just trying to make conversation.

“If I’m in your way, I can leave?” I offered, my statement sounding more like a question.

I was about to leave when a cutting board, a knife, and some carrots were abruptly placed in front of me. “Cut,” she commanded, turning her back to rummage through a cabinet.

I couldn’t help but smile at the opportunity to be useful. I’ve always been the omega in the pack, relegated to cooking and cleaning.

I found myself chopping carrots, onions, potatoes, and some greens for the soup Helen was preparing.

It dawned on me that I hadn’t introduced myself. “My name is Adelie,” I said.

“I serve the Luna and Alpha,” she responded. I assumed she was referring to me, so she knew who I was.

“Helen, can I ask you something?” I asked, but she didn’t respond, continuing her frenzied movements around the kitchen. She was a walking storm, her work loud and messy.

“You’re a pack member, and I was wondering if you could answer some of my questions.”

Perhaps it wasn’t the best question, but I asked anyway, “What actually happened to this pack two years ago?”

For the first time, she paused and looked at me, her gaze intense.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, returning to her work.

But I saw a flicker of something in her eyes. Sorrow. Anger. Fear.

“Please, Helen,” I pleaded, approaching her and taking her hands in mine.

Helen frowned, but I could tell she wanted to say something. “We are not to speak of the past.”

“I have to know. It will help me so much to know what happened.” I could help the pack more effectively. Maybe I could uncover what was troubling Alpha. Maybe if I knew, I could talk to him about it.

I needed to know if Alpha was as bad as everyone said. Maybe the rumors were all wrong. I could sense a kind heart in him...

And maybe then he might actually want me to be his mate.

“Luna…” Helen began softly.

“Yes?” I asked.

“No.” She shook her head. “Other Luna.”

My heart pounded.

Other Luna? What was she talking about?

“What do you mean, Helen? Please tell me!”

She was about to speak, but then I heard heavy footsteps and ~his~ scent behind me. Helen looked over my shoulder, her eyes wide.

I spun on my heels, and my gut plummeted to an abyss.

There he stood.

Alpha Kairos.

And he appeared ~furious.~