Chapter 29

CHAPTER 29

SEREN

“ L eon, sweetheart, you can’t keep sneaking back into Daddy’s room,” I whisper, crouching down to his eye level. “He needs his sleep.”

Leon pouts, his small hand still gripping the doorknob. His forehead scrunches up. “But I want to play with him, Mama,” he says, his voice quivering with the effort of holding back tears.

Since the attack, Leon has become inseparable from his father. And Theron coming home from the hospital has only eased his nerves a little bit.

“I know, baby. And you will. How about we go play in the gardens for now and come back later?” He glances at the door again. “Lana made bacon corn dogs. She said she’ll cut up two for you.”

“Okay,” he mumbles, reluctantly releasing the doorknob.

Some of the staff’s kids are already by the swings, and as soon as Leon spots them, he gobbles down his corn dogs and rushes over. I had four extra swings installed because Leon doesn’t like sharing his favorite one. The kids are starting to get along well, and seeing Leon playing with them makes me smile.

“Sage or lavender?” Lana asks from across the table, lifting the lid of an antique porcelain teapot. It reminds me of Luna Marie.

“Lavender, please, but only if you’re also having some,” I reply, hoping she’ll join me for a conversation. With Ella gone, I miss having someone to talk to at the estate. Lana usually leaves right after Leon’s eaten his snack.

She hesitates for a moment before dropping the dry sprigs into the pot, then looks at me with a glint in her eye. “Just wait here,” she says, dashing to the staff entrance at the back.

Less than a minute later, she returns with a plate covered by a cloche, placing it in front of me. “I heard you love blueberries,” she says breathlessly.

Under the cloche are a few misshapen muffins and two perfectly crisp blueberry Danishes. I pick up a muffin and offer her the plate, but she shakes her head.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be the brave one,” I say with a wink, breaking off a small piece as her eyes widen.

“I’m kidding,” I add, taking a bite. “Oh my God!” The overload of blueberries and the sprinkle of sugar on top are brilliant. “This is outstanding, Lana.”

She leans across the table. “You know when I share stories about how you…” She suddenly scrunches her nose and bites her tongue.

“Oh! So, you’ve been gossiping about me?” I giggle. She is the complete opposite of Ella .

“No! I mean, you’re so nice and you treat everyone equally. In my previous pack, it wasn’t like this. The luna there was a nightmare.” She shudders.

“Is your family also here now?” I ask, pouring tea for both of us, ignoring the luna remark.

“Kinda,” she smiles, taking her cup. “My mate is here.”

Over tea, we start chatting about her mate and her new life here at Mammoth Lakes, when she suddenly says, “You know everyone in the pack is waiting to meet you. They want to welcome their luna home. Some have even started planning a party.”

My lips twitch to the side, and I clench my jaw. “I don’t know how everyone got that idea, but I’m not the luna. Did Alpha Theron say that’s what I am?"

She gasps again, her palms cupping her cheeks. “Oh no! We all found out on our own. The alpha never named you. When he was addressing the pack about the loss of Titan…”

“Wait, what?” I push my teacup away.

“You didn’t know?” She looks at me wide-eyed. “Alpha Theron lost his wolf during his mating ceremony with Luna Vanessa. Even though he kept getting weaker, he didn’t tell anyone. It was only six months after the passing of his chosen mate, when the elders started pushing him to take another one, when he came clean to everyone. He shared how his fated mate left because of his actions, and he refused to take another mate. He said he was quitting the pack because how he treated her made him unfit to rule.”

“What?” I whisper as my heart slams against my ribs. Being an alpha had always meant everything to him. But he was ready to quit the pack when Titan left him ?

“But Titan’s here,” I say, knowing I’ve talked to him. “What do you mean his wolf left him?”

“His wolf went away. The alpha was...like a human. He couldn’t shift. Couldn’t heal.” Leaning in, she whispers, “We thought he wouldn’t survive.”

A sharp pain shoots through my chest. Theron’s earlier words suddenly make sense.

“We kept getting attacked. We all worried Alpha Landon would take over. Titan returned the day Leon arrived. Everything got better after that.”

I feel a jolt of electricity course through me.

“Everyone in the pack is so grateful to you for your kindness. They’d love to meet you. You are their luna, even if Alpha Theron hasn’t marked you.”

Remembering how the guards, cooks, and everyone I’ve met so far has bowed to me, I realize they weren’t acting on Theron’s orders. They chose to respect me of their own free will.

“I can’t be a luna. I’m human,” I answer with a small smile.

“But you are our luna. You made the ultimate sacrifice. You held the pack together. That’s what a luna does.”

I can’t wrap my head around the implications of that. My phone rings, and I take the opportunity to slip away.

An overwhelming urge to see Theron takes me straight to him. Thankfully, the lights are off and he is deeply asleep.

His hair is overgrown. His face is peaceful, without any trace of a frown. Soft snores escape him.

I gently push away the hair from his face. I can’t believe he went through so much all alone. Even in his sleep, he sighs when I touch his face.

My heartbeat picks up. I don’t even think before leaning in to place a soft kiss on his cheek.

Just as I’m moving away, he turns his face, presenting me with his other cheek. “Don’t be partial.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you were awake?” I whisper, swiftly trying to move away, but he grabs my arm.

“I wanted to let you take full advantage of me,” he says with a wink, his voice still soft with sleep.

I pull my wrist out of his grip, but as I’m moving away, he says, “My back is a little itchy.” He turns his gaze away from me, pretending to be embarrassed, but I know this man inside and out.

I roll my eyes as he sits up and removes his T-shirt. I grab a comb from the side table and start running it over his back. He groans.

“What is that? It’s too blunt. It isn’t helping. Can you use your nails?”

I shake my head but do as he asks, and after a dance of “no, not that spot…to the left…lower,” he soon starts sighing. I continue running my fingers over the fading scars on his back, hoping it brings him comfort.

“I’ve really missed you, Seren. You can’t imagine how much. Each day was a fucking nightmare.”

Tears gather in my eyes as I hear the vulnerability in his voice. For the first time, I don’t doubt his words. Circling my arms around him from behind, I hug him tightly .

“Promise me you won’t leave me again,” he says as our cheeks touch.

I don’t answer, but his arms hold onto mine, and we stay like that for a while. He slowly rubs his cheek against mine, sighing.

What do I do? Can I trust him again? Are my feelings just nostalgia, or is this real?

Needing an escape, I make an excuse about filling his water bottle and slip away. As I press my back against the wall outside, trying to steady my breathing, the question repeats in my mind : Can I give us another chance?

Suddenly, a series of loud, jarring noises erupts from the other side of the room. My heart races as fear grips me.

Another attack! I race back inside Theron’s room.