Capítulo 46

Jason growled, turning to face the aura preceding the enraged Alpha that stormed out of the packhouse. Phoebe studied the approaching male, certain she had never seen him before. But if he wasn't an invited guest, she wasn't certain what he was doing there. Trailing behind him was a young she-wolf only a few years older than the trio she talked to previously. Phoebe's eyes shimmered silver as Máni came closer to study the pair. She and her wolf were in agreement, though content to watch as their mate stepped forward to meet the aggressive Alpha.

"Alpha Jason! I demand an explanation!"

Jason eyed the other coolly. His gaze flickered from the Alpha to the she-wolf, then to his Beta and Gamma who trailed them. Luke and Ben shook their heads, signaling they had no idea what it was all about either. Jason's gaze returned to the Alpha daring enough to challenge him on his own territory.

"How can I help you, Alpha Rick?" Jason asked, recognizing the other Alpha from his security tour.

"You dare ask me that after what you've done!" Rick demanded. "Or do you intend to deny it?"

"You'll have to be more specific," Jason said. "Just what are you accusing me of doing?"

"You're having a Luna Ceremony."

"Naturally, I found my fated mate. Why wouldn't I?"

"Found your fated and you dare deny it wasn't my daughter?" Rick growled. "Are you really going to deny the pup she's carrying isn't yours?"

The announcement caused a stir among the Lunas, who were staring at Phoebe with envious eyes moments ago. For years, Jason had shrugged off the advances of other she-wolves. Now he claimed to finally have found his mate, but was that even the truth?

Jason growled, his eyes swirling as Lobo pressed to the surface, "I never touched your daughter. I went to your pack for a security check and cut my visit short because you couldn't control your daughter after I repeatedly complained about her outlandish behavior."

"Y-you dare accuse my daughter of trying to seduce you?" Rick stuttered.

"That's right. Disgusting, considering she's barely of age to sense her fated mate."

"Why, y-you..."

"There is an easy way to settle this," Phoebe finally spoke, stepping out from behind Jason.

"...Phoebe," Jason whispered, slightly panicked as she moved out of his protective shadow to stand between him and the Alpha. Should the other lose control, she would be attacked first.

"And who are you?" Rick demanded.

"Phoebe, I'm Luna of Blue Moon," she calmly answered. Her confidence caused the other visitors to take notice. Despite the rumors swirling around her, she didn't seem at all concerned or unsure of her place.

"...Luna... of Blue Moon," Rick repeated.

Phoebe smiled. Her Luna aura had already engulfed their small group, bringing Jason comfort as well as calming the other. Luna auras were not as potent as an Alpha's. While an Alpha aura was like a typhoon, Luna auras were more like an incoming tide, slowly engulfing the beach. Their influence was often more subtle, but that also made it harder to fight or guard against. Only moments ago, Jason and Rick had been ready to tear each other apart, and now both were quiet. Phoebe's silver eyes flickered to the young she-wolf hiding behind her father. Being young, she lacked any defense against Phoebe's aura. The she-wolf was so relaxed she was practically hypnotized. Phoebe didn't like to use her aura this way, but it was the quickest way to settle the matter at hand.

"...As I was saying. If we want the truth, we only have to go to the source," Phoebe said, causing everyone to look at the other she-wolf. "I'm afraid I don't know your name. What is it, if I may ask?"

"T-Tracy."

"It's very nice to meet you," Phoebe smiled. She could feel the pressure of everyone around her, but she ignored them. "And you are with pup?"

"Yes."

"How lovely. You must be excited."

"Yes."

"And the pup's father is your fated mate?"

"Yes."

"What is your mate's name?"

"Derek."

A collective gasp went through the onlookers as Phoebe withdrew her aura. Her eyes returned to their normal gray. As her influence waned, Tracy blinked as if coming out of a trance. Her gaze widened, realizing what she had said in front of so many witnesses. She looked at her father as he grew bright red in embarrassment and anger.

"Derek?" Rick growled. "Who is that?"

"He's... He's the gardener."

"A gardener!"

"My father was a gardener," Phoebe said, her voice calm but with a warning edge to it. "And he treated my mother like a queen."

Rick opened his mouth but snapped it shut. Jason growled. Without Phoebe's influence, he was quick to reassert his authority on his own pack lands.

"Considering how difficult it has become for Alphas to find their fated mates, you should celebrate your daughter's fortune to have found hers within your own pack," Phoebe added, eyeing the rival Alpha. "And you're very lucky to be having a pup so soon." Before they were marked by their mate, she-wolves' heat cycles were not nearly so potent and the chances of becoming pregnant significantly lower. However, once marked, their heat cycles were considerably more difficult to conceal. There was also no denying the truth of Phoebe's words. Finding a fated mate should be a joyous event, as should the birth of a new pup.

"Luke, could you show Alpha Rick and Tracy to a room? It's very late, and I think they could use some rest."

"Of course, Luna," the Beta nodded, smiling at how easily she defused the situation.

Still stunned and somewhat embarrassed, the visitors followed him inside. Jason's arms snaked around Phoebe's waist, pulling her close. Nuzzling her, he kissed the nape of her neck. Lobo growled with pleasure, finally calming.

"Phoebe... you're amazing."

"You better not forget that."

Tracy crept down the hall. It had taken hours for her father to stop raving and fall asleep. She planned it all so carefully. Since finding her mate, she made regular nightly visits, enjoying their time together. Her mate might only be a gardener, but in bed he was a beast and she was always satisfied. But she was an Alpha's daughter. She was meant to be Luna. There was no doubt in her mind she was meant to be with Jason, the most powerful Alpha known for generations.

Why else would he have waited so long to take a mate if he wasn't waiting for her? Just who was that gray-eyed she-wolf anyway? There was something uncanny about the she-wolf's shimmering silver gaze. How had she known Tracy found her mate? Who was she? Was she really Jason's fated mate? She was so petite and... forgettable. Who would want such an average-looking mate? It had to be a mistake or a joke.

Since their arrival, Tracy had picked up a few rumors from the other guests. According to them, Jason's mate had been rejected by her first mate. That alone was enough to prove the she-wolf was wholly incapable of fulfilling her duties as Luna. What was more, she was supposedly wolfless. A wolfless female couldn't be Luna. And yet, Blue Moon said nothing about canceling the moonlit run tomorrow night after the Luna Ceremony. How was a wolfless Luna supposed to lead such a run?

Part of her wanted to sit back and enjoy the show, but she needed to make her move now. It was her last chance. Once she returned home, the truth would be known. She wouldn't be able to hide it. All she needed to do was convince Jason to be her mate, then all would be forgiven and forgotten. She would be the Luna of the most powerful pack in all the Northern Continent, perhaps the world. If Jason wanted to keep the other she-wolf as a mistress, Tracy had no qualms. After all, she would keep her mate around for the same purpose.

Though it was large, the Blue Moon packhouse was essentially arranged the same as any other. Tracy quickly made her way to the upper floors but found herself stopped by security. Though patrols were common outside, she hadn't expected any inside the packhouse, but it seemed Blue Moon's focus on security was no exaggeration. She had no way of knowing that security had been increased after another already breached etiquette the night before.

"They are expecting me," Tracy tried to argue.

But the guard didn't buy the excuse. She even tried to use her aura on him, but he merely shrugged it off and she wasn't sure how he did it. The warrior couldn't be more than a Delta or at most a Gamma, and she was the daughter of an Alpha. It shouldn't be possible for him to ignore her orders. And yet he didn't move from his spot and sent her away.

Frustrated, she returned to the floor where her guest room was located and almost gave up. Then she had a new idea. There was more than one way to the Alpha's floor. Heading down to the kitchen, she stumbled down dark hallways before finding the object of her search: the maid's freight elevator. Not even the main elevator offered a direct route to the Alpha floor like this one. The elevator opened into a narrow, dark hallway. It would have been impossible for her to make her way to the main part of the floor without her wolf's enhanced vision, but eventually, she arrived at the suite of rooms in the heart of the packhouse. Her wolf whimpered, begging to go back to their mate, but she shoved its protests aside. She had much bigger plans than a mere gardener could accommodate.

Silently, she pushed open the door and stepped into the room beyond. Tracy made her way to the bed where she could just make out a form sleeping in the center. She almost laughed out loud. Of course Jason would be sleeping alone. There was no way he would allow that skinny she-wolf to share his bed.

Tracy eagerly slipped into bed beside her dream Alpha. Scooting closer, she pressed herself against him, reaching around, her hands eager to feel his muscled body. Instead, she grasped a soft, malleable breast.

"I think you were expecting someone else," a gentle voice said.