Two days went by. Kiara began taking her online classes, which kept her occupied most of the time. She had always been focused on her studies. It was clear that the brand-new laptop was really useful. The young lady picked it up fast as well.
Fortunately, due to her status as the Luna, her responsible and gorgeous Beta and Gamma females would not allow their Luna to perform any household work, even washing her bedding and clothes. An Omega would come to the room twice a day. The new Luna was provided meals three times a day, on schedule. All of her friends would join her at the dinner table. Kiara had to confess that being here had completely transformed her life, she had respect, authority, and power. She had not been treated like a slave in the Ardara Moon Pack, since Martha would not have allowed anybody to torture her daughter simply because Sawyer felt she was bad luck, but Kiara needed to do all of her own chores. It was a wonderful way for her to spend her time.
In comparison, she was treated like a goddess in Sirius Bright Pack these days. The pack's female elders came to see their young Luna. They hadn't gotten enough time to meet with her at the marking ceremony since it was full of so many twists and turns with Luna's escape and the spy's death. Fortunately, none of those old she-wolves put her to the test. Instead, every one of them had appreciated her for her ability to communicate and respect her elders. The old ladies of the pack were pleased by the young woman's ability to listen patiently to everyone's advice and issues while also expressing her own ideas.
The outcome of this small meeting had enthralled the pack's other females, who had wanted to pay their respects to their Luna. Kiara began to learn a lot about the pack's laws and regulations from Jennifer and Lena. The Beta and Gamma females gradually realized that the young lady who had shown them her calm, quiet, yet youthful side was fully capable of dealing with pack members. Her maturity can not be defined by her age.
Kiara was unable to meet with anybody during her lessons and other little chores that she had picked up with the aid of Jennifer and Lena. She devised a plan to visit the pack on Sunday, which was an excellent opportunity for her to engage with the other pack members. It was also one of Kiara's responsibilities that she had been dreading. She wished to make new friends.
While she was learning and adapting to the new pack's environment and norms, she noticed a change in her sister's behavior. Adira's phone number had abruptly changed. Yes, the reason for this was Noah. That mad dog had been giving her a hard time, but Adira was not giving up on Kiara and had refused to cut contact with her sister, but now their discussions had become nearly nonexistent.
The bulk of their conversations were done via message, but only at night. Kiara sensed her sister was concealing something far larger than herself. Talking to her mother wasn't going to help because if Sawyer found out Martha was talking to their second daughter they would get into a major fight, something Kiara didn't want. Something like this made Kiara concerned about her mother and sister, distracting her from her new life. But what if something was wrong? She thought that she had fixed everything when she had left her old pack with Xavier, but it did not seem like everything had gone according to her plan.
"Please, Adira, don't keep anything from me," Kiara murmured. How could she help her? She wished she could go back to her old pack and double-check.
Because she had no other means to find out the truth, she felt helpless and a bit disappointed. She couldn't force Adira to talk until she was ready. Unfortunately, Martha and Adira were Kiara's only friends, they were everything to her. Which meant there was no one in the pack that she could contact to tell her what was happening in the Ardara Moon Pack.
Kiara also noted Xavier's unusual behavior in addition to Adira's issue. She hadn't heard from him since the morning after the marking ceremony. She had only seen his face two or three times over the last couple of days. Sometimes he was seen chatting with Stephen about something in the pack house's office, other times he was spotted walking toward the parking lot. He'd been preoccupied with his Beta, Gamma, and other warriors all the time.
But the weirdest part was that he would leave the dining room before she had even come down for her meal, or he would not appear at all. On the other hand, even if Kiara passed in front of him, he would no longer spare a glance at her. Jennifer told her that the twin brothers had gone to another city for around 12 hours with their Beta and Gamma and would return later that night.
Kiara was willing to accept that he must have been exhausted that night because he had not come to their room. But when he did not return the next day, she could no longer ignore it. During Xavier's absence of two days and two nights, his scent gradually faded from the room, while Kiara's attention was constantly drawn to Xavier's unusual behavior.
When she needed books and stationery, she had chosen to go to the market to get them. Instead, Gamma Tyler had them in her hand in less than 2 hours. There was tension building in the pack that Kiara was unaware of, but she could see that Xavier did not want her to leave the territory. He wasn't around her, so how could he know what she needed?
The Beta and Gamma duo were always there to aid her whenever she needed it. Xavier never appeared, but Taylor took his place. Was Xavier displeased with her? Had she made some kind of mistake? Or had she done something that had made him unhappy?
Ignoring eye contact, refusing to acknowledge her existence, and declining to return to their bedroom even at night made her anxious. Was it due to the fact that he hadn’t been able to have two or more rounds with her that night? Could she not able to satisfy him? Or was she not his match in bed?
Should she have let him have his way with her even if she was exhausted? He didn't seem to have any issues at the time, right? Or had it just been because he had grown tired of her? Perhaps that was the explanation. Kiara did not want to feel used and thrown away. Just like Noah had done to her when he hadn't wanted Kiara to inform their father that he had bullied an Omega so badly that the poor girl had attempted suicide.
Sawyer had been enraged and thoroughly researched the situation at the time. The only witness to that incident had been the family's younger daughter. The terrified heir apparently had lost his shit because if the Alpha discovered his crime, he would never grant his Alpha status to his son, who had beaten and bullied his own pack member for no reason.
Kiara had been 15 years old at the time. She was easily manipulated by her older brother, who had begun to display his nice side and devotion to his mistreated sister. Noah revealed his true colors to Kiara the very moment the case had been closed in a lack of evidence. That had been the first and only time he had raised a hand to her and threatened her with never opening her mouth or telling their parents about his nasty secret. Kiara was dragged back to reality when she realized she had been used and dumped.
People would benefit from her first, then they would constantly push her away. Kiara felt the same way as a result of Xavier's actions. Not even wanting it to, a thought had crossed her mind that perhaps Xavier only desired her virginity, which he had obtained, so now she had been cast away.
Kiara expected to have a decent conversation concerning Xavier's surprising behavior toward her. She suppressed her irritation for a good amount of time. She had become determined to speak out first if he would not change his attitude. She did not even smell him around the packhouse today. He did not even come back for breakfast.
It was equally as likely that she had been overthinking and that he was really preoccupied with work. Kiara turned off her laptop since she couldn't concentrate on her schoolwork any longer. One of the reasons was that she had missed a few classes from the previous semester, making it difficult for her to grasp the new concepts.
She required a clear understanding, she needed to collect notes from the previous semester and speak with a couple of her classmates. But would she be allowed to leave the pack? She had the impression that Xavier was not on the pack grounds, so she couldn't obtain his approval. That's when Kiara had an idea. There was someone who could supply her with the notes she needed.
"Where are you going, Kiara? I thought you had classes, "Jennifer questioned as she saw her hurrying down the stairs.
"Yes, but I was confused and needed some notes. Do you have any clue where Cole could be at this time?"
"This morning, he drove Lena someplace. Perhaps they've returned. He's probably in the parking lot. Should I call the Omega for you?" Jennifer asked, immediately starting to mind-link, but she was stopped by Kiara.
"There's no need to call him. I want to talk to him on my own. I also have some issues that I need to discuss with him directly," Kiara excused herself with a small soft smile, then departed from the pack house in search of the Omega, who was actually in the parking lot.
Cole was washing one of the luxury cars of the pack's ranked wolves.
"Cole," the young woman spoke softly to her old buddy.
"Kiara!" Cole was taken aback for a few seconds. The sudden visit of the pack's new Luna surprised the Omega, who had too many eyes on him. "How can I help you, Luna?" The young wolf instantly dropped his head, correcting his earlier mistake of addressing her by name. The rumors in the pack were notorious for spreading like wildfire. If Alpha caught wind of it and learned that the Omega called his Luna by name, he'd be in big trouble.
"Are you upset with me because I attempted to attack you? I wanted to express my heartfelt apologies for that mishap. That day, I went insane and couldn't recognize you. I had no intention of hurting you. I apologize once more."
"I'm not mad at you at all!"Cole exclaimed. "I'm also aware that the first shift requires blood. I've been through it myself. What you did was a common occurrence, but you kept your cool and did not attack me. Yes, I was concerned since I hadn't identified you. If I had known that Wolf was you, I would have given you all of my blood. I'll never be mad at you."
Cole's emotions were all over the place, and his eyes were warmer than his words. If he'd realized he'd have given her all of his blood. Did she hear that correctly? Kiara blinked as she witnessed his genuineness, unexpected feelings, and commitment to her. It felt like it was more than just a friendly vibe.
Kiara cleared her throat slightly, which made Cole realize what he had said. He only scratched the back of his neck as he looked down at the ground, unable to explain the full meaning of his comments. "If you're not offended, why did you call me Luna?" Kiara chose to disregard some of the things he had said and cease overthinking the significance of his remarks as she continued her talk with Cole, who raised his eyes in astonishment.
"I don't want to perish at the hands of the Alpha if he overhears me calling you by your name," he freely expressed his dread of Alpha Xavier. Previously, he had been an unnoticed member of the pack, but Kiara's presence in Xavier's life has told Cole that the Alpha clearly has something against him in his mind. The Alpha was not fond of the young wolf. His eyes told him all that he needed to know. He was never required to speak it aloud.
"Why are you terrified of Alpha when I am the one who is allowing you to address me by my name? You are my friend. If you don't want me to stop talking to you or our friendship to come to an end, keep calling me Kiara. Otherwise, I’ll just completely ignore you."
"No! Please don't ignore me, Kiara," Cole became petrified. In an instant, her threat had struck his heart and head like poison. He felt as if he had lost his very purpose of existence.
"That's great!" Kiara smiled triumphantly as he finally conceded defeat and addressed her as she wished. Cole couldn't help but blush as he spotted Kiara flashing her gorgeous smile just for him. The young man's blushing face had drawn the attention of passing she-wolves. No question, he was handsome like he was from a rich family!
"Now that we've cleaned things up between us, I'd like you to never apologize to me again in relation to this situation," Cole urged.
"All right," Kiara agreed with a little giggle and a quick nod. "I came to you for another purpose, anyways. Actually, I require your help."
"Don't put it off! You may ask me anything, I would even rip my chest open and give you my heart..." Cole bit his lower lip as he realized he had continued to make the same blunder again and again. "Please don't take me seriously, I was only kidding”. He used his intellect and dealt with the issue as soon as it became uncomfortable.
"So, what do you need from me?" He lifted his brow and grinned at Kiara, who rolled her eyes.
"Your notes from the previous semester. Are those notes still in your possession?" he observed her eager chocolatey eyes, which filled him with happiness. He couldn't resist, and it made his heartbeat quick.
"I have them, but they're at my house," Cole averted his gaze, rubbing his cheeks and refusing to blush. She had a wonderful scent! But now that her smell had been blended with Xavier's, Cole felt as if she were never alone. That the Alpha was always around her, which made his heart hurt. She had become Xavier’s.
"Would you mind letting me borrow them? I'm having trouble comprehending the concepts because I skipped some lessons that I need now. I promise to get them back to you in a few days," Kiara promised. Cole chuckled and shook his head.
"There is no need for you to return the notes to me. You may keep them forever since you know everything is stored in my brilliant mind," The young wolf offered a powerful smirk to the young lady who had always adored the head of the class. Cole had always been the best student and had been a huge help to her in school.
"Okay," Kiara narrowed her eyes at him.
"Don't give me a death glare because I know you'll return them to me. I swear I'll never brag again," he chuckled as he led her to his place. They spoke about their time together in school and a few other topics on the way until Kiara noticed a crowd in front of a particular house.
"What's going on over there?" She inquired, taking a few steps close to it, then stopping when she observed a dead body in front of the house. She had no idea what gender the dead man was, but a middle-aged woman, a little girl, and a boy had been wailing close to the deceased man.
"This occurred approximately a half-hour ago; perhaps that is why you haven't been notified about it until now." Cole began to explain to Kiara who had been uninformed of the disaster with a sorrowful smile and a low voice.
"How did he die?"
"He was killed," he interrupted her.
"Who killed him?" Kiara scowled. The dead wolf's family appeared distraught and impoverished. Kiara, despite her kind nature, couldn't stand to see their tears. The little girl had been strong enough to try to help her mother keep herself upright.
"It was a vampire attack."
"Vampires killed him? But why?"
"I don't know, but there were reports that a vampire had been sighted near our territory, and now they've killed one of our pack members," Cole paused before continuing. "He was one of the guards that patrolled the territory. His corpse was discovered close to the border. The worst thing is that he was his family's sole means of income. His wife used to work as a chef in the parkhouse a few years ago, but she quit after having those adorable children. That she-wolf, though, will most likely not be the same after her mate's death. She has lost the other half of her soul."
Cole expressed this while watching the different expressions flicker across Kiara's face. They were a combination of sadness and rage. She had only been there for a few days, but she had been paying attention to her people, who were always nice to her. A death amongst them was unacceptable to her.
***
"The Alpha has arrived. Everyone is required to resume their work immediately," Tyler ordered as the Alpha twins approached the residence where one of their warriors had been found dead. The sobbing she-wolf rose from the ground, bowing to Xavier and Zander, who had only learned of the news 5 minutes earlier when their car approached the pack house.
"Take this woman back to her home and stay with her for a while," Xavier suggested. Lena attempted to quiet the weeping woman's children as she escorted them all inside the house until they finished their work. Jennifer remained with her mate, who had knelt on the ground beside the body.
Xavier and Zander stood there watching Kaiden examine the mark on the dead wolf's neck.
"He was bitten by a vampire," The Beta verified based on the mark and the stronger smell of the venom.
"That indicates that The Vampire King is violating our peace treaty! That young man was not lying when he said there were vampires on our land. Now they have begun to murder our people," Tyler spoke up after observing the Alphas' shifting expressions.
"I had previously guessed that the spy had been paid by someone wealthy. The large sum of money that had been placed in his account, the burner phone that the other person had been using, and now this murder all point to a vampire being behind it all. Our adversary's plan is not that of a normal individual. Alfred, the Vampire King, is begging for war!" Zander snarled.
The Sirius Bright Pack valued every wolf in the pack, whether they were high or low ranked. The Alphas were never willing to let them be harmed. Seeing one of his trusted men dead infuriated Xavier. The howls of the deceased wolf's mate and children continued to reach and echo in his ears, pouring fuel into the accumulating fire in his heart.
"Send his body to our medics for a postmortem, Kaiden. If it is confirmed that he is behind this murder and installing spies in my pack, the Vampire King Alfred will have a taste of his own medicine!" Xavier said.
"Yes, Alpha!" The Beta motioned to another guy to carry the deceased wolf to the pack hospital.
"Tyler, order our accountant to get his ass to my office. This family will be provided substantial compensation. We will cover all of their expenditures. We will pay for their schooling and other expenses until they complete their degrees and obtain suitable jobs." Zander's declaration was well received by the rest of the pack members. The dead body had been removed, but Xavier was still thinking about all the missing pieces of the puzzle.
"But I'm still perplexed as to why they broke the peace treaty. It's not like the all-powerful Vampire King Alfred is oblivious of our power. Why would he purposely antagonize us? What exactly does he want from us?" Tyler raised a legitimate question that drew everyone's attention.
"They began wandering about our region three to four days ago. It suggests they're after something we didn't always have but now do," Zander's remark that triggered Xavier's thoughts. Dean began to howl as the Alpha wolf detected the familiar scent of rose and chocolate, indicating the presence of their mate nearby. Xavier lifted his head and turned to the right. His green eyes locked with her and she heard every word they had spoken. When Cole's face came in front of Xavier, a spark of rage ignited in his blood.
"Why the fuck is he always around her!!" Dean roared. He'd been dealing with that young annoying wolf hanging around Kiara a few days earlier, but now that the Alpha Wolf was aware of the reality of his woman, he couldn't see them together. Xavier clenched his palms again, holding his gaze at Kiara, who gave him a rebellious look before walking away.
Fuck! How dare she ignore him? And why the fuck did that asshole follow her like a dog?!