Chapter 4 A New Luna

The Moon Tower's conference room was already filled when he entered. Conversation died instantly and every head lowered in respect.

"Alpha." The pack elders echoed, standing up on their feet as he entered.

Leo gave a brief nod, taking his seat at the head of the long table.

"Let's get this over with." He announced, his eyes skimming over everyone present. He never liked to spend too much time in the presence of these people, if they weren't discussing pack matters, they would be on his neck about their next Luna, and that was a conversation he didn't like to have at all.

As if on cue with his thoughts, immediately after Elder Freya finished discussing the pack's healthcare system, she switched the topic.

From her expression, he already knew what was coming.

"Alpha," Elder Freya began carefully, her aged voice steady. "It has been three years since Luna Everly passed."

The room grew heavier immediately the previous Luna was mentioned.

Leo's expression hardened.

"We believe it is time..." the elder continued, "...time for the pack to crown a new Luna."

They had never spoken of a new Luna this directly before, usually they mentioned it stealthily, carefully even. It seemed they had grown desperate, this time speaking about it upfront without any indirect hints.

Another elder nodded in agreement, it seemed they had all planned beforehand to bring up this conversation, determined to coerce him into heeding their advice.

"Elder Freya is right, Alpha. A pack is incomplete without a Luna to stand beside its Alpha." Elder Gilbert said and they all murmured their agreements.

Luna.

The word echoed in his mind, and with it came that image again.

Her. That woman who had been in his suite that night...

On the bed, her long blonde hair scattered all around her, clothes disheveled from how he'd rumpled them, impatiently entering her because he was unable to continue controlling himself.

She was breathless, those same green eyes staring up at him.

Leo's hands clenched into fists.

Not again.

Not now.

A sharp crack echoed through the room as his fist slammed against the table.

The elders all flinched at once, though they had decided collectively to bring up this topic and push it to the alpha further, they had never expected him to have such a fierce reaction to it.

"Since when?" he said coldly, his voice dropping dangerously low, "Since when have you all taken it upon yourselves to manage my personal life?"

Silence, a thick, oppressive silence stretched. No one could dare to say a word, not with the alpha radiating this amount of rage. He never got this angry even when Luna Everly's name was mentioned in the past, why was he so furious now when they were only suggesting he crown another Luna for their pack?

"Blue Moon Pack is the strongest pack in the world," he continued, his alpha aura beginning to seep out. "We lack nothing."

The pressure in the room intensified.

Several elders lowered their heads immediately, unable to withstand it.

"If anyone dares bring up the topic of a Luna to me again..." His eyes darkened. "You won't like the consequences."

"Forgive us, Alpha," they quickly said in unison. "We have overstepped."

Having no choice, all the elders quietly retreated from the conversation.

The tension lingered for a moment longer before Leo stood abruptly.

"Meeting dismissed."

He didn't wait for a response as he stalked out of the room.

Timothy stared at his back, bewildered by his reaction.

'He has never gotten angry before when the elders talk about a new Luna, why is he so furious now?'

He stormed out of the conference room, irritation still simmering beneath the surface.

"Alpha Leo."

He stopped, Tim approached carefully. It seemed like there was a ticking time bomb around the alpha, he had to be careful if he didn't want that bomb to explode on him too.

"Grand Luna is waiting for you in your office."

Leo closed his eyes briefly, rubbing his temple.

His grandmother?

"Did she say why?" he asked flatly.

Tim hesitated. "No, Alpha."

Leo exhaled slowly. Somehow he already knew what the old woman wanted to talk to him about. Who else would be behind the elders constantly reminding him to crown a new Luna?

---

The moment he stepped into his office, she stood up from the sofa.

"Why were you so harsh to the elders today? They were just thinking about what's best for the pack." Grand Luna Yolanda began to scold immediately her grandson arrived.

Her gaze was sharp and assessing, calculating even but there was no warmth there.

Grand Luna Yolanda might be considered a sweet old woman by some, but to her grandson she was strict and harsh, always determined to get him married to some alpha's daughter she was trying to arrange for him. It was no surprise she already heard what happened at the meeting with the elders even though it had just happened, the woman had eyes and ears that would report everything to her live as it happened.

"I don't plan on taking another Luna, Grandma. The sooner you accept that, the easier things will be for us all."

Ever since he lost Everly, Leo had sworn to himself that he would never have another woman by his side ever again, and he had never desired anyone until...

He immediately shut down the thought before he could remember that woman from that night again.

"A week ago," Grand Luna Yolanda began without preamble, "you had a woman in your suite."

Leo's expression didn't change but his shoulders stiffened slightly. He wasn't surprised she came to know about that, his grandmother knew absolutely everything that happened within the pack.

"Are you finally deciding to remarry?" She asked excitedly, like a child who was hoping to be given a truckload of ice cream.

He suppressed the urge to sigh.

"Who told you?" he asked instead, his tone cool even though he already knew how she must have come about the information.

Her lips curved faintly. "I have my ways."

Of course she did.

Leo shot a brief glance toward the door.

Tim was definitely going to hear about this later, from what he knew, his beta might be among one of his grandmother's sources.

"I'm not getting married," he said flatly, dashing the old woman's hopes even before she could begin to cook up weird plans.

Her eyes narrowed. "Then who was she?"

Leo stiffened, the question lingered in the air but he said no words to answer.

Who was she?

Her face surfaced again like a dream that refused to end, her tears, the fear he'd clearly seen on that gorgeous face.

And something else...

Something that twisted that strange ache in his chest even tighter.

"I don't know," he said finally, his voice quieter than before.

That wasn't entirely a lie, he didn't know her name. Didn't know where she came from even though his late father's beta had called her his daughter. He'd never even seen her before that night, though he didn't pay attention to every single member of his pack, a face that beautiful, that charming it stuck to his mind, if he'd seen her, he would never forget.

He didn't even know why she affected him the way she did, but he knew one thing...

He hadn't been able to forget her, not for a single day.

His grandmother watched him closely, studying every expression as it flickered on his face.

"Find her Leo, clearly she has occupied your mind."

Leo's gaze snapped back to hers.

"What?" he didn't think his emotions showed on his face. He was so accustomed to binding every feeling behind an indifferent expression and no one would see it.

"If a woman can linger in your mind this long," his grandmother said sharply, "then she is not ordinary. Have you thought that she might just be your fated mate?"

His jaw tightened.

"She is not," he replied coldly. "She is just a mistake that will never happen again."

But even as he said it, that ache in his chest flared again, stronger and sharper this time, like his heart was rejecting the lie he was trying to tell himself.

His grandmother didn't miss that expression which fleeted past his silver orbs. Her eyes gleamed faintly.

"You can lie to me, Leo" she said calmly. "But you cannot lie to your wolf."

Those words hit him hard and his hands tightened into strong fists.

'No Leo, she is not your mate...she can't be...' he told himself repeatedly so it wouldn't become a fact that would settle deep into his heart yet at the thought of her, something in his wolf melted and warmed up.