CHAPTER 69: CHAPTER 69

Chapter 69

Astrid’s POV

I woke up with a groan, my body feeling heavy, my mind feeling heavier. For a blissful, fleeting second, I didn’t remember. And then it all came crashing back in a humiliating wave: the kiss. My panic. The wounded look in Kaeleen’s eyes. His apology.

My cheeks burned with a fresh wave of shame. I had spent half the night tossing and turning, replaying the moment over and over again, each time feeling a fresh stab of regret. I had ruined it. I had taken a moment of genuine connection and shattered it with my own brokenness.

A deep sense of dread settled in my stomach at the thought of facing him. What would I say? What could I possibly say? I buried my face in my pillow, wishing I could just disappear for a day. Or a week.

When I finally forced myself out of bed, the silence of the massive house was a relief. I padded out of my room and listened. There were no sounds from downstairs, no sign of Kaeleen. A part of me, the cowardly part, was grateful. I didn’t think I could handle the awkward tension that would surely hang between us.

Deciding to make the most of his absence, I resolved to throw myself into something productive. I couldn’t hide in my room forever. I was supposed to be the Luna of this pack, and it was time I started acting like it, even if I felt like a fraud.

After a quick shower and dressing in a simple pair of jeans and a soft sweater, clothes from my shopping spree that now felt like they belonged to a different, more confident person, I made my way to the office that had been designated for me.

It was a beautiful room, nothing like the cold, sterile office Leon had occasionally let me use. This one was warm and inviting, with large windows that overlooked the vibrant garden, a comfortable-looking armchair in the corner, and a sturdy oak desk that was surprisingly clear of clutter.

A young woman was already there, organizing a small stack of files. She looked up as I entered, her face breaking into a wide, sunny smile. She was young, maybe twenty at most, with bright, curious eyes and a cascade of cheerful red curls.

"Good morning, Luna Astrid!" she chirped, her energy infectious. "I’m Lila. Alpha Kaeleen assigned me to be your assistant. It’s such an honor to meet you!"

I couldn’t help but return her smile, though mine felt weak in comparison. "It’s nice to meet you too, Lila. Please, just call me Astrid."

"Oh, I couldn’t!" she said, her eyes wide. "Well, maybe I will. If you insist." She beamed. "I’ve laid out the daily pack reports for you. Honestly, there’s not much. Alpha Kaeleen is incredibly efficient. He believes a happy pack is a pack with no problems, so he solves them before they can get big."

She gestured to a slim folder on the desk. "This is really the only thing that needs a Luna’s final approval today."

Curious, I sat down and opened the folder. Inside was a formal request from the head of the pack’s child care center, a place they called the ’Sapling House’. It was a budget proposal for new outdoor play equipment, a small climbing wall, a safer slide, and some sensory play tables. Attached to it was a note from the pack’s financial advisor, a man named Marcus, flagging the expense as ’non-essential’ and recommending it be postponed until the next fiscal year.

I frowned, reading through the justification from the Sapling House’s manager. She argued that the current equipment was worn and that the new additions would greatly benefit the development of the pack’s youngest children. It wasn’t a frivolous request like how Marcus insisted it was. It was about investing in the safety of the children and making them comfortable.

"What usually happens with something like this?" I asked Lila.

"Well," she said, leaning forward conspiratorially, "usually, Marcus says no, because he’s a grumpy old man that only knows the word no."

I chuckled at her words.

She continued. "And I’m not sure how Alpha Kaeleen usually handles it. I never worked with him directly. But I’ve heard of arguments he has had with Marcus because of his everlasting no as the pack members have nicknamed it."

"And again, we are talking about the children in the pack. Alpha Kaeleen has insisted that they be given priority amongst other things. So..."

She didn’t complete her words letting me think about what to do with the information she had just given me. I liked her already.

A warmth spread through my chest at her words though. Of course, that’s what Kaeleen would believe. It was so different from the Moonshade pack, where everything was about power and status.

I looked down at the documents. I could just sign my approval and let Kaeleen fight the battle with Marcus later. But that didn’t feel right. This was my responsibility now, too. An idea sparked in my mind. It was a small thing, but it felt important.

"Lila, could you bring me the overall budget for pack maintenance?" I asked.

She blinked, surprised, but nodded and quickly retrieved another, much thicker folder. I spent the next hour poring over it. Just as I suspected, there were several cosmetic projects scheduled, repainting a fence that already looked fine, replanting a flower bed that was perfectly healthy. The costs were minor individually, but together, they more than covered the expense of the new playground equipment.

I took a fresh piece of paper and wrote a formal directive. I approved the budget for the Sapling House and offset the cost by postponing the non-critical cosmetic projects. I detailed my reasoning clearly, stating that the development and safety of the pack’s children took precedence over minor aesthetic upgrades. I signed it with a hand that was surprisingly steady.

’Luna Astrid.’

I handed the directive to Lila. She read it, her eyes growing wider with each line. When she looked up at me, her expression was one of pure admiration.

"Wow," she breathed. "That was... brilliant. You didn’t just approve it; you solved the budget issue completely. Marcus can’t argue with this." She grinned. "You’re going to be an amazing Luna."

Her praise sent a pleasant, unfamiliar flush of pride through me. It felt good. It felt like I belonged.

With my work done, the house once again felt too quiet, too empty. The thought of Kaeleen returning loomed over me. I needed to get out. I grabbed the sketchbook and pencils Rebecca had given me, remembering a place she had pointed out on our tour. A secluded spot with a magnificent old willow tree, its branches weeping gracefully over a small, calm pond. It sounded peaceful.

The Emerald Glade pack was enormous, more like a sprawling, luxurious town than a traditional pack compound. Manicured lawns gave way to lush gardens and walking trails. As I strolled, the scent of jasmine and roses filled the air. It was a world away from the dark, oppressive forest that surrounded the Moonshade pack house. Here, I could breathe.

I found the willow tree easily. It was even more beautiful than I had imagined. I settled onto a bench, opened my sketchbook, and for the first time in a long time, let the simple act of observing the world quiet the noise in my head.

I was just starting to capture the curve of a low-hanging branch when a frantic voice cut through the peaceful afternoon air.

"Leo! Maya! Christian! Kids, Where are you?"

I looked up, my focus broken. A short distance away, near a large, open field dotted with playground equipment, a group of three women were calling out names, their voices laced with growing panic. I frowned, closing my sketchbook and standing up. Something was wrong.

I approached them cautiously. "Is everything okay?" I asked.

One of the women, her face pale with worry, turned to me. "Luna! We... we can’t find them. Three of the children. Leo and Maya. They’re twins, and then Christian, they are always getting into mischief. We just turned our backs for a minute, and they were gone."

"We’re the pack nannies," another woman explained, wringing her hands. "We look after the little ones who are too young for kindergarten. They’re only three but Christian is two."

My heart gave a lurch. Missing children. The words sent a chill down my spine.

"Okay," I said, my voice coming out calmer and more authoritative than I felt. "Let’s not panic. Panicking won’t help us find them. How long have they been gone?"

"Maybe ten minutes," the first woman, Maria, said, her voice trembling.

"Alright. You three, search the playground again. Check inside the little playhouse, behind the bushes, everywhere. I’m going to walk the perimeter of the field. They couldn’t have gone far."

They nodded, looking slightly relieved to have a plan, and hurried off. I, on the other hand, closed my eyes and focused. I pushed aside the scent of flowers and cut grass, trying to isolate the specific scent of a child. It was difficult, a jumble of smells all mixed together. But then I caught it...a faint trail, smelling of sweet juice, dirt, and that unique, innocent scent of a young werewolf pup.

It led me away from the playground, past the manicured gardens, and toward a section of the grounds that was more wild, a thicket of trees and overgrown bushes that bordered a dense patch of woods.

My heart beat a little faster. This was not a place for small children to be playing. I walked further, pushing aside low-hanging branches, my ears straining for any sound.

And then I heard it.

A soft, suppressed giggle.

Relief washed over me so intensely it made me feel weak in the knees. I stopped, a smile touching my lips. They were just hiding, playing a game.

The giggle came again, closer this time, from behind a large, dense rhododendron bush just ahead. But just as I was about to call out their names, the giggling stopped. Abruptly. It was like my ears were playing a trick on me and I hadn’t heard them laughing before.

The air grew still. The woods suddenly felt darker, colder. My smile vanished.

’Sheena?’ I asked my wolf, my internal voice sharp with sudden alarm. ’Did you hear that?’

A low growl rumbled deep in my chest, Sheena’s immediate and affirmative response. ’Yes,’ she answered, her own senses on high alert. ’I heard it. And then it stopped.’

Just that made me stand at alert. I just hoped there was nothing wrong happening.