I looked down from the stairs, where Lydia was helping an elderly she-wolf steady herself. Her hair was perfectly coiffed, her hand gripped a wolf-fang cane, and her face was a mask of iron.

Lydia tried to smooth things over, saying, "Elder Luna, Luna isn't being wasteful. She's trying to give Alpha—"

"Silence!" the old she-wolf cut her off, striking the cane sharply against the floor. "Do you have any right to speak here?"

I immediately guessed that this had to be Kyler's mother. Lydia had told me she usually stayed at the old pack den. She had come specifically for the bonding ceremony, though her flight had been delayed by the weather.

I had only met Kyler's mother once when I was very young. The memory was already fuzzy. But whenever she sent Kyler homemade treats, she always included something for me. In my heart, she had always seemed kind.

I hurried down the stairs and slipped my arm through hers. "Mother! You're here!"

However, she jerked away from me and turned to the sofa with a look of pure disdain.

She sat down and scrutinized me from head to toe. "You've just become Luna, and already you're ignoring proper duties. You skip important tasks to mess with scraps no one wants. I think you're only trying to waste the pack's resources."

"No, Mother!" I said quickly, bringing forward the results of my morning's work. "Look! I patched the worn areas on the armor. It strengthens it without restricting movement. The little pouches for medicine don't leak, and they hang at the waist for easy access. All this was made from discarded scraps. It saves so many resources!"

The Elder Luna froze, her expression stiffening slightly. "Is this stuff... actually useful? Don't tell me it just looks good but falls apart in real combat."

I nodded hard. "I gave it to a Warrior to test. He said it's practical and convenient!"

The Elder Luna's gaze shifted to the courtyard. Spotting the newly planted fruit trees and flower seedlings, she let out a cold snort, pointing toward the yard.

"Even if these things save resources, I heard you had the servants plant trees and flowers. Do you even know how much effort and resources it takes to maintain a manor?" she asked.

"I just wanted to make the courtyard lively," I said softly, tugging on her sleeve. "Mother, imagine flowers and fruit all around, the breeze carrying their scent. Wouldn't that be wonderful? Did you ever make flower crowns when you were a pup? When the flowers bloom, I'll make one for you. Wearing it will make you happy."

She said nothing and just stared at the courtyard, lost in thought.

I pressed on, "If you don't like flower crowns, we could pick the fruits instead. When it ripens, we could even make honeyed dried fruit! I wonder if Alpha likes to eat it."

Lydia was standing beside us, her shoulders shaking slightly. I knew she was holding back a laugh. The Elder Luna took a deep breath, gripped her cane, and straightened up.

"How can a Luna call her mate 'Alpha'? Don't you understand the rules of the pack?" she snapped.

With that, she stormed off. Lydia and the others hurried to escort her downstairs.

I turned back to my room, leaving the door slightly ajar, and went back to tinkering with the remaining scraps of leather, turning them into bracers. Not long after, the door pushed open. A werewolf I didn't recognize poked his head inside.

When he saw me, his eyes flickered with something strange, and he quickly said, "Luna, I'm Beta Dorian Sharp. Alpha sent me to fetch something."

His tone was polite, but his eyes kept darting around the room, as if searching for something. I raised my gaze, studying his unfamiliar face with suspicion.

Beta Dorian Sharp? Something about him felt off.

I frowned. "What did Alpha tell you to fetch?"

"It's an important document in the drawer in your room. I can go get it," he said, stepping toward the inner room with quick, urgent strides.

I stood up immediately to block him. "Wait. That drawer is locked. I'll get the key. You stay here by the door."

With that, I hurried out of the room to find Oscar. I explained to him that a suspicious werewolf claiming to be Dorian was waiting outside my room, saying he had been sent by the Alpha to retrieve something.

Oscar's expression darkened immediately. He called over several skilled Warriors without a word. By the time we reached my room, the werewolf was rifling through my things, clearly searching for something.

Oscar's eyes sharpened the moment he saw him. He recognized the fake Beta at once and ordered the Warriors to subdue him and take him away under strict guard.

Later, I overheard hushed voices by the door. It was another maid, Mia, whispering to Lydia.

"Honestly, this Luna is hard to read. She ignores the respectable duties of a Luna and fusses over scraps. She seems so clumsy. But then, the way she exposed the fake Beta just now... maybe she's not so dumb after all. She's strange, really."

Lydia's voice turned icy as she replied, "Is it our place to judge our Luna? And don't think I don't know about your little schemes, Mia. I suggest you keep yourself in line."

Mia didn't respond. She only cast a quick, strange glance toward my room.

The next afternoon, Mia showed up again. This time, she was with two werewolves. One of them opened a box he was carrying, which was filled with jewelry.

He smiled. "Luna, I heard you wanted to add a few things to the manor. This is just a small token from us. There's one little favor we hope you can grant... Please release Gideon."

I froze. "Gideon? Who is that? Does Alpha know?"

Mia chimed in, "He's the one who was caught yesterday. He got confused and accidentally wandered into your room. He was afraid of getting into trouble, so he played a little joke. He didn't really do anything wrong. Alpha's busy with pack affairs and isn't at the estate right now, so there's no need to alarm him. You're clever. I'm sure you know how to handle it."

I stared at the jewelry. These pieces could be used to craft so many sets of armor. But... Gideon was such a strange werewolf.

I clutched the hem of my dress, my voice barely above a whisper as I said, "I... I can't take these. If Alpha found out, he'd be angry."

Third Person POV

Casper Reed had been tied up with border disputes for ten days straight, unable to return to the manor. However, his thoughts never left his Luna.

On top of that, his mother had just arrived from the old wolf pack den. Stern, old-fashioned, and notoriously picky, he worried she might make things difficult for his Luna, risking the alliance between the two packs.

But the news from his subordinates carried an unexpected twist. The Elder Luna may be sharp-tongued, but she had already secretly accepted the new Luna in her heart.

The first day she arrived at the manor, she complained to Oscar the moment she got into the car. "I hear that she-wolf has only been Luna for a couple days, and she's already got the whole pack running around catering to her every whim. I want to see what kind of she-wolf is that spoiled!"

The next day, Dorian reported that the Luna had caught a spy from a rival pack.

Even the Elder Luna allowed herself a rare word of praise. "That spy thought he could use the new Luna's ignorance of Dorian to steal documents. That she-wolf has some brains. She managed to uncover a spy hiding so deep. Compared to the pack's brutes who only know how to fight, her mind is far sharper."

By the fifth day, Dorian reported that the Luna visited the Elder Luna's room daily, chattering endlessly about forest rabbits and wildflowers in the valleys. She scolded her for being noisy, but had the chef prepare her favorite roasted venison.

On the seventh day, Casper sent someone to check in, only for his mother to snap, "We're just chatting. Why are you poking around?"

Leaning back in his chair, Casper let out a relieved laugh. At last, the worry in his chest eased. He was about to dive into pack business when the office door swung open. Kyler stood in the doorway, travel-stained and weary, exhaustion written clearly in his eyes.

Casper put down his work and gestured toward the sofa across from him. "Looking at you, it seems the Shadow Pack gave you more trouble than you expected."

"Not too much trouble," Kyler replied, tugging at his coat and waving it off. He pulled a gift box from his bag and set it on the desk, smiling. "This is for your bonding ceremony. How does it feel, being bonded?"

Casper let out a sigh. "Honestly, I kind of regret it."

"What are you regretting?" Kyler asked, raising the glass of whiskey on the table and downing it in one gulp.

"I hesitated at first. I've been on the move constantly, and I worried I might make her life harder. But now... now that she's here, I regret it," Casper admitted.

His mind drifted back to the night of the bonding ceremony, when his Luna had fallen asleep at the table, clutching his clothes and the meal box she'd made for him.

His eyes softened despite himself. "I regret not meeting her sooner, waiting instead for the pack to grow strong and stable first... It was pointless."

There was a warmth in Casper's voice, full of affection as he added, "On the day of our bonding ceremony, I had to deal with some territory matters. She didn't cause any trouble at all. Instead, she took the discarded armor and fabrics in the storeroom and repurposed them, saving the pack a lot of resources. The Warriors all said it was incredibly practical."

Kyler jabbed him lightly, a mix of envy and admiration in his tone. "The Moon Goddess really favors you. All the way here, my Warriors kept telling me that Ember Pack's Luna is sensible and capable. When I heard that, I was green with envy."

"Now that the border dispute is settled, let's talk about the alliance at my manor," Casper said, slipping on his coat and heading out first.

The fruit trees in the manor's garden were just budding. The air carried the scent of flowers, far sweeter than the smoke and tension of the borderlands. Before they even reached the garden, a crisp, cheerful laugh drifted through the air like wind chimes.

Kyler caught a glimpse of movement among the blossoms. A she-wolf was chasing butterflies with a maid trailing behind her and a small kitten bounding after them. Sunlight spilled over her, casting a warm golden glow.

That figure, that familiar scent...

It was Elsa! The she-wolf he had been searching for all this time!

Kyler's breath caught. His heart pounded so fiercely he felt it might burst from his chest. He took a step forward, almost shouting her name. But just a few steps from the flowerbed, his arm was suddenly seized.

"Kyler!" Casper's voice rang out. He laughed, explaining, "My Luna has been playful lately. She's taken to gardening and raising a kitten. Don't make fun of her."

He said it casually, but the fondness in his eyes betrayed him completely.

Kyler stopped in his tracks, completely still. It had to be the exhaustion from searching for Elsa for so long, the constant strain on his mind, that made his wolf misread the scent. How could she possibly be here?

The wind still blew, and the scent of flowers was still sweet. However, all Kyler felt was a tightness in his throat and a sting behind his eyes. He remembered how Elsa had loved tending the garden, raising kittens, and chasing butterflies with the maids. But every time allied packs came to visit, Kyler had felt embarrassed.

A future Luna should be composed and graceful. She should be sitting in the parlor with guests, not running around the courtyard like a pup. So, he had ordered the trees cut down, the flowers uprooted, and the kitten sent away. He even punished the maid who played with Elsa.

The courtyard became quiet, but Elsa rarely smiled anymore. She would sit for hours on the giant stone in the garden, staring at the fish in the pond. In winter, when the pond froze, she would just watch the birds in the sky, lost in thought.

No one knew what she was thinking, and no one dared to ask. After all, she was the fated mate the Alpha looked down on.

Hearing the laughter now, Kyler's heart felt like it was being whipped, sharp and aching all at once. It didn't matter. Once he found Elsa, he would let her plant trees, grow flowers, and raise kittens. He would never stop her from playing again, and would never call her foolish again.

As the two Alphas reached the foyer, Oscar approached, looking a little uneasy. "Alpha, Elder Luna specifically instructed to not disturb Luna yet, as she is busy having fun."

Casper raised a curious brow. "What are they up to?"

"Luna has Elder Luna helping her weave something," Oscar replied, trying not to laugh. "She's making a little bell collar for her kitten and insists Elder Luna thread it for her."

"Then, she must finish it properly," Casper said, his tone full of indulgence. "Tell her I'm waiting to see her hand-made bell collar."

Kyler took a swig of his drink, but the smooth taste couldn't mask the sour ache in his chest. "You two are really something to envy."

Casper thought of Kyler's fated mate. He'd seen the she-wolf twice, but only from behind.

The first time was a year ago, just after Kyler had taken the mantle of Alpha of the Frostfang Pack. Casper went to congratulate the pack, and from a distance, saw a she-wolf sitting on a stone in the yard.

The early spring wind was still cool, and she just sat there, staring blankly at the water. She looked so fragile and pitiful.

When Casper chatted with Kyler later, the latter casually mentioned her, but his voice had a hint of awkwardness. "That's my fated mate. Her wolf hasn't even awakened yet. Sorry if she seemed laughable."

The second time was at the border of the Frostfang Pack territory. His Warriors spotted that same she-wolf following a Rogue and quickly intervened.

The Rogue had snuck into the territory, preying on naive wolves to use them as test subjects. Kyler was notified, but to avoid embarrassing his friend, Casper made a hasty excuse about being busy with pack matters and left.

Thinking this over, Casper couldn't help but say, "If she's in your heart, then seal the bond sooner rather than later. Don't let her be hurt."

As he prepared to leave, Kyler sat in the car and stared at the fruit trees and the sea of flowers in Casper's yard. His voice was hoarse as he whispered, "I want to, I really do... but right now, I don't even know where she is."

Not long after, Kyler dozed off. In his dreams, he thought he heard someone calling his name.

A she-wolf ran across the yard, leaping into Casper's arms with fruit in her hands. "I grew these. Taste them. Are they sweet?"

Casper gently stroked her head and said, "Yes."

In the next instant, the she-wolf turned her head. It was Elsa.

She smiled at Casper, that bright, sparkling smile Kyler hadn't seen in so long. Her eyes shone with light.

Kyler tried to move, but his body felt like it had been weighed down with lead. He wanted to shout "Elsa, I'm your fated mate!" but no sound came out.

"Alpha! We're back at the Frostfang Pack!" a voice cut through, pulling him from the dream.

Kyler rubbed his eyes and gave a bitter laugh. He must have gone mad from searching for Elsa to dream something like that. Why would she be with Casper?