I was floored that he could even think like that. My father was the reason Keegan became Alpha in the first place—he taught him everything Keegan needed to know.

“All he wants is to spend time with you, he’s not trying to hold you back,” I said, my voice shaky as tears filled my eyes. “If you can’t stand him, if you can’t stand us, at least pretend for a little while. Just make him happy for once. Can’t you do that?”

I could handle it if Keegan said he hated me, but not my father. My dad was my hero, the one person I had left.

Keegan? He was turning into a mess of a husband. My father had been nothing but good to us, and I couldn’t believe Keegan would think like that, especially when my dad was dying. All my father wanted was a little time with us, and Keegan couldn’t even give him that.

When my father finally passed away, I was crushed. While I was lost in my grief, Keegan was focused entirely on Fenrisa. It was like I didn’t even matter anymore.

Keegan had been pulling away for a while, shifting his attention from me and the pack, but this was the final straw.

The whole house felt heavy with grief after my father’s passing, but we had to get moving to prepare for his funeral.

In our pack, we believed in returning our important members to the sea, where the Goddess of the Moon and the sea were one.

We needed to get to the rocky shore we called Divine Gate before the body started to decompose. It was important to send him off looking his best.

Our shaman would lead the ceremony with chants and songs, and after washing and anointing the body with sacred herb oils like sage, lavender, and myrrh to purify his spirit, we’d place him gently on a driftwood raft or boat surrounded by floating candles to light the way.

Since we lived a bit far from the ocean, I had everyone start prepping that night. By dawn, we were on our way to Divine Gate.

The tight timeline and all the hustle and bustle distracted me from my heartache for a bit, keeping me busy with all the arrangements.

To keep things simple, I decided it would just be the shaman, two helpers, two important pack members, and me. I wanted to keep it low-key—drama was the last thing we needed right now.

Usually, the Alpha would be there too, but since Keegan was still MIA, I stepped up. It was my dad, after all, and whether he was there or not, the ceremony had to happen.

As we gathered by the shore, I took a deep breath and delivered my final speech. “We’re here to say goodbye to a great man, a wonderful father, and an amazing Alpha—Rhys Stone. He spent his life supporting us and the pack, always there to help and teach anyone in need.

“Now, let’s pray to the Moon Goddess to accept his body and soul and place him in the highest place he deserves. May our pack stay strong after losing such an extraordinary figure, and may new leaders rise up who will be just as remarkable.”

With that, we lit the candles and gently pushed the raft out to sea, watching my father drift away into the waves.

I tried so hard to keep my sobs at bay, but tears kept streaming down my face as I noticed other pack members struggling too. It was a heavy atmosphere, with everyone silently listening, some unable to hold back their own tears.

By lunchtime, we were back at the pack house.

I didn’t even bother with a meal—I just headed straight to my bed, desperate for sleep. I hadn’t gotten enough rest lately, especially not after the chaos of last night. My head was spinning, and my body felt drained.

I finally closed my eyes for a moment, only to be jolted awake by a gentle touch on my hand. Confused and startled, I looked up to see my father sitting at the edge of my bed.

A mix of joy and confusion washed over me, and I couldn’t find the words as tears welling up again.

He smiled at me, and after a moment of silence, he said, “Sabine. You are a great Luna. I’m proud of you. Be strong, and beware of the flower.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could get a word out, he started to stand up and walk away. I reached out, trying to stop him, but the more I stretched my hand, the farther away he seemed to get, like some invisible force was pulling me back.

Suddenly, I gasped, realizing I was still in bed, the room dark and empty. It had all been a dream. I scrambled to remember every detail—his smile, the clothes he wore, and his last words.

“Beware of the flower? What flower?” I wondered to myself. I recalled how my father used to take me into the forest to smell all kinds of flowers, teaching me which ones were good for health, which were poisonous, and which were safe to eat.

The more I thought about it, the more confused I became. Eventually, I decided it was just a random dream, probably brought on by my sadness and longing for him.

My stomach grumbled, reminding me it was dinner time. I dragged myself to the table and forced down some bland food. It wasn’t that it was poorly cooked; I just felt so low that I couldn’t appreciate it. Still, the aroma of roast, fresh herbs, and fried vegetables wafted through the air, making my mouth water a bit, even if my heart wasn’t in it.

After finishing off my plate, I made my way to my father’s room. Everything was just as it had been; no one dared to touch a thing without my say-so.

As I stepped inside, I was hit with familiar scents that wrapped around me like a warm blanket.

The air was thick with the deep, earthy aroma of polished mahogany, its age adding character to the space.

The varnish had worn off, leaving behind the raw musk of the wood, mingled with the soft smell of worn leather from the old armchairs.

Then there were the musty notes of old books and scrolls, the dry, papery scent reminding me of damp leaves tucked away in the dark.

But the most striking smell was sharp and medicinal, a reminder of ointments, bitter pills, and tinctures. Alongside these, I could catch a hint of dried herbs—chamomile, valerian, and other natural remedies that had once been meant to heal.

Now, those scents hung in the air like memories of his battles with illness.

As I wandered deeper into the room, the smells grew stronger. I paused by the bed, running my fingers over the soft surface, now marked by the dent where he had lain for months.

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, trying to hold onto the lingering aroma he left behind.

I focused on the scents, trying to break them down, but then I caught a whiff of something odd I hadn’t noticed before.

It was faint but intriguing. I leaned in closer, and it seemed to be coming from his pillow, so I took a sniff.

It was unexpectedly sweet with creamy undertones, unlike the usual herbal or floral scents. It definitely wasn’t from his grooming products or anyone’s perfume.

I figured I would sleep on it and check out the flower park and forest for something similar in the morning.

But when I strolled down for breakfast the next day, I was hit with a sight I really didn’t want to see. There was Keegan, digging into a turkey leg while flashing his smile at none other than Fenrisa.

I scrunched my nose as I caught the same sweet and creamy scent I had noticed in my father’s room while walking toward the dining table.

“Luna Sabine, you’re here!” Fenrisa greeted me, her sickeningly sweet charm on full display. Normally, I would just throw her a fake smile and keep the peace, but today I’d had enough.

“Of course, I’m here,” I said, sliding into the chair across from them. “The real question is, where were you, Alpha Keegan?” I didn’t bother hiding my frustration as I glanced his way.

His grin faded instantly, and he shot me a look. “Sabine, let’s not do this now. I already told you where I went, and Fenrisa is here because—”

I cut him off. “You’ve been gone for over a week, Alpha. Do I need to remind you what your actual responsibilities are? And why is she here, anyway? I don’t want anyone hanging around unless they have a good reason.”

Fenrisa’s face fell as she put on her classic ‘wronged’ expression, looking down. “You’re right, Luna. I guess I should go. I don’t want to overstep.”

I rolled my eyes and started filling my plate. I knew exactly what she was doing—playing the victim to manipulate Keegan, and as usual, he couldn’t see it.

“No, Fenrisa. Stay,” Keegan said, his voice softer now, as if trying to soothe her. He reached out to take her hand. “We still need to talk, and I promised I’d show you around. Don’t pay attention to her.”

“I’m serious. She’s leaving after breakfast, or I’ll have her escorted out,” I said flatly.

Keegan’s grip tightened on his fork, but he didn’t say anything. He knew I wasn’t bluffing, and that the pack would back me, even though he was the Alpha.

Once breakfast was over, I just sat there, waiting for her to leave. The tension hung in the air until Fenrisa finally spoke, her voice all soft and sweet. “Alpha, I think it’s time for me to go. I don’t want to upset Luna. Will you walk me to the gate?”

“We’ll have some omegas take you back to Bloodmoon Claws, Ms. Black. Thanks for stopping by,” I said, gesturing for the maids to come over. As they led her away, Keegan shot me a dirty look and stood to leave.

“Where do you think you’re going? I’m not done,” I called after him.

He stopped and glared at me. “What more do you want? I’m so tired of this!”

“You owe me an explanation. You said it would be a quick meeting, but you were gone for days. You knew my dad was—”

He interrupted, his tone sharp. “Don’t start with that again. You always use your father to trap me. I can’t get a moment of peace here! I was meeting with Fenrisa and the other Alphas, planning for the future. She actually trusts my leadership, unlike you and your father, always making me feel like I’m not enough.”

I was about to speak, but he kept going. “I want things to change! I’m done with these old traditions. They’re pointless. We’ve been running this pack by your ‘superior sense of smell’ for far too long. Who cares if you can smell better than anyone else? We need real plans—alliances, expanding our territory, making us stronger. Not this tired way of doing things.”

His words hit me like a punch, leaving me speechless. He turned to leave again.

“Keegan,” I finally said, my voice quieter. “If you think my dad was such a burden, you should feel relieved now.”

He stopped in his tracks, turning slowly. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“He’s dead.”