14 Chapter 14 Morning
Victoria
Rosa’s expression softens with understanding. She reaches across the island and pats my hand, her touch motherly and comforting. “Of course, Victoria. Whatever makes you comfortable.”
She turns back to her cooking, and soon places a plate in front of me loaded with fluffy scrambled eggs, bacon, and fresh fruit.
“Thank you,” I say, suddenly realizing how hungry I am. “It looks amazing.”
“Eat up,” she encourages. “You’ll need your strength in this house.”
Something in her tone makes me pause with my fork halfway to my mouth. “What do you mean by that?”
Rosa sighs, leaning against the counter. “Being an Alpha’s mate isn’t easy, Victoria. Especially not Leo’s. He’s powerful, stubborn, and used to getting his own way. But he’s also fiercely loyal and protective of what’s his.” She emphasizes the last word meaningfully.
“I’m not sure I know how to be what he needs,” I admit, the confession slipping out before I can stop it.
་པར་ན་
Rosa’s face softens. “Oh, honey. You don’t need to be anything but yourself. That’s who he chose.”
“He didn’t choose me,” I say bitterly, stabbing at my eggs. “My stepbrother sold me to him to pay a debt.”
The kitchen falls silent. Even Tiny shifts uncomfortably by the door.
Rosa’s expression darkens momentarily before she comes around the island and, without warning, pulls me into a hug. She smells like vanilla and cinnamon, and her embrace is so unexpected and motherly that tears spring to my eyes.
“Listen to me,” she says firmly, pulling back to look into my face. “Whatever brought you here, you’re here now. And in this house, you’re not property–you’re the Luna. Even Alpha Moretti answers to the Moon Goddess in matters of mates.”
I blink back tears, not entirely understanding but somehow comforted by her conviction. “I don’t even have my wolf yet,” I whisper. “I’m only half what I should be
“Your wolf will come,” Rosa assures me, patting my cheek. “Sometimes she waits until you’re truly safe to emerge.”
Safe. What a foreign concept.
“Now eat,” she commands, returning to her cooking. “A growing she–wolf needs her strength. And afterwards, if you’d like, I can show you around the house properly.”
I take a bite of the eggs, which are perfectly seasoned and delicious. “I’d like that, I say, feeling
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the smallest spark of hope ignite in my chest.
Maybe I can survive this after all.
“Rosa,” I ask hesitantly after a few more bites, “what’s Alpha Moretti like? I mean, when he’s not…” I trail off, unsure how to phrase it.
“When he’s not being the terrifying Alpha?” she finishes with a knowing smile. “He’s
complicated, like most powerful men. But he’s fair. Loyal to his pack. And he’s been alone for a very long time.”
Before I can ask more questions, the kitchen door swings open, and Tiny straightens to attention.
My heart leaps into my throat, expecting Leo, but instead, a different man enters–just as imposing but leaner, with sharp features and calculating eyes. He pauses when he sees me, surprise briefly flashing across his face before he schools his expression.
“Carson,” Tiny acknowledges with a nod.
Carson, Leo’s Gamma–gives a curt nod in return before his eyes settle on me again. “So you’re the human who has our Alpha tied in knots,” he says, his voice neither friendly nor hostile. “Interesting.”
KATH
I feel my spine stiffen at his tone. “Half–human,” I correct, surprising myself with my boldness. “And I have a name. It’s Victoria.”
A smile ghosts across his lips. “I know who you are, Luna Victoria Howlthorne. Everyone in the territory does by now.”
My stomach drops. “Everyone?”
“News travels fast in wolf circles, Carson replies, helping himself to coffee. “Especially when an Alpha who’s avoided taking a mate for a decade suddenly claims one.”
Rosa shoots him a warning look. “That’s enough, Carson. She doesn’t need pack politics with her breakfast.”
He shrugs, but his eyes remain on me, assessing. “Just making conversation. Better she hears it from us than others.”
“Hears what?” I ask, suddenly feeling like I’m missing something important.
Carson leans against the counter, coffee mug in hand. “That some in the pack are… curious about Leo’s choice. A half–blood with no awakened wolf is an unusual selection for an Alpha of his standing”
“Carson!” Rosa hisses.
“It’s fine,” I say, though it’s not. “I’m aware I’m not what people would expect.”
“Expectations,” Carson says thoughtfully, “are rarely what matter to an Alpha. Instinct is everything. And Leonard’s instincts are never wrong!”
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With that cryptic statement, he nods to Rosa, gives Tiny a meaningful look I can’t interpret, and exits as suddenly as he appeared.
I stare after him, my breakfast forgotten. “What did he mean by that?”
Rosa sighs, shaking her head. “Don’t mind Carson. He’s protective of Leo and the pack. He’ll warm up to you.”
“Finish your breakfast,” Rosa encourages gently. “Then we’ll show you your new house, one room at a time.”
I nod and pick up my fork again, but my appetite has diminished.
Just as I push a piece of melon around my plate, the kitchen door opens again.
My breath catches when Leonard steps inside.
Leo wears dark slacks and a crisp white shirt–unbuttoned halfway down, exposing the hard lines of his chest and the edges of a tattoo I can’t quite make out. The sleeves are rolled up, revealing his strong, veined forearms. His dark hair is still damp, like he just stepped out of the shower, and the scent of pine drifts across the room.
I instantly forget how to swallow.
My mouth goes dry, and I glance down at my now unappetizing fruit, hoping no one notices the way my cheeks are burning.
“Good morning,” he says, his voice smooth and deep as ever. His eyes find mine instantly, and the ghost of a smile plays at his lips. “You slept well?”
A
Not really. But I nod anyway. “Morning”
He walks over to the island, eyes never leaving mine, and takes the empty stool beside me. The heat from his body radiates across the short distance between us, making me even more aware of how little space separates us.
Rosa places a plate in front of him–eggs, sausage, toast. “Eat,” she says with affection. “You’ll need energy for what you have planned today.”
He arches a brow but doesn’t question her. Instead, he turns to me and says, “I was thinking we’d go into the city. Pick up a few things for the Hunt Festival”
“The Hunt Festival?” I echo, grateful for something to focus on.
“It’s an old pack tradition,” he explains, cutting into his eggs. “Happens every autumn. A celebration of strength, skill… and unity. There’ll be food, contests, music.” He glances at me. “You’ll want something to wear.”
Iblink. “Oh. I mean… that sounds nice.” Then I hesitate, biting my lower lip. “But I don’t need anything new. I have plenty of clothes.”
He frowns slightly. “You mean the three threadbare sweaters and two pairs of jeans my men
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packed from your room?”
I flush. “They’re functional.”
“Victoria,” he says, tone gentler now, “you’re the Luna of the Shadow Pack. You shouldn’t have to worry about whether you can afford a dress.”
I straighten, a little defensive. “I’m not used to spending money. After my father died, I had to work part–time just to afford shampoo. I’m not… I’ve never had much.”
His expression softens as he sets down his fork. “You don’t have to live like that anymore. I’m not saying to lose your values. But you don’t need to think like a prisoner or a servant. You’re not either of those things anymore.”
I glance down at my hands, fidgeting with the edge of my sleeve. “But I don’t want to be wasteful.”
“It’s not wasteful,” he says. “It’s your role now–to carry yourself with dignity, with pride. You represent me, and the pack. That includes how you present yourself. You can be humble and still wear something beautiful.”
My stomach knots with something unfamiliar–gratitude, maybe. Or awe. No one has ever told me I deserve anything more than just “enough to survive.”
TH
“I don’t know how to be that version of myself yet,” I admit softly.
He leans just a little closer, and his voice drops. “Then let me show you.”
The promise in his words makes my heart skip. There’s no heat in his tone, no pressure–just quiet certainty. And for the first time, I believe he doesn’t just see me as a burden or a duty. He sees something in me worth investing in.
“Okay,” I whisper. “You can show me.”
His smile is small but real, and I feel my chest tighten.
Rosa slides a second cup of coffee in front of him with a knowing smirk. “You better get going if you want to beat the weekend crowds.”
He stands, finishing the last of his drink. “We’ll leave in twenty minutes. Something casual is fine, but no jeans with holes in them,” he adds with a teasing glance my way.
I roll my eyes. “Yes, Alpha.”
He freezes for a second, then tilts his head with a slow grin. “Careful with that. I might start liking how it sounds coming from you.”
I flush again and quickly grab my plate, standing up. “I’ll go change.”
As I head up the stairs, I can hear Rosa chuckling behind me,
“Careful, Victoria,” she calls out. “That one doesn’t tease lightly.” No, he doesn’t.
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