She Eyed My Spot, My Alpha Let Her

Chapter 12: Preparations

Leia’s POV

The days that followed passed in a strange, quiet tension.

At first, nothing seemed out of place. The pack moved as it always did, routines unfolding with a familiar rhythm, conversations blending into the usual hum of daily life. But the closer my birthday drew, the more something felt… off.

It started small.

A few unfamiliar faces coming in and out of the pack house. The maids whispered more than usual. Packages being delivered and quickly taken away before I could even catch a glimpse of what was inside.

I noticed it, but I told myself not to overthink it. After all, I wasn’t recognized as Luna yet, though some called me Luna. My mate, who decided to stall our mating ceremony, wouldn’t even spare me five minutes of his time. I was just a… stranger in the pack despite my childhood history with it.

Then I began to see more.

Decorators arrived one morning, carrying fabric rolls and boxes of ornaments. They did not pass through the main hall like most workers did. Instead, they were quietly directed toward the larger event wing of the pack house, the one reserved for formal gatherings and high-profile functions.

I stood at the top of the staircase that day, watching them from a distance.

Soft shades of ivory and deep gold fabrics were being unpacked. I caught a glimpse of floral arrangements, elegant and expensive, nothing like the simple decorations I would have chosen for something personal. My chest tightened slightly.

Was there an event I did not know about?

I hesitated before asking one of the passing maids. “What is all this for?”

She froze for a fraction of a second before lowering her gaze. “I am not sure, Luna Leia. We were just told to assist.”

I studied her for a moment, but she avoided my eyes. Something was being hidden from me. I let her go, though the unease settled deeper in my chest.

Over the next two days, the activity only increased. More deliveries came through. More preparations were made. It almost felt like there was an enormous celebration about to happen. It just didn’t feel like anything tied to my birthday.

There were more hushed conversations that seemed to stop the moment I walked into a room.

My heart constricted. Were they going to outshine my celebration… or what?

Coming to think of it, if it really had anything to do with me, I don’t think I would be sidelined like this.

And at the center of it all… was none other than Sharon.

She moved through the pack house with a sense of purpose that was impossible to ignore. Giving instructions. Reviewing arrangements. Speaking with the decorators and staff as if she had complete authority over everything that was happening.

She had all the power and authority in this pack. You would think she was the Alpha herself. And Pete…

Pete said nothing. It was almost as if he wasn’t the one who reminded me of my birthday just last week. He didn’t ask me about the preparations or tell me to start preparing. Clearly, he had gone back on his word, but he didn’t think I deserved to know.

My heart broke at such thoughts. At that stage, I felt completely alone.

Even Pete’s parents, who used to adore me, had decided to go on a tour at this moment when my life was falling apart. Derek and Zadok, my childhood friends, avoided me like a plague. Drakah couldn’t do much, as she would be labeled biased toward members.

I wished I could go back to my pack and forget the whole thing, but how could I forget the mate bond?

Though Tania understood what was happening, she whimpered every time I mentioned abandoning everything. She still hoped, against hopelessness, that we could fix things. I didn’t want to weaken her by being selfish.

I watched them once from across the hall as Sharon spoke to Pete, a stack of papers in her hand. He listened, nodded, and responded as if everything she was doing was completely normal.

As if it was expected.

A strange feeling settled in my stomach. My birthday is only a few days away now. Yet there had been no mention of it since the day he gave me the card. No follow-up. No discussions about it. No sign that he was involved in anything that was happening around the house.

I had gone to town. I had ordered the cake. I had bought a dress. I had held onto that small, fragile hope that maybe, just maybe, things would be different this time.

But now… Now it felt like that hope had been misplaced.

I sat on the edge of my bed that evening, staring at the folded dress resting beside me. It was still as beautiful as the day I bought it. But now it would be irrelevant if there was no celebration.

My fingers brushed lightly over the fabric, but I could not bring myself to pick it up.

“Maybe he changed his mind,” I whispered softly to Tania.