The Ugly Luna

Episode 5

Chapter 5

Thalia

I breathed a sigh of relief when I turned around and saw Alpha Aldric wearing pants, but still no top. My gaze fell on his broad chest. Athena suddenly appeared in my mind, teasing me.

"Wow, yummy! Our mate is so yummy, Thalia. Admit it, you're crushing on him."

I temporarily blocked her, afraid I'd lose focus with her constant interruptions.

"Why are you here? What are you doing in the Blood Rose Pack?" Alpha Aldric asked angrily, his gaze intimidating. His eyes blazed with intensity.

"I was brought here by Elder Emri," I replied curtly.

"If Elder Emri brought you here to force you to be my Luna, you're mistaken. I won't accept you. Leave the Blood Rose Pack! You're not the Luna I want!" he said firmly.

The rejection hurt my feelings, but I wouldn't let him have another Luna. I'm his mate, given to him by the Moon Goddess, and I won't accept his rejection no matter how many times he repeats it.

"I'm your mate, Alpha Aldric. The Moon Goddess gave me to you, so no matter how many times you reject me, I won't accept your rejection," I said firmly.

He grabbed my arm, and I winced in pain from the tight grip.

"Alpha Aldric, you're hurting me," I protested.

"You'll really get hurt if you don't leave the Blood Rose Pack!" he replied fiercely. He roughly let go of my arm.

"I don't want to see your face here, so leave!" he ordered sternly, turning his back on me.

Feeling sad, I went to the forest. There were guards around, and I couldn't shift into Athena's form for fear of being seen. Instead, I climbed a tree and sat down, gazing up at the sky and the stars that lit up the vastness of space.

Athena suddenly appeared in my mind again.

"Don't give up on Alpha Aldric. Once the curse is lifted, I'm sure he'll accept you," Athena said, boosting my morale.

"Athena, I'm craving for love. My whole life, I've been belittled because of who I am. And I haven't even been able to show them my true self and be proud, because I couldn't shift in front of many people due to the curse. I want to try and get Alpha Aldric to kiss me. Maybe his kiss can lift the curse off me," I said frustratedly.

"How will he kiss you when he can't stand you? Unless you kiss him yourself, but don't do that. He might slap you and say we're being promiscuous. Just wait for the right moment. Don't worry, Elder Emri is here. He'll help us with Alpha Aldric," Athena said.

Once again, Athena's words lifted my spirits. I smiled, feeling hopeful that the curse would be lifted from me.

A while later, I heard Daisy calling me. I quickly climbed down from the tree and headed back to the stream where Daisy was waiting for me.

"Where have you been?" she asked.

"I just took a walk in the forest," I replied with a smile.

"Be careful not to wander too far when you're in the forest. We don't know if there are rogue wolves lurking around, and what might happen to you," Daisy warned.

I smiled faintly at her. She's kind, unlike her brother, who's so gruff.

"Let's head back to the pack house. It's getting late, and tomorrow Daddy will introduce you to the whole pack," Daisy suggested.

I smiled and followed her. The Blood Rose Pack is vast, with a large forest and community. After a while, we arrived at my cabin.

"This is your cabin, Thalia. It's clean, and you have your own patio. It's nice here because you also have your own garden. If you need anything, don't hesitate to come to me, okay? Just ignore my brother, Aldric," Daisy said with a smile.

I smiled back and nodded. "Thanks for walking with me."

"Welcome. Tomorrow, I'll introduce you to my sister, Sheila. I'll be going now," Daisy said with a wide smile. I smiled back and entered the cabin. I headed straight to the single room, sat on the soft bed, and lay down.

'I wonder what our fate will be here, Athena. Will the other pack members accept us? Or will we be the subject of their teasing again?' I asked Athena sadly.

'Let them tease us, Thalia. When the curse is lifted, they'll be the ones embarrassed. For now, let's think about how we'll face Alpha Aldric tomorrow,' Athena replied.

"Alright, I'll just sleep for now. Tomorrow, Elder Imre will introduce me to the Blood Rose Pack. Others might laugh at me, but it's okay as long as we'll be part of the pack," I said.

I closed my eyes to sleep, feeling a sense of relief in this place despite my doubts about being accepted. I slept soundly in my cabin.

The next day, Elder Imre summoned me. I prepared early and headed to the pack house. Fortunately, I didn't encounter any pack members. It seemed they were all busy with their activities for the day.

"Please proceed to the dining room. I'm Omega Valentina," Omega Valentina greeted me. She seemed kind and didn't seem to mind my appearance.

"Thank you, Omega Valentina. I'm Thalia," I introduced myself.

She smiled faintly and nodded, continuing to wipe down the windows in the pack house.

"I'll head to the dining area now," I said with a smile.

I proceeded to the dining area reserved for the Alpha family and high-ranking pack officials. I followed their scents, so I didn't get lost. Upon entering, I saw Elder Imre, his wife Luna Julianne, Daisy, and a young girl who I assumed was Sheila, Daisy's sister.

On the other side of the table, Alpha Aldric sat with a dark expression, his brows furrowed as he stared at the food in front of him.

"Sit next to Alpha Aldric, Thalia," Elder Imre instructed. Though I felt hesitant to dine with them, I obeyed Elder Imre's command.

"Good morning, everyone," I shyly greeted them before sitting down beside Alpha Aldric.

'Oh, my yummy mate,' Athena said, sounding excited in my mind.

'Athena, shut up,' I scolded her in my mind.

'If you don't stop, I'll block you,' I added.

''Hmm...," she smiply said, moving her tail.

"Why did you bring this monstrous creature here, Dad?" Alpha Aldric's deep voice thundered, questioning Elder Imre. It was clear he didn't like my presence in their pack.

"If you want to maintain your power and be recognized as the strongest Alpha in North America, you'll accept Thalia as your mate and future Luna!" Elder Imre said firmly to Alpha Aldric, unfazed by his son's tone.

I felt like shrinking in my seat, sensing the disgust emanating from Luna Julianne.

"She's Aldric's mate? She's a human?" the young girl, around 14 years old, asked incredulously.

"Yes, she's your Aldric's mate and will be the Luna of the Blood Rose Pack. We'll perform the ritual later to make Thalia one of us. From now on, she's part of the Blood Rose Pack," Elder Imre replied to his daughter.

"Dad, I don't accept her as my mate and future Luna. I'll ask the Moon Goddess for another mate!" Alpha Aldric protested.

"Stop, Aldric! In our lineage, no one has ever rejected their mate. Whatever the Moon Goddess gives us, we accept. If you're ashamed to introduce Thalia as your mate to the whole pack, we can keep it a secret for now, but she'll still be your Luna, whether you like it or not."

Even I was surprised when Elder Imre said that.

"Why not let Tamarra be Aldric's Luna? Why are you forcing our son on that ugly creature?" Luna Julianne protested to her husband. Alpha Imre turned to her with a sharp gaze, displeased with her words.

"Have you lost your mind, Julianne? How could you say that? What about Nero? Do you want our son's wolf to be weak? The Moon Goddess wouldn't have given Thalia as Aldric's mate if she wasn't beneficial to our pack. Don't look at her appearance; look at what's best for the pack. Especially now that you have many enemies, Aldric. Your wolf needs to be strong, and Thalia is the only one who can make him stronger," Elder Imre firmly replied to his family.

Luna Julianne didn't say another word, though it seemed like she wanted to. Alpha Aldric turned to me and gazed at me with a hateful expression.

"If you think you'll have a happy life here, you're mistaken. Even if you become my Luna, I won't introduce you to the whole pack or any other pack," Alpha Aldric said with a clenched jaw.

I looked down, feeling like I wanted to escape to the forest and pour out the frustration I was feeling.

"She's not ugly. She's beautiful and kind. I want her to be Aldric's Luna. I've seen her in my dreams, in a dark forest with a beautiful wolf I've never seen before," the young girl, who had been staring at me, chimed in.

"Sheila, a dream is just imagination. How can you say she's beautiful? Look at her appearance. And I don't even sense a wolf in her," Luna Julianne scolded her daughter, glancing at me mockingly.

The young girl looked at me and smiled. The way she looked at me made it seem like she knew my secret.

"There's no need for us to argue about Thalia. Tonight, she'll be part of our pack. And since she's going to be Alpha Aldric's Luna, I don't want to hear any insults about her. And if you can't protect your mate, Aldric, I'll defend her against anyone who wants to hurt her. Is that clear to all of us?" Elder Imre said firmly to his family.

Sheila and Daisy nodded, but Alpha Aldric and his mother remained silent.

"We don't have anything else to discuss. Let's continue eating. Eat, Thalia, don't be shy. From now on, you're part of our family and the whole pack," Elder Imre said to me.

I saw Luna Julianne roll her eyes, but I ignored her. Alpha Aldric didn't say a word, but I could sense his anger. I took a small portion of food and started eating.

Elder Imre noticed the food I took and stopped eating. He picked up the meats and put them on my plate.

"Don't be shy, dear. Eat this venison and buffalo meat. If you want vegetables, try these, fresh from our backyard," he said kindly.

I nodded slightly and took some venison. The Blood Rose Pack was abundant in meat due to their vast territory. They had the largest forest and land among all the packs.

After we ate, Sheila and Daisy took me on a tour of the lavender garden. The flower garden was vast, and the sisters often spent time there. As lavender is one of my favorite scents, it's no surprise that I'll be visiting this garden frequently too.

The Blood Rose Pack has its own workshop for lavender perfume, oil, and other products derived from the flowers, which are used as sleep aids and relaxation for werewolves.

"Can you show us your wolf, Thalia?" Sheila asked sweetly. I smiled faintly and stroked her hair, shaking my head.

"I'm under a curse, so I can't show you my wolf," I said with a smile.

"Why were you cursed?" Sheila asked again, her brow furrowed.

"Sheila, don't bother Thalia. Help us pick lavender flowers," Daisy intervened, scolding Sheila. Sheila pouted but obeyed her sister.

"You've always appeared in my dreams. In my dreams, your face changes and becomes beautiful. And your wolf is as white as shining snow," Sheila whispered to me.

I didn't expect her to see our beauty, mine and Athena's, in her dreams. Her ability is unique yet powerful.

"Sheila, can you keep your dream a secret? Let's keep it between us. Maybe they won't believe it. I don't want them to think badly of you because of me," I pleaded with Sheila.

She nodded in agreement.