The Luck of the Luna

Chapter 9 Packhouse

Aryana

We drove for 30 minutes through the dense forest, before we turned off the main road and onto a paved driveway. If you didn’t know exactly what you were looking for, it would’ve been easy to miss. We stopped when we got to a cast iron gate with large wolf statues on either side, and from the looks of it, his family crest in the center of the gate. Two guards who were standing by nodded before letting us pass.

We drove down the long driveway, which was surrounded by thick, but well-maintained forest, and lined with beautiful lanterns, before we came to a clearing. It was then that I saw the most luxurious, jaw-dropping mansion I have ever seen.

“Y… you, you live here?” I stuttered in disbelief.

“I do, do you like it?” he smiled. I was at a loss for words but nodded my head slowly. I was afraid to blink, fearing I would miss a detail, or it would just be a dream.

The mansion was gray brick, 3 stories, with balconies elegantly placed. There was a huge multi-car garage off to the side, that he said had additional parking underground. In the center of the driveway sat a large fountain.

The fountain had four wolves. A male, who I’m assuming is the Alpha, overlooking a female and two pups. Behind them, a geyser spouted water over them, while some of it pooled in certain areas on the wolves and trickled down into the bottom of the fountain.

The landscaping was pristine. The shrubbery was trimmed to perfection, with an array of flowers and colors. The vast selection was mind-boggling, and the grounds were filled with the magnificent aroma of each one of them. Not a weed on site might I add.

I turned to look at Hunter, “What do you do for a living?’ I mindlessly asked, not taking into consideration that I could've come off as rude.

He glanced at me, “I own multiple businesses around town and in the city, including the hotel we stayed at last night.” His voice was full of pride as he said that.

“You must keep busy. All work, no play?” I questioned.

“Well, that's partially true. I do keep busy, but I mainly work out of my office at home.”

“That’s good, at least you're not one of those people who is never home or sees your family.”

He got quiet as his eyes clouded over. I stared at him confused as I watched them go back to their normal vibrant blue two seconds later. I’d never seen anything like that before. He noticed my gawking, “What’s wrong?"

I continued to stare into his eyes, unable to look away. “Did your eyes just get cloudy?”

He tensed up a bit. “Um, yea, it’s a genetic thing.”

“Ah, okay.” That's bizarre. I've never seen anything like that before. I decided to let it go. I mean, who am I to pry into someone else's business?

“Now, let's go in and grab a snack. I want you to meet some people.” He gave me a cheesy grin as he got out of the car, rushed around, and opened my door for me. Hand in hand, we made our way into the house.

When we entered, he was walking fast but stopped when he realized he was pulling me. He turned, noticing that I was looking at all the fine details inside the house. “This is amazing.” I whispered to myself.

The flooring was marble, a crystal chandelier hung from the vaulted ceiling, and there were beautiful double staircases on each side of the entryway. To the left, there was a huge living room with a large TV, a fireplace, and multiple sofas, chairs, and tables, along with multiple picture windows on one wall. To the right, there was a conference room with a long table, and at least 20 leather swivel chairs, as well as a large TV hanging on the far wall.

We made our way toward the back of the house. I admired the artwork, vases with fresh flowers, and a 4ft statue of a wolf. ‘Wow, they really love wolves,’ I thought to myself.

We passed what looked like a restaurant-style dining room on the left, which had many tables set up. The state-of-the-art kitchen faced the backyard, and it looks like it has a door to a commercial kitchen in the back. There was also a counter with stools and a smaller, more family-friendly table. When I say, “family friendly,” I mean it could hold at least 10 people, easily. Behind the table were windows that lined the room, along with double doors leading to the backyard.

There were people scattered throughout the house. I guess it would take a lot of people to help maintain a mansion of this magnitude. It was a little awkward though, they were all staring at me.

I was brought back to reality when I heard Hunter's voice once again. “Mom, dad, this is Aryana.” He grasped my hand a little tighter and smiled from ear to ear. “Aryana, this is my mom Lillian, and my dad Samuel.

Lillian was about my height at 5’5”, with long, light brown wavy hair, and a sun-kissed complexion. Samuel is about 6’3, well-built, and toned. He had dark brown hair and the same complexion as Hunter.

Lillian looked at me elated. “Well, hello, we’ve heard so much about you.” I looked at them confused. I only met Hunter last night. “Oh, Kaya told us about you. She’s Hunter’s cousin,” she added.

“Oh, I didn’t know that. Well, it’s nice to meet you.” I smiled, reaching out to shake their hands. Instead, they brought me in for a hug.

“So, what are you two up to today?” Samuel asked.

“I’m going to show her some of the wolves that live around here.” Their eyes widened and had smiles spread across their faces. All their eyes clouded over at the same time. It must be a hereditary condition.

“If you see a huge black one, he’s the best,” his dad winked.

“Oh please, the dark gray one is the best. Don’t listen to him.” Hunter said. We all laughed.

We grabbed a couple of freshly made chocolate chip cookies and headed out to go meet the wolves.