Luna of the Golden Moon

Garden

"Cay, what do you think about Beta Brad?" I was already in the office when I talked via the link, sat in my armchair, and checked different construction companies for myself.

Beta Brad and his new mate had made me realize just how small this house really was, not that the mansion wasn't huge. Still, it could only hold so many people, and I don't think whoever built it thought this pack would ever be as big as it is right now.

Mate couples and pups were crowded in small quarters, even the Betas didn't have that much room to be honest, we needed to change that, and Caleb was so proud of me for taking my own decisions, after talking to him about it, of course.

We could have separate cabins for mates instead of being cooped up in small rooms inside the mansion. We had space on the properties; they were huge. Why had no one taken care of this before me? It was an obvious solution to have the pack closer together while still keeping them safe, just by adding more border patrols.

"He seems like a good fighter, strong and determined…. Why are you asking Mila?" Caleb sounded suspicious when I smiled to myself, and a delta knocked on the door and came in with lemon water and biscuits. I smiled gratefully and thanked the Delta quickly before continuing my conversation with Caleb over the bond.

"He was the first Beta for Alpha Victor. We have none. Maybe it would be a chance to finally get a new one. He has experience, he seems to be loyal to us already, and he has something to lose…" I meant Katelynn, and he seemed to be thinking on the other side of what I had said. When I ate biscuits contentedly and gulped water down, I really loved these biscuits.

"I have thought about it. I wanted to know more about him before I made such a big decision." I understood that more companies could build several homes on the land.

I swiped my finger across the tablet when I looked out the window and saw Brad and Katlynn together in the garden path, hand in hand, looking at the flowers. They looked adorable together… I smiled stupidly at them and looked down at the screen again. The bond between them was already strong.

"So is ours, Luna." He said it like I did not know, and sighed. I was there. I know how strong it was. We have overcome more than most who have the bond can stand.

"We can do anything, Mila, there is nothing we can't do together." I smiled at his sweet answer, hearing him say it, but it was true; we could do it all together.

"Are you out on the training grounds?" I drank more water when I already knew he was, because I had Mark and Tony, who stood at the door, having sent the betas away from their post as soon as I got inside the office, those poor males.

"They know their duty, Luna, I'm not taking any chances with the cunning bastard out there who's just waiting to take you." He was angry now. I looked up from the screen again. He really was, and I lost my smile over what I was doing. Yes. I knew all that, but Kyle wouldn't just take me; it wasn't his style, and even Caleb knew.

"Emilia, please, don't underestimate Kyle, I know I won't make that mistake again..." Caleb growled, not to me, but towards the man who was sparring, taking him down and breathing heavier, with me just listening, feeling worse, since I knew Kyle wasn't stupid and wouldn't come here. I had no intention of following him anywhere.

"Good. Because, if he does, I will kill him." I nodded, knowing Caleb could feel my sadness, but he was right; Kyle couldn't be my concern anymore; it was the pack. The moment I became Luna, it was always the pack.

I closed the link when I knew he would not answer more than yes or no, and looked at all the companies. There were three I should contact and get quotations from. This was a big job, so it was a lot of money. Still, honestly, I was the Luna, and it was my pack's money to manage.

I still missed Kyle. I did. I missed him as the first Beta, my friend, and not the hidden Alpha he turned out to be, who needed freedom, hiding in plain sight… just wished that it wasn't all about power.

The baby kicked me, bringing me back to reality. I looked out the window, holding my hand over my belly. I had something to lose—so much more than I ever would have thought when I met Caleb.

I needed to be smart and plan, just like our rivals did. I couldn't simply trust that Caleb would save me; he had his own problems to deal with. I was meant to help him, not be another burden on his already overloaded responsibilities.

"Betas, I want to walk in the garden." I had put the tablet down, walked towards the door opening and had the two men, Beta Mark and Tony accompany me with two new Betas, fresh off their break to stand guard at the head office, with me smiling nicely at them before starting to walk slowly towards the downstairs level, wanting some fresh air after being cooped up all day, and maybe a chance to talk to our newest mated couple.

"Beta Brad, and Katlynn..." I said it warm, seeing them stop right when they saw me. Maybe my Betas had told them to stop, making us catch up more easily with me walking slowly and, to my own pain, almost waddling with the big belly I know everyone was staring at. Beta Katlynn didn't even try to hide how huge I was, making her start to blush when seeing me catch her eyes, before hiding behind her mate, like he could save her.

"Luna." Beta Brad didn't look too overwhelmed by me ambushing him, or the Beta who had followed me, not just Mark and Tony. No, there were at least ten more guys standing on full alert to take down any threat with me roaming my own garden, even some Deltas were giving me worried looks, not liking the part that I wasn't tucked inside where they could keep me safe with the baby.

"So, I just want to ask if you are happy with your room and ..." I wanted to say, matebond, but how couldn't they be? They were walking the gardens together, almost making me jealous, when Caleb and I did nothing except be apart on different duties and then just fall asleep to fast at night, sharing some kisses before falling asleep.

"Well, it's not like the alpha's wing, but... yes, no, we have no problem with our room, Luna.." I nodded happily to hear that, feeling like there was a bit in his words. Still, he was too polite to say it, at least to a strange Luna.

No matter whether he was one of my children now or not, he didn't know me, and his mate wasn't sure how to act since she was a Delta, too scared to say anything wrong to me.

"It's small, right? I told Caleb, and he agreed, but... Yes, I know it's more of a room than a place for a mated couple, and you don't even have pups yet like others..." Beta Katelynn made a shocked noise, her eyes finding my belly again, with me smiling. Well, it was the truth, wasn't it? Most mated coups had pups, not all, but the majority of us did.

"I'm sorry, Luna, but don't you think this is something you should talk to with the Alpha, or maybe the first Beta, since my mate and I are new to your pack..." Beta Brad wasn't rude; he was just telling me the truth about me losing my smile suddenly, trying to keep it up anyway, knowing he was right. Yes, I would talk to Caleb about it, a real conversation and not just some stolen words when both were about to fall asleep.

"Yes, you are right... I'm sorry, we have no first Beta anymore, and my mate is busy with other responsibilities..." I felt worse, seeing the strange Beta's eyes shift, like he felt sorry for me.

His mate is still hiding behind him, making me smile even more fake, wishing right now I could do that, just hide behind Caleb. Still, I couldn't, not since I stepped my foot inside this pack because of his mate.

"No first Beta, then who is running the show around here?" Beta Brad suddenly looked worried, as if he'd seen something I didn't, the Betas surrounding us, some close and some far, his pale eyes searching the gardens, as if he'd just woken from his mateship bond, having covered everything else in his mind.

"Your men are leaving you open, and I can spot at least three spaces where an ambush could happen." I was the one who looked worried now, wanting Caleb right now. What was he talking about? This area was safe, wasn't it??

"Beta, you are to close the Luna. How will you protect her when the person trying to harm her could use your body as a weapon instead of a shield?" Beta Brad didn't sound funny or relaxed anymore, giving Mark a stern look. At the same time, Mark snarled back, not wanting to listen to an outsider provide him with advice on how to run his job, which he had been doing all his life.

"I'm standing just fine, Beta!" Mark snarled more, Tony giving him a nod to stop, with me staring at both men as a power struggle suddenly broke out. How did this happen?

"You need a first Beta, Luna, and fast." Beta Brad was backing off, with his mate still behind him, not wanting to escalate the situation, Mark looked like he had won, to my sigh! He hadn't, none of them had, it was just a big waiting to fill, wasn't it?

"Caleb, we need to talk about the first Beta problem."

I turned and started walking back to the wooden mansion determined and with a mission, knowing we had to fix this now or risk more infighting.