The Banished Luna's Awakening

Weird Stares

LARA

Thanks to Nina, I finally began settling into the pack properly.

I had been given work as one of the cooks in the pack kitchen, and because of that, I was assigned to share a room with her. Nina had been so thrilled about it that she spent half the night bouncing excitedly on our bed while talking about everything and nothing at once.

Honestly… I was excited too.

For the first time in a long while, I had something that almost felt stable. A roof over my head. A source of income. And most importantly, the kitchen was far from the main pack house—a place high-ranking officials rarely visited.

Meaning the chances of running into the Beta or Mrs. Darlah were slim.

That alone felt like a blessing.

All I needed to do was keep my head down, work hard, and prove I was useful enough to deserve the kindness I’d been shown.

The very next morning, Nina and I were handed simple cream-colored uniforms before being directed to the kitchen at sunrise. Staff hurried in and out carrying baskets of vegetables and sacks of flour while cooks barked orders over sizzling pans.

It was chaotic.

“Don’t just stand there looking scared,” Nina whispered dramatically, nudging my shoulder. “If Head Chef Samara notices us standing, she’ll eat us alive before breakfast.”

I nearly choked out a laugh.

Before I could respond, one of the older kitchen workers shoved two woven baskets into our hands.

“You girls,” she grunted. “Garden duty. Go uproot lettuce and cabbage before the lunch preparations begin.”

Nina groaned immediately. “Why is it always me?”

“Because you talk too much,” the woman snapped without missing a beat.

I bit back my smile as Nina muttered complaints under her breath the entire way out.

Instead of heading out through the front gate, we passed through the back gate of the pack and continued down a narrow road that eventually led toward the town below the mountain.

At first, I was too busy trying to memorize the route to pay attention to anything else.

But after a while, I started noticing people staring at me.

Not normal glances.

Actual staring.

Some slowed their steps as we passed. Others openly turned their heads to look at me with strange expressions on their faces. A woman standing beside a fruit stall nearly dropped the apples she was arranging. Two men whispered to themselves while looking directly at me.

My stomach twisted uneasily.

Instinctively, I lifted my hand, wanting to pull my hoodie over my face—only to realize I was wearing the kitchen uniform.

No hoodie.

Panic immediately crept into my chest.

I quickly lowered my head and bent slightly forward, trying my best to hide my face as I continued walking after Nina.

Beside me, Nina frowned in confusion.

Then suddenly, Nina stopped walking.

I nearly bumped into her.

Confused, I looked up slightly, only to realize she was glaring at a man standing near a butcher’s stall. He hadn’t even tried to hide the fact that he was staring directly at me.

Nina placed a hand on her hip immediately.

“Don’t you have any shame?” she snapped loudly. “Why are you staring at a young girl like that? That’s very rude, you know.”

The man blinked, clearly caught off guard.

“I—”

“And you’re not even being subtle about it,” Nina continued, narrowing her eyes at him. “If you have something to say, then say it with your full chest instead of looking like a creep.”

The man looked between Nina and me before frowning deeply.

“It’s not that,” he muttered. “She just looks fami—”

“Enough,” Nina cut in sharply before he could finish.

Then she grabbed my wrist again and began dragging me through the crowd.

I followed immediately, my heartbeat pounding painfully inside my chest.

We walked past the busy streets and eventually reached the mountain trail leading toward the lower gardens. The climb was steep and exhausting, and by the time we finally arrived, both of us were breathing heavily.

Rows of lettuce and cabbage stretched across the field, swaying gently beneath the morning breeze.

“Finally,” Nina groaned before dropping her basket onto the ground. “If I ever become Luna one day, I’m banning mountain climbing.”

We worked quickly after that, uprooting the lettuce and cabbage exactly as we had been instructed. Dirt stained my fingers while the cold earth clung beneath my nails, but honestly, I preferred this over being back in town, where everyone kept staring at me like they recognized me.

Once our baskets were full, Nina immediately picked hers up.

I adjusted my grip on the basket before quickly following after her as we rushed back down the mountain path together.

****

The moment Lara disappeared from sight, a tall shadow stepped out from the darkness.

Dressed in a sinister clown costume, the man tilted his head slowly, his painted lips curling into a dangerous smirk.

“Found you…” He whispered, his voice low enough to send chills crawling through the silence.

On a closer look, he appeared to be Lucian.

The cold night breeze brushed past him as he lifted a hand to the side of his head, his expression darkening slightly.

“Alpha,” he mind-linked calmly. “I've located her.”

There was a brief silence before Ryker’s voice echoed inside his head.

“Where are you?” he asked sharply.

Lucian leaned lazily against a tree, staring into the darkness ahead. “In town,” he replied. “She appeared to be wearing one of the uniforms the kitchen staff wear.”

Ryker let out a quiet, almost satisfied laugh through the mind-link. “Then we can finally proceed with the plan.”

That very day, Lara was approached by pack security and told that she was being summoned by the elders.