Caroline’s features were tense with both anger and embarrassment.
I took the chance to reach into my bag and pull out a few of the gifts I had privately packed for this occasion. Knowing that Wendy hasn’t been doing well, I made sure to grab a few different variations of herbs and tea leaves that would surely help her.
“These were grown specially from my pack,” I said gently. We’ve been cultivating these types of plants for generations. Anytime someone in the pack would fall ill, it’s the first thing that they’re given to help them get better.”
“How sweet.”
“I’m afraid I’m going to have to deny such an
unknown remedy,” Fiona tutted, snidely. “Lose herbs such as these…There’s no telling how hygienic they are.”
I was about to defend the accusation but was swiftly interrupted by Wendy.
“I insist on trying them then,” she said.
She called for an immediate tea service and handed me back the tea leaves so I could begin to steep them in the small pot. After a few minutes, I poured her a cup of tea and carefully handed it over.
Wendy took numerous sips. “This is very nice.”
Already there was a noticeable difference in her voice from the clear way she sounded. Alexander looked marveled and purely relieved.
“You sound so much better,” he claimed.
“If you like, I’d be more than happy to plant these types of herbs in the gardens here,” I offered. “The plants take about 1-2 months to grow, so it won’t take too long for the pack to benefit from them.”
Wendy was very pleased and from where I was sitting, I could see Alexander was giving me an appraising look himself.
[Third-Person POV]
When Fiona had first joined the MoonStone Pack, she had believed in the likelihood that it would one day lead to her becoming Luna. However, when Alexander’s accident occurred, she’d lost all interest.
Today, she’d dressed up to make Samantha look and feel inferior in comparison. But instead, she found herself outshone by the ‘wild child’, Evelyn.
It was practically laughable.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, she’s been mocked and out-shined in her own field. Fiona couldn’t stand the humiliation.
She was determined to see Evelyn suffer and be thrown out of the pack. Caroline stole a glance at the younger woman and leaned in close to speak.
“I trust you to be able to deal with this new
Luna,” she sneered.
The two continued their hushed plotting down the corridor, determined to see Evelyn’s place in MoonStone Pack to be short-lived.
[Evelyn’s POV]
Since that fateful morning when I had officially met Grandma Wendy, I could easily say that things around the house had become a lot lighter. I had grown comfortable with most of the staff and they had become rather used to me being around.
Granted it was a small portion of the pack that knew of my existence, it was a decent start. On the bright side, I hadn’t really seen much more of Caroline or Fiona after that initial meeting with Alexander’s Grandmother.
In a way, I was deeply grateful for it. There was no chance I would have been able to get through another embarrassing attack. It was no mystery that my knowledge and insight on certain matters put me in a conflicted position.
I hadn’t meant to come in and step on anyone’s toes. But, at the same time, it was obvious that certain things were going on behind Alexander’s back. As Luna, it was their job to ensure that everything was running smoothly.
I spent most of my days around either Nina or Wendy. If I wasn’t being taught the proper dress and etiquette for a Luna, then I was being brought in on the financial affairs within the pack.
It was all very productive, to say the least and I was happy that I wasn’t wasting my days mulling around, doing nothing. However, I wish I could say that things had changed between Alexander and I.
But no. Not really.
He still kept to his private study for most of the day. The only real-time either of us would possibly come together would be for meal times and, of course, at night. By some miracle, I had earned his Grandmother’s favor, but it clearly wasn’t enough to earn his complete trust. Or, at the very least, earn his interest. Yep, those damn separate beds still remained distantly apart from each other.
It shouldn’t have mattered to me. Truly.
What did I care if my own husband wanted little to do with me in that aspect?
The issue only really bothered me at night. We laid out in our separated beds, trying to find a semblance of sleep from the day’s events. As odd as it seemed, I found myself missing that warm, secure feeling that came from when we slept next to each other.
“Stupid,” I whispered under my breath to myself. “None of it matters.”
God, I wanted to believe that was true. I felt ridiculous thinking about it nonstop. All it did was make me wonder if Alexander felt any different.
Clearly, he doesn’t, Evelyn. Otherwise, he would have mentioned something by now.
It pained me to think that this was what my marriage was going to be in terms of intimacy – or the lack thereof.
If this marriage was going to honestly be treated like a business ordeal, then I figured I ought to at least meet the rest of the pack. Right??
That morning, Alexander was well off on his own business, visiting the pack in their various campsites. I, on the other hand, was
just returning from a brief meeting with my previous pack along with Nina. I’d managed to get a hold of those several packets of herbal seeds that I spoke to Wendy about.
I knew that if I was able to deliver them to the packs now, the plants would make it just in time before the winter frost would roll in.
This was my only way of keeping my mind off of Alexander. Working with plants and harvesting their growth to rework for future benefits was what kept my mind occupied.
“Do you think Wendy will still be interested in these?” I asked Nina.
The woman eagerly nodded her head. “Definitely.”
As the two of us headed toward Wendy’s rooms, we were stopped short because of Fiona. An unsettling feeling crept in from the back of my mind. Where the hell had she even come from?
It was as though she’d been waiting for us to head this way.
“Fiona,” I greeted. “Is there something you
need?”
I read through her false smile almost immediately. “Alexander reached out to me to inform you that he’d like for you to go and meet him at the camps today.”
My brows lifted in shock. “Really?”
“Yep. He’s meeting with a few of the pack members to discuss some important matters, but he’s looking forward to seeing you.”
I tried to not let my cheeks flush with interest. I turned to face Nina and asked her to make sure those seeds got to Wendy so that they could be arranged and planted.
I was more than glad to see that Wendy’s health had been improving since she started taking the special tea leaves and herbs I prescribed for her. Now she was able to take care of the more intricate tasks than before.
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